by The universe of Destiny 2 is constantly changing and is filled with resources that can help the guardians. One of the resources that truly stands out is the versatile consumables, Tonics. This potent drink can enhance players’ abilities, boost their stats, and grant unique modifications to battle-challenging content. Tonics are very useful during raids, exploring hidden edges, or fighting in intense PvP matches.
While some Guardians turn to Trials carries in Destiny 2 to secure their place in the Lighthouse, mastering the use of Tonics can provide a significant advantage in both PvE and PvP scenarios. Knowing how to unlock their recipes and leverage their effects elevates your gameplay and empowers you to tackle challenges independently. Whether you’re a solo player aiming to conquer Grandmaster Nightfalls or a fireteam leader prepping for a Day One raid, Tonics offers flexibility that complements any play style.
What Are Destiny 2 Tonics?
Tonics are consumable items that grant temporary buffs, ranging from ability regeneration boosts to enhanced weapon performance. Their effects vary widely, making them adaptable tools for specific activities. Unlike armor mods or weapon perks, Tonics are situational and time-limited, requiring strategic activation to maximize their impact. Here are a few notable examples:
Tonic of Queensfoil:
Effect: Grants Ascendance, a 30-minute buff that reveals hidden platforms and pathways in the Dreaming City. Essential for accessing weekly Ascendant Challenges and secret chests.
Source: Dreaming City activities, Offering to the Oracle.
Revelry Tonics:
Effect: Seasonal buffs tied to the Revelry event, such as Tonic of Bravery weapon handling or Tonic of Dynamo class ability regeneration. These were notorious for enabling ability spam in PvP before being restricted.
Source: Earned during the annual spring Revelry event.
Tonic of Agastrophos:
Effect: Weakens Nightmare Hunt bosses on the Moon, reducing their damage output and increasing your fireteam’s damage against them.
Source: Purchased from the Lectern of Enchantment after completing Shadowkeep campaign missions.
Most Tonics last 15–30 minutes, and their effects cannot stack with similar buffs.Timing their use strategically is key to dominating encounters. For example, popping a grenade-boosting Tonic during a DPS phase in a raid can melt bosses, while saving a mobility Tonic for platforming sections prevents frustrating deaths.
How to Unlock Tonic Recipes
Unlocking Tonic recipes often involves completing specific activities, quests, or seasonal objectives. Below are the most common methods, broken down by Tonic type and location:
Tonic of Queensfoil Dreaming City
This Tonic is essential for accessing the Dreaming City’s secrets, including the weekly Ascendant Challenge and hidden lore collectibles. Here’s how to unlock and farm it:
Complete Dreaming City Activities
Participate in Blind Well events Tier III or higher to earn Tonic drops.
Farm Lost Sectors like Aphelion’s Rest or Chamber of Starlight chests here have a moderate drop rate.
Public events and patrols occasionally reward Queensfoil as a bonus.
Ascendant Challenges
Each week, a new Ascendant Challenge becomes available. Use an Ascendant Lens purchased from Petra Venj for 50 Baryon Bough to locate the portal.
Completing the challenge rewards a chest that often contains 1-2 Tonics.
Offer to the Oracle
Earn a Small Gift from the Oracle by completing Petra Venj’s weekly bounties.
Present the Gift at the Oracle Engine located in the Spine of Keres to permanently unlock the Tonic recipe.
Pro Tip: Stockpile Baryon Bough Dreaming City resource to purchase additional Ascendant Lenses for repeat challenges.
Revelry Tonics Seasonal Event
The Revelry event, which typically runs for three weeks in April or May, introduces festive Tonics with powerful sometimes chaotic effects. Here’s how to unlock them:
Visit Eva Levante
During the event, Eva Levante returns as the vendor in the Tower. Pick up her Revelry bounties, which reward Verdant Light and Revelric Essence.
Craft Tonics at the Revelry Workbench
Use Revelric Essence to craft Tonics at the workbench next to Eva. Recipes include:
Tonic of Bravery: Boosts weapon handling and stability.
Tonic of Dynamo: Speeds up class ability e.g., Hunter dodge, Titan barrier regeneration.
Tonic of Revelry: Increases all ability recharge rates.
Farm Verdant Light
Complete strikes, Gambit matches, or Crucible matches while wearing Revelry armor to earn Verdant Light, which upgrades your Revelric Essence capacity.
Note: Revelry Tonics are only available during the event. Stockpile them for future use, as they can’t be obtained afterward.
