Destiny 2 Heirloom Guide: Equilibrium, Heat & Catalyst
Get Heirloom through Equilibrium, check drop boosts and The Way Between, learn charged bolts and heat changes, and review its Catalyst and acquisition scope.
Heirloom is the Exotic Solar Special-ammo crossbow from Equilibrium. It fires explosive bolts and can overcharge the next shot while you aim down sights. Its weapon drop, The Way Between progression and Catalyst are separate milestones to check before planning a session.
Reviewed October 15, 2026. This guide covers the dungeon source, ten initial-drop boosts, The Way Between’s recorded stages, charged-shot and heat changes, and the current Catalyst with Incandescent. It also explains what CFNBoost’s weapon-acquisition objective includes.
Get Heirloom From Equilibrium
The current weapon collection names Equilibrium as Heirloom’s source. Choose the dungeon’s weapon-acquisition objective and inspect your actual reward. A standard dungeon clear and receiving its Exotic are different results. Current Heirloom source.
Check the current activity launch screen and your account’s content access before arranging a group. Bungie’s original announcement places Equilibrium in Renegades; present access guidance explains the Collection and expansion access. Launch Contest requirements and recommended Power should not be reused as today’s universal requirements. Original dungeon context. Current access guidance.
The December 2025 Contest window offered Heirloom for completing its encounters during that event. That dated offer is not a standing guarantee for a normal clear today. The same announcement separately describes a repeat full-clear chance for the Taken crystal; that is a Praxic Blade cosmetic, not the Heirloom weapon.
Plan the Specific Reward You Need
- Check Equilibrium access and current reward eligibility on the intended Guardian.
- Decide whether the goal is Heirloom acquisition, quest progress, ordinary gear or Catalyst work.
- Review earned initial-drop boosts and claim the rewards shown.
- Agree a manageable session and the eligible encounter objective.
- Complete the planned activity and inspect the actual reward.
- If the weapon drops, review its Catalyst and charged-shot behavior separately.
Do not infer Heirloom’s present attempt rules from another dungeon’s legacy farming change or from the Taken crystal’s full-clear counter. Check the current in-game reward state when scheduling repeat attempts. This review does not independently establish an unrestricted per-clear Exotic entitlement or a guaranteed next drop.
The Raid and Dungeon Rotation Guide helps with ordinary featured gear and weekly challenges. Keep that gear plan separate from the named Exotic objective and the quest rewards below.
Check Ten Initial Heirloom Drop Boosts
Ten current Triumph records award the effect that increases Heirloom’s initial drop chance. They cover collectibles, quest completion, solo and flawless clears, plus five named Feat conditions. Inspect each reward on your Guardian; no exact percentage is stated. Current Triumph requirements and reward effects.
Equilibrium initial-drop boost objectives
| Triumph | Current requirement | Planning decision |
|---|---|---|
| Listen In | Find every Equilibrium collectible. | Track the collection rather than assuming a normal clear finds them all. |
| The Untrodden Path | Complete The Way Between quest. | Follow the ordered relic and temple progression. |
| Me And My Shadow | Complete every encounter solo without leaving. | Prepare a continuous solo route. |
| Perfect Record | Complete every encounter as a fireteam without deaths or leaving. | Coordinate survival across the full run. |
| To Walk Alone | Complete every encounter solo without deaths or leaving. | Treat solo flawless as a separate goal. |
| Challenger Approaching | Complete every encounter with Encounter Challenges active. | Inspect the selected Feat. |
| Lifetime Limit | Complete every encounter with Token Enabled active. | Agree the token restrictions. |
| Blade Against Blade | Complete every encounter with Cutthroat Combat active. | Check the named Feat before launching. |
| Imperial Hordes | Complete every encounter with Battalions active. | Prepare for the selected encounter modifier. |
| Finish Line | Complete every encounter with Phase Race active. | Confirm the chosen Feat and group plan. |
Choose objectives your group can realistically complete. A solo flawless Triumph is one way to earn a boost, not a universal requirement for obtaining Heirloom. An earned boost is also different from a published numeric probability or a fixed-clear guarantee.
