Destiny 2 Key Art | Bungie

Greetings and salutations, my dear brewers, and welcome to the third article in the Beyond Universes Within series. Every month, I try to devise a deck based on a popular franchise – video games, cinema, literature, you name it – while using, as best as I can, only cards from Universes Within sets.

This iteration, featuring Destiny, is rather special, for a few reasons.

Truth be told, the idea for the theme is not mine. It's a direct query from my Editor-in-Chief, the one and only Nick Wolf. He specifically requested I do something on this universe. And quite frankly, I was somewhat doubtful about it at first. So I started digging.

What I found is a massive story, which spans across eons, and of which the smallest compendium I could find is 221 pages long, excusez du peu.

The lore is so vast, in fact, that I was forced to split this in two parts. The first will focus on the Wanderer, the Guardians, and the "good guys". The second will be on the Witness, and the main antagonists. In a way, this isn't unlike what we used to have with Duel Decks, back in the day.

Before going any further, a small disclaimer. Prior to diving in, I had no knowledge whatsoever of the Destiny-verse. This is the fruit of long hours of research and reading. However, I may very well have missed some critical items. If so, please don't hesitate to correct me or add suggestions in the comments.

Also, I'm going to assume you have no prior knowledge of the game and its lore, and I'll try to explain each and every choice. Don't worry, I'll do my best to keep it succinct and to the point!

Finally, this is, for all intents and purposes, supposed to be a Bracket 1 deck. Choices have been made to privilege theme over efficiency.

With this, let's go meet The Traveler.

The Traveler, the Light, and the Ghosts

The Traveler is at the heart of the entire story. First contact with this massive sphere in the sky was made on Mars, and changed the lives of the solar system inhabitants forever, sparking a new Golden Age for humanity.

The Traveler is not exactly a force of good, but it is nonetheless what allowed humanity to survive and thrive for an extended period of time. When the Golden Age ended, following an invasion from the forces of the Witness, beyond the solar system, humanity entered a Dark AgeDark Age. The Traveler sacrificed itselfsacrificed itself and created the Ghostscreated the Ghosts, which in turn sought to find the right humans to revivehumans to revive, again and again, to repel the onslaught. This, of course, is a very succinct summary of the events in the game.

I felt like Pramikon, Sky RampartPramikon, Sky Rampart, would make for a good representation of this massive force in the skies. It itself does not partake in combat, but is nevertheless helping its flock survive.

According to the Destinypedia website, "Ghosts are small, sapient machines created by the Traveler shortly after the Collapse. Their sole purpose is to locate and resurrect deceased individuals capable of wielding the Light as Guardians, and to support their Guardian charge in combat."

I chose Spectral ProcessionSpectral Procession and Martyr's CauseMartyr's Cause to illustrate their creation, as well as several cards with Ghost in their name. I really liked the idea of a creature leaving and returning to the battlefield as a metaphor of Ghosts continually resurrecting the Guardians.

And while not in the right colors and therefore not included, Emerald CharmEmerald Charm's art bears a great resemblance to the actual Ghosts.

Light is a concept that's absolutely central in Destiny's lore. It is directly tied to The Traveler, encourages the emergence of new life forms, and is opposed to the Darkness.

I really wanted to make this a key concept in the deck, so I chose no less than seven cards to represent the might of Light. Light of DayLight of Day I found to be particularly on theme, as well as Light from WithinLight from Within, which showcases the strength provided to Guardians. Speaking of which...

Guardians, Classes, and Key Characters

The Guardians are what players embody when playing Destiny. They have been chosen by Ghosts to continue the fight against the various forces that, for some reason, tend to believe in eradication (more on that in the next article).

To highlight their role, I chose two cards:

• Bronze GuardianBronze Guardian: scales with the number of artifacts you control, much like the players scale up with more powerful weaponry. And provides protection.
• Guardian of FaithGuardian of Faith: Destiny is not a religious apology per se, yet the struggle between the forces of Light and Darkness is rather reminiscent of the biblical battles between good and evil. And it's a great card altogether.

