Key art of The Navigator Exotic trace rifle from Destiny 2.
Destiny 2's new Exotic trace rifle, The Navigator. Image via Bungie

Destiny 2 Ghosts of the Deep Exotic: The Navigator trace rifle perks, traits, and more

All the might of Strand is at your fingertips.

The Ghosts of the Deep dungeon launched during Destiny 2’s Season of the Deep on May 26, and one of the most prized treasures tucked away in its depths is a new Exotic trace rifle. Brave fireteams will need to battle through a resurgent force of Lucent Hive to get a chance at it, but The Navigator’s unique properties are sure to entice every Guardian deep into Titan’s Arcology.

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The Navigator’s design is a departure from the aesthetic of the other weapons featured in Ghosts of the Deep’s loot pool, with a sleek black and white exterior barely containing the glowing emerald energy of the Strand contained within its core. Strand is the center of its power fantasy, and The Navigator not only capitalizes on Strand’s damaging capabilities but its supportive ones as well. While it fulfills a different role to Divinity, it is a similarly support-oriented Exotic weapon—a rarity amidst the Guardian’s arsenal even now.

Related: How to find the Rise quest and start the Ghosts of the Deep dungeon in Destiny 2

Here’s what the Ghosts of the Deep Exotic The Navigator does in Destiny 2.

What does the Ghosts of the Deep Exotic trace rifle The Navigator do in Destiny 2?

Screenshot via Bungie

The Navigator is a Strand trace rifle for the Kinetic slot. Despite having a similar magazine size, firing style, and set of base statistics as other trace rifles, its Exotic elements lie within the effects imbued within its beam output.

The Navigator’s intrinsic trait, Protective Weave, is focused around the Woven Mail verb of Strand. When the user fires The Navigator at an ally, it will grant both them and the targeted Guardian the Woven Mail buff. This is one of the easiest ways to activate the most powerful Damage Resist buff in Destiny 2 and allows the player to do so without having the Strand subclass equipped. Woven Mail grants you 60 percent Damage Resist for 10 seconds, a convenient thing to have in endgame PvE content at will via The Navigator.

This alone would be enough to make The Navigator a promising new Exotic weapon addition, but it also has another unique perk: Weft Cutter. Weft Cutter is oriented around the Sever verb of Strand, which decreases the outgoing damage of a Severed enemy by 33 percent.

Related: All weapons in the Ghosts of the Deep dungeon in Destiny 2

By doing sustained damage to a target with The Navigator, the wielder will Sever them, allowing players to nerf the threat level of powerful enemies and get a free Strand Tangle on a killing blow. This is great for any Guardian, but especially those wielding the Strand subclass since the easy Sever synergizes excellently with a variety of Fragments.

The Navigator is a random drop from the final encounter of the Ghosts of the Deep dungeon. Fortunately, you can increase that drop rate through a variety of specific Triumphs in the dungeon, such as completing the dungeon solo. More than likely though, it’s going to take you quite a few runs—and mastering the dungeon—to get your hands on this lucrative Exotic.


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Author
Alexis Walker
Alexis is a freelance journalist hailing from the UK. After a number of years competing on international esports stages, she transitioned into writing about the industry in 2021 and quickly found a home to call her own within the vibrant communities of the looter shooter genre. Now she provides coverage for games such as Destiny 2, Halo Infinite and Apex Legends.