Destiny 2 is far more generous with exotic gear than its predecessor. It’s possible to receive exotic rewards from virtually all activities, including short public events and the main storyline, but some exotics require a bit more doing. The Rat King, a kinetic sidearm, is one such exotic.
We have guides for how to get the other World Quest exotic weapons, including the Mida Multi-Tools scout rifle and the Sturm hand cannon.
If you're in the wrong place, check out our Destiny 2 beginner's guide
As is the case with Sturm and the Mida Multi-Tool, you have to complete several quests and challenges to obtain the Rat King. It’s worth the effort, though. The Rat King’s unique perk improves its damage and fire rate based on the number of nearby allies who have it equipped, and reloading immediately after killing an enemy with it grants temporary invisibility. On top of that, quest exotics always drop well above your current level and represent a substantial power boost. That being said, let’s run through how to unlock the Rat King.
The first true step for all Destiny 2 quest exotics is simple: complete the story and reach level 20. This will unlock planetary ‘quest missions’ denoted by blue map markers.
Head to Titan and complete the quest mission Enemy of my Enemy, which involves tailing a Fallen captain. It’s a multi-part quest, but just follow the blue markers and you’ll reach the end quickly.
Completing Enemy of my Enemy will reward you with the ‘Rat King’s Crew’, a legendary item which takes up a kinetic weapon slot. The Rat King’s Crew is a four-step challenge that plays out as a series of riddles:
Step one
“The Rat King’s crew runs to and fro, good girls and boys know where to go, pick up your toys and daron your socks, on errands of woe, on errands we walk.”
Complete two patrol missions on any planet with at least one other fireteam member who has the Rat King’s Crew or the Rat King sidearm. Patrol missions are accessed via small beacons located around planets. Pull up your ghost to locate them. To unlock patrol missions, clear Cayde-6’s quest mission in the European Dead Zone.
Step two
“The Rat King’s Crew goes arm in arm, to fight as one, to do no harm, so have your fun and run outside, rally the flag and we’ll never die.”
Complete two public events on any planet with at least one other fireteam member who has the Rat King’s Crew or the Rat King sidearm. You do not have to complete the heroic versions of the events.
Step three
“The Rat King’s Crew goes four and four, with good good fights, they learn to score, then three as one they stand upright, return from past the wall wanting more.”
Complete two Crucible games or Strikes with at least one other fireteam member who has the Rat King’s Crew or the Rat King sidearm. Crucible games are the faster option here. You do not have to win the games, and both the competitive and quickplay playlists will work.
Step four
“The Rat King’s Crew stands three as one, they see Night’s fall and fear it none, but watch the clock as you scale the wall, lest five remain hope comes for none.”
Complete the weekly Nightfall strike with at least five minutes remaining on the timer, and with at least one other fireteam member who has the Rat King’s Crew or the Rat King sidearm. Don’t expect to do this on your first try. The Nightfall strike changes week to week, but the timer always start at 11 minutes. Sometimes killing enemies adds precious seconds, but other weeks require you to literally jump through hoops. So feel out the strike, figure out which enemies you need to kill and which you can run past, and formulate a plan before going in.
The Rat King exotic sidearm will take the place of the Rat King’s Crew once you clear the strike. Congratulations, you’re rat royalty!
