How to Get Cull's Shadow in Destiny 2: Unlock the Oblation: Bloodline Secret Mission

Step-by-step: grab a Weapon of Sorrow, crack the Scarlet Keep runes, light four Hive crystals on the Moon and beat Oblation: Bloodline for Cull's Shadow.

Cull's Shadow is the secret Exotic that arrived with Monument of Triumph, Destiny 2's final major update, and it's still one of the most-searched unlocks in the game. It isn't sold anywhere and doesn't drop from engrams. You earn it by solving a chain of Hive rune puzzles across the Moon and then clearing a hidden mission, Oblation: Bloodline. This guide walks through the whole thing, step by step, and is correct for the current game version (Update 9.7.0.5).

What is Cull's Shadow?

Cull's Shadow is a Kinetic Exotic Fusion Rifle that uses Special ammo, with a set of frontal blades built into the frame. Its two Exotic perks work together:

• Soulburn: final blows or rapid hits with the blades heal you and build up Soulfire Charges. While you have charges, your shots apply corruption, and the blades deal extra damage to corrupted targets.
• Soulforge: corrupted enemies killed by Soulfire Charges leave crystals behind that explode when destroyed.

In short, it's a hybrid melee-and-fusion weapon that rewards getting up close – and it has four catalysts to chase once you own it.

Requirements

The Weapon of Sorrow is the key to the whole quest. Many of the steps involve shooting Hive runes or opening Hive doors that only react when you have one equipped. If you don't already own one, Thorn from the Monument to Lost Lights is the quickest way to get one.

Step-by-step: unlocking Oblation: Bloodline

1. Equip your Weapon of Sorrow. Keep it in your loadout for every step below. You only need to have it out when you're shooting runes or opening doors.
2. Launch The Scarlet Keep strike from the Moon map. Any difficulty works.
3. Beat the strike boss, Hashladûn, then head for the sealed gate behind the arena. With your Weapon of Sorrow equipped, Hive rune symbols appear. Shoot the ones that match the symbols on the gate (going top to bottom is the safest approach) to open it.
4. Interact with the Hive crystal in the room beyond the gate. This starts the hunt on the Moon itself.
5. Load into the Moon patrol space and look for "Suspicious Syndicate Activity" markers. Each one leads to a glowing Cabal body. There are four, in these zones:
   • Archer's Line
   • Anchor of Light
   • Hellmouth
   • Sorrow's Harbor
6. Follow each trail to its Hive rune door. Each body points you toward a landmark with a sealed door and a crystal behind it:
   • Archer's Line → Shrine of Oryx
   • Anchor of Light → Temple of Crota
   • Hellmouth → Chamber of Night
   • Sorrow's Harbor → K1 Revelation (the Lost Sector)
7. Solve each door. Clear the enemies first, then use your Weapon of Sorrow to reveal the runes and shoot the ones that match the door's symbols. In K1 Revelation, the door is in the boss room – don't start the boss fight. A wrong shot resets the lock, so take your time.
8. Activate the crystal behind each door. Once all four are done, the mission entrance opens.
9. Return to Sorrow's Harbor and head for the bridge leading to the Scarlet Keep. The entrance is underneath it on the east side – follow the Exotic marker down and through the hallway to launch Oblation: Bloodline.

Completing Oblation: Bloodline

The mission has three main parts:

1. Sabotage the drill. Defeat the Cabal guarding each command console and flip the switch, then shoot the fuses to expose the cooling pillars. Shoot the glowing vents until each pillar fails. Repeat in the next area, then overload the drill from the control room and use the launcher into the hole it opens.
2. Climb through the Moon's depths. This is a jumping section – follow the lit ledges and lanterns upward.
3. Light the braziers. In the Soulfire area, kill the Soulfire Vessel enemies with a melee to pick up a Soulfire Charge, then dunk it in a brazier. Repeat until the barrier drops.

Boss: Valus Tau'Rig, The Insatiable. Damage him until he goes immune. Wizards then empower him; follow them, kill another Soulfire Vessel, and bring the charge to the brazier beside the boss to break his shield. Burn him, and repeat the cycle until he dies. Heavy weapons and rockets make the damage phases much shorter.

Cull's Shadow drops when he goes down.

Don't leave yet: the first catalyst

Before you exit, equip Cull's Shadow and clear the area around the boss room. Look for a floating Hive grimoire above the boss door, reachable by jumping across the lanterns. Interact with it, then shoot the runes on the Hive door in the boss room from top to bottom. That unlocks the Soulfire Succor catalyst and the follow-up mission, Oblation: Soulfed, where the next catalysts come from.

Tips and common mistakes

• Forgetting the Weapon of Sorrow. It's the number one reason players get stuck. If a rune or door isn't showing up, check your loadout.
• Starting the K1 Revelation boss. You only need the door in that room. Triggering the boss just adds a fight you don't need.
• Rushing the rune doors. A wrong shot resets the lock and reshuffles the symbols. Clear the adds first so you can aim calmly.
• Leaving after the boss. The Soulfire Succor catalyst and Oblation: Soulfed are both tied to the post-boss secret, so grab them while you're there.
• Bring a friend if you can. The drill section and the boss fight go much faster with a fireteam.

Is it worth it?

Absolutely. With Destiny 2 no longer receiving new seasons, Cull's Shadow is one of the last big Exotic hunts in the game – and the Oblation missions are a proper secret quest in the old Whisper and Outbreak tradition. Grab your Thorn and head to the Moon.

This article was written by AI (Claude) and checked against the sources above. Games are updated regularly, so details may change.