In Destiny Xur, the Agent of the Nine, black market dealer and self-proclaimed Warlock fan, also visits the Tower over Christmas. We present his offers and positions in this article along with screenshots and videos.

It was a rough night in Destiny and when Xur appears at 10:00 AM in the Tower, not everyone will be able to log in right away to joyfully jump into his arms. But it’s not just the network issues that make Xur’s appearance in Destiny special today; it’s also Christmas. Many Guardians are hoping for a gift in the form of an exotic weapon or exotic armor.

There are no “rumors” about a Christmas bonus; those were player wishes

In advance, there were already articles from other sites mentioning: “There are rumors that he might have the exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn this week.” We don’t want to disappoint you, but: There are no such rumors. The players are just wishing for that.

Just like Schalke fans wish their club would become champions again. Or like some people wish for a night with Jennifer Lawrence. Those are wishes, not rumors, dear colleagues.

Xur, the Agent of the Nine, will most likely make his selection randomly again on 26.12. He has a huge arsenal of weapons and armor, from which he only selects a few. There will be one armor piece for each class, he will have one single exotic weapon from his collection, and perhaps an engram, perhaps not.

He offers to upgrade “old” versions of exotic weapons to their new version; here 6 weapons and 6 armors are selected randomly. If he has a PS-exclusive weapon available for upgrading, then it’s “extra.”

It is highly unlikely that Xur will deviate from this pattern at Christmas. Well, it is not entirely ruled out.

All About Xur, the Agent of the Nine, on 26.12., 27.12., 28.12. in Destiny

When Does Xur Come and When Does He Leave Again?

Xur comes today, Friday, 26.12., at 10:00 AM German time to the Tower and leaves again on Sunday, 28.12., also at 10 AM.
Update 28.12. 0:30: Xur has exceptionally extended his stay. He will remain until Tuesday, 30.12., at 7:00 AM: Destiny: Xur’s Stay Extended Due to PSN/XBL Problems – Stays Until Tuesday Morning

Where is Xur? What is His Position?

Xur is located among the Vanguard traders. In this video, you can see his exact location.
http://youtu.be/fuVDmP4_kvI?t=29s

What’s Up with the Numbers on the Armors?

The armors in Destiny have values for Strength, Discipline, and Intellect. These values are not the same for every exotic armor of the same type. The higher they are, the better. The first value is the “base value” of the item at light level 30, the second value is the maximum reachable value when the armor piece is fully upgraded. In this article, we have more about it. However, the limits have since been increased.

What Does Xur Have This Week for Hunters, Titans, and Warlocks?

The new exotic sniper rifle No Land Beyond. This counts as a primary weapon, but is not very popular among Guardians. Generally, No Land Beyond is considered one of the weakest exotic weapons. The name actually refers to a quote from the Russian sniper in World War II, Vasily Zaitsev. It costs 17 strange coins.
The chest armor Immortal Armor for Titans costs 13 strange coins. Has 138/149 Discipline.
The helmet Achlyophagen Symbiont for Hunters costs 13 strange coins. Has 87/93 Discipline in this version.
The DLC gloves The Claws of Ahamkara for Warlocks. Xur wants 13 strange coins for them, this time they have 49/52 Discipline and Strength.
He does not have an engram this week.

What Upgrade Options Are Available This Week?

Upgrading exotic weapons from 300 to 331 (maximum damage) and exotic armors (light value 30 to light value 36) requires in Destiny an exotic shard, between 7000 and 8000 Glimmer, and the “old” version of the item. For these items, Xur offers the opportunity this week:

For weapon upgrades, Xur offers:

• The auto rifle Suros Regime
• The Red Death, a pulse rifle
• The hand cannon The Last Word (The Last Word)
• The exotic machine gun Thunderlord
• The solar machine gun Super Good Advice
• And … the Gjallarhorn
• For PlayStation owners, also the Hawkmoon

For armor upgrades, he has:

• The Mark of Alpha Lupi for Hunters with 136/146 Strength
• The gloves Ahamkara’s Spine , also for Hunters, with 81/87 Discipline
• For Titans, the Helm of Saint-14, this time with 108/116 Intellect
• The Helm of Inmost Light, for Titans with 100/107 Strength
• For Warlocks the Heart of Praxic Fire, a chest piece, this time with 127/137 Discipline.
• and the gloves Sunbreakers, they have 84/90 Intellect

Update 28.12. 0:30: Xur has exceptionally extended his stay. He will remain until Tuesday, 30.12., at 7:00 AM.

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Anyone who wants to play console games in offline mode during the holidays, like Destiny, faces serious limitations. The blame likely lies with a self-proclaimed hacker group.

