We’ve all been pinned by Hive Knights’ mysteriously accurate Arc bolts, and now, we can finally return the favor thanks to the new Ex Diris Exotic grenade launcher (and a little help from its catalyst).
The theme of the season seems to be fighting fire with fire, especially given Eris Morn’s use of Hive magic against Xivu Arath’s Hive. We’re giving Eris more power by enacting her revenge, which is bringing the Touch of Malice’s flavor text—”Let them feel every lash, every curse, every touch of malice that they first dealt to me”—right to the forefront of our brains.
Ex Diris fires similar Arc projectiles to the ones Hive Knights use against us (though the absurdly high area-of-effect seems to be missing from our version of the gun), which already gives it enough flavor. As if that weren’t enough, it also creates an allied Lucent Moth on kill, which makes it even more suited as a tool of retribution.
Though some weapons need a catalyst to work at its fullest, the Ex Diris works decently enough without its catalyst. If you want to take a peek behind the curtain (or just decide if the grind is worth it), here’s what the Ex Diris Catalyst does and how you can obtain it.
What does the Ex Diris Catalyst do in Destiny 2?
The catalyst builds upon Ex Diris’ base function. The regular version of Ex Diris “enrages” when you deal or take damage, improving its fire rate, which is suited to the underlying themes of Season of the Witch.
The Ex Diris Catalyst makes the weapon enrage faster while you are Amplified, and killing enemies with this weapon will make you Amplified, according to Destiny 2 database Light.gg. While fans assumed this effect would only work on Arc subclasses (and we were in that school of thought), this doesn’t seem to be the case.
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Ex Diris’ Catalyst also allows you to become Amplified regardless of subclass, as pointed out by content creator RestAssured. This means you can get some benefits, such as increased sprint speed and reload speed, regardless of subclass. This could potentially also apply to Artifact Mods that benefit Amplified guardians.
This means if you have the Catalyst, you can charge Ex Diris more quickly, and the extra benefits certainly don’t hurt your case. If you’re playing a Hunter, you can also take advantage of the Mothkeeper’s Wraps Exotic gauntlets, which synergizes with Ex Diris. The moths that spawn after getting a kill can give you and your allies an overshield if you have that Exotic armor piece equipped, and that’s before counting on your new grenade ability.
Of course, if you want to slot that catalyst on your shiny Exotic grenade launcher, you’ll have some work to do as part of a seasonal quest. Here’s what you need to do.
How to get the Ex Diris Catalyst in Destiny 2
The Ex Diris Catalyst is locked behind the Grenade Logic quest. Like other season pass catalyst quests, you can expect to take a fair bit of time—or to grind playlist activities nonstop. The catalyst boosters from the season pass will give you a bump in progress, but odds are you’ll still take a bit of time to get this quest done. Here’s what you need to do to unlock this catalyst.
Grenade Logic quest steps
The Grenade Logic quest to get the Ex Diris Catalyst is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s short. Odds are you’ll wrap up the first step in your first few missions at the latest, but the second part of the quest is meant to be done over a season.
- Get 20 multikills
- Defeat 25 targets without dying
The second (and by far the longest) step requires players to complete playlist or seasonal activities and defeat targets. Completing Higher-tier Nightfalls and winning both in Gambit and in the Crucible will give you more progress. Look on the bright side: odds are you’ll get the Monte Carlo Catalyst while you’re at it.
- Generate 200 calibration data
- Defeat 450 enemies with Ex Diris
One round of each activity generates around one calibration data, though you can bump that metric up by engaging in higher-difficulty activities and winning. Still, it’s a long grind, especially due to the narrow nature of the objectives you need to attain.
This objective isn’t meant to be rushed, though, and you’ll have plenty of time to obtain this catalyst through Season of the Witch and beyond.
