Last Updated on November 27, 2022
GM Nightfall Season 18 – Destiny 2 has had a few big updates and changes since its release, but the Grandmaster Nightfall is one of the most exciting additions. This weekly event pits players against powerful bosses in an attempt to earn rewards that can help them breeze through the game. There are many different ways to approach this mode. Whether you’re a high-level player looking for a challenge or a beginner just trying to earn some valuable loot, there’s something for everyone in Grandmaster Nightfall.
Grandmaster Nightfalls are the end-game activity in Destiny 2, arguably more challenging than the Raids. Typically nightfalls are forgiving; given you have the right loadout, you can breeze through any content in the game. But Grandmaster Nightfalls require you to have the best loadout, you can’t complete them without having the right synergy, match-game weapons, and character builds. Also, not to forget, you get the best loot available in Destiny 2 in GM nightfalls.
Grandmaster Nightfall Requirements in Season of the Haunted
To be able to access GM nightfalls during Season 18, players have to hit Power level 1595 at least. The activity level will be 1620, so you need to grind a lot of pinnacle activities.
GM Nightfall Modifiers
- Acute Arc Burn: +25% Arc damage dealt and +50% Arc damage received.
GM nightfalls have the strongest modifiers like Match-Game, Champions, Overlords, basically anything that’s hard to take down. On top of that, you have limited revives.
Grandmaster Nightfall Schedule & Rewards This Week
GM nightfalls return on October 4; the information will be added here once the reset hits.
| Date | Strike Name | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| October 4 | The Glassway | D.F.A. |
| October 11 | The Lightblade | Mindbender’s Ambition |
| October 18 | Fallen Saber | Duty Bound |
| October 25 | The Disgraced | The Militia’s Birthright |
| November 1 | Exodus Crash | Horror’s Least |
| November 8 | The Devi’s Lair | Silicon Neuroma |
| November 15 | The Glassway | D.F.A. |
| November 22 | The Lightblade | Mindbender’s Ambition |
| November 29 | Fallen Saber | Duty Bound |
“*” = will be updated on reset day!
Burn, Shields & Champions for Each GM
| Strike | Acute Burn | Shields | Champions |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Glassway | Void | Arc, Solar & Void | Barrier & Overload |
| The Lightblade | Arc | Arc & Solar | Barrier & Unstoppable |
| Fallen S.A.B.E.R | Arc | Arc & Void | Overload & Barrier |
| The Disgraced | Arc | Arc, Solar & Void | Unstoppable & Barrier |
| Exodus Crash | Arc | Solar | Overload & Barrier |
| The Devil’s Lair | Solar | Arc, Solar & Void | Overload & Barrier |
Reward This Week
The Reward for this week (October 4-11) is D.F.A. Hand Cannon.
Season 18 Loot Pool of Grandmaster Nightfalls
Update: Bungie has already sunset Palindrome, which was one of the most sought-after weapons in GM. The new weapons we will get this season are Horror’s Least Pulse Rifle & D.F.A. Hand Cannon.
New Weapons in S18
- Mindbender’s Ambition
- The Militia’s Birthright
Bungie has confirmed that there will be six weapons in the rotation.
Tips for Completion
There’s no secret to completing Grand Master Nightfalls efficiently. You need the right builds, synergy, and teammates. You have to carry the right weapons that can take down overlords, and champions. There’s a match game modifier so you also need void, solar, and Arc weapons to break enemy shields.
Taking cover from enemies is another essential thing because you will get one shot by many enemies in GM Nightfalls.
Destiny 2 Grandmaster Nightfalls: Loadout Recommendations
We are working on a build guide for the GM Nightfalls. However, here are the best weapons that you can use.
Champion Options for S18
- Barrier: Any Sniper, Scout, or Auto Rifle. Arbalest is a must in most cases.
- Overload: Machine Gun, Bow, Arc Grenades.
- Unstoppable: Shotgun, Pulse Rifle.
Primary Weapons
- Long Range weapons that can take down enemies from range. It would be best if someone from your team takes an Auto/Scout to take care of the barrier champions.
- There are a lot of great bows to choose from; my favorite is Ticu’s Divination. You can take Trinity Ghoul or the new bow this Season.
- Someone from your team should also take a Pulse Rifle to Stun Unstoppable Champions. There are a lot of great weapons to choose from; Piece of Mind, Syncopation-53, or Cold Denial.
Special Weapons
- Damage Dealing weapons like Fusion Rifles or Grenade Launchers is something we recommend. You can use a grenade launcher that rolls with the Blinding Grenades perk; this can come in clutch during fights. The blinding effect blinds the enemies for a few seconds.
- Eriana’s Vow is another excellent option, the intrinsic perk Barrier Champions.
- Any Sniper or Linear Fusion with Firing-Line can be a good option, but you risk getting wiped out if all of you stick together.
Heavy Weapons
- One Thousand Voices
- Thunderlord is another great option that can take care of Overload champions.
- Gjallarhorn Rocket Launcher
- Linear Fusion Rifles like Reed’s Regret.
- Swords can also be used, but that should be your last option. You risk getting one shot by enemies. But a guardian has their choices.
FAQ
No, there’s no matchmaking in GM Nightfall.
There’s a 45-minute time limit in GM Nightfalls. Once you hit the timer, you won’t be able to revive your teammates and will be returned to the Orbit once wiped.
That’s all for the Grandmaster Nightfall this week. I am excited to get my hands on the Palindrome Hand Cannon finally. Are you excited?
