Equipping For PvP¶

In normal Crucible matches the Level, Attack, and Defense stats don’t matter at all. When Level Advantages are enabled these things will apply just not as heavily as in PvE (Player vs Environment) scenarios. You will also want to boost the rate that your most trusted ability cools down; that is, equip Discipline, Intellect, or Strength gear to lower Melee Modifier, Grenades, and Super Abilities depending on which one you are best with/prefer. You can change out your gear as necessary on the fly but you will lose all the ammo for that weapon though. This is good for equipping short-range weapons and then changing to Sniper Rifles if the map dictates it.

Interfacing¶

The Motion Tracker is much more important in the Crucible. The inner circle indicates activity within 8 meters, the wedge is upto 23 meters, and the outer ring is 24 or more meters. Use this to understand how far away enemies are so you can best defeat them. In addition to this, aiming down the sights at a target will show a red nameplate if it’s an enemy but a gold one if their Super Ability is ready so be aware of this.

Stat Prioritization¶

Agility is useful because you can outrun your opponent and out maneuver them. This is useful for getting in close with a Titan so you can melee your enemy or as a Bladedancer to quickly annihilate the opponent. Armor on the other hand provides a much more needed advantage; the higher Armor lets you win firefights where you are equally matched in dealing damage because you will take slightly less. Recovery is also critical because you need to be able to exchange with numerous enemies quickly. Armor aids in surviving the initial exchange but Recovery will get you back into the fight quickly. In short, prioritize Armor and Recovery to have the best chances of winning.

Movement¶

Be careful with using Double Jumps and Triple Jumps in PvP. Too often you’ll hover and be flying across the screen as someone lays into you with an Auto Rifle or picks you off with a Sniper Rifle. The Hunter is the exception because of the ability to change directions with Double Jump. Blink is also a great technique but remember that you can’t use it more than twice every 10 seconds, and if you go into a fight thinking you can just Blink away, remember that it might be on cooldown.

Crouching is a great tool in PvP, it reduces the number of times you are pinging the Motion Tracker with your position. When playing Control it’s often best to crouch during and after capturing a Control Point so invading enemies won’t know where you are solely on the Motion Tracker showing them. Sliding is another useful ability for evading attacks and also getting in close with a powerful weapon like a Hand Cannon or Shotgun.

Grenades/Melee/Super Abilities¶

Grenades are useful for forcing your opponent into a better position to be shot or just defeating them out right. Seeker grenades will show you the position of an enemy if you can spot them on the Motion Tracker but aren’t sure where exactly. Persistent grenades are good for choke points. If an enemy is chasing you, for instance, you could move through a doorway and leave the grenade waiting for them. Blast grenades will deal the best damage since they explode instantly; they are best used when you can land them near your target. Sticky grenades are tough to use but sticking an enemy will almost always be a kill.

Melee is important in the Crucible because when the enemy loses it’s shield you will be able to melee them for a kill. Two melee strikes is normally fatal as well and being able to accurately melee is important for that reason. The modifiers are great for inflicting burn over time or instantly defeating an enemy, such as a Knife Throw to the head with a Hunter. The damage over time effects guarantee that the player will not go into Recovery allowing you to track them and get the final blow. Be careful trying to just outright melee though because Shotguns and Fusion Rifles will quickly kill you and running straight at someone leaves you an easy target.

Lastly, Super Abilities are very powerful and usually instant kills. You will use them a few times a match if you are reducing the cooldown or playing well so you’ll want to make them count. It’s great for taking or defending an area; during Control it often lends to wiping out a group defending the point. The Titans’ Ward of Dawn is fantastic for cutting off certain points and defending others at the same time.

Primary Weapon Choice¶

You’ll want to choose the weapon that best suits you and the situation. Auto Rifles with high stability and Pulse Rifles are always going to be a go-to choice among the masses because of the ability to shoot many times very quickly and often accurately. Scout Rifles and Hand Cannons have their benefits too because one or two headshots can be a kill, though you’ll likely pay a large penalty for missing if you are exposed. In general, Auto Rifles are great at short and mid-range distance because you can get headshots repeatedly and usually half a clip is plenty to kill someone. There is also room for making a mistake because going full auto allows you to miss.

