Destiny 2’s Exotic ciphers continue to be a rare currency to get your hands in a consistent manner. Whether you’re looking to stock up on past Exotic items or upgrade your current armor past the full masterwork state, knowing the best method to get Exotic ciphers is key to maximizing your time.
This guide will detail all available Exotic cipher sources in Destiny 2, as well as a farming method that has become available with the release of Act II of Destiny 2: Revenant episode on November 19, 2024.
How to Farm Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2: Revenant
As reported by YouTube user Marshix, the addition of enriching tonics to Destiny 2 has paved the way for an Exotic cipher farming method. First, you need to be able to purchase purple tonics at the Tonic Table in the Last City. For this, you’ll need to craft as many tonics as you can until you gain access to higher tiers. We have a dedicated guide explaining how to get more tonic recipes and fieldwork in detail.
Once you’re set, go ahead and purchase as many purple tonics as you can. There’s a chance of getting Exotic tonics, which can be used to get Exotic ciphers, as well as Ascendant Shards and Ascendant Alloys. Unlike the other existing methods, you’re not limited by weekly quests or reputation ranks for this one. It will still require some patience, however, as you’re dependent on chance–and it’s worth remembering that you can only hold five Exotic ciphers at any given time–but it’s good to have another option.
While Marshix uses the Tonic of Bitter/Sweet (Onslaught) Inert Enriching Tonics as an example for the video, people in the comments have shared that they’ve been lucky with Tonics of Glimmering as well. As long as they’re of legendary rarity (purple color), you’ll have a chance to get an Exotic variant.
How to Get Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2
Alongside the tonic method outlined above, there are other existing Exotic cipher sources that are worth keeping in mind. As with everything else in Destiny 2, multitasking is key, so you’re best knowing all possible pathways to obtain the currency before jumping into activities.
Below are the current sources to get Exotic ciphers in Destiny 2:
- Completing Xur’s weekly quest “Xenology” grants you one Exotic cipher: This usually involves completing Vanguard or Exotic playlist activities, as well as winning matches in Gambit or Crucible. Make you to always grab this quest on weekly resets so you’re not missing out on progress.
- Resetting Master Rahool’s rank: Whenever you reach rank 16 with Master Rahool, you’ll reset his reputation. This can take a while, as you’ll have to either turn in or focus engrams.
- Season pass rewards: If you’re diligent with your season pass, Exotic ciphers are available as rewards on occasion.
Yes, the methods can be quite time-consuming–another Destiny 2 characteristic–so I recommend picking up Xur’s quest every week and keeping up to date with the season pass to claim the eventual Exotic cipher reward.
As a reminder, you can spend Exotic ciphers in the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower to purchase old raid and quest Exotics, or use it to upgrade masterworked Exotic armor to gain an artifice mod slot. Master Rahool also offers rolls of Exotic armor pieces as well as the option to novel focusing, which is done to obtain pieces that were previously locked in higher difficulty Lost Sectors.