With the recent Warmind DLC for Destiny 2, Bungie introduced the concept of Exotic Master Weapons. If you are familiar with master’s weapons and master’s armor, you are halfway to understanding the benefits of having an exotic master weapon. The process of transforming your Exotic Weapons into their Masterpiece Variants is a bit more involved than with Legendary items. Read on to find out everything you need to know. Spoiler, it takes a little luck, so I hope you have regularly prayed to RNGesus.
How to get Master Exotics
Upgrading your existing Exotic Weapon into an Exotic Masterpiece requires a little luck and hard work. In general, the required steps are as follows:
Unlock a catalyst by completing the tasks required for a specific exotic weapon. More details on these tasks below.
Complete the Catalyst by performing the tasks it needs.
Activate the catalyst and enjoy!
How to get catalysts
The first thing you should know is that you cannot guarantee yourself a specific Catalyst drop. However, you only need to perform the activities described by the catalyst that you desire. Then RNGesus will drop the item if you are lucky. Yes, the Catalyst will drop as a loot item in the form of a Golden Diamond-looking item.
Here are the types of activities that can cause a Catalyst to fall. To be sure, you can hover over the Catalyst Node on any Exotic weapon that supports it to see what needs to be done.
Found in defeating the enemies of humanity wherever they are – Simply kill the enemies in any PvE activity.
Found by gaining victory in the crucible – kill enemies in the crucible in PvP matches.
Found in the strikes against the toughest opponents – defeating the nightfall or heroic strike bosses.
There are other methods to unlock certain Catalysts but they are not confirmed. Speculation includes sword killings of all kinds in order to unlock the Worldline Zero Catalyst, for example. Others believe that engaging with certain factions can unlock other catalysts. Time will tell and we will update this guide as new information is discovered and confirmed.
Note that you don’t need to equip the Exotic, or even in your Vault. You just need to have unlocked the exotic weapon at some point. This can lead to some confusion as you can take a Catalyst without even realizing it. I did this with the Crimson Catalyst pictured above and it took me a while to search the Collection tab in my vault to find out what I had picked up.
How to supplement catalysts
Once you achieve a catalyst, you will need to complete the tasks required to complete it and unlock the new abilities of the Exotic weapon. Reddit is currently working hard to try to determine exactly what the requirements are for each Catalyst. It’s a fascinating part of Destiny 2 and one that is long gone. Kudos to Bungie for bringing back some mystique and secrets that compel the community to work together. To keep up to date with the progress the folks at Reddit are making, check out the table embedded below.
In summary, keep an eye out for any Catalysts you might encounter in your day-to-day activities in Destiny 2. Once you’ve looted a Catalyst, you can then try to complete it in order to unlock the extra power of your Exotic. armed. Happy hunting, Guardian, and remember, you can always find more useful guides in our Destiny 2 guides hub.
