Vow of the Disciple – Raid Guide

Vow of the Disciple is the new pinnacle raid for Destiny 2. Bungie (developers for Destiny) released it two weeks after The Witch Queen. Naturally, a “raid race” was held. The race was extended to forty-eight hours due to persisting bugs. Additionally, many encounters stopped Guardians in their tracks. New mechanics and powerful foes await fireteams inside the Pyramid. Here are some tips and tricks to aid you.

Disciple’s Bog

The raid begins in the Miasma. Here, Savathûn’s projection will appear. Defeating her will open the door blocking the path. Additionally, Hive enemies will continually spawn. Players should prioritize defeating the projection. Afterward, the Witch Queen seal on the door will break. Once open, summon your sparrow. Guardians will follow the linear path into the Disciple’s Bog.

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A darkness artifact will lie dormant in the swamp. It activates with player proximity. Scorn enemies will begin to spawn. A message “drown in the deep” will appear. Players should initially stick close to the artifact. Straying too far will generate “pervading darkness.” Ten stacks of this debuff will kill you. Also, the screen will darken as stacks increase. Guardian load-outs should be tailored to add-clear. Power weapons with high burst damage are also recommended.

Rise from the Deep

Ogres titled Knowledge Bearer will also spawn. They should be killed promptly as the enemies flood in. Chiefly, killing the ogres is key to progressing the encounter. Once dead, it is safe to leave the artifact. Glowing shards will spawn in the area. Collect and retrieve them for the artifact. Each shard grants a knowledge buff. One player can carry three shards maximum. The buff will progress from Heightened Knowledge, Brimming Knowledge, and finally Overflowing Knowledge.

The fireteam should return with all nine shards for the artifact. Next, the artifact will begin to ferry its way through the bog. In contrast to the public event, staying in contact is not necessary. This process will repeat multiple times as the artifact stops. The encounter is complete once players reach the pyramid. The door will open allowing passage. The first large room will have a drop opening to the right. Fall and catch yourself at the bottom. Then, continue on through the open doors. The architecture and scenery are marvelous. Feel free to take in the sights along the way.

Glyphs to Know

Players will eventually come into a glyph room. This room is prior to the official first encounter. Rows of slabs sporting glyphs fill the majority of the space. These glyphs are important to memorize. Specifically, they are tied to every encounter and secret in the raid from here on. Walking up to a Glyph slab will reveal its name on the upper corner of the screen. However to save time, here is a collection of them all.

Accurate callouts for the glyphs will be critical. Feel free to substitute names if they work better for your team. Afterward, progress into the next room. Here, Vow of the Disciple will challenge your knowledge.

Vow of the Disciple – Acquisition

Acquisition is the first encounter for the raid. Upon entering, players will notice several things. The center structure bears a bone on top. Additionally, one side wears the traveler glyph while the other has the pyramid. This signifies the two halves of the room.

Next, huge doors with different glyphs are scattered about. Lastly, there are three different obelisks. Each obelisk has a glyph pillar waiting to be filled. Shoot the darkness crux to start the encounter. The crux is located in the center of the room floating in front of the central structure.

Scorn enemies will begin to spawn. Also, each obelisk will begin to fill with orange light. Once filled, the encounter is over, and your team will wipe. Enemies will try to damage the obelisk to fill it faster. Players must successfully give an offering to each obelisk to complete the encounter. This is accomplished by finding three random Glyphs three times. These glyphs will be located on one obelisk once found.

Obtaining the Glyphs

First, a Taken Knight will spawn at the start of the round. They will have the name Disciple’s Compass. Killing them is a top priority. A glyph pillar will show its location upon spawn. The first glyph on the pillar will either be the Traveler or Pyramid. This designates whether the compass spawned on the left or right side of the room.

Once killed, the corresponding pillar will show a second glyph. This glyph will match one of the doors around the room. Players should go to the door with the glyph matching the pillar. However, the door may be closed. Shoot the crux from the start of the encounter. This will trigger the doors to switch from open to close and vice versa. Once inside, the room layout for each door will vary. Yet, the rooms will always be divided between a light and dark glyph side. A scorn chieftain named Glyphkeeper will spawn on each side. Additionally, screebs and other scorn will spawn as well.

Prepare the Offering

The pillar’s third glyph will become either Light of Darkness. This occurs when a player enters the correct door. Players should kill the Glyphkeeper who is on the side matching the glyph. Once dead, a glyph will spawn near the body. It is important to remember it. An unstoppable champion will also spawn after defeating the Glyphkeeper. They can appear anywhere. Players should be mindful, especially if they spawn near a Compass.