Pulse Rifles are best at mid-range because they deal more damage than an Auto Rifle and often are more accurate at this distance. Up close you’ll have issues unless you are fairly accurate with headshots because of the three-round burst that the Pulse Rifle fires. The Scout Rifles are great and medium to long range for obvious reasons. The weapon fires slowly but aiming down the sights allow great accuracy and this thing can pack a punch. Against any other weapon up close and you’ll have some real problems though. The Hand Cannon is great for its ability to deal the highest damage but often comes with a much smaller clip. This means you’ll need to be very accurate; the best players and most accurate ones will favor the Hand Cannon because it is definitely the most powerful in almost any range.

Special Weapon Choice¶

For maps with close-quarters combat, bring a Shotgun and you’ll be able to defeat your enemies in a single shot at an 8 meter distance. For maps with distance bring a Sniper Rifle; usually two shots kills the enemy or a headshot does the trick. Do remember that a Sniper Rifle will shine a red light when you are aiming down the sights so if you see one yourself you’ll want to run for cover or face taking a bullet to the head. The Fusion Rifle is the tricky weapon in terms of Specials because it can be used anywhere but isn’t the easiest weapon to fire. Like the Hand Cannon, the Fusion Rifle is the most powerful but is also very unforgiving if you miss. Remember to replenish this ammo often if you prefer Special Weapons.

Heavy Weapon Choice¶

First off, there is limited Heavy Weapon Ammo and it is announced before it spawns. It will spawn 10 seconds after the announcement and usually fills about half of your maximum. Wait for your teammates to get near you as they will gain the ammo as well! The Machine Gun is great for mowing down lots of enemies; no Primary Weapon can match it so you can go on a spree. The Rocket Launcher has the benefit of being a deadly and swift killer with the ability to defeat a group in a single shot. It has limited ammo however so you’ll want to use it sparingly and don’t be so stingy with it that you end up dying.

Crucible Marks & Rewards¶

Winning a match in the Crucible will earn you 25 Crucible Reputation and 3 Crucible Marks. Losing will earn you 10 Crucible Reputation and only 3 Crucible Marks. The loot system on the Reward screen is random and not based on your performance so don’t get discouraged if you played well but unfortunately did not receive any gear. Likewise, if you are playing poorly don’t give up, you could still earn some reward for your participation!

Scoring in The Crucible¶

Score +200

• Zone Control x3 [Kill bonus for holding three Zones in Control]

• Relic Salvaged [Your team salvaged a Relic]
  Score +150

• Probe Neutralized [Neutralize the enemy probe]
  Score +100

• Kill [Kill an opponent]

• 15 Kill Streak [Kill 15 enemies in a single life]

• Zone Control x2 [Kill bonus for holding two Zones in Control]

• Probe Deployed [Capture a Salvage Zone]
  Score +75

• Interceptor Destroyed [Destroy an enemy Interceptor]

• Zone Captured [Capture a Control Zone]

Score +50

• Assist [Assist a teammate]

• First Place Kill [Kill the top scoring player in the match]

• 10 Kill Streak [Kill 10 enemies in a single life]

• Pike Destroyed [Destroy an enemy Pike]

• Turret Destroyed [Destroy an enemy turret]

• Revive [Revive an ally]

• Zone Control x1 [Kill bonus for holding one Zone in Control]
  Score +25

• Crossfire [Assist an enemy]

• Super [Kill an enemy with an offensive Super

• 5 Kill Streak [Kill five enemies in a single life]

• Turret [Kill an enemy with the turret]

• Vehicle [Kill an enemy with a vehicle]

• Self-Resurrect [Resurrect yourself]

• Zone Neutralized [Neutralize a Control Zone]

• Zone Assault [Kill enemies while neutralizing/capturing a Zone in Control]

• Zone Defense [Kill enemies that are in or near an allied Control Zone]

• Probe Assault [Kill enemies near the enemy probe]

• Probe Defense [Kill enemies near your team’s probe]
  Score +15

• Support [An ally buffed with your Radiance or Ward kills an enemy]

• Heavy [Kill an enemy with a heavy weapon]
  Score +10

• Headshot [Kill an enemy with a precision shot]

• Melee [Kill an enemy with a melee attack]

• Grenade [Kill an enemy with a grenade]

• Throwing Knife [Kill an enemy with the throwing knife]
  Score +5

• Sparrow Destroyed [Destroy an enemy Sparrow]