The third Raid Challenge for the Lightfall Raid, Root of Nightmares, has just become available in Destiny 2. Raid Challenges are special modifiers which alter the way that Guardians approach each of the Raid encounters. Should you and your fireteam triumph over these restrictions and limitations, you’ll be awarded some sweet new loot and rewards. You’ll net yourself an increased chance at the Conditional Finality Exotic Shotgun, some additional rolls of the Raid gear and even a nice new Adept weapon on Master mode.
This week’s Raid Challenge is Cosmic Equilibrium and revolves around the third encounter in Root of Nightmares. This is easily the hardest one yet, requiring a massive switch up from how the encounter is usually run and needing the entire team to communicate efficiently. Strap in for a tough time.
Here’s how to complete the Cosmic Equilibrium Raid Challenge in Destiny 2’s Root of Nightmares Raid. If you want to see how to complete the other Raid challenges, you can find our guide on Illuminated Torment and Crossfire here.
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How Do Raid Challenges Work?
In case you’re new to the game or don’t know how Raid Challenges work, here’s a quick rundown to inform you of everything you need to know.
Once Raid Challenges go live, one encounter per week (beginning with the first encounter) will have an optional challenge added to it. These Raid Challenges often impose some form of restriction or tricky requirement that must be fulfilled to be completed, awarding additional loot and rewards if your fireteam is capable of doing so.
Each Raid has several Raid Challenges equal to the number of major encounters for that Raid. For Root Nightmares, there are 4 Raid Challenges which correspond to the major encounters of the Raid: Cataclysm, Scission, Macrocosm and Nezarec. The Raid Challenges are on a weekly rotation starting with encounter one and rolling over to the next encounter at the start of each weekly reset.
The main reason to complete Raid Challenges is the additional loot. In Normal Mode, these offer an additional pinnacle reward or an additional chance at a God Roll. In Master Mode, the reward is a bit sweeter with the chance to acquire an Adept weapon.
Now that we’re all caught up on how the Raid Challenges work, how do you beat the Cosmic Equilibrium Raid Challenge in Destiny 2?
Raid Challenges
Root of Nightmares Raid Challenge: Cosmic Equilibrium
The Cosmic Equilibrium Raid Challenge takes place in the Macrocosm Encounter. This is the third encounter and it revolves around moving massive planets from one side of the room to the other. Each of these planets has either a Light or Dark alignment, which can be observed using the Planetary Insight buff obtained from killing a Colossus.
Normally, you would move all of the Light aligned planets to the left and all the Dark aligned planets to the right, with only one planet being moved from each plate. For the challenge, though, you need to move all of the Light planets to the right and all of the Dark planets to the left.
Cosmic Equilibrium
Usually, each of the four plates has one of the planets wrong: for example, the left plates will have a Dark aligned planet that usually needs to be moved to the right during Planetary Shift. In this challenge, you will instead need to move both of the correct planets to the opposing side: using the same example as above, the Dark aligned planets on the left will be ignored and the Light planets are the ones that need to be moved.
Let’s take a better look for an example. If you’re on the bottom left plate, perform the encounter as normal until you kill your Colossi. Then, instead of looking for the Dark aligned planet with the Planetary Insight buff, you need to look for and call out either of the Light planets instead. Then, run that same Light planet over to the bottom right plate when Planetary Shift begins. You need to repeat that once again until all of the same coloured planets are on the opposing side.
This challenge will make the encounter longer and more complex, as optimal runs usually only required one phase of Planetary Shift. At a minimum, each plate now needs 2 runs to get the planets over to the other side. Out of all of the currently available RoN Raid Challenges, this is easily the most difficult and the one which requires the most patience and communication.
Light and Dark Sides
How to Complete Cosmic Equilibrium
To complete Cosmic Equilibrium, start the encounter by breaking up your team as normal. Two players will be dedicated as add clear while the other four will be plate running. Assign each runner to a plate and have them group up in pairs as usual.
Start the encounter and continue as normal until you kill the Colossus and gain the Planetary Insight buff. Instead of calling out the incorrect planet from each side, the runners need to call out one of the correct planets, instead. This means having the left side call out and pick up one of their Light planets, and then having the right side call out one of their Dark planets. There will be two “correct” planets on each plate, so you have some variety.
Once each pair has picked up their corresponding planet, run it over to the other side as per normal. If you switch two planets of the same alignment, they will swap places and remain. This is opposed to going back to their original spots like when you mess up a planet rotation). Once the first set of planets has switched, get ready and kill the central adds once more to spawn the Colossus again.
The Root of Nightmares
When you’ve killed the second set of Colossi, you will need to repeat the process of taking the Lights to the right and the Darks to the left. If your runners stayed on their new plates, make sure they are aware to check for the opposite planets they were searching for previously. When your runners have found their correct planet, have them run it over to the opposite side. The damage phase should begin if all went well.
The central planet mechanic to start DPS is unchanged. However, remember that the planet locations are switched: if you need a Light planet for the middle, you need to grab it from the right and not the left. Aside from that, everything from this point on goes as normal.
Rinse and repeat these steps until the boss falls.
Macrocosm Encounter
Step-by-Step Guide
If you want a step-by-step guide on how to complete this method of Cosmic Equilibrium:
- Split up your team as normal into 2 add clear and 4 runners. Begin the encounter and continue up until each plate kills its Colossus.
- Once the Colossi are dead, runners need to choose one of their “correct” planets. Left runners need to choose a Light planet and right runners a Dark one.
- Then have the runners head over to the opposing side with their corresponding planets.
- If you’re successful, the planets should stay in their new location instead of flying back to their old plates.
- Spawn the next group of Colossi and repeat the process once more. Remember to send the Lights to the right and the Darks to the left.
- If you manage to do both sets successfully, the planets at the centre will be revealed.
- Rinse and repeat this mechanic until completion.
Cosmic Botany
Additional Loot
So, what can you get for going through this Raid Challenge? Complete Cosmic Equilibrium on Normal mode and you’ll get a bonus chest with loot from the third encounter. This is another Pinnacle item, too, for anybody still hunting for the pinnacle cap.
From Macrocosm, you can obtain:
- Mykel’s Reverence Strand Sidearm
- Rufus’s Fury Strand Auto Rifle
- Acasia’s Dejection Solar Trace Rifle
- Koraxis’s Distress Strand Heavy Grenade Launcher
- Legendary Chest (Plate of Agony, Vest of Trepidation or Robes of Detestation)
- Legendary Legs (Greaves of Agony, Boots of Trepidation or Boots of Detestation)
- Legendary Bond (Mark of Agony, Cloak of Trepidation or Bonds of Detestation)
If you manage to clear this Raid Challenge on Master mode, though, your reward will be a bit better. Instead of another random piece of loot, the chest will drop you a guaranteed Root of Nightmares Adept weapon. Adept weapons are special versions of the original RoN guns that come with a fresh coat of pain. They also come with the ability to slot unique Adept mods and gain bonus stats upon Masterworking. The Root of Nightmares Adepts will also be the first to benefit from the Enhanced feature, which is set to launch later this year.
Adept Weapons
That was how to complete the Cosmic Equilibrium Raid Challenge in Destiny 2’s Root of Nightmares Raid. The next Raid Challenge is the final one for Root of Nightmares. It’s titled All Hands and has you facing down the Final God of Pain, Nezarec.