On Christmas Eve, December 24th, during US evening hours, and also for the first and second nights of celebrations, a group of well… individuals, seeking to gain fame through their Twitter account, announced that they would take down the PlayStation Network (PSN) and the Xbox Live (XBL) network. They have at least partially succeeded in doing so.

Without these networks, players cannot log into online console games like Destiny. Once logged in, players should be unaware of the attacks.

We’re aware that some users are having issues logging into PSN – engineers are investigating

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) December 25, 2014

A second group has then confronted the first group, aiming to make their Twitter account popular by taking down the first group (and possibly has intentions for donations or a job offer).

The first group has been doing this for almost half a year now, while the second group has been at it for a month. There is back and forth. No one can really verify if those claiming to have any real impact actually do and if the self-proclaimed “Whitehats” are really hindering the others…

There are extremely strange videos, interviews, and accusations, alleged arrests, threats, and so forth. Actually, it was said months ago that they would stop, but it seems they have developed a taste for “E-Fame” and can’t get away from it.

The fact is: The networks of the consoles from both Sony and Microsoft are currently facing difficulties.

Both companies are working on a solution, as they confirm to gaming sites like Polygon. They do not comment on where these problems arise from or who is responsible.

We have also decided not to mention any of the involved groups or even post their Twitter handles.

On the IP map of the company Norse, you can admire the global DDOS ship-sinking live in all sorts of colorful hues.

Update 9:00: In a similarly surprising as well as kitschy turn of events, the “eccentric” internet personality Kim Dotcom offered the so-called hackers lifelong privileges at his internet download service if they stop the attacks against Xbox and PlayStation.

Kim Dotcom is indeed an enthusiastic Destiny player, active on the Xbox One (2 level 31 Warlocks, 1 level 30 Hunter) and apparently wanted to enjoy a round of Destiny over Christmas (well, he will enjoy the PR boost as well). The privileges only apply as long as the “hackers” keep their feet still and no longer attack the networks.

Xbox Live and PSN services coming back. Many regions fully restored. Full recovery imminent. Enjoy your gaming holidays. You’re welcome 🙂

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) December 26, 2014

The hacking attacks have stopped a few hours ago, say the “hackers”. Allegedly, there are still clean-up operations underway at the networks. That should be resolved soon.

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In the MMO shooter Destiny , players are expecting the arrival of Xur on December 26th, the second day of Christmas. Will he have a special Christmas gift this time, or is there something special for the holidays?

The Guardians want gifts, but do they even celebrate Christmas in Destiny?

There was something for Halloween, but not for Black Friday

No one really expected Destiny to engage in seasonal events – like other games that clearly have events for Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. Seasonal events were never mentioned for Destiny.

But then Halloween came, and Destiny did something. To everyone’s surprise, three days before the actual holiday, there was a pumpkin helmet as a head and a swarm of bats. And the Guardians thought: Now this must happen every time!

When Black Friday came, a big discount day in the USA, there had already been two weeks of chatter among the Guardians: Xur has something special for Black Friday. After all, Xur is a special merchant who only comes on Fridays, so it would make sense, right? Somehow the Guardians convinced themselves of this until it sounded like a completely logical and established development.

But here the hopes were dashed. Xur had nothing special for Black Friday. The wish was the father of the thought.

For Christmas, Bungie promises a small token

So what about Christmas now? It’s clear: there will be “some little special something.” This was announced in the last Weekly Update. Players should keep an eye out for a small present after the holidays, as a small token of gratitude that Bungie extends to the players.

Before we kick off, we should note that you should be on the lookout for some small stocking stuffers sometime after the Holidays have come and gone – a small token of our gratitude.

Now, players have read a lot into this sentence. The post was adorned with a picture of the Cryptarch drawn by a fan, showing Rahool handing over a legendary engram – which is actually green under the wrapping.

So the Guardians thought: There must be a legendary engram.

Others insist that Xur absolutely has a “pre-arranged” offer this Friday, December 26th. Perhaps the Gjallarhorn or something else special. That would certainly be something that could bring the greatest joy to many, b…

So what will it be?

No one knows exactly what it will be. Nothing happened on Christmas Eve, and the hint suggests that “when the holidays are over,” something will happen. Perhaps there will unexpectedly be a small event gift with the next weekly reset on December 30th or the one after that on January 6th, just like it was for Halloween. 

A cosmetic item, maybe a little snowfall or something similar.

Of course, many hope for Xur. However, one should not raise expectations unnecessarily high. It would be quite unusual for Bungie to directly interfere with the randomly selected offer. On the other hand… Destiny surely knows the wish lists of the Guardians…

We will definitely be here tomorrow morning to take a look at Xur’s offer, the Agent of the Nine, on December 26th at 10:00 AM. But please do not be too disappointed if the exotic special merchant has nothing particularly special with him.

