Defending the Last City: A Guardian's Guide to Destiny 2's Onslaught in 2026

Hey Guardians, gather 'round. Let me tell you about my absolute favorite way to spend an evening in the Tower these days: Onslaught. Ever since Into the Light dropped, this mode has been my go-to for testing my skills, farming god-rolls, and just having an absolute blast with fireteam coordination. It's a three-player tower defense experience that's available to everyone, New Lights and veterans alike. The premise is simple but oh-so-satisfying: Lord Shaxx has busted open his personal, formerly banned arsenal, and he's letting us use it to defend the Last City from the Witness's forces. We're talking about getting our hands on legendary weapons like The Mountaintop, Recluse, and Luna's Howl just for throwing enough grenades and holding the line. It's chaotic, strategic, and incredibly rewarding. So, let's break down what makes Onslaught the perfect blend of defense and demolition.

What Exactly Are We Doing?

At its core, Onslaught is about protecting a single, crucial piece of tech called the ADU (Automated Defense Unit). This thing is our lifeline. It's stationary, it has health, and if it gets destroyed, the mission is over. My first run taught me that lesson the hard way! The mode is split into waves that get progressively harder, and between each wave, you get 60 seconds to fortify your position. It feels less like a standard Destiny firefight and more like a frantic, strategic battle where planning your defenses is just as important as your aim.

You have two main difficulty options:

I always recommend starting with Normal to get the flow of things. The power creep and champion modifiers on Legend are no joke!

Your Home Base: The Hall of Champions

Before you even step into the fray, you'll start in the Hall of Champions. This is your new social hub for all things Onslaught, and it's packed with goodies.

• Weapon Focusing: Walk around and you'll see holograms of Shaxx. Each one represents a weapon type you can focus. Complete quests from Arcite 99-40 (the robot next to Shaxx) to unlock focusing. Once active, every Onslaught chest has a 50% chance to drop your chosen weapon. You can only focus one at a time, so choose wisely!

• The Gift Chest: See that big Fallen-looking chest? That's the Gift of the Thunder Gods. It's a free boost for any player to instantly hit the Powerful cap (1,800 Power). If you're new or have an alt character, grab this immediately. No DLC required!

• The Bravery Chest: This is where you spend your hard-earned Tokens of Bravery to directly purchase the Brave weapons you're after.

The Art of Defense: Scrap, Cores, and Emplacements

This is where the "tower defense" part truly shines. Killing enemies drops two key resources:

• Scrap: Used to build and upgrade your defensive emplacements.

• ADU Cores: These glowing orbs are dropped by specific enemies. You must pick these up and throw them into the ADU to repair its health. I can't stress this enough—always have someone on Core duty!

During the 60-second prep phase, the ADU projects holograms showing where you can build. There are three main types of emplacements, and you can upgrade them for a hefty Scrap cost.

The Defensive Arsenal:

• Trip Mine: My personal favorite for choke points. It's cheap (1,000 Scrap), deals heavy damage in an area, and has limited charges. Upgrades add more charges and increase damage. Perfect for wiping out groups of Thrall or Dregs.

• Sweeper Bot: The ultimate tank and distraction. For 2,000 Scrap, you get a bot that draws enemy fire away from the ADU and your team. Upgrades massively boost its health. Essential for higher waves.

• Scorpio Turret: The classic automated gun. Costs 2,000 Scrap and provides consistent, ranged damage. Upgrades improve both its damage output and durability.

My fireteam's strategy? We usually invest early in a few cheap Trip Mines to handle adds, then save up for a fully upgraded Sweeper Bot to anchor our defense while we handle bonus objectives.

Bonus Rounds and Pyramid Assaults

Just holding the line isn't always enough. Shaxx will periodically give your team a bonus objective during a wave. Complete it, and a Heavy Ammo crate spawns right by the ADU—a total lifesaver. These can be things like disarming mines, destroying Darkness objects, or clearing the wave under a time limit.

Pro Tip: On Legend difficulty, we always assign roles. One player stays back to defend the ADU and collect Cores, while the other two tackle the bonus objective. Communication is key!

Then there are the Pyramid Rounds. These are the offensive phases. A portal opens, and you have to storm a Pyramid ship. The objectives here are familiar: either defeat a set number of enemies, kill a boss, or—my favorite—escort a Spark charge (just like in Rift!).

Completing a boss round in the playlist version ends the activity with a big reward chest. But if you select the elective version, you can keep pushing all the way to Wave 50. Be warned: progress isn't saved. If you fail or leave, you're starting back at Wave 1.

The Loot That Makes It All Worthwhile

Okay, let's talk rewards. This is the best part. Completing Onslaught runs, especially boss waves, grants two primary rewards:

1. Brave Weapons: These are the legendary, reissued classics from Destiny 2's history. Every completion has a chance to drop weapons like:

   • The Mountaintop (Grenade Launcher)

   • Recluse (Submachine Gun)

   • Luna's Howl / Not Forgotten (Hand Cannons)

   • Hammerhead (Machine Gun)

   • Blast Furnace (Pulse Rifle)

   • And yes, even the meme-worthy Edge Transit!

2. Hype: This is Shaxx's reputation system for the mode. By playing Onslaught, you build Hype. You can then talk to Shaxx in the Hall of Champions to spend it on:

   • Brave Engrams (more weapon chances!)

   • A slick new armor set.

   • The crown jewel: the Superblack Shader from the original Destiny. It's as sleek and fashionable as ever.

Final Thoughts from a Seasoned Defender

Two years on from its release, Onslaught remains a pinnacle activity for me. It perfectly captures that feeling of being a true Guardian of the Last City. It's not just about killing everything; it's about strategy, teamwork, and holding your ground against an endless tide. Whether you're a new player using the Gift of the Thunder Gods to jump right in, or a veteran min-maxing your builds for a Wave 50 Legend clear, there's something here for everyone. The loot pool is fantastic, the challenge is scalable, and the sheer chaos of a well-defended ADU surrounded by explosions is pure Destiny magic. So grab your fireteam, visit the Hall of Champions, and get ready to build, defend, and claim Shaxx's banned arsenal for yourself. The City is counting on us, and the rewards are absolutely worth the fight. See you on the battlefield, Guardian!