The Gjallarhorn is the most popular weapon in all of Destiny. It’s not the most widely used, but it is the one weapon that players want more than any other. For those that have it, they know that they will be called upon to burn through countless bosses for their Fireteam. This includes one of the most difficult fights in the game (only because of Qodron’s Eye), Qodron, Gate Lord.
Today, we are going to show you the various ways that you can up your odds of getting a Gjallarhorn. There is no guaranteed method, so your best bet is to work the activities and events that we suggest, and hopefully things will work out for you. If they don’t, you can always be really nice to people who have Gjallarhorns and make them kill all the big bosses for you.
Bought from Xur
Although we didn’t visit the Agent of the Nine ourselves during his Week 2 visit, many players are kicking themselves for not buying a Gjallarhorn when Xur sold it. There are now rumors that it’s been removed from his loot table, but we have no way of confirming that. For now we’ll simply say that if Xur ever sells a Gjallarhorn, you should buy four. One for each character, and one more to sit in your vault in case you do something silly like dismantle one… or three.
Dropped in Crucible
Yes, this too is a place that you can get a Gjallarhorn, but the odds are so insanely low that it’s almost not worth playing strictly for that reason. If you love the Crucible, play it and consider any Exotics that drop a bonus.
To give you an idea of how rare any Exotic is in the Crucible, we put about 25 hours into the Iron Banner and didn’t see one Exotic drop for a single player. Lots of Legendary stuff, but we have plenty of that already. If we can play 25 hours of the Iron Banner and not see a single Exotic, what are the chances you will see a Gjallarhorn? Play the PvP modes because you want to, not because you’re expecting a reward.
Weekly Nightfall Strike
This is a solid place to possibly get a Gjallarhorn, but truth be told it could take you months on all three characters. You are just more likely to see one drop here than you are in something like the Crucible. Do the Nightfall for the reputation boosts, and because you get some pretty cool rewards, but don’t grind any activity or event in Destiny strictly because you think a Gjallarhorn will drop for you.
Dragon Strike Playlist
This is a really good place to get gear in general, and you could get a Gjallarhorn from it. Your best bet is to work through these while you’re trying to earn Vanguard Marks, and just enjoy the fact that every few rounds you’ll likely score a Legendary weapon or Engram. The best part is that you can do this even if you don’t have any friends online, as this mode does have automatic matchmaking. Here’s to hoping you get some fellow Guardians that know all the cheese spots.
The Vault of Glass
This might be the most popular place to find a Gjallarhorn. We have seen several drop on our own runs, and almost everyone we know who has a Gjallarhorn has gotten it from this activity. Your best bet is to run the Vault of Glass on all three characters, every single week. You’ll start seeing them drop pretty quickly, and with any luck you’ll be the one who gets it.
The Crota’s End Raid
We haven’t seen a lot of Gjallarhorns drop here, but it is possible. Our advice is to make your primary Raid activity the Vault of Glass, as there are many more reports that indicate the Gjallarhorn is more common there. Still, Raids in general do offer some really cool rewards, so there is no harm in knocking them out if you have the time, and the Fireteam. Just because the Gjallarhorn is the most sought after weapon in all of Destiny doesn’t mean that it’s the only one worth having.
Prison of Elders Run
The first time you run the Prison of Elders on each of your three characters you are guaranteed an Exotic drop. We snagged The Last Word from here, and we have a gaming buddy who scored his only Gjallarhorn from this event. It doesn’t even have to be a level 32, 34 or 35. Your first Prison of Elders run of any level on each of your characters will do just fine. You just need to ensure that you have a Treasure Key with you, as you don’t get the Exotic without it. We’ve made that mistake in the past.
Is Gjallarhorn Worth It?
The Gjallarhorn isn’t just about the damage it does or how effectively it will burn through a boss. It’s about letting other players know that you have been in some things that only skilled players can endure. It generally means you have played the Vault of Glass often enough to get it, and anyone who can complete one of the Raids deserves a tip of our cap.
We should also mention that the Gjallarhorn is set to receive a patch. This minor alteration will make it a less effective Rocket Launcher, but we won’t know where it stands until the patch is live. This means that today you might want the Gjallarhorn to put the whoop on a few bosses, but tomorrow could see you busting out the Dragon’s Breath instead. Still, the Gjallarhorn is a prestigious weapon to have, and in our opinion is worth grinding for even if it does end up seeing less time on active duty in the future.
Published: Aug 6, 2015 09:00 pm