Destiny 2: How to Get Celestial Nighthawk

Solar builds have always been fantastic in Destiny 2, but with Season of the Wish’s buffs, Solar Hunters are eating good. And while there are tons of amazing Exotics to choose from, we want to show how to get the Celestial Nighthawk, an absolute classic you should definitely have.

How to Get the Celestial Nighthawk Exotic Hunter Helmet in Destiny 2

Getting Exotics in Destiny 2 is technically easier than it’s ever been, and there are several different ways to get the Celestial Nighthawk. One note: there’s no guaranteed way to get it if you haven’t already earned it. In other words, there’s no deterministic source of Exotics you don’t already own. There are ways to increase your chances of getting an armor piece you want, but there’s no “go here, get Nighthawk” activity if it’s not in your inventory.

Legend/Master Solo Lost Sectors

High-difficulty Lost Sectors are the most consistent way to get Exotics you don’t already own. Which Sector gives Exotics rotates daily, as does the armor slot they award. You’ll need to wait until Head Armor is up for grabs. When it is, and provided you’re alone when you complete the Lost Sector, there’s a chance to earn an Exotic drop. Additionally, while it’s not guaranteed, the Exotic earned has a high chance of pulling from the list of those you don’t already have.

Be prepared to grind, however, as I’ve gone more than ten Legend Lost Sectors and four Masters without an Exotic drop, and that can be 40 minutes to more than an hour of your time spent.

High-difficulty Nightfall Activities

Nightfalls have always been the prime source of Exotic gear, going all the way back to vanilla Destiny 1. Now, even when completing them on Legend difficulty, the chance of getting an Exotic armor piece is high. That chance, and the chance for endgame upgrade materials, goes up the more difficult the activity becomes (Master and Grandmaster). However, unlike Legend Lost Sectors, Nightfall rewards are entirely random, making them good for getting a better roll but not for farming something specific.

Buying from Xur

Xur’s rotating selection of Exotics, available every Friday to Monday, might just have a Celestial Nighthawk to purchase. The problem? Xur only carries a single Exotic from each class each week, so there’s no way to guarantee he’ll carry what you want out of the more than two dozen Hunter Exotics currently available. The Exotic Engram you can buy from him (and that you can get a second one of with an Exotic Cipher) purports to offer Exotics you don’t have, but I’ve had mixed results.

Decrypting Exotic Engrams at Master Rahool

The last and least reliable way of getting the Celestial Nighthawk is to simply take any Exotic Engrams you collect to Master Rahool and decrypt them for random rewards. You might get an armor piece, you might get a weapon, but if you have Engrams to spare, it’s definitely a method.

Once you own the Celestial Nighthawk, you can hunt for better stat rolls by focusing one at Master Rahool. It costs an Exotic Engram, Two Ascendant Shards, and 60,000 Glimmer to do so, but if you have a regular team you can farm Nightfall activities with, getting those materials isn’t the hardest ask.

Those are the best ways I know to get your hands on the Celestial Nighthawk Hunter Exotic in Destiny 2. It is, even after all these years, still one of the easiest to use and most consistent DPS Exotics in the game, and having it is only a benefit to your collection. For more Exotic content, check out our guides on how to get the Conditional Finality Shotgun, the Gjallarhorn, and more in our D2 guides hub.