Solstice of Heroes 2021 armor upgrades and activities

Destiny 2’s fourth annual Solstice of Heroes event is here, and it brings a grind similar to the last several years from July 6 – Aug. 3, 2021. Players begin with a “Renewed” armor set and get the task of leveling up to a “Majestic” armor set and eventually a “Magnificent” armor set.

During this Solstice of Heroes, players can make their Magnificent armor glow without purchasing special items from the in-game Eververse store — a white glow, just like last year. However, players who do purchase the Eververse glows will get Universal Ornaments — meaning it’s a look players can apply to any armor piece — that glows depending on their current subclass. This includes the new Stasis subclass from last year’s Beyond Light expansion.

In this Destiny 2 Solstice of Heroes 2021 guide, we’ll show you the available activities and the requirements to upgrade each set of armor.

SOLSTICE OF HEROES 2021 ACTIVITIES

• European Aerial Zone
• Orbs
• Advanced progress for secondary characters

UPGRADE YOUR RENEWED ARMOR SET

• Hunter
• Titan
• Warlock

UPGRADE YOUR MAJESTIC ARMOR

• Hunter
• Titan
• Warlock

GET GLOWS FOR YOUR MAGNIFICENT ARMOR

• Hunter
• Titan
• Warlock

SOLSTICE OF HEROES 2021 ACTIVITIES

Solstice of Heroes 2021 sees the return of two Solstice staples: the European Aerial Zone and Elemental Orbs.

EUROPEAN AERIAL ZONE

The European Aerial Zone is a returning activity for Destiny 2’s 2021 Solstice of Heroes. It takes place in a unique area around the EDZ, but you access it in the Tower.

To succeed in the European Aerial Zone, you need to kill as many minibosses as you can in the time limit the game gives you. When time is up, you’ll face off against the final boss. Kill it, and you’ll return to the European Aerial Zone to hunt for treasure. The more minibosses you kill, the more chests you have to hunt.

To open these chests, you’ll need Solstice Key Fragments. To earn the Key Fragments, you need to complete activities during the Solstice of Heroes event.

ELEMENTAL ORBS

Solstice of Heroes has a daily rotating elemental burn, which enhances the powers of Arc, Solar, or Void for the day.

Killing enemies with elemental energy drops an Elemental Orb, which isn’t tied to the burn of the day. But if you collect 30 Elemental Orbs that do match the daily burn, you’ll activate a powerful buff depending on the element.

Here’s what they do in Bungie’s own words:

• Equip your Arc subclass and weapons to generate Arc orbs. Then, collect them to wield their Arc elemental power. While empowered, Guardians move with enhanced speed and deal greater melee and Sword damage.
• Equip your Solar subclass and weapons to generate Solar orbs. Then, collect them to wield their Solar elemental power. While empowered, Guardians emit a burning wave of energy that damages anything around them.
• Equip your Void subclass and weapons to generate Void orbs. Then, collect them to wield their Void elemental power. Crouch while empowered to become invisible and gain Truesight plus enhanced ability regeneration.
• Equip your Stasis subclass and weapons to generate Stasis orbs. Stasis empowerment

ADVANCED PROGRESS FOR SECONDARY CHARACTERS

 Image: Bungie via Polygon

Solstice of Heroes 2021 has a new-ish process for speeding up progress for your second and third characters. It’s functionality we’ve seen before in this event, but now it’s a bit more obvious.

In the Tower, you can buy new upgrades from Eva Levante: armor accelerators. Eve sells four of these accelerators, and you’ll unlock one at a time.

You’ll unlock the first one when you complete your first Solstice set on your first character. You’ll unlock the next when you complete your second Tier 1 Solstice set. These two initial accelerators increase the rate of rare armor upgrades. It’s not clear how much faster it is, but it’s been 2x and then 3x in previous years.

The second tier works similarly. Once you have a single Tier 2 Solstice set, you’ll unlock the first boost, and the second will come once you have two Tier 2 Solstice sets.

The idea here is that you can upgrade your sets gradually and enjoy an even faster process on your other characters. If you complete the first set on your Titan, your Warlock set would theoretically be twice as fast, with your final set being three times as fast.

The ideal order here is to complete your Renewed armor set on your first character, purchase the upgrade, and then complete your second Renewed on your second character. Once you buy the second upgrade, your third Renewed set should go very quickly. Follow the same process for the Majestic sets and you’ll start moving very quickly through your second and third characters.

UPGRADE YOUR RENEWED ARMOR SET

 Image: Bungie

Eva will give you the helmet for your first set, and ask you to complete a run in the European Aerial Zone. Put on the helmet and complete the activity. When you’re done, come back to her. She’ll give you a new quest to meditate at the Statue of Heroes. Oblige her, and you’ll get the full set. Equip all of it and talk to her again.

Complete the objectives below to upgrade your Renewed set to the Majestic set.

