How to Complete Cataclysm (Root of Nightmares) in Destiny 2
The first encounter of Root of Nightmares is Cataclysm.
There is no boss in this encounter, and the encounter is completed by completing chains of nodes of light.
In this Root Nightmares Cataclysm guide, we’ll cover recommended player roles, major mechanics, Challenges/Master mode, and more!
Be sure to keep an eye out for our next guide on Root of Nightmares Scission, coming soon.
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Root of Nightmares Cataclysm Infographic
For a quick and compact overview of the encounter, check out our handy infographic below:
Player Roles
The first role is the Runner. One or two players can be Runners, but one is the simpler method. The second role will be filled by the remainder of the team, and this role is Seekers. This group of players will search for Psions inside bubbles and kill Tormentors.
During the encounter, there is a timer listed as Sweeping Terror. If this timer reaches 0:00 the group wipes. In order to extend the timer a Tormentor must be defeated.
Runner
The Runner(s) will connect nodes of light to one another by obtaining the Field of Light buff by shooting the white orb on a light plate that has an aura around it. Once this buff is obtained the Runner will then run to another light plate that is a gray ball in the center of a helix. Shoot this gray ball to then deposit the buff into this plate. Once a plate is shot the Runner will lose the Field of Light buff and will need to retrieve it once again. As the encounter progresses, the plate which contains the aura will move further along the chain.
If another player shoots the aura ball while the Runner has Field of Light, the Runner will lose the buff and the chain will be disrupted. This is important to know if the team is utilizing two Runners.
The second Runner must wait for the first Runner to deposit their Field of Light buff before receiving it themself, and vice versa.
The Runner is responsible for 4 sets of plates. Each set will add a plate as the encounter goes on. The first set contains 5 plates, the second set has 6, the third set has 7 plates, and the final set has 8 plates.
Seeker
The Seekers aim to extend the timer on Sweeping Terror by killing Tormentors. This will extend the timer by 35 seconds. In order to spawn in a Tormentor, Seekers must kill two Psions in bubbles.
Two of these Psions will spawn in, and a player must enter the bubble in order to kill the Psions. Once these two Psions are killed, a Tormentor will spawn in on either the left or right side of the arena. A Barrier Champion will spawn in on the side opposite of the Tormentor. Kill the Tormentor to add additional time to the Sweeping Terror timer.
Once the Runner completes a sequence the Sweeping Terror timer will be cleared. During this downtime clear out any remaining enemies. A trick that can be performed is if a Tormentor is spawned and the Runner is about able to complete the current sequence before the Sweeping Terror timer runs out, the Tormentor can be left alive through this downtime, and once a new Sweeping Terror timer starts for the next section the Tormentor can be killed to immediately get 35 seconds added to the timer.
Challenges and Master Mode
Each encounter will have a Master Mode challenge and an encounter challenge, both of which are required for the Dream Warrior raid title, and the former which gives an extra loot piece when it is the challenge in rotation.
Encounter Challenge – Psionic Purge
- Defeat Psions within one second of each other
- This one is rather easy, utilize a countdown between the two players who are standing right next to the Psions
- Use a gun to shoot the Psions rather than a melee, as sometimes the hit registration on a melee will ruin a run
Master Challenge – Illuminated Torment
- The player that defeats the Tormentor must possess the Field of Light buff
- Assign 1-2 Seekers to receive the Field of Light buff as the Runner goes through their route
- Have these players deal the final blow to the Tormentor
- Utilizing the trick mentioned above of leaving a Tormentor alive at the end of a completed sequence and killing it once the new timer starts makes this challenge much, much easier as the Tormentor can be brought to low health and the Seekers receiving the buff can do so at the beginning of the sequence
Loot Rewards
Once finished with the encounter, collect your loot and move on through a few jumping puzzles to the next encounter!
The loot available in this encounter includes the helmet, gloves, and chest armor pieces as well as the following weapons:
- Briar’s Contempt Linear Fusion Rifle
- Nessa’s Oblation slug Shotgun
- Koraxis’s Distress Heavy Grenade Launcher.
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