The Enigmatic Curse of the Dreaming City
In the expansive universe of Destiny 2, the Dreaming City stands out as one of the most intricate and captivating areas, enveloped in a mysterious three-week time loop known as the curse. This curse isn’t just a mere narrative element; it dynamically affects the gameplay, offering players a unique and evolving experience. The curse cycles through three states: weak, strong, and strongest. Each state brings a fresh batch of treasures to hunt, but only if you’re brave enough to venture into the Ascendant Plane, a shadowy realm where the Ascendant Challenges take place.
The Ascendant Challenges: A Weekly Rotating Gauntlet
The Ascendant Challenges are a cornerstone of the Dreaming City, offering players a consistent and rewarding challenge. These challenges rotate every week, presenting a new set of tasks that test your skills and strategy. Completing an Ascendant Challenge rewards you with a piece of Legendary gear, making it a must-do for any gear-hungry Guardian. But the rewards don’t stop there. If you have Petra Venj’s weekly bounty, you can earn an extra drop, doubling the loot. Petra’s bounties are character-based, meaning you can collect up to six pieces of Dreaming City gear from these challenges alone. To access the Ascendant Challenge, you need a Tincture of Queensfoil, which can be obtained from Petra or found in Dreaming City chests.
Finding the Entrance to This Week’s Ascendant Challenge: Ouroborea
For the week of February 11 to 18, the Ascendant Challenge is Ouroborea, and its entrance is located in Aphelion’s Rest, a Lost Sector on the Strand. To find Aphelion’s Rest, head to the Strand and locate the gazebo by the shore. The entrance to the Lost Sector is below the gazebo. Once inside, complete the Lost Sector as you normally would, and then look for the Ascendant Portal above the slope. This portal will transport you to the Ascendant Plane, where the challenge awaits.
Completing the Ouroborea Ascendant Challenge
Once you enter the Ascendant Plane, you’ll find yourself in a room filled with shielded crystals. Your objective is to destroy these crystals, but the shields make it a bit more challenging. To break the shields, you need to find and destroy four Taken Blights scattered throughout the challenge. The Blights emit a distinctive glow, making them easier to spot in the dark environment. After destroying all the Blights, head to the center of the room to break the crystals and complete the challenge. The crystals themselves are relatively easy to destroy once their shields are down, so focus on the Blights first.
Reaping the Rewards: Dreaming City Gear and Beyond
The Dreaming City gear has been revitalized with the Season of the Wish, making it more relevant than ever. Weapons like Waking Vigil, Tigerspite, and Twilight Oath have received boosts, such as the Voltshot perk on Waking Vigil, which enhances their effectiveness. Beyond the Ascendant Challenges, you can also earn Dreaming City gear by completing Petra’s bounties. Each week, Petra offers a bounty that requires you to complete the Ascendant Challenge, rewarding you with an extra piece of gear. Additionally, she offers a bounty that costs Dark Fragments and yields an Offering to the Oracle. Taking this offering to the Oracle in the Spine of Keres grants you an extra drop and, during the strongest curse cycles, allows you to visit Queen Mara Sov’s throne room, where you might find an Ahamkara Bone.
Daily and Weekly Bounties: Maximizing Your Rewards
To maximize your rewards, check Petra’s daily bounties for objectives that award gear. Completing eight daily bounties and Petra’s weekly quest will yield additional Dreaming City gear. These objectives are on a weekly lockout per character, so you can accomplish them more than once a week if you have multiple Guardians. Blind Well, while still a viable source of the new gear, can be more of a grind due to its new power delta. However, the rewards are well worth the effort, especially if you’re looking to complete your Dreaming City collection or enhance your existing gear with the latest perks.
In conclusion, the Ascendant Challenges in the Dreaming City offer a rewarding and dynamic experience, with plenty of gear and treasure to be had. Whether you’re a seasoned Guardian or a newcomer, these challenges are a fantastic way to dive into the rich lore and mechanics of Destiny 2. So, gather your Tinctures of Queensfoil, arm yourself, and prepare to face the challenges that await in the Ascendant Plane.
