Enemy Types

Welcome to the Guide on Enemy Factions! Destiny 2 would not be the video game we have all come to love without some tough enemies to crush. Each enemy race has its foot soldiers and big baddies, so it's important to know the differences in their attack styles, damage output, and their strengths and weaknesses.

Enemy Classification

While each enemy race has names for each type of combatant, all you need to know is their classification. This is found by the different types of Health Bars above any combatant's head or at the bottom of the player's screen. Champion is another enemy type, set apart by their great strength and requiring a specific way to damage them.

Health Bar

It's very easy to look at an enemy's health bar and discover what exactly you're up against.

• Minor enemy type: Red Bar - very common and easy to kill.
• Major enemy type: Red Bar - very common but not as easy to kill.
• Elite enemy type: Orange Bar - Not as common and moderately hard to kill.
• Boss: Yellow Bar on the enemy - Mini-boss, hard to kill.
• Boss: Yellow Bar on bottom of the screen - Boss-level. Requires strategy and more ammo than you can hold.

Champions

Champions are special enemy types that are more powerful than standard combatants and require specific tactics and weapons to defeat. There are three types of Champions, each with unique abilities and weaknesses. They are often found in Nightfall strikes, Lost Sectors, and higher-level activities like Legend, Master, and Grandmaster Nightfalls. Champions are defeated by using mods or subclass abilities that stun their specific champion type. After players stun a Champion, their backs glow light yellow as an indicator. When their backs stop glowing, players can engage in stunning again.

• Overload Champions have rapid health regeneration and can disrupt players' abilities and supers.
• Barrier Champions can deploy an impenetrable shield that regenerates their health and protects them from most damage types.
• Unstoppable Champions have high resistance to damage and can charge at players, dealing massive damage.

Cabal

The Cabal is a militaristic, heavily armored race resembling giant humanoid rhinos. They have a strong emphasis on discipline, firepower and defenses.

Types of Cabal

• Legionaries: Basic soldiers with heavy armor. Their critical spot is in the center of their backpack.
• Phalanxes: Shield-bearing Cabal that blocks frontal attacks. Break their shield by shooting the center, then shoot their heads when they stagger.
• Incendiors - Legionaries with flamethrowers. They have unlimited fire and ammo.
• Gladiators - Heavy melee enemies. Wield two large swords.
• Centurions: Elite soldiers with jetpacks and heavy weapons. Usually solar-shielded; the critical spot is their head or center of their jetpack.
• Colossi: Massive units with missile launchers. Their critical spot is in the center of their backpack.
• Psions: Small, agile units that use psychic attacks and sniper rifles.
• War Beasts - Rhino-like dog beasts that have major bite and claw damage.
• Turrets - Cabal utilizes turrets high up on platforms with unlimited ammo.

Strengths: Heavy armor, powerful ranged attacks and strong defensive turrets.

Weaknesses: Phalanxes' shields can be bypassed by flanking them or using explosive damage. Psions are weak but can be dangerous in numbers. Easily staggered by Disorienting Grenades, Suppression, Freeze Ability, and being Suspended.

How to Defeat: Aim for headshots to bypass armor. Use weapons with high impact to break Phalanx shields. Focus fire on Colossi to take them down quickly. Use subclass abilities listed above for surefire ways to disrupt the Cabal's attack on you!

Hive

The Hive is an ancient, undead enemy type that worships the Darkness. They are grotesque and insect-like, residing in dark, subterranean environments.

Types of Hive

• Thrall: Weak, melee attackers that swarm in large numbers. Some Thrall are cursed and explode when next to Guardians.
• Acolytes: Basic enemies with melee and range capabilities. Their critical spot is their head.
• Knights: Strong, heavily armored enemies with swords or large guns, and sometimes shields.
• Wizards: Floating spellcasters with shields and powerful energy attacks.
• Ogres: Massive brutes with devastating eye beams and stomp attacks.
• Shriekers: Floating, spinning turrets that unleash homing projectiles.
• Lightbearers: Hive that wields the Light from the Traveler. Crush their ghost after you defeat them to prevent respawning.

