Destiny 2: Skeleton Key Artifact Guide
Create the ultimate Arc build with Season of the Plunder's Skeleton Key Artifact.
A new Destiny 2 season means there's a new Artifact to upgrade. Season of the Plunder's Artifact is the Skeleton Key, not to be confused with the original Destiny's Skeleton Key system. With 25 mods to unlock and tons of powerful options, this season's buildcrafting potential looks promising.
Related: Destiny 2: Every New Weapon In Season Of The Plunder
Some fan-favorite mods like Sundering Glare have returned, and Bungie has thrown in a few new surprises like Lightning Strikes Twice. Overall, this Artifact biases Arc builds, Machine Guns, and long-range weapons. Let's go over all 25 mods tied to this season and explain how they work.
Artifact Overview
Column One
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Column Two
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Column Three
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Column Four
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Column Five
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Overload Bow (Arms)
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Scout Rifle Loader (Arms)
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Glaive Loader (Arms)
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Overload LMG (Arms)
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Thunderous Retort (Class)
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Unstoppable Pulse Rifle (Arms)
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Sword Ammo Scavenger (Legs)
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Focusing Strike (Arms)
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Anti-Barrier Snipers (Arms)
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Hype Train Conductor (Class)
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Anti-Barrier Scout Rifle (Arms)
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Machine Gun Holster (Legs)
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Arc & Solar Resist (Chest)
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Bad Amplitude (Class)
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Trace Evidence (Class)
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Anti-Barrier Auto Rifle (Arms)
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Scout & Sniper Targeting (Helmet)
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Machine Gun Ammo Scavenger (Legs)
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Surge Detonators (Class)
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Lightning Strikes Twice (Class)
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Unstoppable Shotgun (Arms)
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Bottomless Bounty 1 (Helmet)
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Bottomless Bounty 2 (Helmet)
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Inferno Whip (Class)
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Sundering Glare (Class)
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New Mods This Season
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Bottomless Bounty: Each version enhances two Origin Traits:
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Hot Swap: Switching to this weapon while you are damaged strongly increases its handling for a short time. Swords gain increased charge speed, guard resistance, and guard endurance instead.
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Right Hook: Dealing melee damage gives this weapon increased target acquisition and range for a short period of time. Dealing melee damage again extends the effect.
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Runneth Over: Reloading near allies overflows the magazine.
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Soul Drinker: Gain health based on the number of hits before reloading.
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Arc & Solar Resist: +15% damage resistance against Arc and Solar damage in PvE.
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Overload LMG: Allows Machine Guns to stun Overload Champions
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Bad Amplitude: Damaging a Champion with an Arc ability causes the Champion to become jolted.
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Thunderous Retort: Arc Supers do 30% more damage when cast in critical condition or while Amplified.
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Hype Train Conductor: Amplified lasts +2 seconds. You may stack this mod to increase Amplified's duration further.
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Trace Evidence: Precision hits on Arc-debuffed targets will generate Ionic Traces.
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Related: Destiny 2: Ability Cooldowns And Super Tiers Explained
Column One
Overload Bow
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Arms
1 Energy
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Damage by fully drawn arrows disrupts combatants, stunning them, delaying ability energy regeneration and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions.
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Unstoppable Pulse Rifle
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Arms
1 Energy
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Aiming down Pulse Rifle sights loads a high-impact burst that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions.
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Anti-Barrier Scout Rifle
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Arms
1 Energy
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Scout Rifles you are wielding fire shield-piercing rounds and stun Barrier Champions. Scout Rifles deal bonus damage against Barrier Champions.
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Anti-Barrier Auto Rifle
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Arms
1 Energy
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Auto Rifles you are wielding fire shield-piercing rounds and stun Barrier Champions. Auto Rifles deal bonus damage against Barrier Champions.
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Unstoppable Shotgun
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Arms
3 Energy
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Shotguns you wield fire a powerful explosive payload that staggers unshielded combatants.
