Ghosts of the Deep Dungeon Guide for Destiny 2 and Carry

Ghosts of the Deep is the three-player Destiny 2 dungeon set on Titan in Season of the Deep. To prepare, check the recommended power level, bring a flexible loadout and use voice chat. A self-play carry lets you play your own account while a Sherpa explains each encounter.

Last updated: November 4, 2026. Written by the Guardian Sherpa Team.

Quick answer: Ghosts of the Deep is a three-player Destiny 2 dungeon released on May 26, 2023 during Season of the Deep. It has three encounters built around Hive runes, Deepsight and Vestiges of Light, ending with Simmumah ur-Nokru, Lucent Necromancer. Clear rune calls and buff timing matter most. A Guardian Sherpa carry lets you play your own account while a guide explains each mechanic.

What is the Ghosts of the Deep dungeon?

Ghosts of the Deep launched on May 26, 2023 during Season of the Deep and is played on Titan, inside the sunken H.E.L.M. (Shacknews). It is built for a fireteam of up to three Guardians, and Shacknews notes it can also be played solo. Shacknews counts three encounters and three secret chests. The common thread is Hive ritual magic: you read a rune, collect a timed buff called a Vestige of Light from a Lightbearer, and spend it on the matching statue or body part.

Shacknews lists a recommended power of 1790 on Normal and 1840 on Master, with player power capped at 1820 for Master at the time of writing. Power numbers change with each season, so check the in-game Director for the current recommendation. We do not publish a fixed clear time because it depends heavily on the team.

How do you manage a Ghosts of the Deep dungeon run?

These are team-practice steps we recommend for any three-player dungeon, not game rules.

1. Before you queue: agree the three roles (caller and mechanic runner, add control, boss damage), who revives first and who holds Heavy ammo for bosses. Write them in party chat.
2. Set up comms: everyone on voice chat, one caller per encounter, and a rule that only the caller talks during mechanics.
3. Loadouts: bring a build you already know. Pack weapons for adds, bosses and long range, and check ammo types before each boss. Do not swap a build you have not practised just before a boss.
4. Finisher plan: decide who finishes each Lightbearer's Ghost, because only the player who destroys it receives the Vestige of Light buff, and say that name out loud before the kill.
5. Checkpoints and progress: confirm in-game how your team's progress is saved this week before leaving the dungeon. Do not assume you can leave mid-encounter and rejoin where you left off.
6. Pacing: take one encounter at a time. After each clear, loot, reload ammo, swap weapons and revisit the next encounter's roles before you move.
7. Running callouts: the caller states the phase, the next trigger and each person's job. Players confirm with one word. Silence means 'got it'; ask if unsure.
8. After a wipe: do not rush back. Spend 30 seconds naming what failed (timer, position, wrong symbol, dead runner), assign the fix to one person, and re-enter.
9. When to pause: after three failed attempts with the same mistake, take a break, reset roles or switch the caller. Fatigue causes most repeated wipes.
10. Leaving and rejoining: with only three players, one person leaving changes the whole plan. Finish the current encounter if you can and confirm in-game whether a replacement can join.

Ghosts of the Deep encounter guide

Ghosts of the Deep has three encounters, plus a traversal section between the first and second. The steps below follow Shacknews and Prima Games, with The Loadout and the Destiny Game Wiki used to cross-check names. Where the guides do not agree, we say "confirm in-game".

1. Hive Ritual Disrupted

Goal: Open the sealed door by imbuing the correct statue with a Vestige of Light.

1. Kill the two Hive by the door. This spawns a Soulfire Binder Ogre; kill it. A green goo trail appears and the message "The way forward is revealed" shows.
2. Follow the goo to the first Hive rune in the sky and memorize its symbol.
3. Kill the enemies at the rune, including Soulfire Binders. More goo appears; follow it to the second and third runes, which share the first rune's symbol.
4. At the third rune, kill the enemies and the Lightbearer, then destroy its Ghost. Only the player who finishes the Ghost receives the Vestige of Light buff, which Shacknews lists as 80 seconds.
5. A Veilweaver Wizard is revealed. Return to the door and kill it, then reveal the illusion to gain 20 seconds of Deepsight.
6. The buffed player imbues the statue that matches the rune symbol. Shacknews warns a wrong statue kills that player and resets progress.
7. Repeat the process. Shacknews counts four imbues to open the door; The Loadout describes three statues. The count may differ by guide, so confirm in-game.
8. When the door opens, collect the reward chest and continue.

After a wipe: Re-agree who takes the Vestige and who calls the symbol. Say the symbol out loud before anyone touches a statue.

2. Traversal section: the descent

Goal: Move down through the course to the next arena without falling out of the path.

