Destiny 2’s Khvostov Exotic Mission Sets Both a High and Low Bar to Clear

Highlights

• Destiny 2’s Exotic missions offer exciting gameplay and rewards, such as the Khvostov 7G-0X Exotic Auto Rifle.
• The Khvostov mission, while tedious and uneventful, offers a powerful weapon with unique intrinsic traits.
• The mission’s open-world setup in the Pale Heart zone contrasts with the intricate level designs of other Exotic missions.

Destiny 2 is full of exciting things to keep players busy for extended periods, from completing rounds of its core playlist activities to exploring the recently added Pale Heart destination in The Final Shape. One other thing to look forward to regularly is Destiny 2‘s Exotic missions, which typically take players through an intricately designed level with various enemy encounters and platforming puzzles to obtain an Exotic weapon upon completing it. One of the best Exotic missions in Destiny history, Dual Destiny, was introduced shortly after the release of Destiny 2‘s Final Shape expansion. However, players can also now complete another mission to obtain an Exotic version of the very first weapon Guardians ever acquired in the original Destiny.

The Khvostov 7G-02 is a basic Auto Rifle that players first acquire in The Breach in the Cosmodrome in Destiny. It was first revamped as the Khvostov 7G-0X Exotic Auto Rifle in Destiny‘s hugely successful Rise of Iron expansion and has now returned in Destiny 2‘s Final Shape expansion. Unfortunately, while the weapon is an excellent addition to any Guardian’s arsenal, the mission to obtain it is anything but excellent. As such, the Khvostov 7G-0X mission sets both a high and a low bar for future Exotic quests.

The Khvostov Exotic Mission Is One of the Best and Worst Exotic Missions in Destiny 2

The Khvostov Exotic Auto Rifle Is One of Destiny 2: The Final Shape’s Best Weapons

The upside to doing the Khvostov Exotic mission in Destiny 2 is that it rewards players with what is currently one of The Final Shape’s best weapons. Even its Legendary version, which players acquire around halfway through the quest, is worth keeping around. The Khvostov 7G-02 Legendary Auto Rifle is fully Masterworked with Handling and is massively customizable, giving players the option to choose between three different barrels, three different magazines, three different traits in one column, and two different traits in a second column.

The Exotic version of the Khvostov is even better than the Legendary, sporting an incredibly powerful intrinsic trait. The Khvostov 7G-0X’s intrinsic trait, The Right Choice, causes every seventh bullet to deal additional damage and ricochet to nearby targets. Eyes Up, Guardian is another great weapon trait, as it enhances the weapon’s next several ricochet shots by granting more bounces between targets.

The Khvostov Exotic Mission Is Painfully Long, Tedious, and Largely Uneventful

Unlike most Exotic missions in Destiny 2, the path to acquire the Khvostov 7G-0X doesn’t happen in a separate instance. Instead, it all happens in the open world of the Pale Heart zone. Players begin by collecting 15 Lost Encryption Bits, which can be found inside each of the Pale Heart’s Region Chests, as well as in each of the Cyst missions. After collecting all 15 Lost Encryption Bits, they will transform into a Lost Encryption Code that can be used to unlock a chest containing the Legendary Khvostov.

Players also need to collect 17 Motes of Light, which are found by defeating all 9 Overthrow bosses and collecting all 8 Visions of the Traveler. Once they’ve obtained all 17 Motes of Light, they will combine to form a Mote of Primordial Light, which can then be used to unlock the chest containing the Exotic Khvostov.

Needless to say, with the path to the Khvostov 7G-0X being nothing more than collecting a bunch of items, it hardly holds a candle to even the worst Exotic missions ever seen in Destiny 2. It would be best for Destiny 2 to avoid anything as tedious, long-suffering, and uneventful as the Khvostov Exotic mission in the future. On the flip side, the Khvostov 7G-0X is one of the best weapons in Destiny 2‘s Final Shape expansion, setting a high bar for future Exotic mission rewards.