HUNTER

• Helmet: Complete a run through the European Aerial Zone, collect elemental orbs, do 20 Finishers
• Gauntlets: Complete a playlist activity, open 10 Solstice packages, defeat 200 Fallen
• Chest: Complete two public events, collect Solar and Stasis elemental orbs in playlist activities, defeat 30 enemy Guardians
• Boots: Complete a Patrol, pick up 50 Orbs of Power, get 50 Super kills
• Cloak: Complete three Lost Sectors, pick up 100 Void Orbs around the world, get 100 precision kills

TITAN

• Helmet: Complete a run through the European Aerial Zone, collect elemental orbs, do 20 Finishers
• Gauntlets: Complete a playlist activity, open 10 Solstice packages, defeat 200 Hive
• Chest: Complete two public events, collect Arc and Stasis elemental orbs in playlist activities, defeat 30 enemy Guardians
• Boots: Complete a Patrol, pick up 50 Orbs of Power, get 50 Super kills
• Mark: Complete three Lost Sectors, pick up 100 Solar Orbs around the world, get 100 precision kills

WARLOCK

• Helmet: Complete a run through the European Aerial Zone, collect elemental orbs, do 20 Finishers
• Gauntlets: Complete a playlist activity, open 10 Solstice packages, defeat 200 Cabal
• Chest: Complete two public events, collect Void and Stasis elemental orbs in playlist activities, defeat 30 enemy Guardians
• Boots: Complete a Patrol, pick up 50 Orbs of Power, get 50 Super kills
• Bond: Complete three Lost Sectors, pick up 100 Arc Orbs around the world, get 100 precision kills

We’ve yet to verify any armor upgrades past the first step. Once we do, we’ll add them to this guide.

UPGRADE YOUR MAJESTIC ARMOR

After upgrading your set to Majestic, complete these objectives to upgrade to Magnificent.

HUNTER

• Helmet: Defeat five minibosses in the European Aerial Zone before the boss is summoned three times, collect 500 elemental orbs, rapidly defeat 100 enemies
• Gauntlets: Complete Altar of Sorrow on the Moon or Override missions (100 points), earn 20 elemental empowerment buffs, kill 200 enemies with Void weapons
• Chest: Complete Blind Well in the Dreaming City or Wrathborn Hunts (100 points), collect 50 Solstice Key Fragments, defeat 100 enemies with Solar Grenades
• Boots: Complete Public Events on Europa or Battlegrounds (100 points), collect 100 Arc or Stasis orbs in playlist activities, defeat 50 enemies with a melee while using an Arc subclass
• Cloak: Complete three competitive PvP matches or Nightfall Strikes, collect 50 Solar orbs in the EAZ, defeat 50 Powerful Cabal

TITAN

• Helmet: Defeat five minibosses in the European Aerial Zone before the boss is summoned three times, collect 500 elemental orbs, rapidly defeat 100 enemies
• Gauntlets: Complete Altar of Sorrow on the Moon or Override missions (100 points), earn 20 elemental empowerment buffs, kill 200 enemies with Solar weapons
• Chest: Complete Blind Well in the Dreaming City or Wrathborn Hunts (100 points), collect 50 Solstice Key Fragments, defeat 100 enemies with Arc Grenades
• Boots: Complete Public Events on Europa or Battlegrounds (100 points), collect 100 Void or Stasis orbs in playlist activities, defeat 50 enemies with a melee while using an Void subclass
• Cloak: Complete three competitive PvP matches or Nightfall Strikes, collect 50 Arc orbs in the EAZ, defeat 50 Powerful Hive

WARLOCK

• Helmet: Defeat five minibosses in the European Aerial Zone before the boss is summoned three times, collect 500 elemental orbs, rapidly defeat 100 enemies
• Gauntlets: Complete Altar of Sorrow on the Moon or Override missions (100 points), earn 20 elemental empowerment buffs, kill 200 enemies with Arc weapons
• Chest: Complete Blind Well in the Dreaming City or Wrathborn Hunts (100 points), collect 50 Solstice Key Fragments, defeat 100 enemies with Void Grenades
• Boots: Complete Public Events on Europa or Battlegrounds (100 points), collect 100 Solar or Stasis orbs in playlist activities, defeat 50 enemies with a melee while using an Solar subclass
• Cloak: Complete three competitive PvP matches or Nightfall Strikes, collect 50 Void orbs in the EAZ, defeat 50 Powerful Fallen

GET GLOWS FOR YOUR MAGNIFICENT ARMOR

After upgrading your armor to Magnificent, complete these objectives to activate the glows on your pieces.

HUNTER

• Helmet: Complete a Nightfall on Master or Grandmaster
• Gauntlets: Complete any raid
• Chest: Complete any dungeon
• Boots: Defeat 15 Champions or Guardians in Competitive Crucible modes
• Cloak: Complete Legendary or Master Lost Sectors

TITAN

• Helmet: Complete a Nightfall on Master or Grandmaster
• Gauntlets: Complete any raid
• Chest: Complete any dungeon
• Boots: Defeat 15 Champions or Guardians in Competitive Crucible modes
• Cloak: Complete Legendary or Master Lost Sectors

WARLOCK

• Helmet: Complete a Nightfall on Master or Grandmaster
• Gauntlets: Complete any raid
• Chest: Complete any dungeon
• Boots: Defeat 15 Champions or Guardians in Competitive Crucible modes
• Cloak: Complete Legendary or Master Lost Sectors