Shattered Cipher is a Void rapid-fire machine gun introduced in Destiny 2 during the Season of the Splicer. While it is no longer a seasonal reward, it can now be found in the Dares of Eternity loot pool, making it a target for players looking for a potent and ammo-efficient heavy weapon.
This machine gun excels in sustained, close-to-mid-range combat. It shines in PvE for add-clear and sustained damage thanks to its high rate of fire and deep ammo reserves inherent to its Rapid-Fire Frame. Perk options like Subsistence and One for All create a powerful loop where you can mow down groups of enemies while constantly refilling the magazine and gaining a significant damage boost. Void subclasses like Sentinel Titans and Nightstalker Hunters can make great use of it to trigger Volatile Rounds, turning it into an engine of explosive chaos.
From this guide, you will know:
- How good is the Shattered Cipher MG
- How to get Shattered Cipher
- Stats and Perks of Shattered Cipher
- Shattered Cipher God Roll
- If Shattered Cipher craftable
If you enjoy laying down a torrent of suppressing fire and want a Void machine gun that excels at clearing entire rooms without reloading, Shattered Cipher is worth farming from Dares of Eternity.
Is Shattered Cipher MG Good?
Short answer: Situational. Shattered Cipher is a 
B-tier pick in PvE and a 
C-tier pick in PvP.
Shattered Cipher Tier list:
- PvE: B-tier. A fun and functional bullet hose for add-clear, but outclassed by other meta Heavy weapons.
- PvP: C-tier. Its poor stability and awkward recoil make it a difficult choice for the Crucible.
Why PvE B-tier: It can roll Subsistence and One for All, creating a powerful loop for clearing groups of minor enemies without reloading. However, as a Rapid-Fire Frame in the Heavy slot, it struggles to compete with the raw damage and ammo economy of higher-impact Machine Guns or other power options like Swords and Rocket Launchers.
Why PvP C-tier: The main drawback is its low stability and a recoil direction stat of 45, which makes the gun kick wildly and difficult to control on distant targets. In a sandbox where other Machine Guns are far more stable and lethal at range, Shattered Cipher is a hard sell.
How to Get Shattered Cipher in Destiny 2
Shattered Cipher is a Void Rapid-Frame Machine Gun added during the Season of the Splicer. Since it’s now a legacy weapon, you’ll need to know where to find it, as it no longer drops from its original source.
Step 1: Play Dares of Eternity
Shattered Cipher is now part of the Dares of Eternity loot pool. This free-to-play six-player activity is located in the Eternity destination on the Director. You earn loot at the end of each completion.
Step 2: Check the Weekly Rotation
The loot pool in Dares of Eternity is on a weekly rotation. This means Shattered Cipher is only available as a potential drop during specific weeks when the Season of the Splicer weapon set is featured. You must play when the correct rotation is active.
Step 3: Earn Strange Favors and Paraversal Hauls
Completing Dares of Eternity matches rewards you with Strange Favors and a Paraversal Haul. You can use Strange Favors to purchase additional Paraversal Hauls from Xûr’s Treasure Hoard, which also have a chance to contain the weapon.
Step 4: Focus at the Starhorse
The fastest way to target-farm is by using Strange Favors at the Starhorse in Xûr’s Treasure Hoard. Once you have unlocked the weapon, you can focus your engrams into specific legacy weapon engrams, including the one that contains Shattered Cipher, for a more direct path to the roll you want.
Fastest Way to get Shattered Cipher:
- Wait for the “Season of the Splicer” weapon rotation in Dares of Eternity.
- Grind Dares of Eternity matches for drops and Strange Favors.
- Spend Strange Favors on focused engrams at the Starhorse.
Shattered Cipher Farming Tips:
- Watch the Rotation: Always check the weekly reset to see if the Season of the Splicer weapons are available in Dares of Eternity. Farming any other week is futile.
- Increase Difficulty: Completing the Legend version of Dares of Eternity rewards you with two Paraversal Hauls instead of one, increasing your chances per run.
- Farm with a Team: While Dares has matchmaking, running the Legend difficulty with a pre-made fireteam ensures faster and more efficient clears.
- Prioritize Focusing: Don’t just rely on random drops from the activity. Once you have a copy of the gun, use your Strange Favors to focus engrams at the Starhorse for a much better chance at your desired perks.
Quick Summary
- Shattered Cipher is only available from Dares of Eternity.
- Best way: Check the weekly rotation → farm Dares → spend currency on focused engrams at the Starhorse.
- Focus perks: Subsistence + One for All for PvE add-clear.
- It may require some patience to wait for the correct weekly rotation, but the farm itself is straightforward.
Perks of Shattered Cipher MG
Column 3 Perks
- Subsistence: (Best in Slot) Defeating targets refunds a portion of the magazine from reserves. This is the cornerstone perk for its top PvE build, dramatically reducing downtime and allowing for sustained fire.
- Threat Detector: Provides a handy boost to handling and reload speed when enemies are close, which is often the case with an SMG-style Machine Gun.
- Dynamic Sway Reduction: Helps control the weapon’s naturally bouncy recoil as you continue firing, a useful option for longer engagements.
Column 4 Perks
- One for All: (Best in Slot) Hitting three separate targets grants a significant damage boost. This is the perfect partner for Subsistence, allowing you to easily activate a 35% damage buff that synergizes with clearing groups of enemies.
- Adrenaline Junkie: Grants increased grenade damage and reload speed on grenade kills. A strong alternative for grenade-focused builds.
