How to get Winterbite in Destiny 2: Lightfall

Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion introduces an Exotic weapon called Winterbite.

Winterbite is a Stasis heavy glaive that shoots orbs; those orbs in turn freeze targets. You can unlock Winterbite by completing the “Strider” quest, which becomes available after you complete the Lightfall campaign, unlock the Hall of Heroes and complete three other quests – “Stargazer,” “Maelstrom,” and “Bluejay”. You’ll be shown around Neomuna, completing new activities like Terminal Overload and Partition as you go.

In this Destiny 2 guide, we’ll go over how to unlock the Winterbite heavy glaive and how to navigate the “Strider” quest.

How to get Winterbite and Strider quest steps in Destiny 2

Image: Bungie via Polygon

Once you complete the campaign and the “Stargazer,” “Maelstrom,” and “Bluejay” individual quests that follow, you’ll be able to start the “Strider” quest, the steps for which are outlined below as they appear in-game:

1. Visit the archivist.
2. Spend keys on a Terminal Overload Key Chest in three different areas of Neomuna.
3. Defeat Shadow Legion forces in Neomuna to find location data, and dive into the Ahimsa Park Lost Sector for a data cipher to put the data together.
4. The archivist wants to discuss your findings.
5. Approach Strider’s memorial to repair it.
6. Destroy the Hydras and shut down the confluxes at Maya’s Retreat.
7. The archivist has a reward for you.

Once done, Winterbite is yours.

This quest is fairly straightforward and the combat isn’t too complicated. The Terminal Overload activity is very hard to do by yourself, though, so you might need to load into it a few times until you find a group that is already running it.

Here is every quest step in further detail:

How to start ‘Strider’ in Destiny 2: Lightfall

In order to unlock the “Strider” quest from Quinn Laghari in the Hall of Heroes on Neomuna, you first must complete the campaign. This will unlock the Hall of Heroes. Once you unlock it, you’ll be able to speak with Quinn. They’ll have four different quests – “Stargazer,” “Maelstrom,” and “Bluejay”. You must complete these in order to unlock the “Strider” quest to unlock Winterbite.

‘Stargazer’ quest steps

Collect the quest from Quinn in the Hall of Heroes and complete the following steps:

1. Loot the Terminal Overload reward chest at the end of the activity.
2. Defeat the Vex Hydra in Esi Terminal to obtain a high-security passcode.
3. Obtain a Terminal Override Key by completing public events, looting chests, or completing patrols.
4. Use a key to open Terminal Overload Key Chest.
5. Return to a Hall of Heroes to repair Stargazer’s memorial.
6. Return to Quinn to discuss the next steps.

‘Maelstrom’ quest steps

After completing the Stargazer quest, collect the quest from Quinn in the Hall of Heroes and complete the following steps:

1. Bond with Strand sources, and participate in public events, patrols, and loot resources, all within the Vex Incursion Zone.
2. Complete the Lost Sector within the Vex Incursion Zone.
3. Return to the Hall of Heroes to repair Maelstrom’s memorial.
4. Return to Quinn to discuss the next steps.

‘Bluejay’ quest steps

Image: Bungie via Polygon

After completing the “Maelstrom” quest, collect the quest from Quinn in the Hall of Heroes and complete the following steps:

1. Visit Nimbus.
2. Defeat combatants in the current Vex Incursion Zone with a Strand subclass equipped to obtain Shellcode Fragments, and open a Terminal Overload Key Chest to obtain a Polymorphic Engine.
3. Complete the Partition activity.
4. Return to the Hall of Heroes to repair Bluejay’s memorial.
5. Return to Quinn to discuss the next steps.

Spending keys on Terminal Overload chests in three different areas

Now you have completed “Stargazer,” “Maelstrom,” and “Bluejay”, you can start “Strider”. The first step is spending keys on a Terminal Overload Key Chest in three different areas of Neomuna.

Image: Bungie via Polygon

The Terminal Overload activity rotates through each of the three combatant-filled zones on Neomuna daily. Complete this activity in each of the three areas and unlock the chest at the end to progress the quest.

Defeat Shadow Legion forces in Neomuna to find location data and head into the Ahimsa Park Lost Sector

Image: Bungie via Polygon

For this step, you must complete the Gilded Precept Lost Sector in Ahimsa Park. This Lost Sector has Shadow Legion Cabal as its enemy, so one run of it should complete both quest steps.

Destroy the Hydras and shut down the confluxes at Maya’s Retreat

Image: Bungie via Polygon

Head to Maya’s Retreat and defeat the Vex Hydras. Each Hydra you defeat spawns a conflux that you must examine. Once you’ve scanned all of the confluxes, head back to Quinn for your reward, the Winterbite Exotic Glaive.

After you have Winterbite, check out our guide for getting Destiny 2: Lightfall’s Exotic machine gun, Deterministic Chaos; for getting the exotic sidearm, Final Warning; or learn where to find all Lost Sectors and Region Chests in Neomuna.