Honestly, if you’re still trying to brute force your way through Rhulk’s old Pyramid ship without a plan, you’re just asking for a headache. The Sundered Doctrine guide isn't just about knowing where to stand; it’s about realizing that Bungie finally leaned into the "Riddle" aspect of the Dread. This dungeon, tucked away in Savathûn’s Throne World, is arguably one of the most mechanically dense pieces of content we’ve seen in years. It’s not just "kill the boss." It’s "solve the Sudoku puzzle while a Tormentor tries to eat your face."
You've probably seen people complaining about the beam puzzles. They're actually pretty simple once you stop overthinking them. Basically, you’re playing a game of connect-the-dots with Darkness energy.
Getting Into the Sundered Doctrine Dungeon
Before you even think about loot, you need to talk to Ikora in the Tower. She’ll give you the quest "The Drowning Labyrinth." If you don't have The Final Shape Dungeon Key, you’re out of luck. Most players miss the fact that you need to be at least 1995 Power to not get absolutely shredded.
Once you’re in, the vibes are immaculate. It’s all dark stone, Strand tethers, and that creepy resonant energy. You’ll be fighting the Dread and Hive, but the real enemy is the "Truthspeaker" mechanic.
The Riddle: First Encounter Breakdown
This is where most fireteams fall apart. You enter a room with three lenses in the center. Don't just start shooting things. Look at the back wall. You’ll see symbol slots.
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- Find the Truth: Hunt down the Truthspeaker Major Grim. When he dies, he reveals a symbol. That’s your target.
- Lenses are Life: Defeat Subjugators to get more lenses. You have to place these to bounce the darkness beam from the center to the room with the matching symbol.
- Don't Screw Up: If you connect to the wrong symbol, a Tormentor spawns. Nobody wants that.
By the third round, you're managing three beams at once. It gets chaotic. Fast.
Mastering the Zoetic Lockset and Kerrev
The second encounter, the Zoetic Lockset, introduces the "Knowledge" buff. You kill Hive Wizards, pick up Resonance Splinters, and get buffs called Heightened, Brimming, or Overflowing.
Each level of the buff moves a symbol on the wheels forward by a set amount of steps (1, 2, or 3). You’re trying to match the symbols on the door. If you have "Brimming Knowledge," interacting with the wheel moves it two spots. Simple math, but try doing it while Hive Ogres are screaming at you.
Then there’s Kerrev, the Erased. This boss is a jerk. He shows you two riddles. One is a Lie, and one is a Truth. You have to identify the Lie and direct the beams there. If you hit the "Truth" by mistake, the Obelisk basically nukes the room with fire and resets the boss's health.
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Pro Tip: If you see a lens that won't move, it's probably Strand-locked. Find the red-bar Scions, kill them for the "Unwritten Empowerment" buff, and shoot the tethers.
Sundered Doctrine Loot Table: The Stuff Worth Farming
We all know why you’re really here. The guns. The Sundered Doctrine guide wouldn't be complete without talking about the "Subjugation" origin trait. It’s actually kind of cracked—it gives you explosive rounds on red-bars and weakens (exhausts) bosses.
Unsworn (Strand Trace Rifle)
This thing is the MVP. It’s an Adaptive frame and it absolutely melts when paired with Warlock’s Cenotaph Mask.
- PvE God Roll: Shoot to Loot + Detonator Beam.
- Why it's good: The origin trait procs every four hits, sending out Strand explosions.
Unworthy (Arc Scout Rifle)
A 260 RPM rapid-fire frame. It feels like a legendary version of Symmetry but better.
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- PvE God Roll: Firefly + Voltshot.
- PvP God Roll: Keep Away + Zen Moment.
Unloved (Strand Hand Cannon)
The first Strand Heavy Burst (2-burst) hand cannon. It’s weird to use at first, but it hits like a truck.
- The Roll: Dragonfly + Frenzy. It’s an add-clearing monster for Prismatic builds.
Unvoiced (Void Shotgun)
A pinpoint slug shotgun. If you missed out on a good Heritage or Nessa’s Oblation, this is your new best friend.
- The Roll: Fourth Time’s the Charm + Bait and Switch.
The Big One: Finality’s Auger Exotic
The Exotic Solar Linear Fusion Rifle, Finality’s Auger, is the crown jewel. It doesn't just shoot; it deploys a Ruinscribe Turret. You fire the projectile into the air, and it sits there like a little automated guard dog, zapping anything that moves.
You can only farm this once per character per week. Unlike the legendary weapons, which you can farm until your fingers bleed, this one is gated. If you want the catalyst, you’ll need to complete the secret "Worm" quest within the dungeon, which involves finding nine hidden worms across the map.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Run
Stop using generic loadouts. For Sundered Doctrine, your build needs to be specific.
- Bring a Blinding Grenade Launcher: Crowd control is more important than raw DPS in the puzzle rooms.
- Hunters should run Celestial Nighthawk: You need to delete the Subjugators as soon as they spawn to get the lenses.
- Warlocks, use Well or Song of Flame: The final boss arena has very little cover. You will get roasted without a healing source.
- Check the Checkpoint: If you’re just farming for the Shotgun, only run the second encounter. You can save the checkpoint on an alt character to skip the opening riddle.
Don't ignore the Flain armor set either. It’s one of the few sets that actually looks like it belongs in the Pyramid, and the Artifice versions from Master difficulty provide that extra stat boost that makes GM Nightfalls a lot more tolerable. Start by grabbing the quest from Ikora and focusing on the first encounter until you get the hang of the beam physics.