As a Guardian who's seen my fair share of seasonal rotations, I can tell you there's a special kind of buzz in the air when a new set of weekly challenges drops. It's 2026, and here I am again, boots on the ground in the HELM, staring at the latest missive from the Vanguard. The ninth week of Season of the Wish has just begun, and with it, six new limited-time trials promising a hefty chunk of XP and that ever-useful Bright Dust. Honestly, five of them are dishing out major XP this week, so if you're like me and still grinding that Season Pass or trying to squeeze the last few levels out of the Artifact, this is your moment. The tasks? A familiar mix of precision, persistence, and a bit of good old-fashioned mayhem: proving your mettle with close-quarters weaponry, enduring the chaos of the Crucible, and hunting down those pesky Champions in the Nightfalls. Let me walk you through how I tackled them.

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Dragon's Defender VI: Pulse and Precision

This one had me dusting off some classics. The objective was clear: take out 125 targets with Pulse Rifles or Scout Rifles. The kicker? Guardian final blows and eliminations within Riven's Lair or The Coil would give me double progress. No brainer, right? I headed straight for the Lair. My weapon of choice? The Graviton Lance. Man, this thing never gets old. A single run through Riven's Lair, which honestly flies by in a few minutes, and I was already halfway there. The chain-reaction Void explosions from Graviton just chew through groups of enemies. If you're not feeling the Lance, other solid picks include the Polaris Lance for those perfect fifth explosions, Outbreak Perfected with its nanite swarms, or any weapon rocking Kinetic Tremors or Voltshot for some added crowd control. It was a smooth, almost therapeutic start to the week.

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Lost In The Legend: A Solo Venture (Or Not)

Next up was completing a Lost Sector on Legend or higher. The reward was a cool 25,000 XP and 75 Bright Dust. These sectors are marked on your Director with that familiar icon. Now, a Legend Lost Sector hits you with a -15 Power delta and throws Champions into the mix, so it's no walk in the park. You can bring a fireteam, but where's the fun in that? Plus, going solo is your only shot at the exotic armor drop. I geared up with a build that matched the daily elemental singe and made sure my weapons could handle the Champion types. It's all about having a cohesive plan. Whether you're a Hunter, Titan, or Warlock, there's a build out there for this. Took a bit of patience, but clearing it solo felt oh-so-satisfying.

Overspecialized: Energy Slot Mayhem

Time to let my Energy slot weapons sing! 100 final blows in ritual activities (that's Vanguard Ops, Crucible, or Gambit) with Arc, Solar, or Void weapons. Both Primary and Special weapons count, which is great. To blitz through this, I grabbed an add-clearing monster. My go-to? The Sunshot. Holy moly, the explosions! One red-bar goes down and the whole room lights up. Other fantastic options are Trinity Ghoul (with its catalyst, it's basically easy mode), the Graviton Lance again, or a good, crispy Hand Cannon. I loaded into the Vanguard Ops playlist and just... let loose. It was over before I knew it, netting me a massive 50,000 XP and 150 Bright Dust. Not too shabby!

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Eyeing Iron: The Crucible Grind

Alright, time to step into the Crucible. This challenge, Eyeing Iron, required completing 15 Crucible matches. The progress started fresh this week, and wins or playing in Iron Banner matches would give double progress. Let's be real, 15 matches can feel like a slog. My advice? Wait for Iron Banner to roll around—the double progress is a lifesaver. If it's not available, jump into the rotating playlists like Momentum Control or Mayhem. Matches there are usually faster and, well, a whole lot more chaotic in a fun way. Just embrace the chaos, and you'll get your 25,000 XP and 75 Bright Dust before you know it.

Ultimate Champion: Nightfall Hunter

This one is for the PvE enthusiasts. Defeat 60 Champions in Nightfall strikes on Hero difficulty or higher. Higher difficulties give bonus progress. Hero is the baseline and totally doable, especially if you're flying solo. But if you've got a reliable fireteam, consider farming Master or even Grandmaster Nightfalls. You'll chew through the requirement much faster. I stuck with Hero for a relaxed grind, making sure my loadout had the right anti-Champion mods. It's a straightforward task, but it always reminds you to respect the mechanics. Another 25,000 XP and 75 Bright Dust in the bag.

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Calibrate Close Range: Getting Up Close and Personal

The final challenge was a blast—literally. Calibrate Close Range asked for 400 kills with close-range weapons: Sidearms, SMGs, Shotguns, Glaives, and Swords. Guardian kills give double progress, but let's be honest, farming PvE is way more efficient. I headed to some classic locations:

  • The Shuro Chi checkpoint in the Last Wish raid (that rally banner is a lifesaver).

  • The opening encounter of the Grasp of Avarice dungeon.

  • The Extraction Lost Sector in Savathun's Throne World.

For weapons, SMGs are absolutely king here. They're just so versatile. My personal favorites for this job:

SMG Why It's Great
CALUS Mini-Tool Incandescent perk for solar spreads.
IKELOS SMG Voltshot for arc chains.
Riskrunner Arc conductor turns you into a tank against arc damage.
Huckleberry Rampage on crack for non-stop firing.

I loaded up at Shuro Chi with my trusty CALUS Mini-Tool, popped a tether for good measure (Hunter main, sorry not sorry), and went to town. The 400 kills melted away, and with them, I claimed the final big reward: 50,000 XP and 150 Bright Dust. Phew. Another week, another set of challenges conquered. It's these little goals that keep the universe feeling fresh, even years into the fight. See you out there, Guardian.