Destiny 2 Onslaught is a three-player matchmade defense activity where you protect the ADU through ten-wave sets of Fallen and Hive enemies. You fight in the Mothyards on the Cosmodrome, Midtown in the Last City and Vostok on Felwinter Peak, while Pyramid Ship rooms open only during rift and boss waves. This Onslaught mode guide covers how to play, the wave schedule, Scrap spending, builds and the loot pool.
Page updates
October 25, 2026
- You fight in the Mothyards on the Cosmodrome, Midtown in the Last City and Vostok on Felwinter Peak, while Pyramid Ship rooms open only during rift and boss waves.
- How to play Onslaught: Handle the augment wave on waves 3 and 9, the rift wave on wave 6, and the boss wave on wave 10.
Where is Onslaught in Destiny 2?
Onslaught battles take place on three maps: Mothyards on the Cosmodrome, Midtown in the Last City, and Vostok on Felwinter Peak.
The Pyramid Ship is not a standalone map. A portal opens to it for the rift wave on the 6th wave and the boss wave on the 10th wave of each set.
The activity is a three-player matchmade playlist, and the playlist version ends after Wave 10.
How to play Onslaught
- Start the activity and defeat enemies to set up the ADU.
- Keep the ADU alive; if it is destroyed, the run ends.
- Scoring gives you Scrap; use it when a set begins and again following waves 3 and 6 to purchase or improve trip mines, turrets and decoys.
- Pick up ADU batteries dropped by Saboteurs and Champions and throw them at the ADU or a defense to repair it; augment-wave enemies drop two batteries.
- Complete bonus objectives on waves 2, 5 and 8 for a Heavy ammo crate near the ADU.
- Handle the augment wave on waves 3 and 9, the rift wave on wave 6, and the boss wave on wave 10.
- After the boss, take the chest and continue to the next set, or finish if you are in the playlist.
Modes and wave structure
The playlist version runs one set of ten waves and completes after Wave 10.
Normal and Legend run five sets of escalating difficulty, for 50 waves total. On Legend, Extinguish is enabled automatically; on Normal, it becomes available once Wave 30 is cleared.
The recommended Power is 1600, with 1810 for Legend.
Wave schedule
| Wave | Event |
| 2, 5, 8 | Bonus objective |
| 3, 9 | Augment wave |
| 6 | Rift wave |
| 10 | Boss wave |
Each set repeats this schedule, and each set is ten waves.
Bonus objectives
Within a set, bonus objectives may show up during waves 2, 5 and 8. These tasks can be: pick up items that combatants drop, destroy Pyramid Spikes, capture a Pyramid zone, or finish the wave before time runs out.
Completing one spawns a Heavy ammo crate near the ADU. Bonus objectives also reward resources, vendor reputation and armaments.
Augment waves
Augment waves start during the 3rd and 9th waves of each set. The summon brings in Splinter Mines, an Imprint of Nezarec, Demolitionists, Skybombers and shielded versions of those enemies.
A Skybomber attacks the ADU from a distance, and a Demolitionist destroys defenses around the ADU. Shielded variants require you to stand in a pool to remove their shield, while Splinter Mines must be defused before they wipe the fireteam.
Defeating these enemies drops two ADU batteries instead of the one dropped by Saboteurs and Champions.
Rift waves
On every 6th wave, a portal to the Pyramid Ship opens. Defeat Sparkhoarders to charge a Spark, then carry it to the rift at the end of the room.
The carrier has one minute to deliver the Spark while avoiding the Riftwarden and its minions. Igniting the rift defeats the Riftwarden and opens an exit portal, completing the wave.
Boss waves
On every 10th wave, another Pyramid Ship portal opens. You cross a platforming section to a rally flag and Pyramid switches; shoot the switches to open the door and start the boss fight.
During the boss wave you can complete an optional objective: ignite a rift, defeat shielded combatants by standing in a pool, or capture zones so Shaxx deploys turrets there.
