Trace rifles haven’t ever been in a strong position inDestiny 2, and they are one of the rarest weapons in the game. It was only recently in November 2021 that Bungie even introduced the first Legendary trace rifle into the game, as prior to that, only Exotic trace rifles existed.
One of these rare trace riflesisColdheart. It’s definitely not the most appealing weapon in the game due to trace rifles, in general, being so weak and downright useless, but players who like to collect everything will still need to know where to getColdheart’s catalyst and how it improves the trace rifle inDestiny 2.
Updated September 22nd, 2023 by Paul Woodward:Even after all of these years, there are only a handful of Trace Rifles in the game. Eight of them are Exotic while the rest are Legendary. With some of the new perks that Legendary Trace Rifles can have, older weapons likeColdhearthave been left in the dust. Even the catalyst is fairly weak compared to more interesting catalysts likethe one forThe Navigator. Nevertheless, for completionists looking to obtain every Exotic along with completing all the catalysts will need to track down theColdheartcatalyst eventually.
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How To Get TheColdheartExotic Trace Rifle
Coldheartis among the oldest weapons in the game, dating back to the first season ofDestiny 2. In fact, original fans of theDestinyfranchise will fondly rememberColdheartas the pre-order Exotic weapon for those who pre-orderedDestiny 2before its first release.
Nowadays,Coldheartis a random drop. It can be acquired from Exotic engrams that randomly drop in the world or bought from Xur on the weeks that he sells it, or by buying his Exotic engram. A bit of good RNG is needed to get it, but considering it’s not a must-have weapon, players shouldn’t be in a hurry to earn it.
How To Get The Catalyst
It’s a bit unclear exactly how theColdheartcatalyst drops, but it seems that Nightfall strikes are the go-to place to grind for it. More specifically, it’s stated that only the strongest of enemies will drop the catalyst, so most likely defeating bosses will give players a chance to earn it.
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Since higher difficulties usually mean better loot, players should attempt to play at the highest possible level they can afford. The ideal choice would beGrandmaster Nightfalls, but given the requirements for this activity, it can be difficult for the average player.
Players will now need to score kills withColdheartto upgrade the catalyst. The number of kills required is about 500, and what makes this task more annoying is the fact thatColdheartrequires Special ammo. Players will want to slap on the Special Ammo Finder mod if they wish to complete the catalyst quickly.
What The Catalyst Does
The catalyst forColdheartis one of the most underwhelming ones in the game. The only benefit it really provides is a stat boost for the weapon, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when compared to some other Exotic catalysts, it’s definitely among the worst. Exotic catalysts originally just provided stat boosts for the most part. However, more recent catalysts focus on adding new perksand functionality to weapons. Unfortunately, this makes the catalyst forColdheartfeel far more disappointing in comparison.
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Luckily,Coldheartis already a pretty decent weapon even without its catalyst. ItsCold FusionandLongest Winterperks ensure that when players aim and shoot at a single target, the laser is continuous and does more damage the longer players stay on the target.
Is TheColdheartCatalyst Worth It?
Coldheartisn’t a weapon that will see much use in any endgame activities. No matter the Season or the current meta, there is always a better option. Just like most trace rifles in the game, with the exception ofmaybeAger’s Scepter, it’s mostly a useless, gimmicky weapon that will pop up in some activity bounties every once in a while. If players really want to use a Trace Rifle, they are better off farming Root of Nightmares for Acasia’s Dejection. While it is just a Legendary Trace Rifle, its perks outclassColdheartand allows players to use an Exotic weapon with a more viable catalyst instead.
Because of this, players shouldn’t focus their time on grinding out its catalyst. Perhaps if Bungie has a trace rifle meta sometime in the future, things might change, but for now, that time and effort can be invested in other, more powerful Exotic weapons. Plus, even if players like to include trace rifles in their builds,Coldhearthasone of the worst catalystsout there, so it’s actually better to focus on a weapon that has better utility.
Destiny 2is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
