Destiny 2’s second act of the Revenant quest is now here, bringing back the iconic Prison of Elders for players to dive into once more. This new Tomb of Elders experience revisits an arena-style gameplay format from the first Destiny game, now revamped to engage teams of three players with challenging modifiers, thrilling combat scenarios, and new rewards.
Clearing the Tomb of Elders is manageable, but there are some changes to keep in mind from past seasonal activities. This guide will cover how to unlock the Tomb of Elders, highlight how it differs from previous tasks, and detail the exciting rewards that await you upon clearing the Prison of Elders.
Unlocking the Tomb of Elders
You can access the Tomb of Elders by progressing to Act 2 in the Revenant seasonal questline. Once you finish the first act, return to the Last City and talk to Mithrax to kick off the next quest. You’ll need to participate in a Tomb of Elders match along with its tougher version, the Contest of Elders. This activity can be found in the Director under the Last City section, right below the seasonal Onslaught playlist.
Guide to the Tomb of Elders Activity
The Tomb of Elders is a three-player matchmade activity that challenges you to defeat various enemies in quick-paced battles. It resembles the typical three-player content from previous seasons in Destiny, such as Menagerie, Savathun’s Spire, and Riven’s Lair. Your task is to conquer two combat encounters, take down a boss, and claim your rewards before moving on to the next challenge.
The standout feature is the dynamic modifier system, which alters the combat difficulty in each room, reminiscent of the original Prison of Elders gameplay. Variks has introduced a variety of new modifiers that heighten the difficulty. Examples include:
- Counterfeit: Enemies drop explosives disguised as familiar items upon defeat.
- Grounded: Damage taken while airborne is significantly increased.
- Brawn: Your health is substantially boosted but does not regenerate. Defeating tough enemies restores health for you and your allies nearby.
Modifiers are reset after you complete each encounter.
Activity modifiers (like Surges and Overcharge) remain active throughout.
In this activity, your fireteam must complete a designated combat encounter to advance within the Prison of Elders. These tasks primarily involve eliminating enemies, sometimes interspersed with objectives like destroying generators or collecting explosives. Completing your objective allows you to unlock the next encounter and continue the fight.
After clearing two rooms, you’ll face a boss. Your first step is to take down the boss’s immunity shield before inflicting damage. The method varies based on the boss. For instance, when facing The Mechanist, you’ll need to gather nearby explosives and rig an Ether Canister to blow up. For the Cabal boss, you must destroy a Thresher first and eliminate accompanying Psions. Once the necessary tasks are completed, the boss will briefly become vulnerable—use this chance to defeat them and finish the activity.
Some encounters feature bonus objectives you must achieve quickly, like finishing enemies with specific weapons. Success grants Tonic reagents unique to this activity, such as Tomb Flakes.
Additionally, certain boss encounters come with critical objectives that have to be completed on time; failing to do so will place debuffs on your team until the encounter concludes.
Contest of Elders
Contest of Elders is a more demanding variant, featuring multiple boss encounters rather than just one. This mode is set at 2,020 Power, with limited revives and additional combat modifiers—noteworthy among them are Galvanized, Overcharge buffs, and Banes. You can earn more loot at the end of each boss fight, but expect a much tougher challenge compared to the standard Tomb of Elders. Be ready for action! Contest of Elders also includes options for matchmaking and solo play.
Rewards from the Tomb of Elders
After defeating the boss, it’s time to revel in the loot. Completing the Tomb of Elders yields Tonic reagents and seasonal weapon rolls. Two weapons specifically tied to this season can only be earned through this activity: Scavenger’s Fate (a 65 RPM Void shotgun) and Gridskipper (a 540 RPM Void pulse rifle).
Additionally, Variks’ reward chests provide a substantial amount of Glimmer, Enhancement Cores, and some common crafting materials needed for Tonics. It seems that rarer materials may drop more frequently at higher tiers in the Contest of Elders, although this is not confirmed.
