As the Solstice of Heroes officially kicked off this week, Bungie also put out a major announcement that fans should use up the rest of their Vanguard Tokens. When Season 15 kicks off on August 24, Zavala’s Vanguard progression is going to get a major overhaul similar to what happened with Shaxx and the Crucible tokens a few months ago. As such, Vanguard tokens will be phased out completely, so players will want to turn them in before this season comes to a close to pick up rewards they’ve earned.
RELATED: Destiny 2 Solstice Glitch Gives Infinite Legendary Shards
While the Solstice of Heroes continues on, the exotic merchant Xur is back inside of Destiny 2 to offer players exotic gear over the next few days. Follow this guide for his most current weekend location, news on his exotic cypher quest, as well as a review of what he’s currently selling for the weekend of July 9, 2021.
Where is Xur?
Over this weekend, players should head to Watcher’s Grave on Nessus to find the merchant up the massive tree towards the back of the zone.
From the Director, head to Nessus and load into Watcher’s Grave. Run towards the back of the zone where a massive tree is found. Jump up until players find the huge branch where the merchant is hanging out.
Class Armor and Exotic Cypher
While Xur’s role is essentially the same as it was prior to the Beyond Light expansion, the exotic merchant also has weekly quests that players can acquire to unlock an exotic cypher. Not only are these required to purchase a second fated engram, but they’re necessary to acquire legacy exotic gear from the new kiosk. Players can earn a new cypher by completing strikes and winning crucible or gambit matches. Gain bonus points for playing with clanmates or finishing more challenging activities.
Other than that, here are Xur’s three gear pieces this weekend:
Wings of Sacred Dawn - Warlock chest armor
Solar Warlocks have the Wings of Sacred Dawn to look forward to this weekend. Tome of Dawn is its exotic perk, suspending Dawnblade players in midair when aiming weapons and extending the duration when hitting enemies with gunshots.
Certainly not the best exotic choice for Warlocks, some have found success with Wings of Sacred Dawn thanks to the popularity of the solar subclass it synergizes with. However, the biggest issue with this exotic is that it leaves players exposed in the air, especially when in competitive modes like the Crucible or Trials of Osiris. This week, Warlocks come in second place in terms of stat roll value with a very respectable 64 total.
Solar Enhanced. Stat Values:
Mobility +4 Resilience +12 Recovery +17 Discipline +7 Intellect +10 Strength +14
The Sixth Coyote - Hunter chest armor
Over one year later, this Destiny 2: Forsaken exotic, is back in stock with Xur. This armor comes with the Double Dodge intrinsic perk which basically gives players a second dodge. As such, this exotic armor is subclass neutral, meaning it can synergize with any Hunter subclass making it a viable option regardless of play style. Some have indicated it pair particularly well with bottom tree void as well as weapons with the Surplus perk.
While the perk may not be particularly flashy or unique, getting a second dodge is pretty useful in all game modes of Destiny 2. With Marksman’s Dodge equipped, players would be able to automatically reload their weapons twice or refresh their melee ability twice with Gambler’s Dodge. For those interested in stat rolls, Hunters win this week with the highest total at 66 including a massive Mobility boost.
Void Enhanced. Stat Values:
Mobility +23 Resilience +3 Recovery +11 Discipline +13 Intellect +7 Strength +9
Armamentarium - Titan chest armor
The third piece of chest armor in a row this week is the The Armamentarium. Its exotic perk And Another Thing gives players one additional grenade charge. Unlike other exotics, this armor is easy to pair with any subclass, though it does shine brighter with specific ones.
A popular tactic with this item is to run suppressor grenades which will grant players double the power to take supers away from their enemies. It may not be exciting or flashy compared so some of the other exotics in the game, but it remains easy to recommend considering how valuable two grenades can be in most situations. The stat roll may be the lowest of the three this week but at 62, it’s likely still better than the basic collection roll.
Arc Enhanced. Stat Values:
Mobility +14 Resilience +14 Recovery +3 Discipline +13 Intellect +16 Strength +2
Exotic Weapon
The popular hand cannon Fighting Lion is back in stock this week. Its intrinsic perk is called Delayed Gratification, allowing players to hold the trigger and then release it to detonate the grenade. The grenades can also bounce off surfaces, allowing for some very tricky shots. Its trait is Thin the Herd which makes direct hits do more damage to shields, while rapid kills to grenade damaged enemies refill the magazine. Finally, kills with this weapon always drop primary ammo.
The biggest thing this weapon has going for it is that it doesn’t take up a heavy slot like most Grenade launchers. Instead it sits in the energy slot, freeing up players to continue using a legendary heavy weapon of their choice. This is also a weapon that likely won’t be for everyone as its delayed detonation requires a bit of skill to fully master. However, for those who can get the hang of it, the gun can be very rewarding and fun to use.
Additional perks:
Countermass Implosion Rounds Short-Action Stock
Here’s the complete rundown of Xur’s entire stock in Destiny 2 for July 9, 2021:
Wings of Sacred Dawn (Warlock chest armor) – 23 Legendary Shards The Sixth Coyote (Hunter chest armor) – 23 Legendary Shards Armamentarium (Titan chest armor) – 23 Legendary Shards Fighting Lion (Grenade launcher) - 29 Legendary Shards Exotic Engram - 97 Legendary Shards/1 Exotic Cypher A Question - Exotic Cypher Quest
Destiny 2: Beyond Light is now available PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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