How I Bagged the Wicked Implement in 2026 (Yes, It’s Still Worth It)

Look, I get it. It's 2026, and you’re probably thinking, “Why on Earth would I go back to a seasonal exotic from Season of the Deep in 2023?” Well, let me tell you—despite all the new shiny toys we’ve gotten since then, the Wicked Implement still slaps like a frostbitten truck. I recently dragged a couple of clan mates through the secret Deep Dive mission because I was missing the catalyst, and I figured I'd spill the beans on the whole chaotic journey. Grab a coffee, guardian, because this quest is as hidden as my will to do Trials on a Friday night.

First things first, you don't start this thing by picking up a bounty. Nope! Bungie decided we needed a fishing trip. That's right—actual fishing. You've gotta catch three specific Exotic fish to break blades off the tackle box. The fish need to be from these locations:

Fish	Destination
Aeonian Alpha-Betta	EDZ
Kheprian Axehead	EDZ
Whispering Mothcarp	Savathun's Throne World
Vexing Placoderm	Nessus

I spent an embarrassing amount of time on Nessus, cursing RNGesus for not giving me that Vexing Placoderm. But the cool part? Only three broken blades are needed across the entire fireteam. So if one of your buddies already played fishing simulator, you can skip the rod entirely and just hop into the mission. Thank the Traveler for social loafing.

Once you've rustled up those blades (or mooched off someone else), you need to launch the Deep Dive activity. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT use matchmaking. This mission is ruthless, and you’ll need a coordinated loadout. I used the Destiny 2 LFG Discord, which feels like digital hitchhiker’s guide by now. You're looking for three hidden Hive altars scattered before the first two encounters. Interacting with an altar spends a broken blade and triggers a chilling message from Xivu Arath. If that doesn't give you goosebumps, check your audio settings.

Here’s the altar cheat sheet:

• Altar #1 (First Descent): After you drop into the ocean floor, take the right fork and look for a hole in the floor near a pressure bubble. It's tucked away like a spare exotic engram.

• Altar #2 (In First Encounter Arena): After smashing the first encounter, go into the building on the left before leaving. It’s practically waving at you.

• Altar #3 (Second Descent): Right before the final drop of the second descent, walk the narrow ledge to your left instead of jumping down. The altar is at the end, probably snickering at your fear of heights.

Activate all three altars, beat the second encounter, and a waypoint will guide you to a hidden entrance. Interact with those altar thingies inside, the forcefield drops, and off you go into the secret mission—often called the Whetstone mission. At this point, I told my fireteam, “No turning back now, folks. May the odds be ever in your favor.” They probably muted me.

The mission starts with two untimed underwater sections, so you can relax—well, as relaxed as you can be while swimming through Hive-infested corridors. Then you meet Khull, Executioner Knight, a Taken Knight who thinks he’s invincible. He’s right until you down three Taken Minotaurs to get x3 “Deathly Sharp.” Then he becomes vulnerable for 75 seconds. But here’s the kicker: you only need to chip off a bit of his health before he scampers away like a cockroach seeing light. I popped my Super and practically sneezed on him, and he fled.

Now, this is where the timer truly begins. The next room drops you into a cramped arena with a floating Darkness shard. Shoot the shard, clear the Taken, and repeat. Soon you’ll find yourself in Khull’s final stand. There are two forcefields with Minotaurs behind them—remove them by shooting the central shard. Snipers (Hobgoblins) will make your life miserable so prioritize them like they owe you glimmer. Once all three Minotaurs are down, you’ve got 75 seconds to unload everything into Khull. Coordinate your Wells, Thundercrashes, or whatever meta we're using this season. I personally used a chill clip fusion rifle, because irony.

After Khull bites the dust, the maze awaits. This is where you meet Omen, Blade of the Black Terrace, a Tormentor that cannot be suspended, blinded, frozen, or suppressed. He’s got a grab attack that’ll remind you of that one horror movie jump scare. The maze has sliding walls you can use to juke him like a game of cat and mouse. I found myself yelling “Nope!” more times than I’d like to admit.

Same drill: kill three Taken Minotaurs for x3 Deathly Edge. The Minotaurs spawn in corners, so split up. When DPS starts, Omen retreats to center surrounded by Psions and Phalanxes. Tormentors take extra crit damage to their chest weak point, so aim for the glowing thingy. I used a sniper and my trusty machine gun. Repeat until Omen gives up the ghost. Completing the mission rewards you with the Wicked Implement, a Stasis 180 RPM scout rifle.

Now, let’s talk perks. The Creeping Attrition perk loads slow-inflicting rounds after five precision hits. If you get a precision kill while it’s active, you spawn a Stasis Shard at the corpse via Tithing Harvest. Picking up any Stasis Shard reloads the weapon. This thing is a Stasis build’s best friend. I’ve been using it on my Warlock with Osmiomancy Gloves, and the battlefield looks like a freezer aisle.

What about the catalyst? You get it from T7 reward chests in Deep Dive. That means you need to complete the optional Pressure Trials—those pesky Toland orbs you’ve been ignoring. I made my fireteam interact with every orb like we were conducting a séance. Once unlocked, the catalyst refills the magazine gradually when you collect Stasis Shards. Think of it like Overflow on steroids, up to a 30-round mag. I’ve laid down continuous fire like a frozen hose without ever reloading. It’s disgustingly good.

So, is it worth the hassle in 2026? Heck yes. Even with new exotics entering the sandbox, Wicked Implement’s ability to create Stasis Shards and apply slow effortlessly makes it a cornerstone for any Stasis subclass. Plus, bragging rights for surviving that maze are eternal. Go get that scout rifle, guardian. I’ll be on the fishing dock if you need me. 🎣

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