Follow The Way Between Progression
The current quest definitions record ten stages. The repeated relic stages each track finding the artifact, clearing the dungeon and returning the relic. Follow your own active stage rather than relying only on a teammate’s completed checkpoint. Current ordered quest and objectives.
- Visit Aunor to learn about the threat to the Praxic Order.
- Enter Equilibrium and stop the Dredgens pillaging the temple on Venus.
- Visit the inner Praxic Temple and return Sere’s stolen relic.
- Recover the next artifact, clear the dungeon and return that relic.
- Use the Darkness to recover another artifact, clear the dungeon and return it.
- Find the final artifact through the shadows, clear the dungeon and return it.
- Open the Taken portal in the inner temple.
- Defeat the lingering Shade of Dredgen Sere and complete the trial.
- Commune with the Praxic fire at the brazier.
- Visit Aunor on Mars for the closing handoff.
The quest and dungeon contain rewards beyond Heirloom, including Praxic-related progression. Completing a relic stage does not by itself prove the Exotic weapon or Catalyst was awarded. Check the quest, inventory and upgrade socket as separate results.
Released Update 9.5.5 corrected Shade of Sere rewards for players who had already completed that encounter and were attuned to a gear piece. It is a specific reward correction, not evidence that every later problem has the same cause. Released quest reward correction.
Understand Bullwhacker and Explosive Bolts
Bolt Thrower describes high-powered explosive bolts and identifies Unstoppable Champions. Bullwhacker builds an overcharge on the next bolt while you aim down sights, with damage and blast area increasing at each charge level. Inspect the charge state before committing the shot. Current intrinsic and Bullwhacker descriptions.
This Solar weapon uses Special ammo. Plan a dependable option for ordinary cleanup, then choose when you have a safe sight line and enough time for a charged bolt. These are practice suggestions, not a measured best rotation or a promise that maximum charge is ideal for every target.
Separate the weapon’s trigger conditions
| Action or state | Current described effect | What to inspect |
|---|---|---|
| Aim down sights for a period | Bullwhacker overcharges the next bolt. | Charge state and the target’s position. |
| Higher charge level | Greater bolt damage and area of effect. | Whether there is time for the intended shot. |
| With Catalyst, land a charged direct hit | Applies scorch; the weapon also has bonus damage against scorched targets. | A direct hit is different from merely firing near an enemy. |
| With Catalyst, defeat a target | Incandescent spreads scorch to nearby enemies. | The final blow and nearby enemy positions. |
Released Update 9.7.0 raised charge rate by 20%, increased charged-shot impact damage by 20% in PvE and reduced the extra heat from charged shots by 7%. It also improved damage against miniboss/Champion and boss targets. Review current behavior rather than reusing launch-period charge and heat advice. Released Heirloom tuning.
Those changes describe different parts of the weapon. Do not add the listed percentages into one universal damage bonus. Compare practical uptime, safe charged shots and heat management in the activity you want to play.
The Armor Mods Guide helps you arrange the rest of the loadout. Check the actual condition of each ammo or Solar support effect; simply using a Solar weapon does not activate every Solar-related bonus.
Acquire the Catalyst and Check Attunement
The current Catalyst source record names Equilibrium. A separate Heirloom Catalyst Attunement item describes improving the chosen item’s drop chance for dungeon encounters, with only one item attuned at a time. Inspect the attunement option actually available to your Guardian instead of assuming every item is boosted at once. Current Catalyst source and attunement description.
Acquiring the Catalyst and finishing its objective are separate steps. Its tracker has a target value of 500, and the collection record explicitly awards bonus progress for multiple final blows. Treat that as tracked progress, not an assertion that exactly 500 individual defeats are always required. Current completion objective and bonus-progress record.
