1. Always Celebrate Xursday

If you haven’t met up with Xur yet, you need to get with the times. He’s the exotic weapons merchant who peddles his rare swag in the Tower early Friday mornings. Make sure you’re ready to spend some serious strange.

2. Spawn With Your Pals

Fireteams that coordinate their efforts stand a much better chance of surviving in PVP. Unfortunately, the in-game matchmaking for Destiny is rudimentary. Join DestinyLFG.com to find the perfect group for your goals.

3. Don’t Hog the Heavy Ammo

When you’ve got a good group together, the last thing you want to do is hog the heavy ammo. If you get a drop, make sure to split up the goods with nearby allies. It’s a “rising tide carries all ships” sort of deal. Spread the wealth.

4. Pay Attention to Those Patches

Just when you thought auto rifles were the be-all and end-all, Bungie releases a patch that turns the world upside down. Pulse rifles got a giant buff, though, and they’re perfect for medium range. Grab a Red Death and get gunnin’.

5. Variety is the Spice of Life

It’s crucial to know the ranges of your weapons and make sure you’ve got a varied load-out to handle multiple combat scenarios. Ninety percent of the Crucible maps are small to medium ranged. Do the math and make sure you’re equipped appropriately.

6. You Are Not Invincible

Unless you have a grenade or super stocked up, you are not John Rambo. Don’t act like it. Look for solo enemies to pick off one at a time. Don’t be a hero unless it’s the end of a match and you need a Hail Mary pass to win. Play safe and play smart.

7. Give Your Radar Some Love

Your radar’s more useful than you'd imagine. Bright red means a player is on the same level as you, and dull red means they're at a different elevation. Likewise, players can spot you on radar too, so crouch if you need to reduce your visibility.

8. Snipe Like You Know What You’re Doing

Sniping can be tough because few maps have long ranges, sometimes putting you at a disadvantage. If you do choose to snipe, quickly flick your scope off and on when lining up shots so you can keep your eyes open for an ambush.

9. I’m Super, Thanks for Asking

When an enemy warlock or hunter first launches their super, they’ll be vulnerable for a small frame of time. This is when you load into them with as much firepower you can, and then quickly get the hell out of dodge.

10. May Lord Saladin Grant You Patience

It's hard to remember when you're thirsty to rack up kills, but patience is often wise. If you're outgunned and don't have the high ground, drop back to cover for a few seconds and choose your perfect moment to attack.

11. Teach Yourself When to Slide

Don’t forget to slide while sprinting! When you slither around like a snake to rush an opponent, you minimize your exposure, making your body harder to hit. Plus, it’s stylish as hell. Experiment by mixing it into your close-quarter firefights.

12. Don’t Sweat the Headshots

Of course it's always satisfying to rack up some headshot multipliers, but don't underestimate a handful of well placed torso shots. They're way easier to land, and they'll add up to a kill quicker than you think.

13. Max Your Stats Wisely

Armor won't help a whole lot in PVP, so depending on your play style, focus on maxing recovery and agility instead. You can survive a shot and find cover quickly this way.

14. Get a Little Bit Closer With the Shotgun

The great weapons patch of 2015 leaves another victim in its wake. The shotgun’s range got nerfed, so get in the habit of closing in more than you’re used to with that sick secret handshake.