Destiny 2: Desperate Measures Quest Guide

Players will need to endure a long fight, battle challenging foes, and defeat a tough boss to complete the Desperate Measures quest in Destiny 2.

Desperate Measures in the eighth and final mission of the Lightfall Campaign in Destiny 2. In this final mission, players will need to run and gun through a desperate brawl to stop Calus from establishing a link to the Traveler. This is one of the most challenging moments in the campaign; even experienced players will struggle to complete it, making it all the more rewarding.

First, players will want to get their power in Destiny 2 as high as possible. Those doing the campaign on normal difficulty will want 1735 Power, as high as the Power cap allows, while those on Legendary will all but need to reach that cap. So grab the best gear, infuse and level it, then start the mission.

Related: Destiny 2: How To Get The Heritage Shotgun (& God Roll)

How To Complete Desperate Measures In Destiny 2

On mission start, players should grab their Sparrows and head straight for the Irkalla Complex. Ignore the enemies blocking the way, as they are irrelevant. The only enemies that need to be killed are inside the building after the barrier, but there are only a few, so they can be easily cleared. Once the player has arrived at the Complex, they will need to parkour their way up to a group of Cabal protecting an AA gun.

For this part of the quest, a great gun is the Gnawing Hunger in Destiny 2 since it will let players mow through the Cabal. Defeat the Shadow Guard Legionaries, deactivate the gun’s barrier, and destroy it. Then repeat the process for the next group of Cabal and the weapon they are protecting. Be careful, as a second wave of enemies will come in with a Tormentor after dealing with the first.

After the battle, players must move on to the Vault (picking up a bunch of loot on the way) and secure several turrets from the surrounding Cabal. The Dead Man’s Tale works really well for this, but there are other excellent primary weapons in Destiny 2 that get the job done. After that, it’s a wave defense mission. Players will need to protect the Vault from wave after wave of Cabal troops. They have an experimental Ishtar Weapon they can use for orbital lasers, but this should be reserved for Goliath Tanks or massive clusters of enemies.

This is an endurance fight, with plenty of enemies coming to recapture the turrets and swarms the player. Players should stay on the high ground and keep the enemy from recapturing the turrets. It’s tempting to jump in close and lay waste, but that will kill the player.

After an epic last stand that looks even more amazing in Destiny 2’s pre-Lightfall Artifice Armor, players will descend and descend through the Vault and into the Veil, where Emperor Calus awaits at what is clearly a battle arena.

There are three distinct parts to the Calus fight. First, players will want to chunk down his first health bar as quickly as possible, sticking to the outside and clearing adds as they get close. Second, Calus hits hard, so avoid his attacks as much as possible. Finally, once the first health bar is halfway gone, he will pop a shield and summon a Tormentor that needs to be defeated. Players should stick close to their team for revives: a wipe here would be disastrous.

Once the Tormentor’s down, the shield can be broken, leaving Calus to be brought down to his last health bar. But now he has knives, and the players are forced to fight him up close. Kill him, and Lightfall will end, much more than Destiny 2’s More Than A Weapon quest line.

More: Destiny 2: How To Get The Trustee Scout Rifle (& God Roll)