Trials of Osiris returns for the first time in Destiny 2 on March 13th, bringing back the pinnacle endgame PvP experience that Trials of the Nine never really lived up to. Considering that this will be the first time the actual Trials of Osiris playlist has come to the sequel since its appearance in Destiny 1, and the infusion of many new players thanks to the game on Steam and the addition of the free-to-play New Light version of the game, now is the perfect time to go over some fundamentals of Trials of Osiris that can help players be successful.
Developer Bungie often calls Trials of Osiris the raid of PvP, but instead of fighting a raid boss, other players are the raid boss. It is the most competitive PvP playlist in Destiny 2, as players compete to not only win but to earn exclusive loot. The playlist is Power-enabled, so level advantages will come into play, with more powerful players dealing more damage and taking less of it from opponents. The ultimate goal is to go Flawless, seven wins and zero losses, to be able to go to the exclusive Lighthouse social space and open the Flawless chest for exclusive loot.
Trials of Osiris has a much different flow and mindset from other PvP modes that have appeared in Destiny 2, including the Competitive playlist and Trials of the Nine when it was active in the game. To be successful and go Flawless requires mastering some fundamentals that all good teams practice.
Victory is Everything
Because of the intensity and high stakes designed into Trials of Osiris, players need to go into the playlist ready to win. That means stacking everything in their favor. Trials of Osiris is the home of the most powerful and meta weapons, exotics, and abilities in the game. It is not a casual run through PvP, but a much more methodical and intense gametype.
Pick and Collapse
In this 3v3 mode, most teams are looking to get a pick on a player on the other team. That can come as a sniper kill early in the round, it can come as a rush, or it can be turning the tides on a flanking player. No matter how it happens, players need to be ready for this tactic, which is a fundamental strategy for Trials of Osiris’ Elimination game mode.
Teams want to play their number advantage as soon as they can, so if players can get a pick on the other team, it is now a 3v2 situation. That team should be ready to then collapse on those remaining two players with their advantageous numbers, causing a domino effect by taking out the other two opponents.
Block Revives
To preserve being able to collapse on the other team with a number advantage, players need to block the enemy team from getting any revives. Players should never put themselves in a position that will allow opponents to get a revive and gain their teammates back. This can even happen when a single opponent flees and rotates around the entire map. If players give chase and forget the location of the downed enemy players or get themselves out of position, even a single player can get a revive and turn the tide of the round.
In addition to being aware of possible revives, use abilities and weapons, especially some that can be improved with exotic armor, that will keep revives from happening. Use grenades that zone out an area, which will put opponents in danger or even kill them if they go for the revive. Post up at a sniper angle as a revive is happening to instantly headshot a revived player. Even consider leaving a teammate in the area of the player orbs to guard them and prevent any revives.
Plan and Communicate
Trials of Osiris is more of a chess match than any other PvP mode, in pursuit of exclusive rewards. Teams should communicate and coordinate their loadouts and their strategies. They should communicate in a match to let each other know where the other team is and what is happening. And teams should coordinate when supers come up, so that a team can strategically use their supers to easily clinch a round.
There are many more nuances to Trials of Osiris, which is what makes the playlist so engaging week after week. But these fundamentals, when mastered, will give many teams a leg up on the competition and sets the groundwork for players to get even better and continue their success on their run to the Lighthouse.
Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