Repeat this two more times with the other pillars. Once the third Glyphkeeper is killed, it is offering time. A message will appear in the lower left of the screen. This signals players to find the obelisk containing all three glyphs. Only one will be correct.

Players have limited time before the obelisk rejects the offer and shuffles its glyphs. However, the obelisk will still have the same collection of glyphs. Once identified, players need to shoot all three glyphs in rapid succession. The obelisk will glow when done correctly. Two Guardians should angle to hit all three glyphs using a rapid-fire weapon. Otherwise, utilize three Guardians on each side.

They can be shot in any order. However, shooting the glyphs incorrectly or too slow three times will result in a wipe. This whole process will repeat three times in total. Lastly, players must divide and conquer to prevail in this encounter.

Divide and Conquer

Divide your fireteam into three groups of two. One Guardian will defend the obelisk, hit the door crux, and read the pillar. The other Guardian will run through the doors and hunt surrounding Compasses. The defender should have a loadout great for adding clear and survivability if needed.

Remember, unstoppable ogres spawn. The unstoppable mod and corresponding weapons should be equipped. All three damage types are present from enemies. Slot the artifact mod “thermoshock plating” and void resistance mod. These will raise your defense against solar, arc, and void. Everyone in the fireteam should slot them.

Next, Runners prioritize burst damage. Timing and communication are everything in Vow of the Disciple. I found “The Parasite” to be extremely effective. Killing scorn before hunting the Compass or Glyphkeeper builds Worm’s Hunger. I killed Glyphkeepers with eight stacks of hunger on contest mode. Gjallarhorn is also a great choice for running and defending the obelisk. It will take a few tries. However, the rhythm of the encounter will come naturally. After the third offering, Acquisition will conclude. Collect your reward from the chest before moving on.

Vow of the Disciple – Caretaker

Players should progress to the next grand set piece. Rhulk mocks you again as the stairs leading up reveal the Caretaker. This is the boss for the second encounter. Continue up the stairs to the first level containing another obelisk.

The Caretake is the second encounter for Vow of the Disciple. Here, Guardians must again combine glyph mechanics and communication. Once done, a damage phase will trigger for the Caretaker. In a similar fashion to Acquisition, dividing into three teams is most advantageous.

Team Glyph Runner

Caretaker challenges Guardians up four levels. Levels one through three have obelisks by a room containing glyphs. The room door is controlled by cruxes similar to Acquisition. However, the door will close after about thirty seconds. The entire encounter starts by shooting the crux on level one.

The room holds nine glyphs scattered about. Room terrain becomes more treacherous and spread out with each level. Two Guardians should aim to find these glyphs to offer the obelisk. There are challenges to overcome. Each room is very dark. Additionally, pervading darkness returns. You have limited time to grab the glyphs and escape. Pervading darkness kills you at ten stacks otherwise. Once again, players can grab three glyphs at a time. This is also the most efficient method.

Next, two Hive Wizards and shadow thrall spawn inside. Ignore them, as the Wizards are too difficult to kill. Also, time is of the essence. Guardian on the inside should communicate which glyphs they grab. This allows the Guardian on the outside to ready the door and search the obelisk. Once the Guardian escapes, the obelisk will await your offering. Again, shoot the correct glyphs in rapid succession. This is identical to Acquisition. Repeat this until all nine glyphs have been offered. Once completed, the damage phase triggers.

Team Stun

The Caretaker will spawn begin moving toward the obelisk. They will wipe the fireteam once reached. Team Stun’s job is evident. Stall and stun the Caretaker. Moreover, two Guardians will occupy their attention on the front and backside. One Guardian should get close to the Caretaker’s front. This will trigger a stomp followed by the “Caretaker’s Gaze.”

This debuff focuses their attention on you. Additionally, the Caretaker will begin to glow yellow. Shoot the Caretaker’s face when glowing. This will open the coffin-like object on their back. The other Guardian should shoot this. Successful hits will stagger the Caretaker They will pause for a moment before chasing the obelisk again. Lastly, homing projectiles will launch from the coffin. They cause serious damage if multiple find a target. After stunning, Team Stun should shoot these between Caretaker stuns. Repeat this process until the damage phase triggers.

Team Add-Clear

Scorn and taken enemies will continuously spawn. They will naturally target the obelisk. Once again, too much damage to the obelisk will result in a team wipe. Two Guardians should position on either side of the room at every level. Team Add-Clear should also target the Caretaker’s homing projectiles. Shoot these down between waves of enemies.

You may also need to help Team Stun with the Caretaker. Being familiar with all three jobs is helpful. Team Add-Clear should prioritize protecting the obelisk and other Guardians. Enemies will cease to spawn once the damage phase begins.

