Destiny The Taken King: How to Prepare for King's Fall Raid

It is almost time. After months of waiting patiently (we’ll ignore that whole Weapons 2.0 hooplah), Destiny: The Taken King players are finally getting a brand new challenge in the form of the King’s Fall raid later today. What is a raid in Destiny? Well, for the uninitiated, a raid is a sizable piece of endgame content that pits six players against a serious of seemingly insurmountable challenges as they use everything they’ve learned to earn some sweet new gear. Essentially, it’s Destiny: The Taken King dialed all the way up so much that you absolutely need five of your most trusted friends.

Of course, players will stand no chance just jumping right into the King’s Fall raid when it finally does go live. It’s called endgame content for a reason, and will tear any unassuming newbies to shreds if they think just having Destiny: The Taken King gives them a fighting chance. Preparation is in order, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. So get ready to push back the darkness once again guardians, because Oryx is not going down without a fight. 

Light Must Shine

If you’ve been playing Destiny: The Taken King since launch, there is a good chance that you’ve already reached that coveted level 40. But, not to rain on your parade or anything, that is only half of the preparation you need to do in terms of guardian progression. Your level unlocks the option to play certain activities, but it’s your Light that determines if you’re able to complete the challenges.

Destiny: The Taken King takes a look at both your defense and attack as well as a few other parameters in order to set your Light Level. The King’s Fall raid requires that a player’s light be somewhere in the vicinity of 280 (that’s a lot of brightness). This is much easier said than done. But, if you take the time to not try and hold onto relics of the past (such as Year One legendary and exotics) you will have a much easier time.

Constantly switching to newer Blue or Purple gear will help you raise that Light rating in no time, this goes for your weapons, Ghost, and Class Items as well (three factors often overlooked). If all goes well, by the time you complete the main segments of The Taken King expansion, you should be somewhere around 220 (give or take a few). Now just run some strikes to both earn gear you want, and fodder for infusion. Completing questlines also unlocks some legendaries for free, so keep that in mind as well. 

Practice Your Class Team Play

Destiny: The Taken King brought a lot of new content to the table, including three new awesome subclasses. These subclasses add an entirely new dynamic to the gameplay with the way that they play off one another to give players the edge in combat. These classes play nothing like any of the subclasses that had come before, so some practice is in order.

First, choose your subclass. I personally recommend having two that you’re comfortable with on your favorite Guardian. That way, you can switch if need be. For example I use a Sunsinger and a Stormcaller for team play. Figure out how you want to utilize that subclass within your team. Maybe you like to play a bit more reckless and go for clutch revives with your Sunsinger, or perhaps you’re the sit-in-the-back and keep everyone locked down type, making the Hunter’s new Nightstalker class perfect for your playstyle.

Once you’ve nailed that down, run some missions and strikes with the folks you will be raiding with if possible. This will help you nail down timing, perk allocation, and rhythm – three very important factors when looking to overcome team challenges.

Remember, a lot of the new perks and skills are focused on your teammates, not you. So you won’t know how much of an effect (or lack thereof) they will have unless you test them out on the battlefield. So get out there and shoot some Taken. 

Visit Xur

Hey, you know that weird tentacled face dude who sells powerful gear for those dirty coins you keep finding all over the place in Destiny: The Taken King? It turns out that the stuff he provides is pretty damn useful for individuals looking to ‘git gud’ and stock up on heavy duty supplies. Xur is here to help anyone that has the coin to make a request of him, so it’s time to loosen up those purse strings and pick up some preparatory gear.

If you’ve been having trouble acquiring some good gear, now is a time to get your hands on an Exotic with some Year Two stats on it.  This will help out a bit with that whole Light level issue we’ve mentioned before. Also make sure to pick up some Heavy Ammo Synthesis. For those new to Destiny, these items allow you to fully restock your heavy ammo instantly which can come in handy during particularly difficult boss encounters.

Aside from picking up things you may need, just go and get a pat on the back and some much needed encouragement as you gaze into the abyss that happens to make up this cloaked gentleman’s face. He doesn’t bite (not that we know of anyway), so stop by and say hi. It may do you some good. 

Strengthen Your Legend

While you sit there waiting for Destiny: The Taken King‘s new King’s Fall raid to go live, there is still plenty to do within the latest expansion. Within all of these activities are opportunities to obtain gear that will make your job much easier when it comes to being ready for whatever the raid wants to throw at you. It’s strongly advised that you go and do them.

Class items, Ghosts, weapons, information, and more are out there to help players figure out the puzzles and challenges that await them. Take full advantage of this knowledge while working towards your preparation. Remember, this doesn’t only mean grind out playlists, you should complete some of those side questlines that pop up at the “end” of the game as well. There are some neat drops and easy loot to be had.

With these few tips you’ll be able to get yourself (and your friends) situated and ready to take on the Taken in all of their nightmarish glory. The challenge will not be easy, but a legend just isn’t as extraordinary if the path wasn’t wrought with danger. Let nobody snuff out your light.

Safe travels, guardian.