Update December 26th, 10 AM: It seems the gift will only be available in 2015. At least that’s what Community Manager DeeJ tweeted. Looks like it’ll be after January 6th.

Holiday gifts are scheduled for delivery in January. No one is missing out the Cryptarch’s good cheer.

— DeeJ (@DeeJ_BNG) December 26, 2014

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The DLC “Darkness Lurks” brought two new rocket launchers for the MMO shooter Destiny , the exotic Dragon’s Breath and the raid boss drop Crota’s Hunger. In two video clips, a Youtuber tests them for damage and utility.

The lucky ones among you will say with a smirk: “What? There are other rocket launchers besides Gjallarhorn?” But due to its rarity, it is simply not an option for most, unless the Guardians’ prayers are answered and Xur distributes Gjallarhorns like candy on Friday, December 26.

For all non-Gjallarhorn users: The DLC Darkness Lurks brought two new and notable rocket launchers to Destiny. A Youtuber seems to have developed a fascination for rocket launchers and has taken a look at both in truly remarkable test videos that we would like to introduce to you.

Dragon’s Breath – exotic and leaves a damage zone

The exotic rocket launcher Dragon’s Breath was the star in a video with DrCripsy. Just because of its extraordinary design with the painted and snarling dragon face, it is worth a look.

In the game itself, it has the disadvantage that its rockets are extremely slow, so the Youtuber recommends choosing perks that compensate for this and increase speed.

The strength of Dragon’s Breath is that the rockets leave a damage zone, a void zone, on the ground behind. Enemies take damage when standing in it. It’s a good way to damage tightly packed enemy hordes that hardly move.

Dragon’s Breath drops from the first chest, the so-called solo chest, in Crota’s End. However, it can also be found in strikes and numerous other locations in the game, albeit with a relatively low probability. It is a random exotic drop.

Crota’s Hunger – not Gjallarhorn, but close

The legendary rocket launcher Crota’s Hunger is one of the five raid weapons that can drop from Crota in the raid Crota’s End. The Black Hammer and Ir Yût’s Song have already made a name for themselves. Crota’s Hunger is also right up there. As a special gimmick, it has smart rockets that lock onto and track their targets. While this doesn’t guarantee a hit, it is useful.

Crota’s Hunger has the advantage of not taking up a valuable exotic slot and deals decent damage – right in the face of the enemies. Plus, it looks badass with the skull grinning at you while aiming.
http://youtu.be/E_Qv_BP_Uvk

Alternatives to Gjallarhorn alternatives?

Although neither rocket launcher can replace Gjallarhorn, both are a useful addition to the arsenal of Destiny’s Guardians.

If you can’t get either of them, or if you want to do without the exotic rocket launcher Truth that Xur had recently, you can still strike a deal with the vendors of the Crucible and either get the One Way Ticket 000 for a Crucible accolade and 150 marks or you can get this treasure here, the Valedictorian 944, for Vanguard accolades and Vanguard marks:

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In the MMO shooter Destiny , a video has now surfaced that shows what it feels like to be on the other side of a “lagging player”: incredibly frustrating and it feels like the other is cheating on purpose.

For us, it is the video of the week. The streamer Ari “TripleWreck” Smith is about to explain why Destiny is his game of the year when a foe threatens to drive him crazy.

Fisho is elusive, teleporting around, killing Smith even though he isn’t even looking in his direction, and proves to be the toughest opponent wandering around in Destiny.

We have the interesting video here for you:

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In Destiny the weekly Nightfall strike this Christmas week takes place on Venus. It features the Nexus, against the boss Sekrion and his Vex hordes.

The weekly Nightfall strike in Destiny grants a 24.5% bonus on reputation and experience gains. Right now, after the soft item reset, where so many Guardians have had to say goodbye to their beloved legendary weapons to find new friends, this bonus is very welcome.

The Nightfall is tuned to level 30 and features a new challenge each week. This time it takes place on Venus, battling the Vex for Sekrion.

The five modifiers for the Nightfall on Venus

This week’s modifiers are:

• Nightfall – If the entire fireteam dies, it’s back to orbit, no pass go, no 4000 Glimmer, just start over
• Epic – makes the experience feel heroically challenging like a stroll, mobs are significantly more dangerous, making the strike harder
• Juggler – no ammo drops for the weapon with which you kill an enemy
• Angry – enemies are relentless and come at you as if they’re really serious this time
• Void-Burn – anything that causes Void damage causes a lot of Void damage; applies to both Guardians and enemies

The Arsenal – what weapon would you like?

