State of the Crucible - Jan 5, 2016

Hey Everyone, The Banner has closed for another month, and while we count our marks, examine our sweet new gear, and try out our new guns, I'm going to talk about returning to normal crucible after a Banner or Trials run. Whether you thrive on competition in the crucible, no matter the stakes - or even the mention of "PvP" or "Rumble" make you lightheaded, I've got some tips and advice that should make you better. You may hate the crucible, or like me personally, find it the most enjoyable part of the game; there's something in here that will help you. We're going to cover a little of everything here. Keep in mind that this info will change over time. What's good now may not be good in a month, or a week. But for now, this is what works. We're going to cover not only what's good, but what loadouts compliment each other. What guns can you take with a specific class that will leverage their best perks to give you the max return for your effort. What guns should you watch for? What should you infuse or spend marks on to make your experience better or more fluid? What are strategies for the game modes in crucible, because the truth is, each one is completely different, no matter how similar they seem. It's all in store. Let's get going!! So, the Banner has passed for another few weeks. Trials rests back in the hands of Brother Vance and we now look ahead. Shaking off the try hard, this is the best part of the week. You heard me right. Tuesday through Thursday give us the chance to 1- enjoy the crucible. It's fun if you allow it to be, no matter how you play it. 2 - sharpen those skills and dial in those builds. These next three days give us the chance to get back into a casual mood in PvP and really just have fun. I use them to test out new builds (my MIDA-sidearm Arc Titan is getting strong) and work new strategies. For you they may be the same or they may be your torturous grind for marks, dreading each day's event. They may also just be a box that you check to get one step closer to that year two weapon you've been saving for. Regardless, there's utility in the crucible for all of us. Take the days that you aren't playing competitively and aren't for Banner or Trials bounties, and learn about it. What are the game modes and what works well there and what doesn't? Take your time. This week the featured event is Mayhem Clash. Even if you hate the crucible, this mode is for you, I promise. What's good here? Well, with everyone running around like madmen with no consequence, you want to make the most of everything you've got. Let's break down classes, then guns, and finally gear to round it out. The Game: Mayhem Clash. It's exactly what it sounds like. A 6v6 game mode that gives you all your tools non-stop. It's the express lane for awesome. You can sit at spawn and do nothing but play on your phone and in 30 seconds, you've got a super. Grenades charge faster than an angry Sunsinger and your melee is basically always ready. Classes: I will always say this, whether in party or here, or in person: Play what you're comfortable with. You don't need to take a Striker because they're OP right now (even though they are). If you're a Hunter, take your hunter. With that in mind, consider this: Mayhem Clash is a ramped up version of the Clash game mode. Assume everyone is always ready with their super, because they very likely are. When you choose the class you're taking, heavily consider a duration based super over an immediate BAM and it's gone. Duration supers forgive mistakes and allow for multiple kills. Strikers are OP again, but Sunbreakers will more often get more kills per super use, meaning you're climbing the leaderboard by default. If you're unsure here's a quick recommendation: Hunter: Bladedancer - because, well, Bladedancer Titan: Sunbreaker - hammers for days Warlock: Stormcaller - tickle everyone Guns: I'm a sniper at heart. I will always love the timing, skill, and patience required to get that perfect headshot. That being said, shotguns are the choice here. As stated before, everyone is running around like crazy people, meaning you're likely going to get surprised by someone at least a few times every match. Shotguns are the answer to the unpredictable. There are tons for any play style, but for Mayhem Clash, I highly recommend a shotgun with medium impact and a faster fire rate to keep them away. Invective or a Patch-A or Next Big Thing will serve you well. Primary choice is basically anything that throws bullets at the enemy. It's Mayhem so they won't be used much, am I right? Pick something that will go nicely with a grenade since you get one every 5 seconds. An auto rifle or hand cannon are perfect here. Personally, I'd choose the MIDA, Last Word, or a Doctrine of Passing. Heavy you say? Ok. Machine guns are pretty useless here, as they take so long to drop someone who's probably charging your heavy pickup with a super. In fact, I guarantee that's what they're doing. Take a rocket launcher and melt some faces. Gear: The end of the road here. For Mayhem Clash, gear is basically a filler, unless it's helping you get that super faster. Grenade and melee bonuses are worthless since you get them back so quickly. If you're a Warlock, you've got great options. Take the Ram, or Obsidian Mind to max your survivability or get even more of that tasty super every match if you're a Voidwalker. Titans; the Helm of Inmost Light is really your only buffing gear for all those Strikers out there. Hunters; the Achlyophage Symbiote and Mask of the Third Man are your best options to max your up time while supered. Let's talk about setting up for normal crucible. The surprise here is that when putting your class together, Armor has no value. Yes, you read that correctly. Every guardian in the crucible has a set amount of hits they can take (armor). Guardian health is fixed and everyone has the same (unless you're using the Ram). Spend those class perks on boosting your Recovery first, then Agility. Recovery is the most underrated stat in Destiny. Having the ability to duck out after a hit, recover, and get right back in the fight, shaves critical seconds off down time and puts you back in that gunfight with full health while the other guys are still trying not to die. Agility gets you around the map, closes distances, and gets you out of bad places more quickly. That's what we're in for this week. Grab that quick primary, shotgun, and rocket launcher and take your max recovery guardian in with a duration super, and clean house. Next week, we're going to talk a little more about general loadouts and how the crucible works on a base level. We'll get a little into the weeds, but it's going to be educational for sure. If any of you have questions, just hit me up on here, PSN, Twitch, or wherever you find me. I'll see you in orbit, Glitchers. Stay frosty. Raine