The Catalyst makes charged direct hits apply scorch and improves this weapon’s damage against scorched targets. Incandescent is also attached to the actual Catalyst: target defeats spread scorch, with a larger spread radius from stronger combatants and opposing Guardians. Current attached Catalyst perks.
- Inspect the Catalyst record and whether it is already acquired.
- Check your available attunement and the one selected item.
- After acquisition, track progress toward the displayed 500 target value.
- Use the weapon for qualifying defeats and observe bonus progress from multiple final blows.
- Apply the finished upgrade and compare charged direct hits with final-blow scorch spread.
Choose the Heirloom Weapon-Acquisition Package
In Destiny 2 Exotic Weapons & Catalysts, select “Heirloom · Weapon acquisition.” This named objective covers acquiring the weapon on one Guardian, rather than an ordinary dungeon clear. The Catalyst and unlisted quest or upgrade work are excluded.
Named Exotic weapon acquisition
Destiny 2 Exotic Weapons & Catalysts
- Named Exotic acquisition routes
- Separate Catalyst objectives
- Activity-specific participation
Match the purchase to your intended result
| Goal | Published scope | Starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Acquire Heirloom | Select the named weapon-acquisition objective. | Equilibrium access and Guardian readiness. |
| Finish The Way Between or pursue other dungeon rewards | Not automatically included in the weapon objective. | Check the exact quest and separate reward you need. |
| Acquire or complete Heirloom’s Catalyst | Excluded from the named weapon package. | Do not select another weapon’s Catalyst option. |
Piloted and Self-play are available for Heirloom. With Self-play, you control your Guardian and join the team; it adds 20% of the normal Piloted base. PC, PlayStation and Xbox share that base. Review the exact selection and instant total in your preferred display currency.
The wider Exotic service card’s starting price can differ from the Heirloom selection. Review the configured objective before purchase. Random acquisition can require repeated eligible attempts, and priority choices do not guarantee a first-clear drop or a fixed finish time.
Heirloom FAQ
Equilibrium, charged shots and Catalyst questions
Where does Heirloom come from?
Its current collection source is Equilibrium. Plan the named acquisition objective and inspect the actual reward separately from an ordinary dungeon clear.
Is it a Primary-ammo Bow?
No. Heirloom is the Solar Special-ammo crossbow with high-powered explosive bolts.
Does the old Contest reward guarantee a normal clear today?
No. The guaranteed Heirloom reward described in the December2025 announcement belonged to that limited Contest window. Do not apply its guarantee or the separate Taken crystal repeat-clear rule to a normal weapon attempt.
What does Bullwhacker do?
Aiming down sights overcharges the next bolt over time. Higher charge levels increase damage and blast area.
Does a solo flawless clear have to come before the weapon?
The current solo flawless Triumph awards an initial-drop boost. It is not a universal prerequisite for Heirloom; other listed Triumphs also award boosts.
Does the Catalyst currently include Incandescent?
Yes. The attached Catalyst has its charged-direct-hit scorch effect and damage against scorched targets, plus Incandescent for scorch spread on target defeats.
Does its completion always require exactly 500 individual defeats?
The tracker has a target value of500, while the collection record awards bonus progress for multiple final blows. Follow the displayed progress rather than treating it as a fixed count of individual defeats.
Does the CFNBoost weapon package include the Catalyst?
No. Heirloom · Weapon acquisition covers the weapon on one Guardian. Catalyst, unlisted quest work and other upgrades are excluded.
Sources and Review
Reviewed October 15, 2026 using current Bungie item, quest, Triumph, collection, objective and Catalyst definitions, plus released tuning and quest-reward notes. Preparation and practice suggestions are original guidance. Exact current hidden-puzzle routes, unrestricted Exotic repeat eligibility, measured drop percentages and a fresh CFNBoost gameplay clear are not claimed.