What is each activity for? How much teamwork should you expect? Where do you take your rewards? A practical collection of PvE knowledge, from your first patrol to planning a raid night.
Reference date: 24 October 2026. Activity menus, availability, rewards, and difficulty labels change. Director/World and Portal/Ops references can coexist across versions of the interface. Use your current activity card for access, matchmaking, modifiers, and rewards; this page is not a live rotation tracker.
Start with a reliable recovery option, enough ammo flexibility, and a combat loop you understand. Find a starter build or learn your weapon perks.
Open zones are explorable spaces containing patrols, public events, resources, destination tasks, and entrances to activities such as Lost Sectors. You can often join other players already exploring, but not every destination shares the same population or fireteam rules.
Earth has the Cosmodrome and EDZ; Nessus, the Moon, and Europa offer different environments. Other destination nodes may be tied to expansion progress. Not every place named in older guides is currently playable.
Patrols are small field assignments. Public events are timed local activities that nearby players can join; some have Heroic variants with additional conditions. We deliberately leave those conditions for you to discover.
Landing zones, vendors, quest markers, and activity icons serve different purposes. Hover before travelling. A node launched from a destination can be a separate mission rather than part of its open world.
A six-player, game-show-styled PvE activity hosted by Xûr and the Starhorse. It combines combat rounds with objectives and its own reward systems. It is not a raid, even though six players can participate.
Begin with the standard matchmade option. A harder version, where offered, can change modifiers and team requirements; check the current selector rather than importing an old Legend guide's Power number.
A non-combat destination space associated with Dares, including Xûr, the Starhorse, and its reward chests. Treasure Keys and other Dares-related resources have specific uses; read each interaction before spending.
The Treasure Hoard vendor is not the same inventory as weekend Xûr in the Tower. Grasp of Avarice is a separate dungeon associated with the 30th Anniversary content, not a round of Dares; its access requirements differ.
Small, repeatable PvE spaces reached from a destination's patrol area. Their map symbol points you toward an entrance; the activity has enemies and a reward cache. They are useful for practicing your build away from a full playlist team.
Discover and complete the normal version first. This is also part of unlocking the higher-difficulty version where one is offered. A normal Lost Sector is not a three-player dungeon or a guaranteed Exotic farm.
Expert is the difficulty you may see called Legend in older guides. Selected Lost Sectors have rotating Expert/Master launch options. Expect tougher combat and activity-specific rules such as Champions, equipment restrictions, limited revives, and a timer affecting revives.
Master is a further step up. Read the banner/card before launching and build for its actual Champion types and modifiers. Where a reward requires a solo clear, bringing a friend does not meet that condition.
Strikes are structured PvE missions with a defined progression and combat objectives. Standard Vanguard-style playlists are an approachable way to practice teamwork. Fireteam Ops may mix strikes with other three-player formats such as Battlegrounds.
A directly launched mission and its playlist version can have different matchmaking or rewards. In a matchmade run, stay with the group, contribute damage and utility, and read the on-screen objective.
Nightfalls are harder strike-style runs traditionally featuring a rotating mission, extra modifiers, Champions, and dedicated rewards. Master/Grandmaster or selectable Ops difficulty adds demands beyond an ordinary clear; the exact ladder depends on the current menu.
Expect tighter survival and loadout planning. Power disadvantages, revive limits, or failure conditions may apply. Do not assume that harder always means no matchmaking, or that every Nightfall reward is available from every Ops variant. Read the selected node; reward and matchmaking systems have changed over time.
A broad description for combat-focused PvE activities in contained spaces, often with waves or recurring objectives. Arena Ops is also a specific Ops category for six-player activities drawn from earlier content. The broad term does not mean every arena supports six players.
Use the current activity name and card to distinguish Arena Ops, Dares, and other arena-like modes. These are not interchangeable loot pools.
Bring dependable crowd clear, personal recovery, and a way to handle tougher enemies. Watch objective prompts rather than only chasing defeats. Other players may clear packs before your kill-triggered ability loop starts.
Check the playlist's matchmaking and selected difficulty. A larger team can feel forgiving, but enemies, modifiers, and reward conditions can still punish an unsuitable loadout.
A team-based defense activity built around surviving enemy waves and protecting an objective. Sustain, repeatable crowd clear, enemy control, and emergency recovery all have value; a loadout designed only for a brief damage burst may struggle between bursts.
Onslaught has appeared in multiple versions. The original format includes a shorter ten-wave playlist and extended fifty-wave runs, but do not assume every current variant uses that length or the same rewards.
Map, wave count, difficulty, matchmaking, failure rules, and loot can vary by node or variant. Extended runs are a bigger time commitment and can get more demanding as they continue.
Discuss whether the team wants a short session or a full run before launching. This guide deliberately omits defense placements, wave solutions, and boss strategies.
More involved missions associated with particular Exotic gear, sometimes with additional upgrades, catalysts, or cosmetics. Many support one to three players, but some have special team requirements; do not assume every Exotic mission is soloable or matchmade.
Access can depend on a quest, expansion progress, ownership, or a currently offered launch node. A rotating/featured version may have different rewards from its original release.
A first completion, a higher-difficulty clear, and an upgrade quest can award different things. Owning the weapon does not automatically mean its catalyst or every upgrade is unlocked.
Bring ammo options and enough time to learn. Tell your team if you want a blind, spoiler-free run. We do not list secret steps, route instructions, or puzzle answers.
