Destiny 2 Xur location and items, Aug. 12-16

The weekly Exotic item merchant, Xur, hangs out in random locations around the world of Destiny. In Destiny 2, he can appear all over the map, as well as inside the Tower. This week, you can find Xur in the Tower, hanging out on the back steps of the Hangar.

Image: Bungie via Polygon

Xur’s inventory this week consists of the following:

• Monte Carlo, Kinetic auto rifle: 29 Legendary Shards
• Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves, Hunter arms: 23 Legendary Shards
• Antaeus Wards, Titan legs: 23 Legendary Shards
• Phoenix Protocol, Warlock chest: 23 Legendary Shards
• Exotic Engram: 97 Legendary Shards (you can now purchase a second with an Exotic Cipher)
• Exotic Cipher quest: free

As of Season of the Risen and The Witch Queen, Xur sells a random roll of both Hawkmoon and Dead Man’s Tale each week.

Here’s what he’s selling this weekend:

• Hawkmoon, Kinetic hand cannon (Snapshot Sights): 125,000 Glimmer, 200 Legendary Shards, Exotic Cipher, Ascendant Shard
• Dead Man’s Tale, Kinetic scout rifle (Fourth Time’s the Charm): 125,000 Glimmer, 200 Legendary Shards, Exotic Cipher, Ascendant Shard

As of Season of the Lost, Xur also sells a collection of old armor and weapons, similar to Banshee-44 and Ada-1. Usually, these items are difficult to find and from seasons long past. Each item (whether it’s armor or weaponry) costs only 1,000 Glimmer and 50 Legendary Shards.

Xur’s Legendary inventory this week consists of the following:

• Lonesome, Kinetic sidearm
• Seventh Seraph Carbine, Kinetic auto rifle
• Gridskipper, Void pulse rifle
• Toil and Trouble, Kinetic shotgun
• Truthteller, Void grenade launcher
• Interference, Arc grenade launcher
• Stars in Shadow, Solar pulse rifle
• Titan planetary armor set

Xur’s items drop at a power level similar to that of your character.

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo is an older Exotic auto rifle from the original Destiny, brought back to life in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. Its primary Exotic perk is Monte Carlo Method, which reduces the cooldown of your melee ability whenever you deal damage with Monte Carlo, and offers a chance for a melee ability reset on a Monte Carlo kill. Monte Carlo’s secondary perk is Markov Chain, which increases the gun’s damage after primary fire or melee kills. Markov Chain also grants ammo on a melee kill.

Monte Carlo was a beloved auto rifle in the original Destiny, and it’s even better in Destiny 2. The gun offers some serious utility for melee-focused builds, and it feels great to shoot. For trolling around the universe, breaking space robots, and punching space rhinos, it’s the perfect companion.

Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves

These gauntlets are all sidearms all the time with their Exotic perk Spring-Loaded Mounting: Swapping to a sidearm increases its ready and reload speed. If you’re wounded, it also increases the sidearm’s damage.

Sidearms are very powerful at the moment, and these gauntlets can boost their power. If you don’t have these yet, pick up them up this season.

Xur’s roll this week comes with 59 total stats.

Antaeus Wards

Antaeus Wards is an Exotic from the Forsaken expansion. Its main perk is Reflective Vents. When you slide, Antaeus Wards project a shield in front of you. Any projectiles that hit the shield reflect back at their owner. Every deflection grants you Super energy. These boots are powerful in the right situation, but nerfs have kept them average at best.

Xur’s roll this week comes with 57 total stats.

Phoenix Protocol

Phoenix Protocol is a powerful Warlock chest piece from Forsaken. Its Exotic perk is Battle-Hearth, which causes kills made in your Well of Radiance to refund Super energy. This is one of the best Warlock Exotics in the game. If you’re doing any kind of activity that involves a lot of killing, you’ll almost always have your Well of Radiance up.

Xur’s roll this week comes with 63 total stats.

Exotic Cipher quest

Image: Bungie via Polygon

Starting in Beyond Light, Xur has a new quest for an Exotic Cipher. The Exotic Cipher lets you buy old Exotics from the Monuments to Lost Light kiosk in the Tower. You’ll need these items and some other currencies to pick up Exotics like Heir Apparent and Truth.

This week, Xur wants you to complete 21 Strikes or win Crucible or Gambit matches. By finishing the quest, you’ll earn an Exotic Cipher to use however you want.