Destiny 2 Heir Apparent Exotic Weapon and Catalyst Guide

Heir Apparent is back in Destiny 2. This exotic heavy machine gun first debuted last year during the Guardian Games, and now Guardians are rejoicing at its return. With its high damage output and strong defensive perk, this is a must-have heavy weapon, especially when coupled with its catalyst.

Fortunately, it is very easy to acquire. This Destiny 2 guide tells you how to get Heir Apparent in this year’s Guardian Games, as well as what you need to do to acquire the Heir Apparent catalyst. 

Minigun might be a more apt description for Heir Apparent. It is a heavy machine gun that “spins up” by holding the left trigger. Once it is spinning, it deals strong, sustained damage and is good for killing groups of weak mobs or providing decent DPS on tougher enemies like captains. If you spin the gun up while at full health, it activates an overshield. The shield is arc based, so while it temporarily blocks all damage, it will go down quickly when shot by arc weapons.

How to Get Heir Apparent

Heir Apparent is tied directly to the Guardian Games, so naturally, getting this gun starts there. Once you log into Destiny 2, visit Zavala in the Tower. He will give you a Guardian Games themed class item. After that, go see Eva Levante. She is easy to find, pretty much dead center in the main Tower area. Eva will set you off on a quest called “The Games Begin.”

To get things started, you will need to collect 100 laurels. Laurels will fall from defeating strong enemies, at the end of strikes, during gambit matches, or from the Crucible. If you’re looking for the best ways to farm Laurels in Destiny 2 during this year’s Guardian Games, we have a full guide on how to do so.   

Once you collect 100 laurels, return to Eva and purchase a Contender Card. This will finish the quest and drop the “Top in Class” exotic quest into your inventory.

Top in Class Exotic Quest

The first step of this quest is called “Wreathed in Laurels.” Your task is to collect 50 more laurels. This is easy; just make sure you have your class item on and do your preferred activity. Once you collect 50 Laurels, it is on to the next step.  

The next part of the Top in Class exotic quest is called “Machine-Gun Focused.” This quest requires you to play whatever the current Daily Focus playlist is and get 100 kills with a machine gun.

This playlist rotates between Crucible, Gambit, and Strikes every day. The current Daily Focus can be checked from the Director. If the current Daily Focus isn’t conducive to machine gun kills (I’m looking at you, crucible), feel free to wait for a different day.

100 kills later and the quest will be complete. Turn it in to Eva, and she will reward you with Heir Apparent.

You Need the Heir Apparent Catalyst

Now you are going to want to get your hands on the Heir Apparent Catalyst. This part takes longer, and there is some RNG involved, but the catalyst is well worth it. It increases the potency of the Heir Apparent’s arc shield substantially, and grants a partial reload when the shield is broken.  

Start by getting the Catalyst quest. This will drop randomly when you turn in gold and platinum medals, or as a Class Reward if your character class won the current phase of the Guardian Games. That was the case with my hunter.

Now you need to collect medals. A lot of them, in fact. The quest requires 50 medal “points,” which are acquired when you turn in a medal.  

Point values for medals are: 

• 1 point for Bronze 
• 2 points for Silver 
• 5 points for Gold 
• 15 points for Platinum 

Once you have enough medal points, the next step is to turn in three more contender cards. Buy those from Eva with your laurels and complete the listed objectives.

Here You Go Killing Again

The next step is called “Competitive Spirit.” You will once again need heavy machine gun kills in the Daily Focus playlist (90 this time). Strikes remain the easiest mode, but you can also do gambit or crucible.  

Finally, you need kills with Heir Apparent to power up the Catalyst. 700 to be precise. Any kills work, but once again, strikes tend to be one of the better farming options. Once those are done, you are finally able to brag to all your fellow guardians about your fully armed and operational Heir Apparent.

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Heir Apparent is one of the best exotic weapons in Destiny 2 and is effective in both PvE and PvP. The catalyst makes it even better and is well worth the effort. Just make sure you work through the questline sooner rather than later, as the quest will not be available after the Guardian Games end on May 11. For more tips on how to make the most of this season, be sure to check out the rest of our Destiny 2 guides.