How I Finally Learned to Melt Tormentors in Destiny 2—2026 Edition

It’s 2026, and somehow, Tormentors are still giving Guardians nightmares. Every time a seasonal activity or reprised raid throws one of these void-wreathed brutes at me, I hear the same panicked chatter over fireteam comms: “Where do I shoot?” “Why is it glowing orange now?” “Oh no, it grabbed me again!” Believe me, I’ve been there—more times than I care to admit. But after years of trial, a mountain of spent ammo, and a few very humiliating wipes, I’ve finally cracked the code. If you’re still struggling, pull up a chair. Let’s break down exactly how to put these things down for good.

The Tormentor’s Two-Phase Tantrum

The key to melting a Tormentor is understanding that its health bar isn’t just a health bar—it’s a story with two very distinct chapters. When the fight starts, you’ll notice its massive shoulder plates glowing with an ominous light. Those are your first target. I like to call it the “stand-offish” phase because the Tormentor tends to hang back and lob void projectiles your way, all while you plink away at its shoulders from a safe distance. It’s almost polite. Almost.

Here’s the catch, though. Once you burn through that first third of its health, things get personal. The Tormentor will let out an energy-charged roar, and its chest will start glowing fiery orange. This is the phase where casual players panic and veterans start to sweat. Its behavior flips completely—it stops playing keep-away and starts chasing you down like a scorned ex, swinging arms that can delete your shields in one combo. If you let it get too close, it will grab you, squeeze your health to a sliver, and basically embarrass you in front of your fireteam. Don’t let it.

Mobility becomes your best friend in this second phase. The Tormentor will also leap into the air and slam down on your exact position. Even if you dodge the initial impact, the shockwave temporarily disables your subclass abilities—bye-bye grenade, bye-bye charged melee. The only way I’ve found to survive is to keep moving, cut corners, and fire in short, deliberate bursts. Think of it less like a damage phase and more like a high-stakes game of tag where you’re always “it.”

Weapons That Won’t Let You Down

Now, I’ve watched kinderguardians try to down a Tormentor with a sword. It goes about as well as you’d expect—which is to say, poorly. Grenade launchers? Fuggedaboutit; you can’t precision-hit the weak spot when the grenade wants to bounce off every surface but the target. Rocket launchers can work, but when the Tormentor is juking around like a caffeine-addled dreg, landing that perfect shot on a glowing chest is more luck than skill.

Here’s what I’ve found actually works, year after year.

First Phase: Play the Long Game

In the opening act, precision is king. Linear fusion rifles are my go-to. You’ve got time, distance, and a relatively stationary target. Line up a headshot—well, shoulder shot—and watch the health bar chunk down. Snipers work, too, but I prefer linear fusions for their forgiveness and total damage. Just remember, once the glow transfers to the chest, you’ll have to rethink your setup.

Second Phase: Run, Gun, Repeat

This is where a heavy machine gun shines. Look, I’ve tried autorifles and SMGs—they’re solid backup dancers—but nothing puts out sustained, mobile damage like a well-rolled machine gun. You can strafe, you can hip-fire, and you can stay just out of grab range while peppering that angry orange chest. My personal holy grail? An Osteo Striga. Yes, the exotic SMG. The poison ticks keep chewing at the weak spot even after you’ve ducked behind cover, which means you’re dealing damage while frantically reloading or repositioning. I never enter a Tormentor arena without it.

If you don’t have Osteo, pair an auto rifle or SMG with a high-impact machine gun in the heavy slot. Trust me, you’ll feel the difference.

Subclass Shenanigans That Tip the Scales

Since I’m a Hunter main through and through, I’ve got to give a special shoutout to Solar. The Golden Gun super, especially with Celestial Nighthawk, can basically delete a Tormentor’s entire second-phase health if you land the shot on the chest weak spot. And the weighted throwing knife? Chef’s kiss. A precision knife throw can stagger the Tormentor just long enough for you to create distance or land a few extra crits.

Other classes have their tricks too—Warlocks with a well-timed Nova Bomb can be devastating, and Titans using Thundercrash can do the same—but nothing feels quite as surgical as a Solar Hunter’s kit. Still, whichever class you main, the lesson remains: hold your super for the second phase, and don’t waste it when it’s just standing there lobbing void blasts.

A Few Battle-Hardened Tips

• Keep your distance in phase one; keep moving in phase two. Break line of sight often.

• Disable it if you can—stasis freezes, Suppressor grenades, even a well-placed blinding GL shot can buy a few precious seconds.

• Ammo management is vital. Dump your heavy during the first phase only if you’re confident you won’t need it later; otherwise, save it for the up-close panic.

Finally—and I say this with love—don’t be a hero. If a Tormentor has you dead to rights and your teammates are alive, lead it on a wild goose chase while they pump damage from afar. Guardians are survivors, not statues.

Ultimately, Tormentors went from being my least favorite enemy to a kind of personal challenge. Every time I drop one now, I feel like I’ve passed some rite of passage. Boy, did I learn the hard way. But with the right weapons, a little spatial awareness, and a healthy dose of patience, you’ll be deleting them before they can even think about grabbing you. Now get out there and make Shaxx proud.