Destiny 2 Still Hunt Guide: Wild Card & Catalyst
Unlock Still Hunt through Wild Card, finish the radio and Cayde hand-in, charge Golden Gun shots and check Lucky Shot’s Catalyst source and 500-target objective.
Still Hunt is the Exotic Sniper Rifle rewarded by Wild Card, a post-campaign quest in The Final Shape. Its weapon meter charges through precision hits and Orbs of Power, then enables Golden Gun shots. The weapon is usable by all three Guardian classes; Celestial Nighthawk adds a separate Hunter interaction.
Reviewed October 15, 2026. Current quest definitions separate mission completion, the radio transmission and Cayde’s final reward hand-in. The current Catalyst is also covered below, including Lucky Shot and its 500-target completion objective.
How to Start Wild Card
After The Final Shape campaign, progress Destined Heroes until Cayde-6 offers Wild Card in the Lost City Tower. Use the mission banner below the hub. Sam Chandler’s illustrated quest-access route.
Wild Card takes place in the Pale Heart. References to the “Tower” in its instructions mean the Lost City Tower, not a trip to the regular social Tower. Follow the tracked quest’s location when looking for Cayde and the mission banner.
The current activity allows one to three players and has no automatic matchmaking. You can enter alone or arrange a fireteam. The quest is an objective-based weapon reward; it is not a random raid-boss drop that needs repeated weekly attempts. Current mission and reward definitions.
The Three Quest Steps That Award Still Hunt
Wild Card quest completion
| Step | Required action | Progress to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Complete the Wild Card mission with Cayde and Crow. | Wild Card completed |
| 2 | Listen to the Lost City Tower radio transmission. | Transmission heard |
| 3 | Speak to Cayde-6. | Talked to Cayde-6 / claim the reward |
The mission is only the first of these three steps. If you finished its final fight and still do not have the weapon, inspect the radio and Cayde hand-in objectives before replaying the mission. The current quest chain explicitly lists all three in order. Official quest-step and objective data.
Wild Card Mission: Camps, Blights and Bosses
Compact mission route
| Section | What to do | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation | Follow Cayde and Crow’s waypoints; establish camp. | Collect Dark Ether. |
| War Beast | Damage it, clear its defenders and follow its retreats. | Finish the hunt. |
| Camp and Blights | Listen, meditate, then clear enemies around four Blights and the following pair. | Return to Crow. |
| Stakeout | Meditate and use the cave shortcut. | Clear Shanks to expose the Megashank. |
| Megashank | Alternate damage with Shank clearing during immunity. | Return to camp. |
| Abomination | When it retreats, collect Screeb Ether and deposit 10 units in the canister. | Repeat until defeated. |
| Conclusion | Listen at camp, then return to the Lost City Tower. | Continue the quest steps. |
Illustrated mission walkthrough for the route above.
When a boss becomes immune, check the objective and nearby enemies before spending more ammunition. The route switches between combat, camp conversations and interactions. Let the current instruction finish updating before leaving the area.
Use the camp returns as checkpoints for your own notes. In a group, have one player read the objective aloud so everyone follows the same next action. For a first attempt, prioritize surviving and understanding the transitions over chasing a speed estimate.
Claim the Weapon After the Mission
Back in the Lost City Tower, complete the radio transmission and speak to Cayde. Inspect the received Still Hunt and its Collections entry. The current item source is Wild Card Exotic Quest; the Two of a Kind record also tracks quest completion. Current weapon source and quest record.
Do not confuse earning Still Hunt with completing its Catalyst. The base weapon already has Cayde’s Retribution and its other named perks. The Catalyst is an additional acquisition and upgrade path.
Charge Cayde’s Retribution and Use Golden Gun Shots
The weapon’s three core effects
| Perk | Current effect | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Cayde’s Retribution | Precision hits and Orb pickups charge the weapon’s Super bar. | At full charge, use Alternate Weapon Action. |
| Golden Munitions | Acquiring Golden Gun shots adds magazine ammunition. | Inspect the loaded rounds after activation. |
| Sharpshooter | Improves target acquisition, aiming speed and flinch resistance; stronger in the weapon’s Super mode. | Choose a stable firing position. |
Use the control bound to Alternate Weapon Action once the weapon meter is full. A custom control layout may use a different input from a walkthrough’s reload-button instruction. Read the weapon’s prompt rather than assuming every platform uses the same button. Current intrinsic and perk descriptions.
