How to get Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2

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Exotic ciphers I was in the area Destiny 2 for several years, but Bungie has added some modern ways for players to operate and earn them Final shape expansion. Now what was once a resource used almost exclusively by modern players is highly desirable for the entire player base.

Including Destiny 2 guide, we will show you where you can get exotic ciphers Destiny 2and what you should spend it on if you’re a modern Destiny player or veteran.

How to get Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2

Photo: Bungie via Polygon

Exotic ciphers are a confined currency Destiny 2meaning that they are not a resource that can be farmed indefinitely and that you can only obtain a certain number of them each season. However, there are still plenty of ways to earn Ciphers each week if you need a few of them to catch up with the Monument to the Lost Lights or simply have a lot of armor to upgrade.

Here’s a quick look at all the sources of exotic ciphers, which we’ll discuss in more detail below:

  • Free track and paid track with Season Pass
  • Rahool and Xur’s Reputation Path
  • Weekly repeatable mission “Xenology”.
  • Random offers and seasonal promotions

First, let’s talk about passive ways to obtain exotic ciphers. Season Pass contains a certain number of exotic ciphers in each season or episode (for example, Episode: Revenant has three in 200 levels, with two on the free track and one on the premium track). As you play through the season and complete challenges, you’ll level up in the Season Pass and eventually gain access to these exotic ciphers.

There are also two different reputation paths that regularly offer exotic ciphers: Master Rahool AND Free. By decoding Exotics with Rahool and spending Strange Coins with Xur, you can gain reputation and eventually earn a shiny modern Exotic Cipher.

Secondly, there is only one truly dynamic way to obtain exotic ciphers, and that is “Xenology” quest. Each week you can collect the Exotic Quest “Xenology” from Xur, which will ask you to complete 21 activities from the Vanguard/Exotic playlist or win PvP/Gambit matches. (More challenging activities or playing with clan members grants additional progress). You can complete one “Xenology” for each Xur visit to the tower (i.e. once a week per account), and you will receive one Exotic Cipher from it. It is a very ponderous grind if you actively do it you complete it, but it’s worth having “Xenology” with you at all times because you’ll inevitably complete it while doing other things in the game.

Finally, there are one-time or seasonal offers for exotic ciphers. This includes things like Rahool’s Stash offers that you can get by pre-ordering the expansion, and seasonal items like the Exotic Crypto Tonic in Episode: Revenant. While it’s always worth using them, you can never really rely on them because they’re not constantly available in the game.

What modern players can buy with exotic ciphers

A new player purchases an item from the Monument to the Lost Lights

Photo: Bungie via Polygon

If you are a modern player who has not collected all exotic weapon and armor pieces, all of your exotic ciphers will likely go to Master Rahool or Monument to the Lost Lightsboth are located in the Tower.

If you’re looking for an exotic weapon you don’t have – which is usually more captivating and worth getting than armor – take your exotic ciphers, a huge amount of Glimmer (100,000 to 125,000), and the occasional Monument Ascension Shard to the Lost Lights, which is located nearby Crypt. Here you will be able to exchange your currencies for any Exotic weapon that comes from a discontinued item of content and is no longer available to obtain through conventional means. This includes exotics from the aged Season Pass and exotics whose missions have expired. You can even collect exotics from aged raids that are no longer in the game, although you’ll need a whopping 240 Loot of Conquest in addition to your exotic cipher to get them.

Once you’ve collected all the weapons you’re most interested in (or if you need an exotic armor piece to make a nippy set), take your exotic ciphers to Master Rahool. Once you reach full level and prestige once per season, you will be able to focus any exotic armor piece in the game using an exotic engram and an exotic cipher. This is the only way to obtain modern exotic armor pieces each season, and a great way to expand your collection as your arsenal grows.

What veterans can buy with exotic ciphers

The Guardian upgrades his Exotic armor in Destiny 2

Photo: Bungie via Polygon

Once you have all retired exotic weapons and all exotic armor pieces in play, you will have two uses for your exotic ciphers, both of which were added in 2024 Final shape expansion.

First, you should have three Exotic Ciphers for the next season or expansion. Each modern content adds one exotic armor piece per class, with most expansions providing two per class for a total of six. If you’re getting close to modern loot and play all three classes regularly, it’s a good idea to hold onto your Exotic Ciphers until modern armor pieces drop so you can immediately upgrade Master Rahool, buy modern stuff, and start making nippy modern builds. Just remember to bring 5-10 Exotic Engrams with you for the modern content release, as they will be needed to both level up Rahool and focus modern armor pieces.

Secondly, you can spend your exotic ciphers to upgrade your exotic armor pieces Artificial exotic armor. This makes your exotic armor piece work the same as the Artifice armor piece you can get in Master Dungeons and allows you to put a free +3 stat mod on your exotic. This is invaluable when building a late-stage build, as very often it’s just three little stats away from the breakpoint. Just remember that exotic ciphers are very infrequent and this process cannot be undone, so make sure you only operate the Artifice Unlock slot on well-vetted exotic armor pieces that you operate frequently.

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