When you start playing the game, you get to choose your class among three. Titan, Hunter, and Warlock. I chose the following to illustrate these:

• Sun TitanSun Titan: It's big, it hits hard, it looks like a mighty warrior, it has Titan in its name.
• Invisible StalkerInvisible Stalker: Hunters are explorers and scouts, always on the lookout, often unseen.
• Archmage of RunesArchmage of Runes: A Warlock is not a Wizard. But it's a scholar, and a force to be reckoned with.

I could not make a deck about Destiny without including some of its most prominent figureheads. I have restricted myself to nine, although I probably could have easily doubled that:

• There were a lot of choices for Commander Zavala. There's no lack of martial figures in Boros, from Agrus Kos to Tajic. In the end, I chose Jor Kadeen, the PrevailerJor Kadeen, the Prevailer, to highlight both his leadership skills and his will to save humanity.
• The process for Ikora Rey was very similar. I initially thought of Adriana, Captain of the GuardAdriana, Captain of the Guard. After careful consideration, I opted for Danitha, Benalia's HopeDanitha, Benalia's Hope, as Ikora is indeed a bearer of hope above all else.
• The choice for Cayde-6 was trickier. This is a beloved character with a tragic story that I wished to highlight (more on that later). He's a trickster, a joker, and a risk-it-all. I felt like Stella Lee, Wild CardStella Lee, Wild Card, fit the bill rather well. For the same reason, I decided to include Huddle UpHuddle Up, as the flavor text is a nice illustration of his behavior, a trait true for most Hunters as well.
• Osiris proved rather tricky as well. This Warlock has extensive knowledge of arcana, time manipulation, and forbidden knowledge. I initially thought of Teferi, Time RavelerTeferi, Time Raveler, but decided instead to go with Ith, High Arcanist. He's a man of the shadows, a dark eminence of sorts.

• Mara Sov on the other hand was rather immediate. I found there was a striking likeness to Nahiri, the HarbingerNahiri, the Harbinger and so I chose her with no further ponderings.
• Crow/Uldren Sov proved difficult. He's a symbol of both crime and repentance, and ultimately redemption. I don't think a single legendary creature embodies what he did and what he is adequately, so instead I went with Enduring RenewalEnduring Renewal, which also represents rather nicely the life and death cycle in the game.
• I could not choose anything else for Saint-14 than good old Sad Robotgood old Sad Robot. This is a tragic and deeply human figure, despite its artificial nature.
• For Elsie Bray, I went with Eruth, Tormented ProphetEruth, Tormented Prophet. Elsie comes from an alternate future where Darkness has prevailed, and bears grim tidings of other timelines.
• There was no perfect correspondence for Empress Caiatl, so I chose Rhox PikemasterRhox Pikemaster, to represent her disciplined armies. Not a perfect match, I know.
• I could not forget Mithrax, Kell of Light, the founder of the all-important House of Light. As he is above all else a skilled negotiator, I chose Mangara, the DiplomatMangara, the Diplomat to represent him.
• I went with Brudiclad, Telchor EngineerBrudiclad, Telchor Engineer, to illustrate the relentless cyber-organic march of the Vex. I also added Exotic OrchardExotic Orchard to illustrate the Black Garden, a place shaped by the Vex but made to imitate a living organism. This is a place of foreign and terrifying beauty, where the boundaries between artificial and organic become blurred.
• Finally, I ended on Meloku the Clouded MirrorMeloku the Clouded Mirror to represent the Awoken.