Caretaker Damage Phase

Three plates are located around the obelisk on each floor. This is where Guardians will do damage to the Caretaker. First, the Caretaker will move to the obelisk. Guardians should move to the plate located on the same side of the Caretaker’s ascent. Shortly after, the plate will begin to glow. Standing inside the plate gives players a buff to damage the Caretaker.

Players will need to move to the next plate once a message appears. This message will say the buff is fading along with the plate glow. Quickly move to the next plate otherwise the Caretaker will be immune to damage. Repeat this process for plate three. Damage to the Caretaker is capped. Thus, be mindful of heavy and special ammo on plate three. Every shot counts especially for level four.

After plate three, the Caretaker will disappear. Two sets of stairs will appear leading you to the next floor. The encounter will start shortly regardless of shooting the crux. Quickly get into team positions and repeat the process. When making your way from level two to three, be mindful of the stairs. Specifically, there is a big drop-off at the top.

Caretaker Last Stand

Once the level three damage phase is done, a single staircase spawns in the center. Clear the center then head up the stairs to level four. Here, a long hallway ends with the Caretaker. The three plates are spaced in a line to them. Players should expend everything they have on each plate.

Additional enemies are absent here. However, the homing projectiles are still present. Failure to finish the boss by the end of plate three will result in a wipe. This was a hard DPS check on contest mode. Finally, the encounter is over once the Caretaker falls. Collect your reward. A jumping puzzle lies ahead.

Scaling the Pyramid

Progress until you encounter a crux on the right. Shooting this crux activates alternating platforms on the outside of the room. Divide your team to have one or several Guardians stay behind with the crux. The other Guardians will scale the platforms. Communicate with each other when to shoot the crux for changing platforms. Additionally, enemies will spawn in the crux room. The path stabilizes once a Guardian reaches the next crux room. Thus, the rest of the team can catch up.

Repeat this process two more times (three is popular in this raid). The final puzzle involves rotating logs to jump across. Again, the path will stabilize for others when one Guardian reaches the next room. Once everyone is across, it is time for a relay race.

Vow of the Disciple – Exhibition

Exhibition is the third encounter of Vow of the Disciple. This encounter is both chaotic and mechanic-heavy. Chiefly, it requires every fireteam member to work together. The encounter takes Guardians through four rooms. Guardians must race against a death timer (Terminal Resonance), identify glyphs, and utilize relics.

The first item is the Darkness relic. Picking up the relic begins the encounter and every room timer. This relic holder will be able to kill Taken Knights called Disciple’s Hourglass. Forty seconds will also be added to your timer after killing them. However, the timer maxes out at a minute and fifteen seconds.

Secondly, the Aegis shield from Vault of Glass can be acquired on the way to room two. Pervading darkness will begin to appear within each subsequent room. The Aegis cleanse will rid Guardians of their stacks. Finally, a Taken relic will reside before room three. Use the relic to dispel taken blights located in the rooms. Otherwise, these blights will provide immunity to enemies.

Tieing it Together

Players must find the correct glyphs to open the safe room doors. Achieving this four times completes the encounter. These glyphs spawn when killing the Glyphkeepers. Three glyphs will spawn over their bodies. The shared glyph among the pair will unlock the door. However, the Resonant Glyphkeeper‘s glyphs can only be seen by relic holders. Likewise, the standard Glyphkeeper’s glyphs can be seen by non-relic holders.

Pick up the darkness relic to start the encounter. The Glyphkeepers will spawn on both sides along with the taken knight in the center. Kill them, then match the shared glyph. Shoot the corresponding glyph on the door to unlock it. Players will enter a safe room. Additionally, there is a safe room before each glyph encounter. Here, pervading darkness stacks will also disappear.

Deposit the darkness relic. This resets the death timer and opens the next room. One player can now grab the Aegis. However, a different player will need to grab the darkness relic. Dropping a relic triggers a thirty-second cooldown timer. This forces players to rotate and change jobs. The next room is larger.

Kill Enemies Quickly

Your team should divide to quickly clear the enemies. Your goal is to kill the Glyphkeepers for the matching glyphs like before. However, there will now be four Glyphkeepers in each room. Also, they will only spawn after killing taken hobgoblins.

Clearing enemies is a top priority. The death timer is constantly ticking down. Once killed, position a relic holder and non-relic holder on each side to read the sets. The Aegis holder should be bouncing to each side for cleanses. Remember the match from the first and second sets. Kill the taken knight to reset the timer and unlock the door.

Next, this safe room will spawn screebs. Kill them then prepare to deposit your relics. All relics must be deposited before progressing. Reminder, the timer will restart once the darkness relic is deposited. Be ready to move out as every second counts. New Guardians should grab the Aegis, Darkness relic, and now the taken relic.

