Here’s our comprehensive guide on how to complete every encounter in the new Desert Perpetual Epic raid in Destiny 2.
The Epic version of the Desert Perpetual raid is finally live in Destiny 2, and it brings some new changes to the activity. It adds completely new mechanics and a new batch of rewards that make it worth running even if you’ve already cleared the regular version a dozen times.
Along with updated weapons and armor, the Epic raid has also added an entirely new encounter, only available in this version. It changes the final boss fight completely, where you’ll now have to fight all of the previous raid bosses in the final encounter as well, with some very interesting time-related mechanics.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to beat the Desert Perpetual Epic raid.
Important
If you want o learn how the opening encounter of the raid works, check out our guide on the base version of the raid here.
Iatros, Inward-Turned – The Living Rhythm Encounter
If you ran this encounter on normal, you already know it involves climbing three sets of floating platforms while your team shoots specific boxes to help a single jumper reach white cubes. But there are some changes to the encounter in the Epic version.
What’s different in the Epic version
- Where Minotaurs spawn and what they drop: Instead of only mid, Minotaurs appear in Left, Spawn, and Right sections. Each section drops one fixed Chronon color for that phase (for example, Left=Blue, Spawn=Red, Right=White). This section > color map can change after a wipe or after damage.
- How you pick the dunk color: The Hourglass ring in the center spins and hides its required color until a runner stands in a Vex pool to get the read. After any jump through the ring, it resets after ~3 seconds and changes color, so re-read each time.
- Diastole timing for the Jumper: When the Diastole timer pops, being on the ground now suspends you; the Jumper should plan to be airborne at the tick.
- Three colored capsules appear near the Jumper’s plate. Capsule color = box height on the pillars (Red = Bottom, White = Middle, Blue = Top). Three shooters take plates and get random Temporality (Constant / Absolute / Cyclical), which assigns them to a pillar; after the first correct shot, two shooters’ debuffs can swap, so lanes may change mid-cycle.
Important
Make sure someone is writing down the dunk pattern (like “Blue > Red > Blue”), because you need to repeat it during damage or you risk wiping.
Team Setup
- Jumper (1): This player climbs platforms to reach the cube. They must jump just before the Diastole timer hits. If they’re still on the ground when the timer pops, they’ll get suspended midair and can’t climb.
- Box Shooters (3): Step on plates to get one of three random debuffs: Constant, Absolute, or Cyclical. Each debuff maps to a specific pillar:
- Constant = Left pillar (a.k.a. “Cave”)
- Absolute = Middle pillar (“Spawn”)
- Cyclical = Right pillar (“Stairs”)
- Shoot the height that matches your capsule color. Be ready for debuff swaps after the first successful shot.
- Chronon Runners (2): Farm Minotaurs in Left / Spawn / Right to learn the section > color map for the phase and keep it in mind. Grab the Vex-pool read to see what color the rotating ring wants, then double-dunk (two of the same color back-to-back). During DPS, repeat the exact opening dunk pattern to push the phase and avoid a wipe.
How the Encounter Works
Clear to spawn Minotaurs in Left / Spawn / Right. Kill one in each section to learn which color drops there; that mapping sticks for the current phase. A runner stands in a Vex pool to reveal the ring’s current color, then both runners double-dunk that color.
The ring resets ~3s and changes color each jump, so re-read, re-dunk, and repeat until you’ve dunked 6 Chronons (three pairs) to start Diastole. Write down the sequence you used (for example, Blue > White > Red). You’ll repeat this same pattern during DPS.
Three shooters step on plates and receive Constant / Absolute / Cyclical, assigning each to Left / Spawn / Right pillars. The Jumper reads the three capsules by their colors and calls the heights to hit. (Red=Bottom, White=Middle, Blue=Top)
Hit all three correct boxes together to let the Jumper climb that tier—then capsule colors update for the next set. After the first correct volley, two shooters’ debuffs may swap, so quickly confirm your new pillar before the next shots. Keep going until the Jumper grabs the tier’s cube.
Important
In Epic, being grounded when the Diastole tick hits will suspend you. The Jumper should plan jumps, Icarus/Heat Rises, sword lunges, grapple, or simple bunny-hops to make sure they’re in the air as the timer pops.
Once the Jumper gets the last cube for that cycle, DPS begins. Watch out for incoming fire while you set wells and supers. Meanwhile, the two Runners repeat the exact color sequence they used to open Diastole, at the same rotating ring, using a fresh Vex-pool read before each dunk since the ring color changes after every jump.
Doing this prevents the wipe and can extend your damage time. If Iatros lives, go back to step 2 for another climb cycle.
Updating…