Spectacular Locations

Destiny is known for the many critical places the game takes the players to:

• The Last City: This is the final bastion of Humanity on Earth, built under the shadow of the Traveler. For this, I felt like Capital CityCapital City was appropriate. I know, this is Universes Beyond, but it's not really identifiable, and therefore acceptable. This is the only exception to the rule.
• House of Light: This is a rallying point for Mithrax and the Eliksni who joined the Light. I went with Arcane LighthouseArcane Lighthouse for this, with the idea of a beacon in the dark. I also played Temple of EnlightenmentTemple of Enlightenment, to show the acceptance of a new way.
• The Tower: How could this be anything else than Command TowerCommand Tower?
• European Dead Zone: A region on Earth, filled with ruins dating back to the Golden Age. Ghost TownGhost Town felt adequate.
• Moon: Another place littered with remnants of the Golden Age. I went with Imprisoned in the MoonImprisoned in the Moon, Wintermoon MesaWintermoon Mesa, and Moonlit MeditationMoonlit Meditation.
• Neomuna: An advanced city on Neptune, founded shortly after the Collapse. The city is protected by warriors known as Cloud Striders, and so I felt like choosing Otawara, Soaring CityOtawara, Soaring City was appropriate.
• Dreaming City: A place almost out of time, tied to the Awoken and a temporal loop. This felt like the perfect place to add Teferi's IsleTeferi's Isle.
• The Pale Heart: An internal manifestation of the Traveler, shaped by perceptions and memories, and the final chapter of the story. Adagia, Windswept BastionAdagia, Windswept Bastion and Uthros, Titanic GodcoreUthros, Titanic Godcore felt like good choices here. I also chose Part the VeilPart the Veil to symbolize its opening.

Cayde's Death

For many players, this has been a major milestone in the story. Cayde-6 was a beloved character, and his death left an emptiness inside many.

Since this was one of the major highlights, I decided it deserved its own category.

First, I chose the DisenchantDisenchant from M20 to showcase the destruction of Sundance, Cayde's Ghost, thus preventing any further resurrection.

Then I went with One Last JobOne Last Job to highlight Cayde's final mission, prior to his assassination.

His death I represented with Last BreathLast Breath, as a reminder that there was no coming back from this demise.

Finally, Cathars' CrusadeCathars' Crusade was retained to show the impact this event had on the players.

This was a traumatic revelation for many, and I thought it had to be dealt with accordingly.

Miscellaneous Concepts

Finally, let's address a few secondary aspects that, while important, didn't deserve a paragraph on their own:

• Destiny is known for its plethora of weapons of all kinds. To illustrate this, I chose three Equipment cards: EmbercleaveEmbercleave, Ghostfire BladeGhostfire Blade, and Sword of Light and ShadowSword of Light and Shadow. Powerful outlets, that remind us of the key struggle in that universe.
• Vehicles also play a large role. I went with BoommobileBoommobile to represent Sparrows, and The SeriemaThe Seriema for Jumpships, used to travel the Solar System.
• As mentioned previously, resurrection is at the heart of both the gameplay and the lore. I chose Angelic RenewalAngelic Renewal, Defy DeathDefy Death, ResurrectionResurrection, and Return to the RanksReturn to the Ranks to highlight the importance of the concept.
• I could have chosen StasisStasis to illustrate this very concept. But it would have been inadequate gameplay-wise as well as lore-wise. I instead chose Emeritus of TruceEmeritus of Truce. Stasis is a usage of Darkness by the Guardians. It's a philosophical turnover. The word Truce here is paramount, as it evokes a coexistence with something previously antagonized.
• In Destiny, Prismatic refers to a fusion between Light and Dark. This is somewhat shown already by Sword of Light and ShadowSword of Light and Shadow, but I also added Prismatic StrandsPrismatic Strands.
• Finally, I wanted to highlight the game's three types of elemental damage: Solar BlazeSolar Blaze for Solar, Into the VoidInto the Void for Void, and Arc LightningArc Lightning for Arc.

All this leads to:

The Deck List

Conclusion

I'll be honest. This has been an ordeal. But I also took a lot of pleasure in finding out about this incredibly rich universe, and trying to put together something both cohesive and understandable.

Now I'm looking at you, Destiny fans. Did this deck fulfill its purpose? Is there something I blatantly forgot to add? Cards that just don't feel right?

Let me know in the comments below, and I'll see you in a month for Part 2 — The Witness.