The next room is larger and contains a large pitfall in the center. Divide your team once again. The first taken blight dictates which side the taken relic starts. If the blight is by the door, the next one will be further down the left. If the blight is a couple of feet down the stairs start right. On the other hand, the Aegis holder will go opposite. Have at least one non-relic holder on the left or right. This will ensure you can read the glyphs no matter what.

Method to the Madness

The taken and Aegis relics will traverse to each side. Taken should be mindful to get a cleanse from the Aegis as they move. Kill enemies quickly and obtain the pair of glyphs. Kill the screebs who spawn at the door when it unlocks otherwise your team will die. Proceed to the third saferoom.

Finally, players traverse through the last room. This room is even more perilous. The same rules apply to dividing your team. Additionally, the relic holders will follow the same plan. Be careful when entering the room. It is very easy to push each other off the ledge. Perform the same mechanics. Afterward, submit the final glyphs for the door.

Enter the last safe room and deposit every relic. Again, be sure to kill the screebs beforehand. The death timer will continue unless this is accomplished in time. Once completed, the encounter will end. In summary for the encounter:

• Split your team between the left and right side
• Three relics are present: Darkness, Aegis, and Taken
• Taken and Aegis will zigzag within the larger rooms
• Kill taken hobgoblins first to spawn Glyphkeepers
• Read the glyphs from each keeper
• find the match
• Taken Knight spawns after four Glyphkeepers die
• Kill the knight to restart the timer and enter glyphs at the door

This encounter does contain overload champions. It is possible to avoid them. However, life is easier when they are killed quickly. Collect your rewards once the encounter is complete. The final boss awaits.

Vow of the Disciple – Final Boss

Rhulk is the final encounter of Vow of the Disciple. He is the Disciple of the Witness. This boss fight is unique and will bring the challenge of the raid to its climax. Approaching Rhulk will begin the encounter. He will project a forcefield. Then, a crystal will form above his head.

One player will shoot the crystal to gain “leeching force.” This will be key to reading Glyphs. Subsequently, this stops pervading darkness stacks as well. However, players should aim to have this debuff at all times on one Guardian. The Guardian with the debuff should proceed to the large plate. Two additional crystals will spawn. Each crystal should be shot by additional Guardians. The original Guardian will lose the debuff. The other two will gain it.

Enemies will spawn as Rhulk throws laser beams at your team. Kill the adds quickly to spawn a Glyphkeeper on both sides of the arena. Once dead, glyphs will appear on two pillars. One pillar is located on the right, the other on the left. Players with leeching or emanating (more on that later) can read the left pillar. The others can read the right. Find the matching glyph.

Once found the smaller pillars in the back of the room are your next target. There are six pillars divided equally between the left and right. Players with the debuff should locate the pillar with the matching glyph. Someone with leeching force must upgrade to emanating force in order to deposit the debuff. Jumping into Rhulk’s laser with leeching force will accomplish this.

Players without the debuff should avoid the laser. Otherwise, it will do damage and increase your pervading darkness stacks. After depositing, Rhulk’s forcefield will subside slightly. Repeat this six times in total to continue the encounter. Next, Rhulk will head up the stairs into a square arena. Each corner has a pillar with a glyph. They are the same and should be memorized. Starting from left this is the clockwise order of glyphs:

• Traveler
• Pyramid
• Dark
• Light

Rhulk is immune to damage. One player should shoot Rhulk’s glaive until it breaks to gain leeching force. A glyph matching one of the corners will appear for everyone else to see. This is where the emanating force debuff must be deposited. Next, have the debuff Guardian upgrade to emanating force just like before. The remaining Guardians should avoid the lasers.

After depositing, Rhulk will stagger. A glowing spot will appear on his leg or shoulder. Quickly destroy it with primary fire. However, be careful not to destroy the glaive unless you’re prepared to take debuff duty. Repeat this four times in total. Afterward, the damage phase will trigger. Rhulk is still nimble and a threat. Guardians should be on the move and careful while dealing damage. Divinity is useful here. Rhulk has a small critical spot on his head otherwise.

Once completed, Rhulk will begin charging. Quickly run down the stairs to the start of the encounter. Repeat the entire sequence again two more times at most. After three attempts, Rhulk’s enrage mechanic will wipe the team. Once low, Rhulk will make a last stand. Players only have about thirty seconds before pervading darkness kills them. Unload everything you have. Before long, the great Disciple will fall. Collect your reward and enjoy a good breather.

Vow of the Disciple is possibly the best raid in a long time for Bungie. It brings a tremendous amount of lore along with fast-paced mechanics. Hopefully, this guide will aid you in your fight against the darkness. Persevere and stick with your team. Working together will be the only way forward. Eyes up Guardian.