Strengths: Dark magic, powerful melee units, and durability. Light moths fly to the Hive to heal them.

Weaknesses: Wizards' shields are weak to elemental damage. Thrall are weak and can be easily killed in large numbers. Ogres

How to Defeat: Use elemental weapons and abilities to break Wizard shields. Focus on taking out Knights and Ogres quickly to avoid heavy damage. Clear out Thrall swarms with AoE attacks. REMEMBER to crush the Hive Ghost Shell after defeating a Lightbearer, otherwise they respawn!

Taken

The Taken are corrupted versions of other races created by the Darkness and possess unique abilities.

Types of Taken

• Shadow/Taken Thrall: Weak, melee attackers with teleportation abilities. Shadow Thrall are summoned by Taken Wizards and do not teleport.
• Taken Acolytes: Basic ranged enemies that summon blights upon their death.
• Taken Knights: Heavily armored enemies with powerful melee attacks.
• Taken Phalanxes: Shield-bearing Cabal that blocks frontal attacks. Break their shield by shooting the center, then shoot their heads when they stagger.
• Taken Captains: High-ranking commanders with energy shields.
• Taken Ogres: Massive enemies with unlimited powerful eye beams.
• Taken Psions - Small, agile enemies that use psychic attacks and sniper rifles.
• Taken Goblins - Basic enemies with weak spots in their stomachs.
• Taken Hobgoblins - Sniper enemies that deploy immune shields when damaged.
• Taken Vandals - Mid-level enemies, often armed with sniper rifles or other specialized weapons.
• Taken Wizards - Floating spellcasters with shields and powerful energy attacks.
• Taken Minotaur - Large enemies with shields and powerful melee attacks.
• Taken Servitor - Floating machines that support Fallen units with shields and health regeneration.
• Taken Hydras - Floating enemies with rotating shields.

Strengths: Teleportation, unique abilities, and strong defenses.

Weaknesses: Blights can be destroyed to weaken nearby Taken. Teleportation can be predicted and countered.

How to defeat: Destroy blights summoned by Acolytes to reduce enemy strength. Use high-impact weapons to quickly take down Taken Knights and Ogres. Be prepared for sudden teleports and adapt quickly to their movements. Tether works well on Taken to prevent them from teleporting.

Scorn

The Scorn are a mutated faction of the Fallen, reanimated by dark energy. They are aggressive and erratic in behavior.

Types of Scorn

• Ravagers: Melee enemies with burning flails. The flail is the critical damage spot.
• Screebs - Small insect-like enemies that explode near Guardians when given the chance.
• Stalkers: Mid-range enemies with crossbows.
• Wraiths - Dual torch-wielding enemies with Scorching melee attacks.
• Lurkers - Mid-range enemies with small shields.
• Raiders: Long-range snipers with cloaking abilities. They turn into smoke to move to a better vantage point, then reappear.
• Chieftains: Powerful enemies that summon totems to buff or protect other Scorn. Usually has an elemental shield.
• Abominations: Massive, hulking brutes with powerful attacks. Their critical spot is their head.
• Walkers - Tanks with a critical damage spot in the "neck". Mine launcher on back.

Strengths: Aggressive behavior, cloaking, and summoning shield totems.

Weaknesses: Totems can be destroyed to weaken nearby Scorn. Chieftains are vulnerable without their totems.

How to defeat: Destroy totems summoned by Chieftains to debuff other Scorn. Use AoE attacks to handle large groups of Ravagers. Focus fire on Abominations to prevent them from unleashing powerful attacks.

Fallen

The Fallen are a scavenger race of nomadic pirates and mercenaries. They are insectoid in appearance and have a hierarchical society led by powerful Kells and Archons.