Defeating the boss spawns a reward chest with BRAVE Arsenal weapons, plus an exit portal to the next set unless you are in the playlist. Completing Wave 50 spawns an additional reward chest.
Boss room tactics
Once each 10th wave ends, enter the portal and touch the rally flag right away to refill ammo, Super and abilities. For safe angles, stand by the room's entrance or its rear.
Clear yellow-bar adds and Tormentors before focusing the boss. Tormentors prioritize Guardians, so stay mobile and draw them away from the group; break their shoulder pads first with precision damage, then their stomach.
Complete the optional objective to weaken the boss or gain helpful turrets. For damage, stay grouped in a Well near the entrance, focus the boss's weak points, and rotate sides if it stomps or charges.
One player can kite or tank with a Stronghold Titan using Lament while the others deal damage. From the later waves onward, Wave 50 in particular brings tougher enemies and more health, and once the boss is dead no timer remains, so take the chest before you continue.
Heat waves
After a boss wave, a rare heat wave can trigger. Players gain Shaxx's Mayhem, which speeds up ability recharge, while multiple Tormentors appear endlessly for one minute.
Each Tormentor killed during the heat wave awards one Trophy of Bravery.
Enemies and bosses
Onslaught pits you against House of Salvation, Xivu Arath's Horde and the Dread, with Fallen and Hive as the hostile races. Saboteurs and Champions try to occupy the area around the ADU and damage it.
Bosses include the Claw of the Witness, Fang of the Witness, Lightslayer, Fallen Warpriest, Siegehook Ogre and Fieldrazer Tormentor.
Onslaught loot pool and weapons
These weapons can drop from the Onslaught playlist:
- Edge Transit: Grenade Launcher, Heavy, Void
- Elsie's Rifle: Pulse Rifle, Primary, Void
- Falling Guillotine (Brave): Sword, Heavy, Void
- Forbearance (Brave): Grenade Launcher, Special, Arc
- Hung Jury SR4: Scout Rifle, Primary, Kinetic
- Luna's Howl: Hand Cannon, Primary, Solar
- Midnight Coup: Hand Cannon, Primary, Kinetic
- The Mountaintop: Grenade Launcher, Special, Kinetic
- Succession (Brave): Sniper Rifle, Special, Kinetic
- The Recluse: Submachine Gun, Primary, Void
Each one carries the Indomitability Origin trait; on a Light subclass, final blows give grenade energy, while on a Darkness subclass they give melee energy.
Onslaught weapons drop from participating in the Onslaught playlist. At Arcite-99, attunement raises how often reward sources drop one particular BRAVE weapon. Daily rotating bonuses can make playlist farming more efficient on certain days.
50-wave run tips
Keep the ADU topped off with batteries and do not let it reach zero.
Place trip mines and turrets where they cover lanes without being destroyed early. Save Scrap for upgrades instead of spreading every purchase thin.
Complete bonus objectives for Heavy ammo, and split roles so one player handles objectives while others defend.
Learn each enemy type's behavior, use boss-room optional objectives to weaken the boss, and keep moving instead of standing still.
Onslaught: Salvation changes
Onslaught: Salvation, the Revenant episode version, added Scorn, Shadow Legion and Dread to the waves.
- Revenant Barons: elite enemies that revived unless their Totem was destroyed.
- Eliksni cages: dark bubbles held Eliksni prisoners; destroying the Totems inside rescued them while you managed spawns and crowd control.
- Banes: enemy buffs that added effects such as electric shocks or meteor spawns.
- Turrets: player-controlled defenses with upgrades such as Solar rounds.
- Air-strike stations: called down lasers when enemies entered a targeted area.
- Volatile and Enriching Tonics: Volatile Tonics boosted abilities and weapon damage; Enriching Tonics let players steer Onslaught rewards toward Revenant armor or weapons.
- Shielded Skybombers: flying enemies whose shields required deliberate destruction.
- Woven Mail and Strand Titan: Woven Mail added defense in tight lanes, and Strand Titan was recommended for crowd control.
