Destiny 2 Ghosts of the Deep guide: Ecthar, the Shield of Savathun boss encounter

Destiny 2 Ghosts of the Deep boss (Image via Bungie)

Destiny 2 Ghosts of the Deep has been out for quite some time now, as players have been grinding the activity for all sorts of achievements. There are two bosses in the entire Dungeon, and each follows a specific pattern regarding their mechanics.

The following article lists everything you should know regarding the second significant encounter in the Ghosts of the Deep. Everyone participating in this encounter should get accustomed to the callouts of the Hive runes and include add-clearing weapons and abilities within their arsenal.

It should also be noted that this particular encounter comes after a long jumping puzzle involving the seasonal mechanics of collecting bubbles and replenishing the pressure bar.

How to defeat Ecthar, Shield of the boss in Destiny 2 Ghosts of the Deep

1) Overview of the challenge

The primary objective of the challenge requires everyone to defeat a few enemies and collect Hive runes underwater by matching the ones in the main arena. However, a few pre-requisite steps and killings need to be followed to get the encounter going.

The main arena of the boss fight (Image via Destiny 2)

The following steps need to be followed to complete the second encounter of Ghosts of the Deep:

Start the encounter and defeat three Blistered Knights.
An Ogre called "Keeper of the Deep" will spawn upon killing the knights.
Interact with the Deepsight orb in the middle of the room after killing the Ogre.
Look for three glowing Hive symbols in the central boss arena.
Dive into the water and interact with the matching Hive symbols.
Defeat Hive Guardian Wizards and earn the Vestige of Light.
Deposit this buff onto the three statues on the main arena's backside.
Defeat the Wellkeeper Knight to spawn in a small green circle.
Damage the boss by standing on this small green circle.
Repeat the entire process until the boss is dead.

While underwater, you must keep a few things in mind, from collecting bubbles and avoiding hits from the boss. The following point will provide a more detailed explanation.

2) How to complete the encounter and defeat Ecthar

After starting the encounter, look for Blistered Knights and kill three of them to summon one Ogre called "Keeper of the Light." Use Grenade abilities or special weapons to apply burst damage on them and look for a message that reads "Drown in the Deep."

The one player assigned underwater should interact with a newly spawned Deepsight orb and reveal three Hive symbols within the arena. The image below should provide a clearer idea of what needs to be done.

Three Hive symbols in the main arena (Image via Destiny 2).

Now, your team's job is to dive deep and match the runes underwater. During this time, keep an eye out for your "Pressure Resistance" meter and collect bubbles to keep the bar full.

Once all three symbols have been interacted with, you will see a message saying, "The runes successfully align with a crackle."

Interacting with a matching symbol (Image via Destiny 2)

Please note that the game will instantly kill you if you interact with an underwater sign that doesn't match the ones in the main arena.

After interacting with a matching symbol, a Hive Guardian will spawn in the main arena. Defeat this Hive Guardian will grant a "Vestige of Light" buff that needs to be deposited in a statue, shown in the image below.

Depositing Vestige of Light buff (Image via Destiny 2)

After depositing three Vestige buffs in three statues, a Wellkeeper Knight will spawn at the starting point of the arena. Defeat the Knight and stand on the small green circle to damage the boss.

One-Two Punch Shotgun against the boss (Image via Esoterickk)

Repeat the entire process until the boss is dead. Do not forget to kill its Ghost or the boss will respawn. Since this is a close-range fight, two Swords alongside Tractor Cannon will be a good choice. Other weapons, such as Legend of Acrius or One-Two Punch Shotguns, can also work.