Surviving the Crucible: The Dos and Don’ts of Destiny’s Competitive Multiplayer

Now that we’ve been able to get some serious time with the Destiny beta, we can’t seem to stay away from the Crucible, the game’s competitive multiplayer. Sure, you can have friends and strangers join you in the campaign, but there’s nothing quite like looking down the barrel of a plasma rifle, knowing a human is at the other end. Even with the limited map selection and single mode – the capture-and-hold-based Control – Destiny‘s multiplayer is already looking like a worthy evolution of Bungie’s Halo pedigree.

But the Crucible is its own animal. Go into it expecting just more Master Chief action, and you’ll be lost. And dead. A lot. With that in mind, here are some friendly suggestions about how best to approach this deadly arena.

DO
be patient. You won’t unlock access to the Crucible until you hit Level 5, so don’t think you’re missing something if you can’t find it right off the bat. Also: You only bring into multiplayer what you’ve collected in the campaign, so the more time you spend capping Fallen, the more options you have for capping other players.

BUT DON’T
get too obsessive about maxing out your character before jumping in. Although higher-level players will get access to a wider variety of weapons and armor, the game removes level bonuses in order to ensure as equitable a playing field as possible.

DO
try for special kills. Destiny‘s Control mode provides generous rewards for killing enemies, rather than reserving the bulk of points only for capturing and holding Control points. Even better, the game dishes out bonus points for things like head shots, melee kills, and vehicle kills.

BUT DON’T
neglect the Control points altogether! Capturing and holding a location does earn you significant points, after all. But perhaps more significantly, the game confers bonus points to all of your team’s kills when you hold a territory – the more Control points held, the bigger the bonus.

DO
make use of turrets. On First Light, there’s a turret near each Control point. Though they look beefy, they have a fairly precise fire pattern, allowing you to pick off even mounted enemies from a surprising distance. And vehicles? Forget about it.

BUT DON’T
rely too heavily on them. They’re loud. People will hear you. Then they’ll sneak up behind you. Then they’ll kill you.

DO
move carefully. As in most modern shooters, crouching and moving slowly will make you less visible to enemies, especially on enemies’ radar.

BUT DON’T
camp. Unlike most modern shooters, Destiny will ping your location to nearby enemies even if you’re crouched and immobile. It just doesn’t happen as often as when you’re running full-tilt or firing.

DO
take advantage of nearby vehicles. The nimble Pike and the powerful Interceptor will let you whisk your way across the battlefield. And you can also probably find a use for those heavy-duty mounted weapons.

BUT DON’T
forget that you can summon your own private Sparrow (on the big maps, at least). If your main goal is quick transport, you’re probably better off bringing in your own ride than going out of your way to grab a parked vehicle.

DO
use your Special ability whenever reasonable. Not only does it make for some devastating carnage, it also counts as a special kill – and thus earns you some delicious bonus points. And don’t ignore the fact that every kill, Control point capture, and the like nudges your depleted Special closer to readiness.

BUT DON’T
try to kick off your Special while face-to-face with an enemy. Remember that there’s a small charge time involved in firing up your devastating attack. By the time you’re ready to unleash it, chances are, you’re already dead. Better to trigger it just before jumping into the fray!

Finally,
DO get excited. This is just a small slice of Destiny‘s competitive multiplayer offerings. When the game hits Xbox One and Xbox 360 on September 9, there will be a heck of a lot more in store.

BUT DON’T
hold your breath. That’s more than a month away. You’d die.