How to Defeat Calus in Destiny 2: Strategies and Loadouts

Calus, the final boss of the Lightfall campaign in Destiny 2, poses a significant challenge for players. Many have struggled with this encounter, but with the right strategies and loadouts, you can make the fight much easier on yourself. In this guide, we will discuss the recommended loadout and strategies to defeat Calus.

What Loadout to Use Against Calus

Before starting the fight with Calus, it’s essential to prepare your loadout.

Stats

First, prioritize maxing out your Resilience stat to 100. This will provide the highest survivability, which is crucial in this boss fight. Additionally, focus on increasing your Recovery stat as much as possible to quickly regain health during the fight. The rest of your stats are not as important since this will be a lengthy battle where surviving is the primary goal.

Weapons

Clearing the numerous minor and major enemies in this fight is key. We recommend using an Exotic Primary weapon such as Ostio Striga or Quicksilver Storm. These powerful primary weapons will help conserve Special and Heavy ammo for boss damage. For your Special weapon, choose a Fusion Rifle or a Shotgun for dealing with shielded enemies and clearing groups of enemies. If you’re having trouble with enemy groups, consider using a Grenade Launcher with Disorienting Grenades to blind them before approaching. As for your Heavy weapon, a Machine Gun provides a good balance of boss damage and quick add-clear capabilities. If you lack a Machine Gun, a Linear Fusion Rifle is the next best option for boss damage and eliminating Tormentors.

Subclass

Your subclass choice doesn’t matter much for this fight, as you’ll want to use the provided Empowered Strand subclass specifically designed for this encounter. Since Calus has a significant amount of health, focusing on survival while chipping away at his health is the strategy here. The arena has multiple Grapple points that you can use to evade Calus’ attacks, so make sure to utilize them effectively to avoid being overwhelmed.

How to Beat Calus in Destiny 2

Now that you have your loadout ready, it’s time to start the fight.

In the early stage of the battle, choose one of the platforms connected to the center stage by stairs and keep it clear of enemies. Try to stay on your chosen platform as much as possible, as enemies will keep coming towards you. Use your Primary weapon to shoot down the homing Darkness missiles that Calus launches.

After clearing out the majority of the enemies, unleash your Heavy ammo on Calus. When he spawns additional enemies, focus on eliminating shielded Legionnaires and Shadow Guard Incendiors, as they deal significant damage and attempt to push you off the stage. Move away from Calus’ Darkness orbital strike before it hits, as getting hit will likely result in a wipe.

Once you’ve dealt with another wave of enemies, continue damaging Calus. Break his first health bar, at which point he will go immune, gain a shield, and spawn a Tormentor. Prioritize taking down the Tormentor quickly to avoid being suppressed or sent flying off the map. Use your Machine Gun or Linear Fusion Rifle for this task. If you have your Suspend ability available, it’s an effective way to deal with Tormentors and exploit their critical spots.

Now you can start damaging Calus’ shield. If your Strand Super ability is ready, it’s an excellent time to use it. Breaking his shield will spawn another wave of enemies, so use the remainder of your Super to eliminate them before it runs out. Take the opportunity to kill any leftover enemies before continuing to damage Calus.

When Calus has about a third of his health bar remaining, he will spawn another Tormentor. Deal with it swiftly, especially if you’re low on ammo. Use your Suspend ability if available to make killing the Tormentor easier. Calus will once again have a shield, so use this time to dispatch any remaining enemies, replenish Special and Heavy ammo, and finish off his last third of health.

Phase Two Strategy

The battle is not over yet. In phase two, Calus transforms his gun into two large swords and starts chasing you around the arena. The safety platforms you previously used will disappear, forcing you to stay close to Calus.

During this phase, it’s crucial to continue using the Grapple points to evade Calus while dealing damage. If your Super ability is ready, now is the perfect time to use it. Otherwise, take your time and maintain distance from Calus to avoid being sent flying off the arena.

After breaking his first health bar, Calus will activate a shield. If you have your Super ability, you should be able to break both his health bar and the shield simultaneously. Otherwise, continue grappling around and gradually chip away at his health. Minor enemies will periodically spawn, so make sure to eliminate them quickly to avoid being shot down while in the air. The last two bars of health don’t present any additional hurdles, so focus on staying safe and utilizing your Heavy ammo to finish off Calus.

Cheese Strat

If you’re still struggling with this encounter, there is a cheese strategy that can make both phases easier. For the first phase, you can go below the map by jumping onto the scaffolding located below the staircase where you placed the Rally Banner. This jump can be a bit tricky but provides a significant advantage.

Remember, defeating Calus in Destiny 2 requires careful planning, effective loadouts, and strategic gameplay. With persistence and the right approach, you can emerge victorious and claim your rewards.