Destiny 2: How To Get Halo's Magnum Exotic, Forerunner, From The Magnum Opus Quest

Destiny 2's big new update is in many ways a celebration of developer Bungie's past, and that includes its work on Halo. Among the new weapons that have been added are a variety of Halo-inspired ones, and while these can generally be obtained from the new six-player Dares of Eternity event, another will require some more effort. That gun is Forerunner, an Exotic sidearm that is quite clearly based on the original magnum from Halo. Here's how to get started on the Magnum Opus quest and every step you'll need to complete.

Step 1: Strange Coins

You'll initially get the Magnum Opus quest at the Treasure Hoard, which you can visit after first completing Dares of Eternity. (You can return by selecting Eternity from the Director screen.) You'll initially need to collect seven Strange Coins and then return to the Starhorse, which offers a new set of weekly quests tied to Dares in exchange for Strange Coins.

Step 2: Starhorse Bounties

The next step is to obtain and complete three of these Starhorse bounties--notably, you can only hold one at a time, so be sure to read what's being asked of you before you make a selection. Some are more difficult than others, but you'll earn bonus progress toward this quest step by completing harder bounties. You'll need to complete all steps of the bounty during a single run of Dares of Eternity, so make sure you stay focused on what you need to do. You can't repeat the same bounty, so don't get too fixated on, say, getting kills with pulse rifles.

For the lower-difficulty bounties that only require 160,000 points during your run, Normal difficulty should be sufficient. It is possible to get the 180,000+ points you need on higher difficulties on Normal as well, but be sure you do everything you can to maximize points--collect power-ups and orbs of light, take out as many enemies as possible, and be careful during the wacky obstacle course to ensure you can reach as many power-ups as possible.

Step 3: Get A Strange Key

Next up, you'll need to obtain a Strange Key. This is separate from the treasure keys used to obtain rewards from the Treasure Hoard, but it's still fairly easy to get. As you complete Dares of Eternity, you'll receive Strange Favor. These ranks you up with Xur and gets you various rewards. Once you hit Rank 4, you can claim a Strange Key from Xur. Just talk to him at the Treasure Hoard and you'll see the reward track for what you'll receive for reaching certain ranks.

Step 4: Use The Strange Key

Once you have a Strange Key, talk to Xur once again, and you'll receive the next quest step. This tasks you with using the key and following a path to claim an "anomalous object." You can follow a waypoint to enter the Valley, the area where the Dares activity begins. (If you don't see the waypoint, there's a portal of sorts you can use behind the spawn at the Treasure Hoard; just stand in it for a few seconds to go through.)

Head straight into the large circular area ahead, and then look to your right. Make your way toward the outer cliffs until you see the rock formation pictured above. You'll be able to use your key there to lower a barrier inside a hidden cave on the opposite side of the Valley (which you might stumble upon first, but the barrier won't let you advance until the key is used). A waypoint will take you there once you use the key.

Inside, you'll do some basic platforming--make your way forward through the caves until you see spheres circling a ledge. Get up on the ledge, then look above you for another pathway. Through there, you'll come upon what looks like a dam with small ledges you can use to make your way to the top. Keep platforming, taking care not to fall when the ledges disappear (they do so every few seconds), and you'll eventually find a cryopod with the object inside. Grab it, but don't miss the fun opportunity to use the slide out of the area to get dropped back into the Valley.

Step 5: Talk To Banshee

The final step is the easiest one. Simply head to the Tower and talk to Banshee, who'll give you some dialogue about never having been brought a gun like this before. One cheeky reference to warthogs later and you've got yourself Forerunner.

What Does Forerunner Do?

Forerunner a primary slot sidearm with the Full Stop intrinsic trait. This means the gun has "extended-range, heavy-caliber rounds" that can be fired fully auto. As an added nod to Halo, it deals extra precision damage to unshielded targets. Forerunner also has the Pace Yourself trait, causing it to have less recoil and improved accuracy when you only tap the trigger, as opposed to firing it fully auto. From my limited time with it so far, it's a blast, and well worth going through this quest to obtain.