The Wicked Implement remains one of the most chillingly effective exotic scout rifles in the history of Destiny 2, a weapon that first surfaced during the Season of the Deep back in 2023. Even in 2026, its unique ability to freeze and slow enemies continues to make it a prized addition to Stasis-focused builds. For Guardians who missed its original launch window, or for those returning to the game with The Final Shape era, the path to obtaining this precision powerhouse has evolved. Understanding the original questline — and the adjustments made since — is key to adding the Wicked Implement to your arsenal today.

Originally, the rifle was locked behind a multi-layered seasonal activity known as Deep Dives. This matchmade, three-player experience took fireteams deep beneath the methane oceans of Titan. The key to unlocking the Wicked Implement lay in a hidden boss encounter called the Whetstone, which only became available after collecting three rare Broken Blades. These blades were tied to an entirely different activity: fishing.

In the original Season of the Deep, Guardians had to visit specific fishing spots across multiple destinations. The process demanded patience and a bit of luck. The Kheprian Axehead could be hooked in the EDZ, the Whispering Mothercarp was lurking in the waters of Nessus, and the Vexing Placoderm required a trip to Savathûn’s Throne World. Only after catching all three could players assemble the Broken Blades and trigger the Whetstone fight at the highest depth tier. Back then, Bungie rolled out the associated triumph on week 10 of the season, which aligned with the July 25, 2023 weekly reset. The community quickly realized that mastering the Deep Dive mechanics beforehand was essential to surviving the extra challenge.

Deep Dive itself was structured in escalating tiers — Twilight, Midnight, and Abyss. Without Surges active, enemy difficulty remained punishing, but scattered Ahsa’s Gift buffs offered temporary boosts to damage, speed, or defense. The first segment guided players through objectives like repairing terminals, clearing Taken Blight, and defeating standard bosses. The encounter pool included J4W-S, a massive Servitor; Kudazad, Bound to Xivu Arath; and Kelgorath, Taken from Bones. Their appearance depended on the environmental flora count, but all were merely stepping stones to the true threat.

The final Whetstone encounter introduced Omen, Blade of the Black Terrace. This boss was completely immune to status effects and flanked by respawning Taken Minotaurs. The only way to break Omen’s defenses was to eliminate three Minotaurs, which forced the boss to rush to the center of the arena, briefly exposing a vulnerability window. After that phase, the cycle repeated. Coordination among fireteam members was not just recommended — it was necessary. Those who triumphed were rewarded with the Wicked Implement, a Stasis scout rifle that permanently changed how many approached crowd control.

The weapon’s intrinsic trait, Creeping Attrition, immediately proved its worth: rapid precision hits slow combatants. Combine that with its standard trait, which refills the magazine from reserves on defeating slowed targets, and the Wicked Implement became a self-sustaining freezing engine. The exotic catalyst, introduced later in that same season, offered even more lethality — collecting Stasis shards gradually overflowed the magazine, allowing for extended damage phases without reloading. During 2023, the catalyst was tied to the week 10 challenge inside Deep Dives, pushing players to master the encounter repeatedly.

Fast forward to 2026, and the original seasonal model is long gone. However, Bungie has integrated the Wicked Implement into the Monument to Lost Lights as part of the Exotic Archive. Guardians who own the Lightfall annual pass or the appropriate legacy collection can purchase the rifle using an Exotic Cipher, Glimmer, and Ascendant Shards. Its catalyst is now available through playlist activities — strikes, Crucible, or Gambit — dropping randomly once the base weapon is acquired. For anyone looking to experience the original quest for the story, legacy nodes in the Legends tab occasionally rotate the \u201cDeep Dive (historic)\u201d activity, although the fishing component has been streamlined into a simpler blade collection objective.

What makes the Wicked Implement still relevant today is its synergy with modern Stasis setups. As of the Revenant expansion, Stasis mods and fragments emphasize slow effects and crystal generation, turning this scout rifle into a primary weapon that can lock down entire rooms. In endgame content like Grandmaster Nightfalls or competitive PvP modes where ability uptime is limited, a precision tool that naturally throttles enemy movement can turn the tide. Whether you earned it through the grueling depths in 2023 or are picking it up from the Exotic Archive in 2026, the Wicked Implement continues to freeze its way into the heart of every Guardian who values control over chaos.