Endgame PvE spaces combining exploration, encounters, and activity-specific gear. They ask more of your teamwork and understanding than a normal strike. Solo completion can be a challenge goal, not the recommended first experience.
Standard dungeon launches generally do not automatically fill your team. Arrange friends or use Fireteam Finder where supported; a listing should clearly say learning, teaching, or experienced.
Agree on available time, communication, and whether you want to discover together. A recovery tool and flexible weapon choices matter more than copying an unexplained damage ranking.
Some dungeons offer harder modes. Access may require a specific key or content entitlement. Loot lockouts and featured-activity farming differ, so check the current reward rules rather than assuming unlimited Exotic chances.
Raids are coordinated endgame activities with unique encounters and rewards. They are not simply longer six-player strikes. Communication, learning, and a willingness to adjust your configuration are important.
Standard raid launches do not automatically create a full team. Recruit deliberately and say that you are new. Fireteam Finder is a recruitment tool, not a promise of an instructor.
Find teammates comfortable with your experience level and spoiler preferences. Set aside an agreed block of time; do not treat a first clear as a guaranteed quick farm. Check access requirements before assembling the team.
Master or Contest rules, where offered, are distinct challenges. Exclusive rewards may have weekly limits, random chances, or quest conditions. We intentionally provide no encounter roles, callouts, boss loadouts, or mechanics solutions. General fireteam synergies can help you discuss your setup without those spoilers.
The weekend trader offers rotating gear and other goods for Strange Coins. His usual availability runs from Friday reset to Tuesday weekly reset. Check the in-game marker for his current Tower position; older guides sending you between Nessus and the EDZ are outdated.
Inspect the actual roll, ownership requirements, and currency price. This page does not claim a specific inventory for this weekend. Reset times shift with your local daylight-saving rules, so avoid relying on a fixed local clock time.
The Treasure Hoard version is tied to Dares reputation and its reward systems. It is not the weekend shop and does not require you to wait for Friday just to use the Dares hub.
Read item descriptions before spending resources. An Exotic weapon recommendation in a build does not guarantee that either version of Xûr sells it; check the recommended weapon's actual acquisition route.
Roles, not story biographies. Services and menus can change with updates and progression; these notes help you know whom to check, not what every vendor is selling today.
| Contact / service | Why visit? | Check before spending |
|---|---|---|
| Commander Zavala Vanguard | Vanguard reputation, relevant Ops gear/services, and Titan-related guidance where offered. | Which engram, currency, unlock, or current track the selected reward needs. |
| Ikora Rey Warlock Vanguard | Warlock subclass guidance and relevant quests or unlocks. | Follow your class's current subclass quest. Do not assume an old “buy everything from Ikora” guide still applies to all classes. |
| Crow Hunter Vanguard | A main class contact; check available Hunter-related guidance or quest markers. | Being a Vanguard contact does not mean every class unlock or a full gear shop is available there. |
| Master Rahool Cryptarch | Exotic Engram decoding and material/currency exchanges; inspect available focusing services. | Ownership, unlocks, and the full focusing cost. Decoding and selecting a specific item are different transactions. |
| Banshee-44 Gunsmith | Featured weapons, gear services, and Gunsmith reputation rewards. | Inspect the individual roll and version; a familiar weapon name does not guarantee the perk pair you want. |
| Ada-1 Armor Synthesis | Appearance/transmog services, related tasks, and available cosmetic or legacy offerings. | Changing appearance does not grant another armor item's stats, Exotic effect, or set bonus. |
| Drifter Gambit | Gambit reputation and gear. | Gambit mixes PvE and PvP; it is not a pure-PvE arena playlist. Check engram and focusing costs. |
| Lord Shaxx / Saint-14 Crucible / Trials | PvP-related reputation and services. Included so you recognize the Tower contacts. | These are not PvE progression requirements; Trials has its own eligibility and schedule. |
| Tess Everis / Eververse Cosmetic shop | Cosmetic offerings through the Tower/store interface. | Silver is premium currency; Bright Dust is earned in game. Read the exact price. Ornaments are not functional gear, and cosmetics are not required for these builds. |
| Monument to Lost Lights Archive kiosk | Eligible legacy gear purchases, including selected Exotics from past content. | Not every Exotic is archived here. Check ownership, materials, and any special currency requirements on the selected item. |
| Event / destination contacts | Local quests, reputation, or limited-time event services; Eva Levante is a familiar event contact. | Current availability, expiring resources, and whether you want the reward before buying or starting a farm. |
References reviewed on 24 October 2026. We prioritize the current in-game card when these sources disagree. Exact rotations, prices, Power numbers, reward rates, and inventories are deliberately not presented as live data.
This page works offline. Research links need internet and may contain spoilers beyond this page's scope.
Social hubs.
The Tower
Your main non-combat service hub: vendors, quests, inventory services, and other Guardians. Check the destination map for vendor markers instead of relying on an old screenshot of their position.
Vault: store gear deliberately. Postmaster: collect missed items, but do not treat it as permanent overflow storage. Quest Archive: look for eligible abandoned quests. Special Deliveries: check eligible account deliveries.
Other hubs and destination vendors
Xûr's Treasure Hoard serves Eternity; expansion and seasonal spaces can have their own contacts or services. Availability can depend on your progress and the current content model.
A vendor icon does not always mean a general-purpose shop: it may be a quest contact, reputation track, focusing service, or event-only exchange. Read the service and currency cost before accepting or purchasing.