TL;DR
- Complete Hive cleansing using Solar weapons in Escalation Protocol for fastest boss farming
- Crucible progress favors killstreaks and fireteam assists – avoid trading kills
- Titan ritual requires strategic Wizard elimination and positioning to manage respawns
- Lost Sector crystal farming targets specific Wanted enemies from older destinations
- Use Mayhem mode for faster Crucible completion despite chaotic gameplay
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The Last Word stands as one of Destiny’s most iconic exotic hand cannons, returning in Destiny 2 with enhanced capabilities and deeper narrative integration. This legendary firearm carries extensive lore connections to the Shadows of Yor and represents the pinnacle of quick-draw dueling weaponry in the Destiny universe. Acquiring this weapon through The Draw questline presents significant challenges that demand both PvE proficiency and PvP competence.
While substantial grinding remains unavoidable, strategic approaches can dramatically reduce completion time. Understanding encounter mechanics and optimizing loadouts proves essential for efficiently navigating each phase. This comprehensive walkthrough delivers step-by-step guidance supplemented with advanced tactics to accelerate your progress toward claiming this coveted exotic.
Your journey commences by consulting the Drifter in the Tower, who provides a mysterious Tainted Artifact steeped in Hive dark magic. This relic connects directly to the seventh Book of Sorrow – foundational Hive scripture detailing their cosmic philosophy and destructive rituals. Cleansing requires systematic elimination of Hive forces using specific methodologies.
Success demands accumulating substantial Hive eliminations with Solar-attuned weaponry, defeating three Hive commanders, and securing 75 Hive Tablets from random enemy drops. Mars’ Escalation Protocol offers the most reliable farming environment, consistently spawning bosses at wave conclusions while facilitating Solar weapon requirements. Tablets demonstrate reasonable drop frequency, though consistent boss encounters present the primary bottleneck in most scenarios.
Alternative boss hunting locations include public events and Lost Sectors on Titan, Tangled Shore, and Mars. For optimal efficiency, coordinate Escalation Protocol with fireteam members to accelerate wave completion. Prioritize Solar shotguns or fusion rifles for close-range boss damage while utilizing Solar primaries for add clearance. Boss respawn timers vary by location, making Escalation Protocol’s predictable spawns superior for time-conscious guardians.
Following Hive purification, the artifact requires Light infusion through Guardian combat in Crucible matches. This phase emphasizes strategic engagement over brute force, as death significantly impedes progression. Trading eliminations with opponents yields minimal advancement, while sustained killstreaks provide substantial rewards.
Forming fireteams dramatically enhances progress rates since assists contribute to your total. Mayhem mode, despite its chaotic nature, enables rapid completion through frequent super and heavy weapon availability. We completed this stage using Mayhem tactics, acknowledging that while deaths increase, elimination opportunities multiply correspondingly.
Optimal loadouts include pulse rifles for medium-range engagements and shotguns for close-quarters combat. Avoid reckless playstyles that prioritize aggression over survival. Positioning near teammates facilitates assist accumulation while reducing vulnerability to flanking maneuvers. Progress scales non-linearly, with three-kill streaks providing approximately 150% more advancement than individual eliminations.
With the artifact fully charged, it directs you to a Hive ritual site on Titan. Navigate to The Rig landing zone to locate the mission activation banner, which transports you to the Cargo Bay 3 Lost Sector. This location features dense Hive concentrations with nearly continuous respawn cycles, demanding tactical positioning and target prioritization.
Equip powerful ranged weaponry to maintain distance near the cargo bay entrance while systematically eliminating priority targets, particularly Wizards. These spellcasters present the greatest threat and hold the key to progression.
Concentrate fire on the initial Wizard to trigger the primary objective: an shielded Acolyte immune to direct damage. Eliminating two additional Wizards positioned in the chamber’s rear corners disables the protective barrier temporarily. Reduce the Acolyte’s health by approximately one-third before the shield reactivates and reinforcement waves arrive.
This three-phase encounter pattern repeats twice more until final elimination. The discovered Guardian helmet, pierced by a devastating round potentially originating from Weapons of Sorrow, must be returned to the Drifter. Strategic use of cover and area denial supersedes raw damage output for survival.
This critical stage involves compromising your Light to thwart Hive weaponsmiths crafting Weapons of Sorrow. The process requires gathering 15 Etched Crystals from Lost Sector bosses throughout the system.
Focus specifically on Wanted fugitives from the Prison of Elders escape, requiring avoidance of Dreaming City sectors in favor of original destinations like EDZ, Titan, and Nessus.
Unfortunately, crystal acquisition mandates clearing 15 distinct Lost Sectors despite occasional visual indications of multiple drops. Each completed sector guarantees one crystal regardless of boss type or difficulty.
For maximum efficiency, prioritize Lost Sectors with short completion times and predictable boss mechanics. The Winding Cove in EDZ and Siren’s Watch on Titan offer efficient routes with minimal traversal time. Average completion requires 2-3 hours depending on loadout efficiency and destination familiarity. Consider our Weapons Unlock guide for additional combat optimization strategies applicable to this phase.
Action Checklist
- Collect Tainted Artifact from Drifter in Tower
- Farm Hive kills, bosses, and tablets in Mars Escalation Protocol
- Complete Crucible matches focusing on killstreaks and assists
- Execute Titan ritual mission with ranged weapons and Wizard focus
- Farm 15 Etched Crystals from Wanted bosses in Lost Sectors
No reproduction without permission:SeeYouSoon Game Club » Destiny 2 Guide: Here’s How To Get The Last Word Exotic Hand Cannon Complete guide to earning The Last Word exotic hand cannon with time-saving strategies and combat tips
