While Xur is typically restricted only to weekend appearances inside of Destiny 2, Bungie’s big Anniversary Update has given the exotic merchant more to do. Players now have access to a new destination called Eternity, where they can head to Xur’s Treasure Hoard to spend strange coins, pick up bounties, and spend treasure keys to unlock special armor, weapons, and other Anniversary items.
In addition to Xur and his new job as a quasi-game show host in the Dares of Eternity activity, players have been experiencing the sweeping changes made by the update. Cooldown timers have been tweaked, class abilities balanced, weapons modified, and tons more. In fact, those willing to spend a little more on the Anniversary DLC Pack have been able to experience a new Dungeon based on the infamous loot cave of the original Destiny as well as some returning fan favorite weapons like Gjallarhorn.
For those who want a small break from the festivities, they can once again look for Xur and his exotic wares, which have arrived in Destiny 2 for 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 all the exotic gear he’s brought for the weekend of December 10, 2021.
Where is Xur?
Besides hanging out at Eternity, players can also find Xur on Nessus for the next few days.
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
In Season of the Lost, Xur’s role has expanded as the exotic merchant has weekly quests, exotics, and legendary gear. Not only are these quests required to purchase a second fated engram, but they’re necessary to acquire legacy exotic gear from the Tower 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.
With Season 15, Xur is now selling even more gear outside of his usual content. In addition to his normal exotic gear, Xur now has Legendary Weapons and Armor for sale in exchange for Legendary Shards and Glimmer. Better yet, the stat rolls are pretty solid on the Black Armor gear for this week.
Exotic Armor
Skull of Dire Ahamkara – Warlock helmet
The Skull of Dire Ahamkara was once the cream of the Warlock exotic crop. Bungie felt the item was too strong, however, and a nerf has made this helm a shadow of what it once was. It’s armor perk is Actual Grandeur which not only provides additional damage resistance when casting Nova Bomb, but kills grant super energy.
Naturally, this is a Voidwalker specific armor piece, but due to recent nerfs its hard to recommend over some other choices that Warlocks have access to like Nezarec’s Sin or Contraverse Hold. However, this week’s roll is the lowest of the three, so players may already have a better roll at this point.
Arc Enhanced. Stat Values:
- Mobility +7
- Resilience +15
- Recovery +10
- Discipline +13
- Intellect +14
- Strength +2
Orpheus Rig – Hunter leg armor
Similar to the Skull of Dire Ahamkara above, Orpheus Rig was an incredibly strong exotic for Nightstalker Hunters. However, Bungie has nerfed super generating gear, starting with the Season of the Worthy update. Considering how strong they were, Bungie limited the item’s potential for super gain, placing a limit on the amount of super that can be gained after using Shadowshot to a maximum of 50%.
While they’re no longer anywhere near the levels they were at before, the Orpheus Rig boots are still a great choice for tether Hunters. Uncanny Arrows enhances the Shadowshot super ability by giving players ability energy for each enemy tethered by Deadfall anchors. For those using Moebius Quiver, they can take more shots than usual. Overall, it’s still a decent pick for Hunters, even if the item doesn’t quite pack the same punch it once did. The stat roll for this week is also the highest of the bunch, though the roll is solid but nothing incredibly noteworthy.
Arc Enhanced. Stat Values:
- Mobility +17
- Resilience +12
- Recovery +2
- Discipline +9
- Intellect +14
- Strength +9
Citan’s Ramparts – Titan Gauntlets
Last appearing over a year ago, Citan’s Ramparts are back on sale. With the perk Assault Barricade, it allows allies to shoot through the Titan’s Towering Barricade. The downside is that the barricade’s health and duration is lower than normal.
Naturally, this item likely won’t be for everyone as it only impacts a very small portion of the Titan player, though it can be a welcomed item for PvP activities. Not everyone uses the Towering Barricade, which makes this item useless for those players. Still, it does have its uses under the right circumstances. This definitely isn’t a must buy but players may find a use for them even with a decent stats roll this week.
Void Enhanced. Stat Values:
- Mobility +2
- Resilience +14
- Recovery +15
- Discipline +2
- Intellect +16
- Strength +13
Exotic Weapon
This week features the Wardcliff Coil rocket launcher with its unique firing mechanics. Mad Scientist allows this weapon to fire a volley of rockets instead of just one at a time like the others. Volatile Launch goes even further to make this weapon even more explosive by greatly increasing blast radius and slightly decreasing handling speed and projectile speed.
For newer players, this is a great PvE weapon, so it’s an easy recommend this week as rocket launchers remain a solid power choice. Either way, this weapon in particular remains incredibly strong in PvE activities, especially against bosses. However, with the return of the Gjallarhorn, the Wardcliff may have been upstaged as players may likely opt to use that one in the heavy slot instead.
Additional perks:
- Mechanized Autoloader
- Extended Mags
- Composite Stock
Here’s the complete rundown of Xur’s exotic stock in Destiny 2 for December 10, 2021:
- Skull of Dire Ahamkara (Warlock Helmet) – 23 Legendary Shards
- Orpheus Rig (Hunter leg armor) – 23 Legendary Shards
- Citan’s Ramparts (Titan Gauntlets) – 23 Legendary Shards
- The Wardcliff Coil (Rocket Launcher) – 29 Legendary Shards
- Exotic Engram – 97 Legendary Shards/1 Exotic Cypher
- A Question – Exotic Cypher Quest
Legendary Gear
As previously mentioned, Xur now sells Legendary Armor and Weapons. All gear costs 50 Legendary Shards and 1000 Glimmer.
- Escape Velocity (Primary Submachine Gun)
- Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver (Primary Hand Cannon)
- Long Shadow (Primary Sniper Rifle)
- Bite of the Fox (Primary Sniper Rifle)
- Nature of the Beast (Energy Hand Cannon)
- Distant Tumulous (Energy Sniper Rifle)
- Falling Guillotine (Heavy Sword)
- Anti-Extinction Armor Set
Destiny 2 is now available PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.