Destiny 2 has brought back the popular Umbral Engrams, allowing you to determine your own loot. In this guide, we explain how to focus them, what the Triumph Hammer has to do with it, and where to open these Engrams.
The most important points at a glance: In Destiny 2, Season 13, the Season of the Chosen started on February 9, 2021. Guardians are hunting new Exotics and must stop the might of a Cabal Princess. The fresh Destiny chapter has also revamped the sandbox.
- Included now are the so-called Umbral Engrams.
- Many players are already familiar with these from Season 11 (2020), but the loot mechanics work differently in the new year.
MeinMMO explains here what Umbral Engrams are, how to focus them, and what the Prism Decoder and Triumph Hammer play an important role in.
With them, you can determine your own loot and farm targeted God Rolls on weapons and armor from a large pool.
You just need to play activities in Destiny 2 (More in the article). You can also randomly receive an Umbral Engram by defeating enemies. If you have one, you’ll see it at the top right of your character’s inventory.
They are Engrams (dark purple), but unlike legendary or exotic Engrams, they are not redeemed at the Cryptarch. You must go to the Umbral Decoder or Prism Transformer.
To focus or decrypt an Umbral Engram, you need to go to the H.E.L.M. Select this new location in the top left of the Tower map.
In these activities, you will receive Umbral Engrams:
- Battlegrounds
- Patrols
- Strikes
- Crucible
- Gambit
- The Trial by Fire
- Public Events
- The Blind Well
- Nightmare Hunts
- Exotic Challenges
- Imperium Hunts
Additionally, you unlock opportunities for more or better Umbral Engrams through seasonal upgrades. As mentioned, you also have a small chance to receive them by defeating regular enemies throughout the world.
You can carry up to 10 Umbral Engrams in your inventory – beyond that, they go to the Postmaster. However, remember that you also need space for legendary Engrams.
The Umbral Decoder and Prism Transformer in detail
If you’ve acquired an Umbral Engram, you have two options available.
- Unpack directly at the Umbral Decoder
- Focus at the Prism Transformer and then decode
You can find both apparatuses right next to each other in the H.E.L.M.
This is what the Umbral Decoder can do: Here, you open an Umbral Engram without further ado. You can find this machine right at the spawn point of the H.E.L.M., when you enter from the Tower – not like in Season 11 at the Vagabond.
If you unpack the Umbral Engram directly, a random legendary weapon or armor can drop as a reward. However, unpacking costs you nothing. It’s akin to the Cryptarch and normal Engrams.
Focusing Umbral Engrams to determine loot
This is what the Prism Transformer can do: Here, things get more complicated. You interact with this machine a little to the right of the spawn point in the H.E.L.M. When you click the Prism Transformer, you must select the Cabal symbol, and another screen with a hammer in the background will open:
What is focusing? You also open Umbral Engrams here, but this time it costs resources. However, you can determine what kind of loot is in your Umbral Engram. Determining the contents of an Umbral Engram is called “focusing” in Destiny.
- You can choose whether you want a weapon, armor, or even just new seasonal gear.
- The more specifically you want to narrow down the loot pool from which the item in the Engram comes, the more expensive it will be.
- Initially, only fairly coarse focusing options are available to you.
- Throughout the season, however, you will unlock more precise focusing options that allow you to determine which stats the armor should have or whether you will find the new Cabal Sniper Rifle in the Engram, for example.
Once an Umbral Engram is focused, you still need to take it to the Umbral Decoder.
If you’re wondering where to carry out rank-ups or find seasonal mods in Season 13, you’ll need to walk a bit further. At the back of the H.E.L.M., you’ll find the strategy table. Here, you improve your Triumph Hammer and receive packages when you complete seasonal challenges.
How to obtain Prism Lenses and unlock new focus
In total, you have 3 levels of focus to choose from. You unlock the first level right at the start of the season. However, to have better narrowing for Umbral Engrams, you need to unlock the level 2 and 3 focuses – you do this with Prism Lenses.
Here’s how to get more options: Through weapon or ability kills or completing specific objectives. You will see the exact task when you navigate over the focusing option at the Prism Transformer.
- For example, eliminate 750 enemies with Sniper Rifles or Bows to obtain the level 2 focus and guarantee a Sniper Rifle or Bow will be in the Umbral Engram.
- If you then eliminate 2,100 enemies with these weapons, you will receive the level 3 focus for it and have an additional perk choice for your Sniper Rifles and Bows.
Some Prism Lenses can also be obtained from smashed Tribute Chests at the end of the Battleground activity. The third way to get a Prism Lens and a new focus is randomly when completing an activity.
In summary: If you want to influence your loot, even farm specific weapons or receive armor with matching stats, you need to focus the Umbral Engram at the Prism Transformer.
Throughout Season 13, you will receive more focusing options. Remember that the more specific the focus, the higher the cost.
Stop… this is why the Triumph Hammer is so important
What focusing costs: If you were wondering why a formidable hammer floats in the background of the Prism Transformer – there is a good reason. You mostly pay for level 2 and 3 focuses with your Triumph Hammer. Even at level 1, some focuses cost Hammer Charges.
The required Hammer Charges vary from 1 to 5. Additionally, you must also spend Cabal Gold or Legendary Shards.
You can find a detailed guide to the new Triumph Hammer, how to upgrade it, and where to get Cabal Gold here on MeinMMO:
This is why you have plenty of time: The loot mechanics around the Umbral Engrams and the Prism Transformer can seem quite overwhelming at first. Our tip: Play through Season 13 at your own pace, gradually focus loot from the Umbral Engrams, and enhance the Prism Transformer.
Through the seasonal challenges, you will be gradually introduced to the topic. And by the end of the season, you will likely be swimming in Umbral Engrams. Additionally, the seasonal content is expected to remain relevant throughout year 4 of Destiny 2.
MeinMMO updates this article during the season to keep you up to date.
If you have any questions about Umbral Engrams or the focuses? Or have you come across some good tips that you find missing here? Let us and the other readers know in the comments.
However, you won’t find the new quest weapon of Season 13 in Umbral Engrams. You have to earn it through a quest: How to quickly obtain the new grenade launcher in Destiny 2 – How strong is it?