Types of Fallen

• Dregs: Low-ranking soldiers, weak but often come in large numbers.
• Vandals: Mid-level soldiers, more dangerous than Dregs, often armed with sniper rifles or other specialized weapons.
• Captains: High-ranking commanders with energy shields.
• Shanks: Small, flying drones.
• Heavy Shanks: Larger shanks that have a critical damage spot in their visor.
• Servitors: Floating machines that support Fallen units with shields and health regeneration.
• Wretches - Dreg-like enemies with helmets and a two-handed spear.
• Marauders - Fallen enemy with stealth tech and two short swords. Usually invisible except for attacking Guardians.
• Walkers - Tanks with a critical damage spot in the "neck". Huge gun on their back.

Strengths: Mobility, numbers, and a mix of long-range and close-combat units.

Weaknesses: Shields on Captains and Servitors are vulnerable to Arc damage. Shanks are weak and easily destroyed.

How to defeat: Focus fire on a Captain's shield to break it quickly. Take out Servitors to prevent them from providing support to other units. Use area-of-effect (AoE) weapons and abilities to handle large groups of Dregs and Shanks.

Dread

The newest enemy type, thanks to the Witness! The Dread are the army of the Witness and are enhanced by the power of the pyramids, the Resonance.

Types of Dread

• Weavers - Reshaped Psions that have control over Strand. Their attack pulls you to them with Strand.
• Grims - Aerial specialist of the Witness. Their attack is called Tinnitus that Slows and Suppresses Guardians.
• Subjugators - Tall, thin but deadly combatants that bow to you before they begin to fight. Omens use the power of Stasis and Harbingers wield the power of Strand.
• Tormentors - Shaped in the image of Nezarec, these enemies have critical damage spots on their shoulders and chest. Their attack is to lift you from the ground and crush you if you are too close.
• Attendants - Psion-like enemies that use either Strand or Stasis to deal damage to Guardians.
• Husks - Melee specialist of the Witness. Upon their death, their stomach releases a Geist that explodes near Guardians.

Strengths: Able to use the power of Darkness through elements like Strand and Stasis to combat the Light from Guardians. Aggressive and accurate.

Weaknesses: Critical damage spots on their chest, shoulders, and heads glow yellow/white and are easily hit if they are not moving.

How to defeat: Hit the critical damage spots, make them immobile by Suspending or Freezing them, or set of Ignitions in a group of Dread.

Vex

The Vex is a time-traveling, robotic race with a hive mind. They are highly intelligent and adaptable.

Types of Vex

• Goblins - Basic enemies with weak spots in their stomachs.
• Hobgoblins - Sniper enemies that deploy immune shields when damaged.
• Minotaurs - Large enemies with shields and powerful melee attacks.
• Hydras - Floating enemies with rotating shields.
• Harpy - Small, flying enemies with rapid-fire attacks.
• Supplicants - Harpies explode with toxic radiolarian fluid near Guardians.
• Wyverns - Powerful enemies that walk and shoot, then jump into the air and slam down on Guardians.
• Fanatics - Hobgoblins that are damaged beyond repair and furthermore leave radiolarian fluid on the ground when they die. Radiolarian fluid is harmful to Guardians.
• Cyclops - Artillery units that emit a singular powerful beam after charging up.

Strengths: High resilience, teleportation, and coordinated attacks.

Weaknesses: Goblins' weak spots are easily targeted. Minotaurs' shields are vulnerable to Void damage.

How to defeat: Aim for the glowing weak spots on Goblins and Minotaurs. Use Void weapons to break Minotaur shields. Focus on taking down Hobgoblins quickly before they deploy their shields.

Summary

Understanding these enemy types is crucial for players to develop effective strategies, as each faction requires different tactics to overcome their specific strengths and weaknesses. Utilizing certain weapons and abilities can aid in your efforts to defeat those that would oppose humanity!

Credits

Written by: ShieldMaiden

Reviewed by: SquirrelyDan