Destiny 2 The Final Shape will bring massive changes to Bungie's looter shooter, including the dissolution of the seasonal format in favor of Episodes, with the first one launching a week after the expansion, titled Echoes.
One thing that isn't changing is the former seasonal, now episodic, artifact. The artifact is a device tied to the ongoing story of an episode and will allow players to earn mods that will allow them to buildcraft more efficiently, as well as unlock Champion mods to tackle harder endgame content.
For Episode Echoes and The Final Shape, the artifact is called Hunter's Journal, a clear nod to the returning Cayde-6 who has been stranded inside the Pale Heart for quite some time and will provide the Guardian with some much-needed insight.
So, if you want to know the mods that will be at your disposal when The Final Shape and Episode Echoes start, take a look at the columns down below.
Destiny 2 The Final Shape Episode Echoes artifact mods
Mods will be divided into columns. To unlock mods from columns 2 and beyond, you'll need to have unlocked a set amount of mods in the previous one.
- Anti-Barrier Pulse Rifle: Your equipped Pulse Rifles fire shield-piercing rounds and stun Barrier Champions. Additionally, Pulse Rifles are always overcharged when that modifier is active
- Unstoppable Sidearm: Aiming down the sights of a Sidearm for a short time loads a powerful explosive payload that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions. Additionally, Sidearms are always overcharged when the modifier is active
- Unstoppable Scout Rifles: Aiming down sights of a Scout Rifle for a short time loads a powerful explosive payload that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions. Additionally, Scout Rifles are always overcharged when that modifier is active
- Overload Hand Cannon: Landing consecutive hits with any Hand Cannon you are wielding disrupts combatants, stunning them, delaying abilities energy regeneration, and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions. Additionally, Hand Cannons are always overcharged when the modifier is active
- Anti-Barrier Submachine Gun: Submachine Guns you are wielding fire shield-piercing rounds and stun Barrier Champions. Additionally, Submachine Guns are always overcharged when the modifier is active
Column 2
- Logic Reductor: Weapons with the Radiolaria Transposer origin perk deal increased damage to Vex. Extends the duration of the radiolaria pools created by Radiolaria Transposer
- Overcharged Armory: Weapons with the Dealer’s Choice, Radiolaria Transposer, Collective Purpose, and Sundering Origin traits are always Overcharged weapons for you when that modifier is active
- Authorized Mod: Elemental Charge: The energy cost of Elemental Charge mods are significantly discounted
- Saint's Inspiration: Rounds loaded by the Cast No Shadows origin perk can overflow the magazine
- Winning Hand: While using weapons with the Dealer’s Choice origin trait, combatant precision final blows or rapidly defeating combatants cause the target to explode, dealing Solar damage to nearby enemies. Having several equipped weapons with the Dealer’s Choice origin trait increases the effect of the explosion
Column 3
- Elemental Siphon: Rapid final blows with a Kinetic weapon or a weapon matching your equipped Super create an elemental pickup that matches your equipped Super
- Overload Sword: 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
- Creeping Chill: Stasis weapon final blows against slowed or frozen targets release a burst that slows
- Press The Advantage: Breaking a combatant’s shield grants increased weapon stability, handling, and reload speed. Swords gain increased guard resistance
- Threaded Blast: Destroying a Tangle with a Strand weapon creates a larger and more damaging explosion
Column 4
- Counter Energy: When you or a member of your fireteam stuns a champion, you gain energy for your least-charged ability
- Blade Stamina: Rapidly defeating combatants with a Sword refunds some ammo
- Void Hegemony: While you have a Void or Prismatic subclass equipped, defeating weakened targets provides a small Void Overshield
- Radiant Orbs: While you have a Solar or Prismatic subclass equipped, picking up an Orb of Power makes you radiant
- Galvanic Armor: While you have an Arc or Prismatic subclass equipped, incoming damage from combatants is reduced while amplified
Column 5
- Prismatic Transfer: When you cast your Super, each member of your fireteam with a Super type different than yours gains a bonus to weapon damage
- Argent Blade: While you have Armor Charge, dealing damage with a Sword consumes an Armor Charge and empowers your Sword for a short time, granting it bonus damage and energy charge rate
- Expanding Abyss: Void sources deal increased damage to weakened targets
- Shieldcrush: While you have Woven Mail, Frost Armor, or a Void Overshield, your melee recharges faster and deals increased damage. While you have amplified or radiant, your grenade recharges faster and deals increased damage
- Transference: Gain increased grenade and melee damage while transcendent. Weapon final blows while transcendent refund Light and Dark energy after Transcendence ends
With the start of Act 2 on July 16, a new set of artifact mods has become available. These are:
- Anti-Barrier Sniper Rifle: Your equipped Pulse Rifles fire shield-piercing rounds and stun Barrier Champions. Additionally, Pulse Rifles are always overcharged when that modifier is active
- Authorized Mods, Scavenger: The energy cost of Scavenger mods is significantly discounted
- Incendiary Rifle Rounds: Solar Sniper Rifle precision hits scorch targets
- Solar Fulmination: Your ignitions do increased damage in an increased radius
- Sniper's Meditation: Sniper Rifle hits grants stacking Sniper Rifle damage, stability, and reload bonuses for a short time. Heavy ammo Sniper Rifle hits count as more than one
Best Destiny 2 Episode Echoes artifact mods
If you're just started playing the season, unlocking the Champion mods will be the first thing you need to do if you want to stand a chance in things like Nightfalls.
Elemental Siphon seems like a very straightforward passive to keep in your pocket active at all times, allowing you to better cycle abilities, something that could be immensely helpful with the new Prismatic subclass.
With the addition of brand-new mods, focusing on snipers and Solar abilities, both Sniper's Meditation and Incendiary Rifle Rounds are two you will want to unlock as fast as possible, especially if you own the Still Hunt sniper rifle.
Overall, our recommended artifact mods are:
- Anti-Barrier Pulse Rifle
- Unstoppable Sidearm
- Unstoppable Scout Rifles
- Overload Hand Cannon
- Anti-Barrier Submachine Gun
- Elemental Siphon
- Void Hegemony
- Radiant Orbs
- Galvanic Armor
- Expanding Abyss
- Shieldcrush
Do keep in mind a lot of these are quality-of-life for certain builds so don't be afraid to experiment as resetting your unlocked artifacts is completely free.
And that's about it. For more content, check out every exotic coming to Destiny 2 with The Final Shape.