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Overload Bow is going to be your best source of Overload stun this season if you aren't running Arc 3.0. Fully drawn arrows are guaranteed to stun a Champion. Precision Frames and Bows with high Stability have a larger perfect draw window, making it easier to stun a Champion. Leviathan's Breath does not gain Overload arrows with this mod equipped.
Unstoppable Pulse Rifle gives your next burst the Unstoppable property when you ADS for a short time. A single bullet from this supercharged burst can stun an Unstoppable Champion.
Anti-Barrier Scout Rifle lets your Scout Rifles damage Barrier Champion shields at all times. Scouts deal bonus damage against Barrier shields with this mod equipped. Immunity shields from Vex Hobgoblins, Hydras, and Cabal Centurions are also bypassed with Anti-Barrier Rounds.
Anti-Barrier Auto Rifle works the same way as the Scout Rifle mod. Your Auto Rifles can pierce certain immunity shields, physical shields held by Cabal units, and damage Barrier Champion shields. Barrier shields take more damage from your Auto Rifle.
Unstoppable Shotgun causes all Shotgun shells to inflict a stagger, capable of stunlocking majors with a high enough fire rate. Unlike other Unstoppable effects, Unstoppable Shotgun is always active while the mod is equipped; no aiming is required. This mod works with Legend of Acrius and Tractor Cannon.
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Column Two
Scout Rifle Loader
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Arms
1 Energy
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Increases reload speed for Scout Rifles.
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Sword Ammo Scavenger
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Legs
1 Energy
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Swords get larger bonus reserves when you pick up ammo.
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Machine Gun Holster
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Legs
1 Energy
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Gradually reloads your stowed Machine Guns over time. Multiple copies of this perk stack to reduce the time taken to fully reload.
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Scout and Sniper Targeting
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Helmet
1 Energy
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Improves targeting for Scout Rifles and Sniper Rifles.
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Bottomless Bounty
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Helmet
6 Energy
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Improves the effect of the Right Hook and Runneth Over weapon Origin perks.
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Scout Rifle Loader is a cheaper version of the default Scout Rifle Loader mod, making it easier to equip high-cost mods on your arms.
Sword Ammo Scavenger costs one energy instead of its usual four, allowing you to equip mroe expensive mods on your leg armor with ease.
Machine Gun Holster passively reloads a portion of your Machine Gun while stowed for a small energy fee.
Scout and Sniper Targeting grant the effects of their respective targeting mods but only cost one energy and use one mod slot. You can stack both mods on your helmet—three times with an Artifice helmet—with diminishing returns.
Bottomless Bounty buffs the strength of Right Hook and Runneth Over, two Origin traits that were added this season. Right Hook is tied to the new Plunder weapons. Runneth Over is Origin Trait for King's Fall raid weapons.
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Related: Destiny 2: A Complete Guide To Arc 3.0
Column Three
Glaive Loader
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Arms
1 Energy
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Increases reload speed of Glaives.
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Focusing Strike
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Arms
1 Energy
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Grants class ability energy when you cause damage with a melee attack.
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Arc + Solar Resist
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Chest
1 Energy
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Reduces incoming Solar and Arc damage from combatants.
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Machine Gun Ammo Scavenger
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Legs
1 Energy
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Machine Guns get bonus reserves when you pick up ammo.
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Bottomless Bounty 2
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Helmet
6 Energy
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Improves the effects of the Soul Drinker and Hot Swap weapon Origin Traits.
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Glaive Loader is a cheaper version of the standard Glaive Loader mod. Its effects are the same as its non-Artifact counterpart.
Focusing Strike grants a small chunk of class ability energy when you deal melee damage. You can stack this mod to increase its effect, although it's not recommended since it takes the same mod space as Champion mods.
Arc + Solar Resist grant 15% damage resistance against both damage types, stacking multiplicatively with other DR sources. Stacking this mod with itself has diminishing returns.
