Favorite Raid Encounters... (Destiny)

by Harmanimus , Tuesday, August 23, 2016, 16:32 (3107 days ago) @ dogcow

Not to be too cheeky, but:

- The initial entrance past the threshold and through Trials of Kabr
- The opening the the door to the Vault proper
- The Abyss run, and more importantly passing through the light
- The Pendulum Room and Tomb Ship Rooms
- The Wall of Plungers, including the final ascent and first entrance to Daughters.

My favorite actual combat encounter is The Bridge in CE, when done proper. It is mechanically demanding, but is also a nice balance between teamwork (Totems) and heroics (Sword) and ensures everyone is involved. I think it is the most balanced raid encounter so far.

The other big thing which is more removed from encounters themselves is how the overall structure of CE and KF both reflect the Hive "keep what you kill" mentality, and that you are calling a challenge to the owner of the Realm. The increasing challenge to reach the boss, and the parallels between Deathsinger and Daughters is awesome, especially given that they are the last step before the Raid boss. The similar mirroring with VoG makes the lore inside me warm and fuzzy, when you realize that the Gatekeepers fulfill the same purpose for Aetheon, after this challenge to their dominion over the Vault.

And even though they aren't my favorite thing in the raid, Aetheon is my favorite VoG encounter, especially if everyone is comfortable with the Relic. It leaves you with a great sense of accomplishment, and as many people like to point out, can involve nice saves from people who are in the present.

For KF, Oryx is actually my favorite encounter. It is a defined challenge, with specific rules. Challenge mode is actually my overall preference, even. I think it is that of all the fights, it reminds me of old game bosses, with telegraphed attacks from a giant enemy and highlighted weakspots to attack. It may be mechanically less forgiving than the Y1 raids, but it just tugs at something that I really enjoy in boss encounters.