How to finish ‘The Variable’ and get Vexcalibur in Destiny 2

By Jacky Last updated Mar 8, 2023

Vexcalibur is an exotic introduced in Lot 2‘s Lighting expansion with the Season of Defiance.

Vexcalibur is a new craftable Exotic Void glaive, available to those who have the season, that provides you and your allies with over-shields when you block with the weapon. To unlock the quest that gives you the weapon, you must first complete a small puzzle in the Gulch area of the EDZ. Once you complete the puzzle you will unlock the new Avalon secret mission which will give you the new glaive.

In this Lot 2 guide, we’ll cover how to unlock the Vexcalibur Void glaive and how to launch and navigate the quest “The Variable”.

How to get Vexcalibur in Destiny 2

The steps to get Vexcalibur in Destiny 2 are as follows:

Investigate the Gulch in the EDZ where Guardians have reported anomalous objects.
Follow the digital tracks.
Explore the Vex network node in the EDZ and discover its secrets. (Play ‘Avalon’ mission //node.ovrd.AVALON//.)
Take the object from the Vex network to the war table for analysis.

The mission at the end of this quest is 1800 Power level, except the quest is quite easy to complete.

Once you have Vexcalibur, there are a few things to follow from week 2 onwards, including unlocking the Authorization Override mod, the M1R Distribution Matrix II intrinsic, and the Immovable Refit trait. But first, here’s each quest step in more detail:

How to start ‘The Variable’ in Destiny 2

You start this quest by entering the code in the Gulch. For this you need to collect the six code snippets, we will discuss each of the locations below.

Finding the nodes in the Gulch of the EDZ

There are six code snippets you need to collect. You have 30 seconds between each pickup to get to the next one. The order we’ve put them in below is the order we recommend you pick them up.

Image: Bungie via polygon

1. You first follow at the top of the hill next to the Cabal gear.

2. Turn around, you will find the second track under the bridge.

3. The third track is in the trees on the hill opposite the first track.

4. The fourth track is in the dead center of the area between the group of trees.

5. From the fourth track, look at the large Cabal door, the fifth track is immediately to the right in some trees.

6. Continue along the wall from the fifth track and eventually you will see the sixth and final track above the traffic signs.

Follow the tracks to the cave to unlock the mission ‘Avalon’ //node.ovrd.AVALON//

An image showing where the cave is located.

Go to the area near the third track. Follow the path and you will see the cave on the left. Enter the cave and reach the harpy to start the mission //node.ovrd.AVALON//. Once you start the mission this way, it will be available on the EDZ in the director.

Completion of the ‘Avalon’ //node.ovrd.AVALON// mission

Complete the mission. If you need help, the following video walkthrough from prominent community member Esoterickk can help:

Remember that after you get Vexcalibur there are a few things to follow up from Week 2 onwards, including unlocking the Authorization Override mod, the M1R Distribution Matrix II intrinsic, and the Immovable Refit trait. Now let’s go through these one by one.

How to get deauthorization for Vexcalibur

Once you obtain Vexcalibur, you will be given the quest “Vexcalibur: Authorization Override”. This is a short quest where you have to kill Vex with the glaive. Upon completion, you will get the Authorization Override mod that you can place in Vexcalibur. It allows you to go through barriers.

An image with the authorization override.

How to get M1R Distribution Matrix II for Vexcalibur

Similar to Revision Zero, an exotic pulse rifle introduced in Season of the Seraph, this glazing will update its intrinsic week by week, allowing you to make it more and more to your liking. To unlock this first upgraded intrinsically, you’ll first need to use the Authorization Override mod discussed above. Once you have that on your glaive, enter the Avalon mission to normal or legendary.

Once you slide down the ramp, jump down and turn around, you will see a green button that you need to jump to and activate it. Once activated, continue until you reach the other side of the loop. You know you’re in the right place when you look up and see the barrier.

An image of the barrier you have to pass through.

Shield with Vexcalibur to go through the barrier and open the chest. This unlocks the first upgraded intrinsic that can be inserted into the enclave.

Getting the real estate renovation for Vexcalibur

Once you complete the Avalon mission and obtain Vexcalibur, you’ll unlock the Legendary version of the mission. Complete this legendary mission to unlock the Immovable Refit.

After getting Vexcalibur, check out our guide to getting Lot 2: Lightfall‘s Exotic Handgun, Last Warning; do the same for the exotic heavy machine gun, Deterministic Chaos; or find out where to find all the Lost Sectors and Region Chests in Neomuna.