With the introduction of weapon crafting in Destiny 2, players now have the opportunity to acquire red border weapons, which are essential for unlocking weapon patterns. To expedite the process of unlocking weapon crafting, it is important to know how to obtain red border weapons. In this article, we will discuss some of the easiest methods to acquire these coveted weapons.
How to Get Red Border Weapons in Destiny 2
Red border weapons are weapons that contain Deepsight Resonance. To unlock the crafting pattern for a weapon, players must first find five red border variants and extract their Deepsight Resonance for pattern progress. Once this is done, the player will be able to craft that specific weapon at the Enclave on Mars. For more information on weapon crafting, refer to our comprehensive guide.
While it is possible to stumble upon red border weapons while playing the game normally, as any craftable weapon has a chance to drop as a red border variant, players looking to unlock a specific weapon pattern quickly should be aware of the best farming methods for increasing their chances of obtaining a red border weapon.
Season of the Witch Weapons
Each new season in Destiny 2 offers unique Seasonal activities, which serve as the primary source for that season’s craftable weapons. For Season of the Witch, these activities include Savathun’s Spire and Alters of Summoning. By completing these activities, players will be rewarded with new Seasonal gear and weapons, all of which have a chance to drop as red border variants.
To increase the chances of obtaining red border weapons from these activities, players should aim to collect the two secret chests within the activity. These chests can be acquired by shooting the elemental symbols scattered throughout the platforming sections. These chests have a higher chance of rewarding players with red border weapons. Additionally, defeating the secret Shrieker boss that spawns near the end of the activity may also potentially reward players with Deepsight Resonance weapons.
Every activity completed in Destiny 2 has the chance to drop a Witch’s Engram, including Seasonal activities, Crucible matches, Gambit games, and Strikes. These Engrams can be decoded at the Ritual Table in the H.E.L.M., with a slight chance of rewarding red border weapons. By unlocking the Witchcrafting Arcana Card at the Lectern of Divination, players can purchase a red border weapon of their choice for four Witch’s Engrams and 3,000 Glimmer. The number of times this can be done per week depends on the player’s Lectern of Divination upgrades. This method offers the easiest and most reliable way to complete weapon patterns for the season, so it is advisable to log in at least once a week to collect these patterns.
Older Seasonal Weapons
For players seeking red border weapons from past seasons, it is necessary to participate in the Seasonal activity specific to that season. Fortunately, vendors offer the Seasonal Heirloom for earlier seasons, allowing players to obtain Seasonal Engrams randomly by completing activities. These engrams have a chance to reward red border weapons. It is generally more challenging to acquire red border weapons from older seasons. Therefore, it is advisable to prioritize unlocking patterns for the current season before it concludes, saving players the inconvenience of farming hundreds of engrams later on when the season has ended.
Raids and Dungeons
Destiny 2 has recently reintroduced many older Raid and Dungeon weapons as craftable patterns, revitalizing them with new perks and giving players a reason to revisit these activities. Luckily, Raid and Dungeon rewards always have the possibility of dropping as red border variants, potentially granting players multiple red border weapons from a single run. The quickest method to obtain these Deepsight Weapons is to wait until the Raid or Dungeon of choice is the Weekly Featured Raid or Dungeon. Featured Raids and Dungeons have no restrictions on the number of rewards that can be obtained, unlike normal Raids and Dungeons, which only offer one reward per encounter per week. Players should identify the shortest encounter in the activity and farm it repeatedly. It is crucial to have a player who possesses the encounter checkpoint ready. By joining the player with the checkpoint, having them switch to a different character, completing the encounter as quickly as possible, switching back to the character with the checkpoint, and rejoining the checkpoint, players can rinse and repeat the process. This approach is one of the most effective ways to acquire red border weapons, though it is limited to the Raid or Dungeon being farmed. By employing this method, players can easily obtain around 30 red border weapons per hour. Notable encounters worth farming include Kali in Last Wish, Ecthar in Ghost of the Deep, The Templar in Vault of Glass, and Phry’zhia in Grasp of Avarice, among others.
Dares of Eternity
Dares of Eternity offers a wide selection of weapons, many of which are craftable. In this activity, players can find the Half-Truth and The Other Half Swords, which are crucial for Well Skating. These swords only require a single instance with Deepsight Resonance to unlock their weapon patterns for crafting. Although the drop rate for red border weapons may not be exceptional in Dares of Eternity, players can accumulate a substantial amount of Strange Coins, which can be exchanged for Paraversal Hauls at the Starhorse in Xur’s Treasure Horde. These hauls offer a greater chance of obtaining red border weapons due to the increased loot drops.
Deepsight Harmonizer
Deepsight Harmonizers are Exotic crafting materials that diminish the element of chance when it comes to red border drops. These harmonizers allow players to choose which patterns they want to unlock at a faster pace. When a red border weapon is acquired, it will already contain Deepsight Resonance. Extracting the Deepsight Resonance is crucial for pattern progress. Players may notice that craftable weapons without Deepsight Resonance feature a tooltip saying, “Deepsight Activate is available for this weapon instance.” This indicates that a Deepsight Harmonizer can be used to attune the weapon and grant it Deepsight Resonance. It is important to note that using a Deepsight Harmonizer will consume it, so players should only utilize them on weapons they genuinely desire or weapons that are difficult to obtain. Deepsight Harmonizers are best employed on older Seasonal weapons, as they are now considerably more challenging to acquire. While the temptation to use Deepsight Harmonizers immediately may be strong, players should exercise caution, as these materials are scarce. Bungie deliberately ensured their rarity. For Season of the Witch, only six Deepsight Harmonizers can be found in the Season Pass. It requires five Deepsight Harmonizers and five weapons to complete a weapon pattern for a weapon with zero pattern progress. Therefore, players will have enough to extract an entire weapon pattern and one Harmonizer remaining for the next season. It is crucial to choose weapons wisely when utilizing Deepsight Harmonizers.
Xur and Banshee-44
While Xur and Banshee-44 may not be direct sources of red border weapons, it is advisable to visit them every week to see the weapons they have for sale. These two vendors are the sole providers of weapons from previous seasons. There is no limit to the number of purchases players can make from them, so inspecting their inventories regularly may potentially lead to the acquisition of red border weapons.
In conclusion, acquiring red border weapons in Destiny 2 is now possible through various methods, such as completing seasonal activities, participating in raids and dungeons, engaging in Dares of Eternity, and utilizing Deepsight Harmonizers. By following these strategies, players can amass a formidable collection of red border weapons, further enhancing their gaming experience in Destiny 2.