1. After the first door, the dungeon moves into a descending jumping section (The Loadout describes it as working your way down through the course).
2. Shacknews places one secret chest near the "Reach the Wreckage" objective: enter the water and drop off a cliff, with the chest near the top entrance or near the bottom entrance after a Hive fight.
3. Move together, clear Hive in each pocket and take it slowly. Confirm the exact chest location in-game.

After a wipe: A fall usually costs time, not progress. Regroup at the last safe platform and agree who goes first.

3. Ecthar, the Shield of Savathun

Goal: Imbue three statues, break Ecthar's shield and damage him; repeat until he is down.

1. Kill the four praying Acolytes near the fountain. This spawns Ecthar, adds and three Blistered Knights.
2. Kill the Blistered Knights to spawn a Keeper of the Deep Ogre. Kill the Ogre; an illusion appears near the fountain. Reveal it for team-wide Deepsight (20 seconds per Shacknews).
3. Note the three lit Hive runes among the eight on the walls to the left and right.
4. At least one player dives through the smaller side holes. Ecthar follows divers, so the rest of the team handles adds. Touch the three matching underwater runes while managing Pressure Resistance, then return to the surface.
5. Lightbearer Wizards spawn in the main room. Kill each Wizard and its Ghost; the Ghost's killer gets the Vestige of Light.
6. Imbue one of the three statues (left stairs, right stairs or back-middle). Do this for three Wizards in total.
7. The last imbue spawns a Wellkeeper Knight in front of the fountain. Kill it, step into the pool it leaves and break Ecthar's shield.
8. Damage Ecthar. When he becomes immune, repeat the cycle until he dies, then destroy his Ghost (The Loadout).

After a wipe: Restate who dives, who clears adds and who takes each Vestige. Diving without a plan for the surface team is the usual cause.

4. Simmumah ur-Nokru, Lucent Necromancer

Goal: Reveal three runes, bring three Vestiges to the matching body parts, then damage her in the green wells.

1. Finish the Ghost near Simmumah to start. Reveal the illusion for Deepsight; a triangle of light joins three of Oryx's body parts, and the heart is always one of them (Shacknews, Prima Games).
2. Stand in the green zone at one body part and kill Vorlog, Risen in Heresy, landing the final hit inside the zone. Align the ring with the Taken symbol to reveal a Hive rune over that body part. Repeat for the other two. Shacknews says to finish the heart last; confirm in-game.
3. Shoot down Lucent Moths quickly as Simmumah sends them after the nearest player.
4. Enter one of the three water-filled caverns and kill the Lightbearer there (Knight, Acolyte or Wizard types are mentioned). Destroy its Ghost to gain a draining Vestige buff; if it runs out you die. Note the rune symbol in that room.
5. Return to the main chamber, reveal the illusion for Deepsight and imbue the body part matching your rune. All three players do this; the order does not matter.
6. Green wells appear at the body parts. Stand in a well to gain Piercing Light and break Simmumah's shield; do not fire rockets or use your Super before the shield is down.
7. Damage her. When the shield returns and Vorlog respawns, repeat the cycle and finish her Ghost each time or the fight resets (Prima Games).

After a wipe: Name the body-part-to-rune mapping again, and decide who goes to which cavern. Wrong body part imbues and expired Vestiges are the common causes.

Sources: Shacknews Ghosts of the Deep dungeon guide, Prima Games Simmumah ur-Nokru guide, The Loadout and the Destiny Game Wiki. Timers and mechanic names can change with updates; confirm in-game.

What roles and loadout work in Ghosts of the Deep?

A three-Guardian dungeon works best when every slot has a clear job before the first room. The chart below uses generic archetypes. No specific weapon or subclass is mandatory, and the best loadout is the one you already know how to play well.

Bring weapons for three jobs: adds, bosses and long-range threats. Shacknews notes Well of Radiance, Arc Resistance mods and a strong rocket or linear fusion option help for damage, but none of it is required. Keep Heavy ammo for the damage windows and make sure at least one Guardian can survive the water sections comfortably.

How do I prepare for Ghosts of the Deep?

• Update the game and check the recommended power level in the in-game Director.
• Bring weapons for adds, bosses and burst damage, and a build you know well.
• Use a headset so you can hear rune and Vestige callouts.
• Turn on two-factor sign-in for your account.
• Agree on three roles and a caller before you start.
• Pick a time window when you can play without interruption.

What are the most common Ghosts of the Deep mistakes?

