Where to Take Your Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2
As a Destiny 2 expert and content creator with over 2000 hours played, Exotic Ciphers remain one of the most coveted—and confusing—currencies for Guardians new and old. Allow me to provide the definitive guide on acquiring Exotic Ciphers and, more importantly, how to put them to good use.
A Primer on Exotic Ciphers
For those unfamiliar, Exotic Ciphers are rare items that give you special access to powerful exotic weapons and armor. Specifically, they allow you to unlock exotic gear no longer obtainable through normal gameplay, whether from past seasons or content moved to the Destiny Content Vault (DCV).
So for longtime players filling out their collections or new Lightbearers seeking the best exotics, Ciphers offer exciting opportunities…if you know where to spend them.
Let’s cover the key sources and uses for Exotic Ciphers:
Where to Get Exotic Ciphers
First, how do you get your hands on these precious Ciphers? Here are the primary sources:
Season Pass Rewards
- Earning season pass levels awards a single Exotic Cipher around level 55
- Provides reliable source each season for all players
Xûr’s Xenology Quest
- Xûr offers weekly quest for an Exotic Cipher
- Fairly easy quest but limited to once per week
High Difficulty Nightfalls
- Rare chance to drop on completion of Legend or Master lost sectors
- Drops seem to top out around 5-10% based on community data
The following table summarizes the major sources and drop chances:
| Source | Drop Chance | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Season Pass | Guaranteed | 1 |
| Xûr‘s Xenology | Guaranteed | 1 |
| Legend Nightfalls | ~5-10% | 1 |
| Master Nightfalls | ~10% | 1 |
So while Exotic Ciphers stay elusive outside the season pass, dedicating time to Xûr and higher Nightfalls will slowly build your supply.
Where to Spend Your Exotic Ciphers
Now for the big question: What should you actually use your Exotic Ciphers to acquire? Here are your top two options:
1. The Monument to Lost Light
This should be your first stop. Located right next to the vaults in the Tower, the Monument to Lost Light is an Exotic kiosk that houses gear from past seasons and DCV’d content.
Here you can spend your precious Ciphers, along with some other resources, to unlock exotics like:
- Forsaken and Shadowkeep expansion exotics
- Past season pass exotics from Season of the Hunt forward
- Special legendary weapons like Felwinter‘s Lie
The monument allows you to bypass tricky solo quests or content no longer in the game. And if you already have all the monument’s exotics? Read on!
2. Xûr’s Random Exotic Engram
Each weekend our tentacle-faced friend Xûr appears in a random location selling his unique collection of legendary gear, exotic armor, and weapons.
For 97 Legendary Shards + 1 Exotic Cipher you can grab an Exotic Engram for random exotic armor. I only recommend this if:
- You have acquired all weapons/armor available from the Monument to Lost Light
- You love gambling for random loot
Xûr‘s engram exotic chance breakdown:
- 33% chance for armor piece you already own
- 33% chance for new exotic armor
- 33% for random world armor drop
So buying something directly from the monument will serve most Guardians far better over the long run.
But now you have the full picture on sources, uses, and statistics around the precious Exotic Cipher economy. Let the hunt for rare exotics commence!
I hope this guide has offered valuable insights for new players and Veterans alike. What lingering questions do you have around Exotic Ciphers? Let me know in the comments section below!
Article updated for Season of Defiance | Fall 2023