Machine Gun Ammo Scavenger is a much cheaper version of Machine Gun Scavenger for your legs, making it easier to socket stat mods or more expensive Combat Style mods.
Bottomless Bounty buffs the Soul Drinker and Hot Swap Origin traits. Soul Drinker is tied to all Vow of the Disciple weapons, and Hot Swap drops from Dares of Eternity gear.
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Column Four
Overload LMG
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Arms
1 Energy
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Uninterrupted fire from your equipped Machine Guns grants bullets that stun combatants, delaying ability energy regeneration and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions.
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Anti-Barrier Snipers
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Arms
6 Energy
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Sniper RIfles you are wielding fire shield-piercing rounds and stun Barrier Champions. Sniper Rifles deal bonus damage agaisnt Barrier Champions.
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Bad Amplitude
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Class
1 Energy
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Damaging a Champion with an Arc ability causes the Champion to become jolted.
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Surge Detonators
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Class
2 Energy
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Arc grenades disrupt combatants, stunning them, delaying ability regeneration, and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions.
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Inferno Whip
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Helmet
2 Energy
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Solar melee abilities stun unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions.
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Overload LMG is a one-point arms mod that works for all LMGs that don't already have an Anti-Champion property—so everything except Thunderlord. Only a quarter of your magazine needs to be expended before the Overload property kicks in.
Anti-Barrier Snipers is back from Season of the Chosen, granting all Sniper Rifles the ability to pierce Barrier Champions shields and immunity shields/phases on certain Vex and Cabal units.
Bad Amplitude allows you to inflict Jolt on any Champion simply by damaging them with an Arc ability. Grenades, melee abilities, Supers, and even class abilities that deal damage can trigger this mod.
Surge Detonators gives your Arc grenades the Overload property, allowing them to stun Overload Champions with a single hit. This works with all grenades that deal damage.
Inferno Whip is a helmet mod this season instead of the usual class item mod. This allows all Solar melee abilities to stun Unstoppable Champions, including Titan's Throwing Hammer and Hunter knives. You only need to hit the Champion once to stun them.
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Column Five
Thunderous Retort
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Class
6 Energy
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Grants bonus Arc Super damage is cast while critically wounded or while amplified. Lasts until the end of the Super activation.
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Hype Train Conductor
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Class
1 Energy
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Stay amplified longer.
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Trace Evidence
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Class
4 Energy
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Defeating combatants affected by Arc debuffs spawns an Ionic Trace.
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Lightning Strikes Twice
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Class
7 Energy
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After throwing an Arc grenade, gain increased grenade recharge for a short time. Arc final blows extend the duration of this benefit.
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Sundering Glare
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Class
6 Energy
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Rapid Precision hits against distant combatants weakens them for a short duration.
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Thunderous Retort provides a 30% damage boost to your Super while you're Amplified or have your shields depleted. This bonus stacks with Super-boosting Exotics like Cuirass of the Falling Star, making the likes of Thundercrash hit significantly harder.
Hype Train Conductor grants +2 seconds to your Amplified timer, extending your Amplified duration to 17 seconds. You may stack this mod multiple times to add even more time. Two mods extends the duration to 19 seconds, and three mods (via Artifice armor) grants 21 seconds of Amplified duration.
Trace Evidence will spawn an Ionic Trace whenever you slay a target affected by Blind or Jolt. Most Arc abilities debuff your enemy in some fashion, making this a great choice if you want more ability uptime.
Lightning Strikes Twice grants a massive regeneration buff to your grenades for four seconds upon throwing an Arc grenade. Killing an enemy extends the duration of this buff by an additional three seconds, up to a duration cap of 20 seconds.
Sundering Glare is a debuff effect that requires four precision hits on the target from 40+ meters away—Sniper Rifles requiring fewer hits. The target takes 20% more damage for ten seconds while debuffed, and Sundering Glare stacks with other Weaken effects.
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Next: Destiny 2: Season of the Plunder - Star Chart Progression Guide