Best ways to farm Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2

Exotic Ciphers have had a massive rework in The Final Shape and are much harder to obtain than ever before. Let me show you the best ways to farm Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2 and how to use them.

What are Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2?

Just so we’re all on the same page, let me quickly explain what Exotic Ciphers do post Final Shape, as they work differently than before.

You can use Exotic Ciphers to Focus any Exotic you want with Rahool in the Tower after reaching Ran 16 with him. This is handy for anyone who needs to fill their Exotic collection, but there’s an even more exciting way to use them.

Exotic Ciphers can now be used to upgrade Exotic armor beyond Masterwork rank. This upgrade costs 10,000 Glimmer and an Exotic Cipher and adds an Artifice Mod slot to your gear.

Artifice Armor was previously only available from Master level content and was out of reach for many players.

Speaking of mods and perks, make sure to familiarise yourself with the Hunter’s Journal, as the perks here can make your best builds even stronger.

How to farm Exotic Ciphers in Destiny 2

Exotic Ciphers are rare, and although I can show you where to get them, you won’t be swimming in Ciphers anytime soon. The most obvious place to get them is in the Season Pass. One is up for grabs when you reach Level 60 and another at 180 on the Free track. There’s one more at Level 101, but this is only available on the Premium track.

You can snag one from Master Rahool at his Level 16 reward. You can increase the Cryptarch’s level by decoding Engrams with him, but it’s a slow process. At the time of writing, I’m unsure if you always get more Exotic Ciphers when you reset Rahool’s rank.

Finally, Xur has an Exotic Cipher available every week. You have to work for it, as you’ll need to complete activities in the Vanguard or Exotic playlists to use it, but it’s a surefire way to get them.

I’m unsure what I did to get it, but I also had an Exotic Cipher and several other goodies at the Special Deliveries Terminal at the Tower. This Terminal is by the Gunsmith, so it may be worth checking if you haven’t already.

We’ll update this guide if any Exotic Cipher-rich activities show up, but there are ways to get them, even if they are uncommon.

If you’re overwhelmed by the Pathfinder system, take your time with it, as it’s a worthy replacement for Bounties and offers a ton of decent rewards.