- Rally flag: replenished abilities and heavy ammo during tough waves.
- Darkness Fragments: collecting them boosted abilities or weakened enemies.
Recommended builds
Use add-clear weapons such as machine guns, Sunshot or Riskrunner during waves, then swap at the rally flag to single-target DPS such as Leviathan's Breath, rockets, linear fusions or swords. Forerunner is a strong precision pick against Tormentors.
Warlock
- Phoenix Protocol: Exotic Phoenix Protocol; weapons Scatter Signal and Core Axises; mods Solar Surge, Strand Surge and Strand Reserves.
- Osmomancy Turret: Exotic Osmomancy Gloves; Demolitionist Void machine gun; mods Void Reserves, Stacks on Stacks and Charged Up.
- Necrotic Thorn: Exotics Necrotic Grips and Thorn; mods Double Kinetic Surge, Impact Induction and Thread of Generation.
Titan
- Wormgod Caress: Exotic Wormgod Caress; weapons Navigator and a One-Two Punch shotgun; mods Unraveling Orbs and Thread of Warding or Propagation.
- Arc Heart of Inmost Light: Exotic Heart of Inmost Light; weapons Demolitionist Song of Iute and Iterative Loop; mods Spark of Amplitude, Spark of Ions and Stacks on Stacks.
- Severance Enclosure: Exotic Severance Enclosure; weapons Parabellum and Gjallarhorn; mods Solar Surge and Ember of Empyrean.
Hunter
- Osmiomancy Dust Field: Exotic Renewal Grasps; weapons Iterative Loop and Witherhoard; mods Stacks on Stacks, Grenade Kickstart and Elemental Charge.
- Gwisin Vest Bloodline: Exotics Gwisin Vest and Gyrfalcon's Hauberk; weapon Buried Bloodline with Catalyst; mods Echo of Starvation and Echo of Cessation.
- Triton's Vice Arc: Exotic Triton's Vice; weapon Unexpected Resurgence glaive; mods Spark of Beacon, Flow State and Stacks on Stacks.
Rewards
Boss waves award a chest with BRAVE Arsenal weapons. Rewards are paid after every set, later sets pay better, and Legend increases rewards.
Vendors
The Hall of Champions sits in a converted Cryptarch vault and serves as Shaxx's lair and a Vanguard base. Shaxx offers the BRAVE Arsenal, and Trophies of Bravery unlock weapon caches and increase reputation.
Arcite-99 is the quartermaster and offers BRAVE weapon attunement quests and weekly bounties.
Scrap and defenses
Scrap buys decoys, turrets and trip mines, and defenses can be upgraded after completing certain waves.
Each player spends their own Scrap, so coordinate who buys what. Defenses have three upgrade levels, and costs rise with each level; listed prices are 1,000 Scrap for a trip mine, 2,000 for a turret or decoy, and up to 12,000 for a fully upgraded turret.
A destroyed defense must be bought and upgraded again from scratch.
Story context
Onslaught launched April 9 at 10 AM PDT.
The story framed Onslaught as training for the Final Shape: the Witness moved against the solar system and inside the Traveler, while Crow, Mara and Osiris worked to build a bridge into the Traveler.
The Witness tried to keep Guardians pinned in the Last City, and Shaxx opened the Brave Arsenal so they could gear up for the final showdown.
Final tips
Save Supers and heavy ammo for bosses and Tormentor spawns. Keep someone near the ADU until the wave is clear, and place a Well slightly away from the ADU so enemies do not all cluster on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you play Onslaught solo?
Yes. You can enter Onslaught solo and be matched with other players. Higher difficulties are easier with a coordinated fireteam.
What happens if the ADU is destroyed?
The activity ends immediately. Repair it with ADU batteries dropped by Saboteurs, Champions and augment-wave enemies.
How do I farm a specific Onslaught weapon?
Attune to that BRAVE weapon through Arcite-99 to increase its drops from reward sources. Check the daily rotating bonuses before farming the playlist.