Moon Tonics Shadowkeep
Shadowkeep’s Nightmare Hunts on the Moon require Tonics like Agastrophos to weaken bosses. Here’s how to unlock them:
Complete the Shadowkeep Campaign
Finish the main storyline to unlock the Lectern of Enchantment, where Moon recipes are sold.
Farm Phantasmal Fragments
Earn Phantasmal Fragments by:
Completing Altars of Sorrow public events.
Opening chests in Sorrow’s Harbor.
Finishing Moon bounties from Eris Morn.
Purchase Recipes
At the Lectern, Phantasmal Fragments are exchanged for Tonic recipes. For example:
Tonic of Agastrophos: Costs 15 Phantasmal Fragments. Weakens Nightmare Hunt bosses like Phogoth or Zydron.
Pro Tip: Pair Agastrophos with mods like Oppressive Darkness void grenades weaken enemies for massive debuff stacking.
4. Other Sources
Seasonal Artifacts: Some seasons include Tonic recipes as rank-up rewards. For example, Season of the Haunted introduced a Solar-themed Tonic for Classy Restoration builds.
Vendor Bounties: Banshee-44, Zavala, and the Drifter occasionally offer bounties that reward Tonic recipes, especially during seasonal events.
Dungeons and Raids: Rare Tonics, like the Tonic of Mending grants health regeneration, can drop from secret chests in dungeons like Duality or raids like Vow of the Disciple.
How Do Tonics Work?
Once crafted, Tonics are simple to use but require strategic timing. Here’s a breakdown of their mechanics:
Activation:
Open your inventory and consume the Tonic like any other consumable e.g., Rainmaker or Matterglass Lens.
Effects begin immediately and cannot be paused.
Duration:
Most Tonics last 15–30 minutes check the tooltip. Queensfoil lasts 30 minutes, while Revelry Tonics lasts 15.
The timer pauses in orbit or social spaces but ticks down during activities.
Effects:
PvE:
Ascendant Challenges: Queensfoil reveals hidden platforms and Taken enemies.
Raids: Use Revelry Tonics for faster supers or Agastrophos to melt bosses.
Exploration: Some Tonics highlight loot chests or resources on the map.
PvP:
Tonics like Revelry’s grenade boosters are banned in Trials of Osiris and Iron Banner. Check activity rules before using them!
In casual Crucible, mobility Tonics can enhance strafe speed for dueling.
Restrictions:
It cannot stack with similar buffs e.g., two grenade Tonics cancel each other.
Zone-locked effects: Queensfoil only works in the Dreaming City.
Seasonal Tonics e.g., Revelry may expire after the event ends.
Advanced Tips for Using Tonics Effectively
To squeeze every drop of value from your Tonics, follow these pro strategies:
1. Match the Tonic to the Activity
Gambit: Use Revelry’s Tonic of Revelry for faster super regeneration during the Primeval phases.
Grandmaster Nightfalls: Activate Agastrophos to weaken Champions or barrier enemies.
Raids: Combine Queensfoil with Taken Armaments mods for heavy ammo farming in Last Wish.
2. Farm Materials Efficiently
Dreaming City:
Equip Ghost mods like Bountiful Harvest for extra Baryon Bough from patrols.
Use the Corsair Down quest to farm Lost Sector chests.
Moon:
Farm Altars of Sorrow with a fireteam for rapid Phantasmal Fragment drops.
Use the Nightmare Crusher mod to deal extra damage to Nightmares, speeding up clears.
3. Synergize with Builds
Pair Tonic of Dynamo class ability boost with:
Hunter: Gemini Jester dodge disorients enemies for constant crowd control.
Titan: Heart of Inmost Light empowered abilities for infinite grenades and barriers.
Warlock: Transversive Steps reload on sprint for aggressive playstyles.
4. Avoid PvP Pitfalls
Trials of Osiris: Tonics are disabled here. Focus on meta weapons and team coordination or seek Trials carries in Destiny 2 for a Lighthouse trip.
Iron Banner: Save Tonics for PvE; ability-boosting Tonics are banned.
Conclusion
Tonics are invaluable in Destiny 2, offering flexibility for overcoming challenging encounters or speeding up loot grinds. You’ll gain a leg up in solo and team play by unlocking their recipes through targeted activities and learning their mechanics. While Trials carries in Destiny 2 remain an option for PvP success, mastering Tonics ensures you’re prepared to tackle challenges head-on.
