Starcrossed is the Exotic mission that rewards the Wish-Keeper bow in Destiny 2 Season of the Wish.
Starcrossed Exotic Mission Walkthrough
You can access the Starcrossed mission by reaching Step 29 in the Wishing All the Best seasonal quest, where the HELM will spawn the Exotic mission node beside The Coil seasonal activity. Keep in mind, Starcrossed is a three-player activity without matchmaking. You can use the in-game Fireteam Finder to form a team, play with friends, or jump in solo. Also, the Normal version’s recommended Power is 1810, but there are additional surge and threat modifiers to be wary of. On the other hand, Legend has several more modifiers and is at 1830 recommended Power.
First Encounter - Open the Way
The mission tosses you into the enigmatic Black Garden, and platforming the giant tree branches and leaves takes you to the opening encounter. Before the first encounter, there will be a few Taken enemies and a brief introduction to the mission mechanic. A glowing “spark” shines a light up a few meters, so it’s easy to spot from a distance.
Walking over the spark gives a buff from Riven called Sire’s Obligation — which lasts for about 45 seconds. Within the time limit, you need to attack the Taken Obdurate Phalanx that have the same glowing aura around them. However, there’s more to it. Each Obdurate Phalanx represents a symbol from the Last Wish raid’s Wish Wall, and defeating them unlocks the path forward.
At the back of the first encounter area, a locked barrier requires you to defeat three Obdurate Phalanx bosses. You can get the Sire’s Obligation buff at the front of the area from where you entered and on the moss-covered arch in the middle. Using Sire’s Obligation, check which symbols need to be unlocked — start at the top and go down to the third symbol. One Obdurate Phalanx is on the front right, the other is on the middle bottom, and finally, one hides in the top corner near the locked pathway.
Look at the top symbol on the lock and defeat the Obdurate Phalanx with the corresponding symbol to start. Also, defeating an Obdurate Phalanx spawns two Cyclops that can one-shot you, so be sure to take those down. Grenades and close-range heavy weapons are great for targeting the bosses, while rocket launchers and linear fusion rifles work, Phalanx shields may get in the way. Remember to use your Supers to deal damage for easy progress!
Second Encounter - Access the Transit Mechanism
Starcrossed introduces another spark mechanic before the second encounter, where an orange-colored spark gives a Dam’s Gift buff. Here, make your way through the orange aura jumping puzzle within the time limit. Similar to the poison or underwater areas in Destiny 2, the orange aura slowly cuts down your health, but Dam’s Gift protects you for 45 seconds.
Once at the Roost area, another Dam’s Gift spark sits at the center. With the buff, go through the left, middle, or right orange aura rooms. Add-clear and boss DPS are important in this part since you’ll need to defeat Gatekeeper Wyvern bosses while shooting down hordes of minor enemies. Utilize rocket launchers, grenades, and hard-hitting Supers to damage the boss quickly, but the Well of Radiance helps keep you safe, too.
- Right: The entire combat phase requires the Dam’s Gift buff. Defeat the Gatekeeper Wyvern boss, then go to the Vex node on the rock with a red glowing diamond above it and imbue it with paracausal energy.
- Left: Grab the Dam’s Gift and defeat the Minotaurs and enemies that get in the way. The left room is linear and may require you to go in and out of the orange aura areas. Once the Wyvern is down, imbue the Vex node with the red diamond above it — which comes just after you cross the orange aura area.
- Middle: The middle room doesn’t require the Dam’s Gift for combat, but you’ll need it to get to the Wyvern. Be careful since enemies may surround you in the small room while the Wyvern shoots down from the platform in front. The giant rock by the entrance provides cover when damaging the Wyvern, and once it’s defeated, imbue the Vex node on the platform.
Once you clear all three rooms, defeat the minor enemies, Malignant Wyverns, and the giant Ixion, Covetous Mind Minotaur boss. Rocket launchers, grenades, ranged Supers, and linear fusion rifles are great options for taking down Ixion. Next, go through the portal behind Ixion to traverse the garden — which means it’s time for another platforming puzzle.
Be wary of the platforms along the wall that try to push you off and rocks that try to block off the path. The area is a bit tricky to navigate, but look for openings in walls and head through there. When approaching the third encounter, you’ll be bombarded with Taken enemies, and the Arc-shielded Taken Centurions are bothersome.
Third Encounter - Deactivate the Barrier
On the left side of the platform, there is another locked door with Wish Wall symbols above it.
You’ll need to use the mechanics of both the first and second encounters to get to the boss fight. Using the Sire’s Obligation buff in front of the locked door, check which symbol you need to tackle first. Then, use the Dam’s Gift, from where the Taken enemies spawn, to enter the orange aura rooms. Grabbing both buffs awards you the Crowned by Dragons buff for 45 seconds.
There are visual clues that help you differentiate both buffs besides color:
- Sire's Obligation: It has floating flower petals and rocks surrounding the spark pool.
- Dam's Gift: It has dark spots floating and the base of the spark pool is covered in poppy-like flowers.
The Obdurate Phalanx bosses sit in the left and right rooms, but one is out in the open by the Dam’s Gift spark. Deactivate the barrier by defeating all three bosses to trigger a Rally Flag zone for the final boss fight.
Akardon, Pitiless Mind - Starcrossed Boss
By grabbing both the Dam’s Gift and the Sire’s Obligation, get the Crowned by Dragons buff to enter the boss room and damage Akardon, Pitiless Mind Hydra. Supers you can shoot from a distance — like a Nova Bomb or Golden Gun — work well against the boss, and rocket launchers and linear fusion rifles are great options since you don’t need to get up close. (Anti-Barrier weapons and abilities work against Hydra's rotating shields, but that may or may not work here, but you can try!) The boss room spawns several enemies and throws little Vex bugs to detain you too.
You can refresh your buffs from inside the room — the Sire’s Obligation is on the left, and Dam’s Gift is on the right side — but you’ll need to defeat the yellow-bar Pitiless Attendants to access them comfortably. However, grabbing the buffs from the entrance helps you regain your footing and provides temporary cover.
Loot the chest after defeating Akardon to get your rewards and the new Wish-Keeper Exotic bow, and while you're here, stick around for some Riven lore.
