Introduced in Seasons of Arrivals, Exotic Ciphers are a rare currency type that allows players to purchase Exotics from previous years in Destiny 2's lifespan. They can also be used to purchase an additional Fated Engram from Xur every week.
Calling Exotic Ciphers important would be an understatement. Newer Guardians will spend these Ciphers as often as possible to stock up on Exotic weapons. Unfortunately, you can only carry one at a time, so be sure to spend these Ciphers when you obtain one. Let's go over every way that you can earn Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2: The Witch Queen.
Updated May 24th, 2022, by Charles Burgar: Exotic Ciphers haven't seen many changes since they were first introduced, yet new Exotics get added to the Exotic Kiosk each season. Forsaken Ciphers were also introduced near the end of Year 4, giving players another method of earning Forsaken Exotics. We've updated this guide to include information on how Forsaken Ciphers work, and we've refreshed our Exotic recommendations.
How To Obtain Exotic Ciphers
There are currently three methods for earning Exotic Ciphers: reach level 55 in the Season Pass, complete a quest from Xur, or purchase the Forsaken Pack DLC. The Forsaken Pack grants a unique type of Exotic Cipher we'll talk about in a minute. The other two sources grant standard Exotic Ciphers.
Season Pass
Reaching rank 55 in the free track of the Season Pass will grant one Exotic Cipher. Players do not need to purchase the current season to obtain this Exotic Cipher; reaching level 55 is the only requirement.
Since this is the only Exotic Cipher in the Season Pass, it is best to save this until you need it. You can only hold one Exotic Cipher at a time, but leaving this in your Season Pass effectively gives a second Exotic Cipher that can be claimed at any time. Claiming it while you have an Exotic Cipher in your inventory will waste the Season Pass reward, voiding all progress made.
To level quickly, focus on completing bounties and weekly challenges on the Director. Equip a Ghost Shell with an XP boost mod to speed up the process.
Xur
Xur will have one quest every week named "Xenology." This quest tasks you with playing ritual activities in Destiny 2—Vanguard Ops, Crucible, and Gambit. Complete the quest to earn one Exotic Cipher. You may only complete this quest once per week.
Forsaken Ciphers
Purchasing the Forsaken Pack DLC for Destiny 2 will grant three Forsaken Ciphers. These Ciphers differ in that you can only use them on Exotics from the Forsaken expansion (labeled as "Year 2" in the Exotic Kiosk). Raid Exotics from that expansion will still require Spoils of Conquest. Once purchased, head to the Exotic Kiosk at the Tower to claim your Ciphers.
Should you own all Exotics from Forsaken, you can also convert these three Ciphers into Ascendant Shards at the Exotic Kiosk. You can purchase the following Exotics with this special Cipher type:
Anarchy, Tarrabah, and Always on Time require 240 Spoils of Conquest to purchase, even if you own a Forsaken Cipher.
- Ace of Spades
- The Last Word
- Le Monarque
- Jotunn
- Izanagi's Burden
- Thorn
- Lumina
- Truth
- Bad Juju
- Anarchy
- Tarrabah
- Always on Time
Xenology Quest
Xur's Exotic Cipher quest, Xenology, only has one objective you need to complete:
- A Question: Complete strikes or win matches in Crucible or Gambit. Extra progress is awarded for more challenging activities and for succeeding with clanmates.
A Question
This objective requires 21 strike completions, Crucible wins, or Gambit wins. Playing with clanmates or completing tougher activities (Trials of Osiris or Nightfalls) will grant additional progress.
Completing 21 games is quite the task, so here are a few tips to get this done quickly:
- Join a clan: Playing with clanmates will significantly speed up this quest. If you aren't already part of a clan, consider joining one.
- Play rotating PvP playlists: Rotating PvP playlists include Mayhem, Team Scorched, and Momentum Control. These matches go by quickly and are low-stakes, perfect for this quest.
- Take breaks: You don't have to get this quest done in a day like normal bounties. You have until Tuesday reset to finish the quest, so feel free to take breaks and continue the farm on another day.
An Answer
When you've completed the quest objective, speak to Xur to obtain your Exotic Cipher. Be sure you don't have an Exotic Cipher in your inventory. If you do, the quest won't grant an Exotic Cipher. Once you turn in the quest, swing by the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower to grab an Exotic you don't currently own.
What To Spend Exotic Ciphers On
Exotic Ciphers are hard to earn and can't be held in vast quantities. As a result, you'll want to spend them carefully whenever you get your hands on one. There are two ways to spend your Ciphers:
- Exotics from the Exotic Kiosk.
- Fated Engrams from Xur.
You can purchase one Fated Engram from Xur for some Legendary Shards, but you'll need an Exotic Cipher to purchase a second one. You can only do this once per week.
As for the Kiosk, there are quite a few Exotics to choose from. We'll give our recommendations for which Exotics are worth getting immediately:
- Arbalest: Mandatory if you're jumping into Destiny 2's endgame. Breaks Barrier Champion shields and all elemental shield types.
- Ace of Spades: Arguably the best Exotic Hand Cannon in Destiny 2. Excellent in PvE and PvP.
- Witherhoard: Works as good area-denial in PvP and passive DPS in PvE.
- Leviathan's Breath: Counters Unstoppable Champions and deals excellent damage against Champions.
- The Chaperone: A must for PvP. Features excellent range and is easy to use.
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