- Vorpal Weapon: Provides bonus damage against bosses, vehicles, and Guardians in their Super. A solid, consistent choice for damaging tougher targets.
Origin Traits
- Splicer’s Finesse: Rapidly landing precision hits with this weapon grants a temporary period of increased handling and reload speed. This trait synergizes perfectly with the weapon’s goal of sustained fire, helping to keep the damage flowing.
Quick Take
- PvE God Roll:
- Barrel: Arrowhead Brake (to fix the poor Recoil Direction)
- Magazine: Appended Mag or Tactical Mag
- Perk 1: Subsistence
- Perk 2: One for All
- Masterwork: Reload Speed or Handling
This roll creates an incredible feedback loop: you defeat enemies to keep your magazine full while maintaining a powerful damage buff, allowing you to clear entire rooms with a single trigger pull.
Shattered Cipher God Roll
The Shattered Cipher stands out in its niche because it can combine extreme ammo efficiency with potent, easy-to-proc damage buffs, creating a powerful add-clear engine that few other Heavy weapons can match. Let’s look at what makes its perk combinations worth digging for.
Shattered Cipher PvE God Roll
In PvE, your focus with a Rapid-Fire Machine Gun is clearing waves of enemies without running out of ammo or having to constantly reload. Shattered Cipher‘s best perks turn it into a literal bullet hose that gets stronger as it kills.
- Subsistence – This is the cornerstone of the top PvE build. Defeating targets refunds a portion of the magazine directly from reserves. On a weapon with a deep ammo pool and a 74-round magazine, this allows for an incredibly long period of sustained fire without a single reload.
- One for All – The perfect partner for Subsistence. Hitting three separate targets—a trivial task for a machine gun—grants a significant 35% damage boost. This perk is ideal for add-clear, as it activates easily on groups and dramatically increases your damage output.
- Adrenaline Junkie – A strong alternative for grenade-focused builds. Getting a grenade kill or a final blow with the weapon grants bonus damage and handling. It’s a powerful option, though it requires a more ability-centric playstyle.
- Vorpal Weapon – A simple and reliable choice. It provides bonus damage against bosses, minibosses, and vehicles. While not as potent for add-clear as One for All, it gives the weapon more utility against tougher targets.
Together, these perks let you build for maximum uptime. The definitive god roll is Subsistence + One for All, creating a powerful loop where you mow down enemies to keep your magazine full while maintaining a massive damage buff. For grenade builds, Subsistence + Adrenaline Junkie is a powerful combo that feeds your ability energy while boosting your weapon damage.
Shattered Cipher PvP God Roll
In the Crucible, the Shattered Cipher faces stiff competition. Its low stability and awkward recoil make it a challenging pick, but it can be serviceable with the right perks focused on consistency.
- Dynamic Sway Reduction – The best choice for improving dueling potential. This perk progressively increases stability and accuracy the longer you fire, helping to control the weapon’s wild kick and keep shots on target.
- Tap the Trigger – An excellent consistency perk that provides a large burst of stability and accuracy on the initial trigger pull. On a Rapid-Fire Frame, this can activate multiple times during a single magazine, making the weapon far more manageable.
- Elemental Capacitor – A fantastic wildcard. When running a Void subclass, this perk grants a massive +40 to Recoil Direction, fundamentally fixing the weapon’s hardest-to-manage stat and making its kick almost perfectly vertical.
For the final column, perks like Kill Clip can provide a potent damage boost after a reload, potentially allowing for faster kills on subsequent targets. However, due to the weapon’s inherent weaknesses, the focus should always be on perks that enhance its stability and control.
For barrels and magazines, you must prioritize recoil control and stability. Arrowhead Brake is almost mandatory to fix the Recoil Direction, paired with Ricochet Rounds and a Stability masterwork. This setup makes the Shattered Cipher as consistent as possible in a slot where other Machine Guns are naturally more stable and lethal.
Can you craft Shattered Cipher?
You cannot craft Shattered Cipher. It does not drop with Deepsight (red borders) and has no pattern to unlock, so there is no way to craft a personalized version at the Enclave.
The only way to get this Machine Gun is from the Dares of Eternity activity, specifically during weeks when the “Season of the Splicer” weapon set is in the loot rotation. You can earn copies as random drops from completing the activity or by purchasing Paraversal Hauls and focusing legacy engrams at the Starhorse in Xûr’s Treasure Hoard using Strange Favors earned in the activity.
This means if you want a specific god roll with perks like Subsistence and One for All, you will need to farm Dares of Eternity during the correct weekly rotation and use your currency to focus engrams for a chance at the perfect combination.
Conclusion
The Shattered Cipher is a classic example of a powerful, perk-driven weapon that excels in a specific role. It brings together extreme ammo efficiency with Subsistence and an easy, potent damage buff from One for All, creating an unmatched add-clear machine gun. In PvE, it feels relentless and satisfying, allowing you to mow down waves of enemies without ever needing to reload. In PvP, it is outclassed by more modern and stable options, making it a niche pick at best.
Because it’s a legacy weapon and not craftable, acquiring a good roll requires patience and farming during its specific week in the Dares of Eternity rotation. Players who enjoy bullet-hose Heavy weapons, need a strong Void option for add-clear, or want a weapon that turns ammo bricks into minutes of continuous fire should keep an eye on the weekly rotation. If you already have a crafted Commemoration or other meta Heavy weapon, you can safely skip it — but for Guardians looking for a fun and potent add-clear workhorse, a well-rolled Shattered Cipher is a worthy addition to the vault.
