In recent seasons, Destiny 2 has made good on its promise to add "more depth on the character sheet", largely through the addition of new Destiny 2 armor mods, such as the Warmind Cell and Charged with Light sets. Though it can seem intimidatingly complex, once you get to grips with the basics these mods can be mixed and matched to create some incredibly powerful builds. However, many players are still under-utilizing race-specific mods, which shine in the game's hardest content. Here we will explain how to get them and where they work best.
"A couple of the mods are absolute gamebreakers when it comes to survivability and damage output."
Race-based mods debuted in the Last Wish raid from 2018's Forsaken expansion, where they had a chance of dropping from the secret chest. The initial batch was designed to help players fight Taken enemies, but subsequent raids and activities have added mods that targeted the Fallen and Hive races. There's currently nothing for Cabal or Vex enemies.
As with most good things in Destiny, acquiring a complete set requires a considerable grind unless you had godly RNG. That grind, which we've simplified as much as possible below, is worth it because a couple of the mods are absolute gamebreakers when it comes to survivability and damage output. So much so that the existence of race-specific mods is contentious within the community, as some players worry that they trivialise content.
It was therefore a surprise that Bungie opted to expand the lifespan of these mods by extending the lifespan of the raid armor which is needed to slot them. That gear will now longer be sunset until the end of Year 4, meaning you'll get plenty of use from the mods.
What do race-specific mods do?
There are currently three flavors: Taken, Hive, and Fallen. Due to Beyond Light's likely focus on Fallen enemies, (the big bad is a Fallen Kell called Eramis), having a set of well-rolled gear with Fallen mods slotted seems sensible. Players looking to solo the Prophecy dungeon right now will also benefit greatly from the Taken and Hive mods, as many of the enemies count as both, meaning you can double dip on effects. Here are the different types of mod:
- Armaments: Defeating an enemy with a grenade grants Heavy ammo
- Invigoration: Defeating a challenging enemy refreshes your class ability
- Barrier: Receiving damage gives a 20 percent reduction in damage for 10 seconds
- Repurposing: Destroying a shield refreshes your grenade
- Spec (Taken Only): Increased damage vs Taken enemies
It’s easy to see which are most enticing. Free Heavy ammo from grenade kills is insane, given how thirsty for Heavy you tend to be in hard content. It's also worth noting how easy it is to build around having your grenade up regularly using weapons with the Demolitionist perk. The next most important mod is Barrier, because a flat 20 percent incoming damage reduction makes a world of difference in high-level encounters.
Interestingly, the Spec mod does not give an enormous damage boost, but still proves very useful. It grants a ten percent damage buff versus the seven percent from the Minor/Major/Boss spec mods, but the major advantage is that the buff applies to every enemy of that race. It's a flat chunk of free damage with no downside, which is probably why Bungie didn't make any more after the Taken version.
How to find Taken mods
The Taken mods are only available from the two secret chests in the Last Wish raid. The good news is that, in most cases, players can get to these chests by themselves in a reasonably short amount of time, meaning you can open them on all three characters each week without much fuss.
The first chest is hidden under the bridge between the first encounter with Kali and the second encounter with Shuro Chi. Players can use the Wishing Wall and input the 4th wish to teleport directly to the Shuro encounter. Below is a video showing how to access the Wishing Wall. Once at the Shuro Chi checkpoint, you need to navigate the rocky terrain around the bridge to jump back to this chest and take its loot. It is highly recommended to bring a friend to hold the checkpoint for you so you can swap characters and don’t have to input the code three times.
The second chest is a bit more challenging for Titans and Warlocks, but outright impossible for Hunters to reach solo. Enter the 5th wish into the Wishing Wall to teleport to the third encounter with Morgeth. Titans and Warlocks can jump across the canyon and find the second hidden chest around the cliff to the right. Titans will need to have Lion Rampant exotic boots, Catapult Jump, and will also benefit from Code of the Missile (middle tree Striker). Warlocks will need to be on the Attunement of Sky (top tree Dawnblade).
If you are a hunter or have a hunter friend, there's still hope. Once someone makes the leap, they can proceed backwards down the main hall and past the giant tree. Trekking all the way back to the base of the spiral staircase just after Shuro Chi creates a new checkpoint where other players can join without having to cross the Morgeth chasm.
These two chests are not subject to the infinite farming that Bungie enabled recently, meaning they can only be opened once per week per character. Six chests per week should net you the mods you want in a few weeks though, with Barrier and Armaments being the priority.
How to find Fallen mods
While likely the most important for the upcoming Beyond Light expansion, the Fallen mod set is currently the most difficult to complete. There is only one chest in the entire game that drops these mods and Guardians only get one shot per week per character to open it. To make things worse, this chest is in the Scourge of the Past raid which is getting vaulted at the end of this season.
After completing the opening encounter of Scourge of the Past, players participate in a Sparrow race against a giant flaming servitor. You must dodge obstacles, fly through tunnels, and jump over treacherous gaps to make it to the end without getting cooked by the great ball of fire. To make matters more frantic, in order for the secret chest to appear, six red buttons must be hit during the escape. Below is a video guide from solo-god Esoterickk, who does a great job of showing all six locations.
Using the Destiny 2 PC LFG discord to find groups who already have the sparrow race checkpoint is highly recommended. Once you've signed up, head for the scourge-lfg channel.
How to find Hive mods
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Finally, there are the Hive mods. One way to grind them out with a bit of luck is to simply run the Crown of Sorrow raid on repeat. Since Bungie removed the weekly loot cap on content that is soon to be vaulted, Crown loot can come fast and often. With a good team, players can open a chest every 10-15 minutes which is incredible. Mod drops are not guaranteed, but the chances aren’t horrible either.
The other, and frankly easier, route is tied to the Menagerie activity. Players matchmaking into the regular version have a small chance of getting the mods they want at the end of each run by slotting runes into their Chalice and opening the final chest. For one guaranteed mod per character per week, try running Heroic Menagerie. It’s a bit tougher, but very doable with a six-player fireteam. Again, the Official Bungie LFG and the Destiny 2 PC LFG Discord are a huge help. Making groups that specifically outline what your goals are usually bring players ready to help in minutes.
Remember: In order to use these mods, you'll need armor with the correct slot in which to place them. For Taken and Fallen mods, that means gear from the Last Wish and Scourge of the Past raids, which happily can be infused up to 1360 Power (Season 14 max). For Hive mods, raid gear from Crown of Sorrow will also reach 1360 Power, but in a pinch you can use the Opulent set from Menagerie or the Dreambane set from Eris—but note that these pieces can only be infused to 1060, meaning they will no longer be relevant for max Power activities once Beyond Light lands on November 10. With the advent of Beyond Light, the way these mod slots works may change, in which case we'll update this article.
Happy hunting and let us know if you have any questions in the comments.
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