Image Credit: Bethesda
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.

All Artifact Perks for the Ascendant Scepter in Destiny 2

Mara Sov's Scepter might have some of the most fun Seasonal perks yet

Upon completing the Lightfall mission Under Siege, you’ll have the chance to speak to the young Cloudstrider Nimbus. He’s nonchalant and a little bit skeptical, but he does bear something useful: a tool from Mara Sov. This is the Artifact for Season 20. Here are all artifact perks for the Ascendant Scepter in Destiny 2.

Recommended Videos

All Artifact Perks for the Ascendant Scepter in Destiny 2

Similar to previous seasons, there are twenty perks associated with the latest artifact, the Ascendant Scepter. This scepter is an empowered symbol of Awoken royalty, and I’m personally surprised that Mara Sov entrusted to us. But Mara Sov is always working ten steps ahead, so it’s better to trust her.

Unlike previous seasons, the Artifact offers perks, not mods, which will apply to your character en-masse. You don’t need to equip anything! Here are all the perks listed.

Row 1 of the Ascendant Scepter

  • Anti-Barrier Pulse Rifle – Your equipped Pulse Rifles are shield-piercing round and stun Barrier Champions. Additionally, Pulse Rifles are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
  • Piercing Sidearms – Your equipped Sidearms are shield-piercing round and stun Barrier Champions. Additionally, Pulse Rifles are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
  • Overload Bow – Damage by fully drawn arrows from your equipped Bows cause disruption, stunning the target, delaying ability energy regeneration, and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions. Additionally, Bows are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
  • Unstoppable Scout Rifle – Aiming down the sights of a Scout Rifle for a short time loads a powerful explosive payload that stuns the unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions. Additionally, Scout Rifles are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
  • Overload Auto/SMG – Sustained fire from Auto Rifles and Submachine Guns disrupts combatants, stunning them, delaying ability energy regeneration, and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions. Additionally, Auto Rifles and Submachine Guns are always overcharged when that modifier is active.

Row 2 of the Ascendant Scepter

  • Authorized Mods: Solar – The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your Solar weapons are significantly discounted.
  • Authorized Mods: Strand – The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your Strand weapons are significantly discounted.
  • Authorized Mods: Void – The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your Void weapons are significantly discounted.
  • Authorized Mods: Grenades – The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your grenades are significantly discounted.
  • Multi-Siphon Mods – Grants access to armor mods in your helmet that combines the effect of the Strand Siphon mod with the Solar Siphon and Void Siphon mod.

Related: How to get the Among Us x Destiny 2 Collab

Row 3 of the Ascendant Scepter

  • Shatter Orbs – The first time you break a combatant’s shield, you create an Orb of Power if you break the shield with the matching damage type.
  • Defiant Armory – Greatly improves the benefits provided by the Noble Deeds, Nanotech Tracer Rockets, Tex Balanced Stock, and Ambush Origin traits.
  • Untangler – Destroying a Tangle with a Strand weapon suspends targets damaged by the explosion.
  • Solar Surge – Collecting a Firesprite gives you Armor Charge.
  • Volatile Flow – Picking up an Orb of Power grants your Void weapons Volatile rounds.

Row 4 of the Ascendant Scepter

  • Bricks from Beyond – Defeating a powerful combatant with a Void weapon has a chance to generate Heavy ammo for you and your teammates.
  • Flare Up – Firebolt Grenades apply more Scorch stacks. Damaging a combatant with a Firebolt Grenade spawns a Firesprite near them.
  • Origin Hones – Weapons with the Noble Deeds, Nanotech Tracer Rockets, Tex Balanced Stock, and Ambush Origin traits are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
  • Allied Unraveling – Rapid final blows with a Strand weapon grant your weapon Unraveling Rounds, with a longer duration near allies.
  • Counterweave – When you or a member of your fireteam stuns or defeats a Champion, you gain energy for your least-charged Strand ability.

Row 5 of the Ascendant Scepter

  • Threaded Blast – Destroying a Tangle with a Strand weapon creates a larger and more damaging explosion.
  • Rain of Firebolts – When you have Firebolt Grenades equipped, gain a second grenade charge.
  • Void Weapon Channeling – You gain a temporary bonus to Void weapon damage after you defeat a target with a Void weapon while at least one of your Void abilities is fully charged. This damage bonus increases based on the number of fully charged Void abilities you have.
  • Medieval Champion – Glaives you wield fire a powerful explosive payload that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions. Additionally, Glaives are always overcharged when that modifier is active. Landing consecutive hits with a Sword you are wielding disrupts combatants, stunning them, delaying ability energy regeneration, and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions. Additionally, Swords are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
  • Prismatic Transfer – When you cast your Super, each member of your fireteam with a subclass damage type different than yours gains a bonus to weapon damage.

As you might have gathered from these perks, Champions are a huge part of the Lightfall campaign. Check out our Champion counter list to make sure you’re prepared.


Prima Games is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Daphne Fama
Daphne Fama
A Staff Writer at Prima Games since 2022, Daphne Fama spends an inordinate amount playing games of all stripes but has a soft spot for horror, FPS, and RPGs. When she’s not gaming, she’s an author and member of the Horror Writers Association with a debut novel coming out in 2025. In a previous life, she was an attorney but found she preferred fiction to contracts and forms