At the moment, the Arsenal is still a bit of a mixed bag, as many Guardians already have new gear, but still mostly rely on the old stuff. This week, Void weapons are trending, as there are yet no real new super weapons compared to Solar (Black Hammer, Hunger of Crota) and Arc damage (LDR 5001, The Song of Ir Yût). Range is required in the Nightfall.

Primary weapon. Atheon’s Epilog, legendary auto-rifle with Void damage. Solid choice.

Special weapon: Praedyth’s Revenge, legendary sniper rifle with Void damage. Still good, still strong. For the Nightfall, you basically need a sniper rifle every week. Sure, you could also have the Iron Banner sniper Efrideet’s Spear rolled from Solar to Void, but … who has done that?

Heavy weapons: Truth, the Truth, exotic rocket launcher, was recently available from Xur. Should serve well, unless you blow yourself up with it, then not. The machine gun “Corrective Measure” from the old raid “The Glass Chamber” is also a strong choice. As for legendary vendor weapons, there’s also the MG18A Harm’s Way.

Not particularly spectacular right now. Let’s see if the pros come up with some more innovative suggestions later.

Tips and Tricks

As always: If you go in alone, play extremely carefully, don’t get caught in follow-up hits, always regenerate in between. If you go in with two or three, you can of course play a bit more aggressively.

Throughout the day, we will feature videos of exciting runs through the weekly Nightfall strike in Destiny.

The first one is this pretty straightforward run of a well-equipped 3-man team. They finish in just under 8 minutes. A lot of firepower, plenty of grenades, and while Sekrion remains at the top, one person consistently secures against the Minotaur in the back of the corridor. Much goes through the machine gun.
http://youtu.be/W1khN1-XDtM?t=1m29s
Another straightforward run of a fire team, quickly skipping over the more boring scenes. A hell of a lot of Atheon’s Epilog in the video, showing why it’s also regarded as a pea shooter. Then in the final battle against Sekrion, the Black Hammer is used, making it clear how difficult it is to land the three precision shots you want in such a situation.
http://youtu.be/F4QLUnd69mM
And one more: Solo run by Datto with 300 weapons: The Falcon Moon, Praedyth’s Revenge, and the Swarm. Datto mentions that the Nightfall used to be tuned so that Minotaurs died after 3 hits from the Praedyth, now they need 7. This explains why soloists struggle with the Nightfall. Datto also uses, although he probably knows them, no cheese spots to defeat Sekrion … Whether he makes it anyway, you can see in the video:
http://youtu.be/aylO_p4lM1I
And one more because it’s Christmas today. As many scruples as Datto has, this YouTuber has none at all: Solo run through the Nexus. With cheese spots for Sekrion, tricks to dodge as much as possible, and tips on how to do it.
http://youtu.be/YkPQD_lSIjc

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In the MMO shooter Destiny , complaints from European players are increasing that they are suffering from error messages such as “Anteater”, “Bee”, “Weasel” or “Canary”. No matter what error code appears, the result is the same: players are thrown out of the game at minute intervals.

It seems to be a European problem that players in Destiny have been plagued since the hotfix last week, on December 16: they simply cannot stay in the game, instead being thrown out of the mission or strike they are currently in at intervals of a few minutes.

Problems seem to occur with UPC customers

As always with technical problems, it is extremely difficult to follow a common thread from the various problem descriptions that run through countless different threads. However, it seems to be becoming clear that it is a European problem that extends across Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Romania, and also reaches Germany.

Common among those who are complaining about problems seems to be that they are with the internet provider UPC, in Germany this is Unitymedia KabelBW, which only operates in Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia. However, not everyone who is here has these problems. They occur across platforms.

No response from Bungie yet

At UPC in Ireland, an employee replied that they have no reports indicating that these problems are on their end. Players should contact Bungie.net support. UPC is willing to collaborate with Bungie to resolve the issues.

We’ve no logged issues regarding this, while we cannot provide support for specific games I had seen the same issue affect myself last night. Error messages included ‘Bee’ ‘Newt’ and ‘Anteater’.

We’d recommend contacting Bungie support on this but if there’s any info they need from you regarding your connection just let us know your acc info on PM to UPC: Reps and we’d do our best to supply this to you.

The frustrating thing is: Currently, there is still no response from Bungie. In the past, they have always responded quickly to problems affecting all players on a console. For example, they just fixed “PS4 Connectivity Issues” last week. Normally, Bungie Help also announces when they know about a problem, but currently it is quiet there on social networks.

The issue preventing a portion of PlayStation 4 users from logging into Destiny has been resolved. Thank you for your patience.

— Bungie Help (@BungieHelp) December 18, 2014

It’s hard to say how many players are affected by the problems. What is clear: Those who are hit are currently having a rough time. After all, the holidays are approaching and surely many would prefer to spend it doing something other than struggling with “Anteater”, the aardvark.

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