How a Destiny 2 Hunter soloed the 12-player Grandmaster Excision in under 2 hours with expert strategy and loadout tips.
The Monumental Feat: A Solo Clear Against All Odds
Destiny 2’s most demanding team-based activity, the 12-player Excision, has fallen to a single Guardian. In a stunning display of skill, a dedicated Hunter player conquered this Grandmaster-tier challenge solo in under two hours.
Merely a day after its introduction, Destiny 2’s inaugural 12-player activity was completed alone on its most punishing Grandmaster setting. This sets a new benchmark for individual player capability within the game’s endgame ecosystem.
The Grandmaster version of Excision launched with the weekly reset on June 18, presenting elevated risks and exclusive rewards designed for coordinated fireteams. Its solo completion redefines what is considered possible.
Understanding Grandmaster Excision
This mission serves as the narrative and gameplay epilogue to The Final Shape’s Salvation’s Edge Raid, delivering the conclusive battle against The Witness. The Grandmaster modifier introduces significant hurdles: Champion enemies that require specific counter mods, a strict limit on player revives, and a severe Power Cap that negates any level advantage.
While any Guardian class possesses the potential for this solo feat, streamer Esoterickk’s successful run highlights the immense gap between theoretical possibility and practical execution. His clear proves the challenge is surmountable with perfect play.
The Hunter’s Toolkit: Strategy and Loadout Breakdown
The cornerstone of this solo strategy was the Hunter’s Void subclass, specifically its ability to maintain near-constant invisibility. The Exotic helmet Graviton Forfeit was crucial, extending the duration of invisibility and enhancing regeneration while hidden. This allowed for aggressive repositioning and safe recovery from mistakes—a luxury not available to Titans or Warlocks in the same scenario.
Practical Tip: Mastering the invisibility loop is key. Focus on fragments like “Stylish Executioner” and aspects that grant melee energy on defeats while invisible to sustain the cycle. A common mistake is becoming visible in an enemy’s direct line of sight; always break line-of-fire before your invisibility ends.
The loadout was highly dynamic, with no single weapon carrying the entire encounter. Esoterickk executed numerous strategic swaps. The Wish-Ender bow handled long-range Barrier Champions and high-health targets, while Witherhoard provided area denial and passive damage. The primary damage workhorse against The Witness was Outbreak Perfected, whose nanite swarm scales excellently in sustained damage phases.
Optimization Tip for Advanced Players: Weapon swapping isn’t just about damage. Use specific weapons for specific tasks: a wave-frame Grenade Launcher for add-clear, a Scout Rifle with Anti-Barrier for safe Champion stuns from range, and a high-damage special weapon for major enemies. Practice your swap rotations in a safer activity first.
Community Reaction and Historical Context
The Destiny community met this accomplishment with predictable astonishment and deep analysis. Players dissected the gameplay footage to understand each decision.
“The sheer audacity to try this solo is mind-blowing,” noted one Reddit user, encapsulating the prevailing sentiment. Others expressed shock, having believed the activity was fundamentally designed to require a full squad.
It’s unclear if Esoterickk holds the official “world first” title for this solo achievement. Bungie did not organize a race for this challenge and has not publicly recognized any individual clear, leaving the accomplishment in the realm of community-verified prowess.
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The ultimate prize for conquering Grandmaster Excision, with a full team or alone, is the Catalyst for the Exotic sword Ergo Sum. This upgrade significantly enhances the weapon, making the arduous challenge a worthwhile pursuit for dedicated collectors and endgame enthusiasts.
Common Pitfall to Avoid: Do not attempt to mimic the solo strategy with a full fireteam. The tactics of constant invisibility and hit-and-run are less effective in a group. For team play, focus on coordinated Champion stuns, dedicated roles (add-clear, support, damage), and clear communication for revive management, which is limited in Grandmaster.
No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Destiny 2’s 12-player GM activity has already been beaten solo How a Destiny 2 Hunter soloed the 12-player Grandmaster Excision in under 2 hours with expert strategy and loadout tips.