As a dedicated Guardian who’s been grinding Destiny 2 since the early days, I’ve seen countless seasonal challenges come and go. Now that Bungie has brought back the Season of the Witch content in this 2026 legacy rotation, those memorable Week 5 objectives are once again live. Whether you’re a returning veteran or a new light, completing these time-limited Triumphs is the fastest way to power through your Season Pass and stockpile Bright Dust. I’ve spent the last few days blitzing through all eight challenges, and here’s the definitive guide to knocking them out efficiently.

This week’s lineup hits a sweet spot between easy PvE kills and slightly more demanding competitive PvP. Most objectives are straightforward if you know where to farm, but a couple – like the Imbaru Engine puzzle – still trip up guardians who didn’t play the original season. Let’s dive into every challenge, the rewards, and the fastest methods I’ve tested.

📋 Week 5 Challenge Overview

💡 Pro tip: Tackle challenges that overlap first. For example, Runic Rifles, Special Forces, and Higher Caliber can all be chipped away at together if you bring the right loadout into Crucible or Savathûn’s Spire.

Acolyte’s Ascent V: Finish the Story Beat

The fifth week of “The Bladed Path” questline asks you to complete five Altars of Summoning encounters and then clear the Imbaru Engine activity at least partially. I recommend jumping into Tier 2 or Tier 3 Summoning runs right away – not only do they give you progress toward this quest step, but they also advance the Master Magus challenge simultaneously. Double dipping is always my priority. The Imbaru Engine portion only demands opening one correct chest based on environmental clues to finish the quest, but you’ll want to do the full run later for Mist and Mysteries.

Master Magus: Farm the Altars

You need to complete 20 combat encounters in the Altars of Summoning. The description says higher difficulties grant bonus progress, and in my tests, a Tier 3 clear counts as roughly 2.5 encounters. By sticking to T3 runs while finishing your weekly quest, you’ll likely hit 20 before you even notice. If you’re short, a few T2 runs tip the scale quickly. Avoid Tier 1 – the efficiency loss is just too painful. Grab a fireteam to speed things up; the third phase can get hectic with Hive Lightbearers.

Runic Rifles: Scout and Sniper Supremacy

This one asks you to defeat 200 enemies with Scout Rifles or Sniper Rifles. Bonus progress comes from Season of the Witch activities and guardian kills, so I took my trusty Dead Man’s Tale into Savathûn’s Spire and mowed down everything. Polaris Lance and Hung Jury are also excellent – the latter’s Explosive Payload really shines against tightly packed Taken. If you’re decent at sniping, pair a Distant Pull or Occluded Finality with your scout for when the action slows down. 200 kills flies by when you focus on ad-heavy encounters.

Mist and Mysteries: Decode the Imbaru Engine

The Cunning Test inside the Imbaru Engine is a pure puzzle. You must open six correctly labeled chests out of a scattered selection, each marked by a symbol that hints whether it’s trapped. Study the environment – the flamelike projections above chests show the true symbol. Once you’ve done that, the second half demands you uncover 15 Minor Arcana cards. You’ll naturally earn these by playing the seasonal activities and spending Witch’s Keys at the Ritual Table. I finished this passively after three days of casual play, but you can speed it up by grinding Savathûn’s Spire directly. Remember: the Minor Arcana drop is not RNG-heavy; your Ritual Table rank unlocks make it inevitable.

Cursed by Success: Pick Up Malediction

Acquiring the ritual Hand Cannon Malediction requires reaching rank 16 with any Tower vendor – Zavala, Shaxx, or Drifter. From years of grinding, I firmly believe Lord Shaxx’s Competitive Crucible offers the fastest reputation per hour, especially during bonus weeks. If you’re not a PvP fan, Gambit can work but demands a strong build to carry invasions. Vanguard Ops may look tempting, but the rank progression is glacial outside of Grandmaster Nightfall weeks. Aim to hit rank 16 across the remaining weeks; this challenge doesn’t need to be done instantly, and Malediction itself is a solid 120 RPM with decent PvE rolls.

Fleeting Glory: Competitive Crucible Marches

Eight Competitive playlist matches – wins grant bonus progress, but losses still count. I won’t sugarcoat it: this playlist is sweaty. The skill-based matchmaking means you’ll fight guardians at your level, and objective modes like Survival dominate. Bring your most comfortable meta loadout; I switched between Igneous Hammer / Sidearm and a crafted Ammit for mid-range duels. Play with your team, watch your radar, and don’t overcommit. Even if you lose all eight matches, you’ll still clear the challenge. Queue solo if you just want completions; a coordinated fireteam helps if you’re chasing the bonus progress.

Special Forces: Special Ammo Mayhem

You need to defeat 150 enemies with Special ammo weapons. Trace Rifles and Wave-Frame Grenade Launchers are the kings of ad clear. I loaded into Savathûn’s Spire with a Retraced Path (Subsistence/Incandescent) and deleted entire waves without ever reloading. Forbearance with Chain Reaction remains the champ, but Dead Messenger also shines with its switchable element. Kills rack up incredibly fast in Altars of Summoning’s dense spawns. You can easily finish this while working on Runic Rifles if you run a special Sniper alongside a Scout.

Higher Caliber: Guardian-Hunting Precision

The description might trick you – only Guardian defeats count, not combatants in Gambit. You must eliminate 100 opposing players with SMGs, Bows, Scout Rifles, Sniper Rifles, or Machine Guns. Crucible is the way. In Momentum Control, everything hits harder, making off-meta scouts and aggressive SMGs dominant. If Mayhem rotates in, machine guns are practically free kills every time heavy spawns. I personally paired an Unending Tempest SMG with a crafted Beloved sniper to double-dip on bonus weapon types. Play with the meta, control power ammo, and you’ll slide past 100 kills in a few hours.

🎯 Recommended Order of Completion

1. Start Acolyte’s Ascent V and immediately jump into Altars of Summoning (T2/T3).

2. While doing Altars, your Runic Rifles and Special Forces kills will pile up naturally.

3. After finishing the quest’s Summoning step, enter the Imbaru Engine to clear the Cunning Test and begin unlocking Minor Arcana for Mist and Mysteries.

4. Continue farming Savathûn’s Spire or Altars until you finish the 20 encounters for Master Magus and collect enough Minor Arcana.

5. Knuckle down in Competitive Crucible for Fleeting Glory; use SMGs/snipers/machine guns to advance Higher Caliber simultaneously.

6. Check your Tower vendor rank; grind whichever is closest to 16 to unlock Malediction and complete Cursed by Success.

Even years after its original release, Season of the Witch’s challenge design holds up – tight, interconnected objectives that reward you for smart play rather than endless grinding. I still recommend tackling these with friends, especially for the Imbaru Engine puzzles, which are easier to solve when two people scan for symbols. The XP from this set alone will net you several Season Pass levels, and the Bright Dust padding your wallet never hurts when Eververse refreshes. Now pick your weapon, grab that Acolyte’s Staff, and show the Hive who’s boss. See you in the Crucible, and remember – those Minor Arcana cards aren’t going to find themselves.