Destiny 2 Xur location and items, Sept. 17-21

The weekly Exotic item merchant, Xur, hangs out in random locations around the world of Destiny. In Destiny 2, he can appear all over the map, as well as inside the Tower. This week, you can find Xur in the Tower, standing on the back stairs of the Hangar.

Image: Bungie via Polygon

Xur’s inventory this week consists of the following:

• Merciless, Solar fusion rifle: 29 Legendary Shards
• Shards of Galanor, Hunter gauntlets: 23 Legendary Shards
• One-Eyed Mask, Titan helmet: 23 Legendary Shards
• Geomag Stabilizers, Warlock boots: 23 Legendary Shards
• Exotic Engram: 97 Legendary Shards (you can now purchase a second with an Exotic Cipher)
• Exotic Cipher quest: free

Xur’s items drop at a similar power level as your character.

Merciless

There was a time when the Merciless fusion rifle was one of the best Exotics in Destiny 2. Its Exotic perk, Conserve Momentum, causes it to charge its fusion bursts faster for every nonlethal hit you strike. This still makes killing bosses very fast, but it’s since been outclassed by quite a few other weapons.

That said, Merciless can still be really fun to use in all kinds of content, especially the old-school stuff. It’s not any less powerful than it was in year 1 — in fact, it’s more so, since it’s in your energy slot now — but there are plenty of better weapons to choose from. Still, if you have any interest in Nightfalls or the Leviathan raid, Merciless remains a must-own.

Shards of Galanor

Shards of Galanor is a shadow of what it once was, after some serious nerfs. Shards’ Exotic perk is Sharp Edges, which refunds Super energy depending on how many blades you hit with Blade Barrage. The Super refund is capped, so you’ll never get the entire thing back. If you love Blade Barrage, it’s a great way to Super a bit more every Strike or Crucible match you play. If you’re a Hunter, don’t miss out on these gauntlets.

One-Eyed Mask

One-Eyed Mask is a Titan helmet from Forsaken, and was one of the best PvP Exotics in the game. Its Exotic perk is Vengeance. When enemies deal damage to you, you’ll mark them, allowing you to track them through walls. Killing marked targets gives you an Overshield. While One-Eyed Mask isn’t nearly as good as it once was, it’s still worth picking up for PvP-inclined players.

Geomag Stabilizers

Geomag Stabilizers are new Exotic boots from Destiny 2: Forsaken. Their Exotic perk is Close Enough, which recharges your Chaos Reach Super when you sprint as long as you’re at about 90% energy. Damaging enemies with Chaos Reach also extends the duration. This is a fantastic Warlock Exotic. If you don’t have them yet, make sure to pick these up.

Exotic Cipher quest

Image: Bungie via Polygon

Starting in Beyond Light, Xur has a new quest for an Exotic Cipher. The Exotic Cipher lets you buy old Exotics from the Monuments to Lost Light kiosk in the tower. You’ll need these items and some other currencies to pick up Exotics like Heir Apparent and Truth.

This week, Xur wants you to complete 21 Strikes or win Crucible or Gambit matches. By finishing the quest, you’ll earn an Exotic Cipher to use however you want.