• Imbuing the wrong statue or body part, which resets progress or kills the carrier.
• Letting the Vestige of Light timer run out while looking for the right spot.
• Diving underwater in the Ecthar fight with no plan for the surface team.
• Firing rockets or Supers at Simmumah before her shield is broken.
• Skipping the pre-fight briefing and trying to learn mechanics mid-wipe.
• Talking over each other, which hides the one callout that matters.
• Letting one player carry every mechanic, which makes a single death a team wipe.

What rewards does Ghosts of the Deep offer?

The dungeon's Exotic is The Navigator, a Strand Trace Rifle (The Loadout). Prima Games adds that collecting all 12 Memories of Darkness in the dungeon improves its drop chance, which we have not independently verified. Sources also list dungeon weapons and Taken King armor pieces dropping from the encounters. We did not confirm a title or seal name on the sources we checked, so we do not list one.

Drop tables, drop rates and rewards can change between seasons. Always confirm in game, and do not treat any drop as guaranteed on a given run.

How does a Ghosts of the Deep carry work?

A Guardian Sherpa carry is a guided self-play run. You stay signed in on your own account and play every encounter yourself, while an experienced Sherpa joins your fireteam, explains each mechanic and helps the team stay on track. We never ask for your password on self-play orders. See the Ghosts of the Deep dungeon carry for the options; it is listed from $25 for a full clear, and the flawless-goal option is $50.

1. Pick the run type on the product page and check out.
2. Open your private order page and confirm your platform, Bungie name and a time window.
3. You can cancel for a full refund until a Sherpa accepts your order.
4. A Sherpa accepts the order and sends a normal in-game fireteam invite at the agreed time.
5. You play the dungeon together on your own account, with each encounter explained.
6. After the run you have a 48-hour review window.

What is included, and what is not?

• Included: a guided, self-play run with an experienced Guardian, a private order page, encounter explanations and a 48-hour review window.
• Not included: account sharing or anyone else logging in to your account (Guardian Sherpa only sells self-play), cheats or exploits, guaranteed drops, guaranteed completion times or any promise of in-game results.

What is a flawless run?

A flawless run is one finished without a death. In Ghosts of the Deep, a wrong imbue can kill the carrier, so the flawless goal depends on clean rune calls. We play toward that goal but cannot guarantee in-game results.

Is a carry safe for my account?

Self-play carries less risk than services that log in for you, but no provider can promise zero risk. Read our account safety page.

More dungeon guides

• Dungeon carry guide
• Shattered Throne
• Pit of Heresy
• Prophecy
• Grasp of Avarice
• Duality
• Spire of the Watcher
• Warlord's Ruin
• Vesper's Host
• Sundered Doctrine
• Equilibrium (dungeon carry)

New to carries? Read how a self-play carry works and see the FAQ.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Ghosts of the Deep dungeon carry cost?

A Ghosts of the Deep self-play carry is $25 for a full clear and $50 for a flawless-goal run (no deaths) at Guardian Sherpa. Prices are shown before checkout and there are no hidden fees. See the Ghosts of the Deep carry page for the current price.

How long does a Ghosts of the Deep run take?

Time varies with the team, how many encounters are new to you and whether you choose the flawless goal. Your Sherpa gives an estimate on your order page before the run starts and explains each encounter as you go, which adds a little time but saves wipes.

What power level do I need for Ghosts of the Deep?

Check the recommended power shown in the in-game Director for Ghosts of the Deep and bring a character at or near it. Recommendations change by season. Your Sherpa checks your character before the run and can suggest a quick power catch-up if you are under the recommendation.

Do I have to share my Destiny 2 login?

For self-play orders, no. You stay signed in on your own account and you stay signed in on your own account and join our fireteam through a normal in-game invite. On self-play orders we never ask for your password, your email login or your platform credentials. Piloted orders need secure account access, shared only after payment through your private order page. Read the account safety page for the full policy.

Can I cancel my order for a refund?

Yes, up to the moment a Sherpa accepts your order. Until then you can cancel from your order page for a full refund to the original payment method. After a Sherpa accepts, the customer-side cancel option closes, but our team can still cancel, refund or reschedule if something goes wrong. See the refund policy.

How do I book and what happens next?

Pick the run type on the product page and check out. You get a private order page where you confirm your platform, Bungie name and a time window. A Sherpa accepts the order, you receive a fireteam invite at the agreed time, and you play the activity together. Afterwards you have a 48-hour review window. The step-by-step guide covers each stage.

Is Ghosts of the Deep good for first-time dungeon players?

It has only three encounters, but each depends on reading runes and passing timed Vestiges of Light to the right place. A Sherpa can explain the rune and statue mechanics before you reach each room, so a first run is more about learning roles than guessing. We cannot guarantee a clear, but guided teams usually avoid the common wrong-imbue mistakes.