As the Guardian Games All-Stars competition returns to Destiny 2 in 2026, the spotlight once again falls on the often-overlooked currency of success: activity medals. While these medals are a constant feature, their importance skyrockets during the annual inter-class rivalry. Every single point earned in Strikes and Nightfalls becomes a crucial contribution, not just for personal progression through quests and bounties, but for the collective honor of one's chosen class. Among these valuable accolades, the Demolitions Expert medal stands out as a Vanguard-exclusive challenge that, while straightforward, is frequently missed by Guardians focused solely on speed. For those aiming to maximize their score and secure the best possible rewards from this year's Games, mastering this medal is a non-negotiable task.

The objective for the Demolitions Expert medal is deceptively simple: defeat three enemies with a single grenade while participating in a Vanguard Strike or Nightfall. The execution, however, hinges entirely on two critical factors: enemy density and grenade uptime. Success is most reliably found in playlist Strikes and lower-difficulty Nightfalls where groups of weaker combatants, like Thrall, Dregs, or Psions, are plentiful. The real challenge lies not in the aim, but in having a grenade ready when that perfect cluster of targets presents itself.

This is where build-crafting becomes paramount. A Guardian's ability to consistently earn Demolitions Expert medals is a direct reflection of their grenade energy regeneration rate. Thankfully, Destiny 2's sandbox in 2026 offers a vast arsenal of tools to turn any Guardian into an ordnance-dispensing machine.

⚡ Supercharged Subclass Strategies

While many subclasses can be optimized for grenade spam, certain elements and verbs have a natural advantage.

• Arc Subclasses: Traditionally excellent for this task. Using Storm or Pulse Grenades alongside Aspects that generate Ionic Traces provides a steady stream of ability energy. ⚠️ Critical Note: Kills caused by the Jolt status effect do not count toward the Demolitions Expert medal. The final blow must be from the initial grenade explosion or its immediate damage.

• Solar & Void Subclasses: With the right combination of Aspects and Fragments, these subclasses can achieve phenomenal grenade regeneration. Solar builds focusing on Scorch and Ignition, or Void builds leveraging Devour and Volatile Rounds, can create powerful feedback loops of destruction and energy return.

• Stasis & Strand: These subclasses offer unique crowd-control capabilities. Stasis grenades that freeze groups or Strand grenades that suspend and bunch up enemies can set up easy multi-kills for follow-up damage.

🛡️ Essential Exotic Armor for Grenadiers

Exotic armor pieces are the cornerstone of any dedicated grenade build. Here are some of the most effective options for each class in the current meta:

Class	Exotic Armor	Primary Effect for Grenades
Titan	Heart of Inmost Light	Using any ability empowers and drastically improves the regeneration speed of the other two abilities, creating a powerful ability rotation.
Warlock	Starfire Protocol	Fusion Grenades gain drastically enhanced regeneration when dealing weapon damage while standing in an Empowering Rift or Well of Radiance.
Hunter	Lucky Raspberry	Arcbolt Grenades chain to more targets. Damaging enemies with Jolt and collecting Ionic Traces can fully refund the grenade energy on a single throw.
Universal	Contraverse Hold (Warlock)	Provides damage resistance during Vortex Grenade throws and a high chance to refund grenade energy on hits.
Universal	Armamentarium (Titan)	Provides a second grenade charge, effectively doubling your opportunities.
Universal	Shinobu's Vow (Hunter)	Greatly improves Skip Grenade tracking and returns energy when they damage targets.

⚙️ Optimizing Your Mod Setup

To push your grenade build to its absolute limit, a synergistic mod configuration on your armor is essential. The modern mod system allows for powerful combinations that fuel constant ability usage. Key mods to incorporate include:

• Innervation (Leg Armor): Picking up an Orb of Power reduces your grenade cooldown. This is incredibly reliable with Orb-generating mods like Firepower or Heavy Handed.

• Bomber (Class Item): Using your class ability (Rift, Barricade, Dodge) grants a chunk of grenade energy. This encourages an aggressive, ability-synergistic playstyle.

• Explosive Finisher (Class Item): Performing a finisher consumes a portion of your Super energy but fully restores your grenade. Perfect for securing a grenade right before a major encounter.

• Grenade Kickstart (Arms Armor): When you expend all of your grenade energy, you get a portion of it refunded after a short delay. This works exceptionally well with builds that have multiple grenade charges.

• Firepower (Arms Armor): Defeating enemies with grenades has a chance to create an Orb of Power, feeding into mods like Innervation and fueling your entire team.

🎯 Practical Playstyle Tips for Guardian Games 2026

Equipping the right gear is only half the battle. Adapting your playstyle is crucial for farming Demolitions Expert medals efficiently.

1. Patience Over Pace: Resist the urge to speed-run. Hang back slightly in known enemy-dense areas (e.g., the opening of "The Disgraced," the hive ritual in "The Glassway," the fallen walker public event segment in "Fallen S.A.B.E.R.") and let enemies group up.

2. Target Selection: Focus on areas with unshielded, low-health enemies. A grenade thrown into a pack of Acolytes is more likely to secure the triple kill than one thrown at a single Major.

3. Synergize Your Kit: Don't just rely on grenades. Use abilities that gather or weaken enemies first. A Void Titan's Magnetic Grenade after a Sentinel Shield throw, a Warlock's Vortex Grenade following a Void buddy attack, or a Hunter's Skip Grenade after a melee can be devastating.

4. Communication in Nightfalls: In higher-level Nightfalls with matchmaking or a pre-made fireteam, a quick call-out can ensure your teammates don't wipe out your target cluster before your grenade lands.

In the high-stakes environment of the Guardian Games, where every point is contested, efficiency is key. By building for maximum grenade regeneration and adopting a tactical approach to enemy engagement, Guardians can transform the Demolitions Expert medal from a occasional bonus into a reliable score-generating machine. This not only accelerates individual reward tracks but provides a significant, consistent boost to your class's overall standing in the 2026 All-Stars competition. The path to victory is paved with well-placed explosions.