Does Light Level Matter in Nightfall Strikes?

In short, yes – your light level is crucial in Destiny 2‘s pinnacle Nightfall activity. But how much it matters depends on the difficulty tier – from negligible on Adept to essential for Grandmasters.

unpacking Power Level Differences

Let‘s start by breaking down exactly what light level gets you in Nightfalls. Power determines the damage you deal and take via these formulas:

Damage Dealt = Base Damage x (Power Delta / 100) 

Damage Taken = Base Damage x (100 / (100 + Power Delta))

So at 100 levels above an enemy, you deal double damage and take half. Below I‘ve calculated deltas for each Nightfall tier:

You can see the player advantage is fixed at 10 for all standard difficulties. Grandmasters impose a 25 under-light to ensure peak challenge.

When Does Light Level Start to Matter?

Thanks to the narrow band, you can get away with being ~15 levels under before noticing a difficulty spike. But by 25+, enemies feel much spongier and deadly.

This is why Grandmasters shake up the formula – they put the pressure on your team‘s collective light optimization from the very start.

But for all other Nightfall tiers, you can dip as low as 15-25 under before risking failure. Having the right elements and champion mods matters much more.

Nuances Around Power Caps

An additional factor is the seasonal Power cap. This limits how high you can boost your gear through pinnacle sources.

So for example last season the cap was 1580. Going beyond that offered no advantages in Nightfalls or other Power-enabled activities.

Once the next expansion raises the cap, those small level bumps make a difference again. But infusion costs accumulate quickly!

Power Differences in Other Activities

For comparison, in raids and dungeons power matters much less thanks to contest/challenge modes. These fights are focused on mechanics over combat.

Legendary campaign missions impose a -15 penalty below the recommended light. But you can skillfully under-level content by 100+ power thanks to Destiny 2‘s dynamic scaling system!

The Risk vs. Reward of Higher Tiers

Pushing to higher Nightfall tiers boosts score multipliers, upgrade materials and chances for exclusive drops like Ascendant Shards or Exotics. But it also ramps up the challenge dramatically, especially with certain mission modifiers active each week.

Let‘s evaluate the harder path…

Pushing Past Hero

Once your reach the pinnacle cap, Hero Nightfalls offer minimal rewards for the effort. Stepping into Legend/Master territory brings the goodies, but has high failure risk without a coordinated team.

I‘d only recommend L/M for:

• Hunters using Omnioculus for team invisibility
• Titan Ursa Furiosa Banner Shield builds
• Warlocks alternating Well of Radiance and Chaos Reach

The Grandmaster Gauntlet

Grandmasters took over a year to introduce as Bungie iterated on the pinnacle PvE experience. When they arrived in Season 10, the community learned just how pivotal light level is in this ruthless arena.

While skill and strategy outweigh pure power, every little bit counts when enemies one-shot and team wipes revert all progress. Grandmasters teach you advanced lessons in positioning, target prioritization and safe ressing.

My key tips for tackling your first GM:

• Make multiple build loadouts to counter shields and champions
• Have 1 Ursa Banner Shield Titan at minimum
• Use blinding grenades and AoE suppression to control add waves
• Don‘t rush! Methodically clear each area before advancing
• Save heavy/supers for boss bursts

The time investment is massive, but that first completon feeling makes it all worthwhile. Just be ready to lean heavily on your fireteam!

So in summary – yes, light level affects Nightfall difficulty and damage values. But the formulas give some under-leveled leniency to build your Guardian up. Hope this guide helps you strategize your next Strike sortie! Let me know if you have any other questions!