Destiny 2 Strikes explained - how to unlock Strikes and earn Strike rewards from the Strike playlist

Destiny 2 Strikes are some of the hardest regular challenges you'll face as a guardian, but they're also some of the most fun you can have in the game.

Destiny 2's Strike list features four Strikes at the time of writing, and here on this page we'll detail those, as well as providing our on Strike tips, explaining what you can expect from Strike rewards, and how to unlock Strikes in Destiny 2.

Note this page is in need of an update with the arrival of Destiny 2's second year, so be aware some content might be out of date. In the meantime, read our Destiny 2 Forsaken guide and how to reach the new Destiny 2 level cap for an overview of what's new and changed. Plus, there's the return of theThorn quest and Thorn Ornament, Wishes of Sorrow, and our trusty friend Xur, too - here's the answer to where is Xur, Xur's location and what Xur's selling this week!

Destiny 2 Strikes requirements - how to unlock Strikes in Destiny 2

Strikes are unlocked in Destiny 2 when you complete the main story mission 'Fury', on the planet Io, which is about three quarters of the way through - you can find more on main story missions in our main Destiny 2 guide and story walkthrough.

After that, head back to the Farm social space, where you'll find Hawthorne once again. Talk to her, and then to Zavala, and you'll be able to take part in Strikes - albeit with a couple of requirments, including both a required Power level and a recommended one.

Destiny 2 Strike requirements:

• Required Experience Level - 12
• Required Power level - 130 Power
• Recommended Power level - 140 Power

What are Strikes in Destiny 2? Strike playlist, rewards, and Strikes explained

Strikes are basically high-level activities, lasting about twenty minutes on average and functioning much the same as a story mission.

However, unlike story missions Strikes require a Fireteam of three - if you don't already have one made up in advance, you'll be matchmade with other players.

Communication helps - as it always does in life - but it's notably less essential in Strikes than it is in the really tricky stuff, like say the timed, hard-mode Nightfall Strikes, or the Destiny 2 Raids. If you can work with your Fireteam then great, but ultimately things are pretty clear and linear, and if you kill everything in your path and shoot the big guys at the end, you'll do just fine.

Here's a list of the available Strikes in Destiny 2 so far, as well as those exclusive to certain consoles.

Destiny 2 Strikes playlist:

• The Inverted Spire
• Pyramidion
• Exodus Crash
• Arms Dealer
• Savathun's Song
• Lake of Shadows (PS4 exclusive)

As for rewards, things have changed a little here since the first Destiny - you now don't get any Strike-specific rewards for your efforts. Instead, it's simply a mix of Rare (blue) and Legendary (Purple) loot to be had, plus of course the various Faction and Clan XP rewards you get from activities, too.

The Season of the Deep is here alongside the Into the Depths quest. You can know go fishing too! Don't forget to keep an eye on the Lost Sector and King's Fall challenge rotation schedule!

Destiny 2 Strike tips

Finally, here are a few quick and dirty tips for getting through Strikes. They'll soon prove simple enough, as you level up, and likewise they're pretty linear... but still challenging enough while you're getting to grips with them! Below you'll find our thoughts on how to tackle them.

Destiny 2 Strike tips:

• Pay attention to Challenges - the Strike Challenges, which you see at the start of the Strike and can be accessed by bringing up your Ghost, are a great way to earn additional rewards. Keep an eye on them at the start and try to at least pick up the easy ones!
• You don't have to kill everything - there are plenty of points in Strikes where you can actually just sprint past the enemies. You might think that's counter-intuitive, but soon enough you'll get into the upper Power levels and want to grind through these as quickly as possible, so finishing quickly is a greater benefit than just killing enemies. Use your Sparrow when you can, too!
• Practice your quick platforming now - Raids tend to make use of Destiny 2's unusual focus on first-person platforming, and those'll be far more tense environments than these. The platforming sections in Strikes are a good chance to practice running through as quickly as possible, and honing any tricks for doing so.
• Assign jobs to Fireteam members - For bosses in particular, it can often help to give yourself and your teammates specific jobs. Two on the boss and one on 'adds', or the various additional enemies around you, is a good way to keep things as efficient as possible.
• If one member makes it far ahead, you can get teleported forward to them - this only happens at certain points, like when boss fights are triggered, but it can help to know where and when they occur for when one of you inevitably gets caught far behind. Triggering the boss battle is a good way to skip your Fireteam mates past the awkward spinning drills of Inverted Spire, for example.
• Learn them well! - When you get to the higher Power levels, Strikes can feel a little basic. That doesn't mean they're not worth your time though, in fact far from it. Getting to grips with all of the available Strikes will help enormously when you come to trying the Nightfall version of them. If you already know you can skip past the Inverted Spire drills, or just kill the Arms Dealer spider tanks to progress, this can be a huge help for shaving off your respective times. Practice makes perfect!