Race to solo Root of Nightmares heats up thanks to incredible new Destiny 2 builds

The race to make Destiny 2 history as the first player to solo the Root of Nightmares raid has dialed up a notch this week after one dedicated grinder discovered the perfect build to take down the Macrocosm encounter as a party of one.

Usually, Destiny’s endgame raids require a team of six guardians, well-drilled and heavily equipped, to come together to take down hordes of enemies, solve interesting puzzles, and beat the final bosses together. But, like with any good gaming challenge, there are always those that want to take it to the next level again.

That dream has led dozens of dedicated guardians to attempt solo Root of Nightmares runs over the last month and the finish line now appears to be in sight.

The latest breakthrough in the Root of Nightmares grind came on April 11, when Twitch streamer NAPainter uncovered what may well be one of the best builds for solo players facing the Macrocosm, aka the “Planet Room,” that allows players to complete the six-guardian challenge and defeat Zo’aurc alone.

Using Sunbracers for nearly endless Solar grenades, a sword with Eager Edge to fly across the room to activate the correct planet switches, and a number of build swaps mid bossfight, NAPainter’s focus never wavered as he took down Zo’aurc.

After clearing the room with Sunbracers and dual special weapons, he would swap out between builds to acquire ammo with a Shoot To Loot Trace Rifle, then finally to dual Fusion Rifles and the Rain of Fire Exotic for pure boss DPS.

In normal six-player attempts, the Macrocosm encounter requires guardians to coordinate across a massive room, setting planets overhead into their correct positions via switches, and opening plates on the ground players can stand on to damage the boss. Using his new April 11 builds, NAPainter was able to skip those full-party requirements.

The ability to seamlessly switch between weapons and armor is just one enhancement of Lightfall’s loadout changes, a feature these hardcore solo players are utilizing to maximum effect in order to complete these tasks alone.

Related: All raid challenges in Destiny 2’s Root of Nightmares raid

These theorycrafted strategies build on what other solo Destiny 2 raiders have already discovered in their Root of Nightmares attempts over the last month.

Earlier, popular Destiny content creator TheSnazzzyRock, known for soloing and duoing endgame activities, single-handedly took down final boss Nezarec in just over 11 minutes—after a few attempts, of course.

Between TheSnazzzyRock’s strategy and NAPainter’s new build, the race is now on to become the first player to complete the raid solo, with notable community members even offering a cash bounty for the eventual winner.

Considering this Root of Nightmares challenge seems nearly solved, some Destiny fans are already moving the goalposts and asking for a flawless solo clear, where a player completes the raid without a single death—a feat that borders on impossibility.

In the meantime, the raid remains perfectly clearable with six players for those that want something a little more relaxing in their gaming.