Plan the charged shots around a target you can actually hit. Prepare the meter while landing precision hits or collecting accessible Orbs, then choose a clear line of sight. If a target is moving unpredictably, stabilizing your aim can be more useful than rushing the activation.
Celestial Nighthawk: A Hunter Interaction
Still Hunt itself has no class restriction in its current item definition. Hunters can pair it with Celestial Nighthawk; Titans and Warlocks can still obtain and use the weapon. Owning the rifle does not equip that Hunter helmet or grant every Hunter-specific benefit.
Update 9.5.0 increased Still Hunt’s Golden Gun damage with Celestial Nighthawk by 40% and allowed Sniper’s Meditation to affect its Golden Gun shots. This is a dated change relative to the preceding sandbox, not a universal 40% bonus to every shot today. Official delivered Update 9.5.0 changes.
Do not judge a current build from launch-era boss numbers alone. Encounter conditions, equipped effects and later tuning affect comparisons. Test the setup you own against the activity you want to complete rather than treating one old damage clip as a guaranteed result.
Still Hunt Catalyst: Lucky Shot and 500 Targets
Keep Catalyst acquisition and completion separate
| Stage | Current requirement or result | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Acquire the Catalyst | Its record lists Vanguard Ops, Gambit and Crucible. | The Wild Card weapon reward is not the same drop. |
| Complete the upgrade | Defeat 500 targets with Still Hunt after acquiring it. | Kills alone do not establish acquisition. |
| Use Lucky Shot | Reload after a precision final blow; precision hits then refill a round from reserves. | It does not create unlimited ammunition. |
The current weapon socket accepts Still Hunt Catalyst. Its perk entries match Lucky Shot, while the separate enhanced Lucky Shot definition adds an improved-duration description. This guide uses the normal Catalyst effect and does not promise that enhanced duration. Official socket and perk data.
The Catalyst’s acquisition record lists Vanguard Ops, Gambit and Crucible, and its completion objective is 500 targets. A random acquisition source does not establish an exact drop percentage or a guaranteed number of clears. Obtain it, track the stated upgrade objective, then inspect the completed weapon. Current Catalyst record and objective.
Still Hunt in the Pale Heart Collection Badge
Still Hunt is one of the three Exotic weapons in the Pale Heart Pathfinder badge used by Transcendent. The badge checks the weapon itself. Its Catalyst is separate from the item-ownership requirement.
For the other badge weapons, use the Khvostov Guide and Microcosm Guide. The Pale Heart Guide connects the destination’s remaining systems.
Check the Named Service Objective
The reviewed Destiny 2 catalogue does not list a named Still Hunt or Wild Card weapon package, nor a Still Hunt Catalyst package. The Exotics service covers its explicitly listed other objectives. Selecting another weapon does not include this quest or upgrade.
Still Hunt FAQ
Quest, weapon and Catalyst questions
Where do I pick up Wild Card?
Progress the post-campaign Destined Heroes quest to Cayde-6 in the Lost City Tower.
Can I play Wild Card solo?
Yes. The current activity supports one to three players and has no automatic matchmaking.
Why did the final boss not give me Still Hunt immediately?
The quest continues after the mission: listen to the Lost City Tower radio transmission, then speak to Cayde-6.
Is Still Hunt only for Hunters?
No. Its current item has no class restriction. The Celestial Nighthawk interaction belongs to Hunters using that helmet.
How do I charge the Golden Gun shots?
Land precision hits or collect Orbs of Power to fill the weapon meter, then use Alternate Weapon Action.
Does Still Hunt have a Catalyst now?
Yes. The current Catalyst grants Lucky Shot. Its acquisition record names Vanguard Ops, Gambit and Crucible.
How many targets complete the Catalyst?
The current objective is 500 targets defeated with Still Hunt after acquiring the Catalyst.
Does Lucky Shot give infinite ammo?
No. Its precision-hit refill comes from reserves after reloading following a precision final blow.
Sources and Review
Reviewed October 15, 2026. Current official quest, activity, weapon, socket and Catalyst definitions establish the reward steps and upgrade details. The compact mission route follows an illustrated firsthand walkthrough. The firing-position and objective-check suggestions are original planning advice; no fresh CFNBoost damage test or guaranteed drop schedule is claimed.