Vox Obscura is a Destiny 2 Exotic mission that rewards a selection of Cabal-themed gear, including the coveted Exotic Dead Messenger Grenade Launcher.
The raid was first introduced in Season 16, and now appears on the weekly rotation.
This guide focuses on how to unlock the Vox Obscura Destiny 2 mission itself, and the god roll for its prize weapon: Dead Messenger.
Vox Obscura Destiny 2 guide — how to unlock
To play Vox Obscura, you need to own the Witch Queen expansion or the “Season of the Risen”. Afterwards, open the Director tab and start the Vox Obscura Exotic mission.
That said, Vox Obscura is no easy mission. It’s a timed gauntlet that puts you up against tough War Beasts, Unstoppable Champions and powerful Psions.
In Vox Obscura, you and your Fireteam investigate a Psionic propaganda base on Mars. You’ll need at least 1800 Power to clear the levels before the timer runs out. So bring your best gear before flying to Mars.
Completing the Exotic Quest rewards the Dead Messenger – Exotic Grenade Launcher.
Destiny 2 Dead Messenger PvE god roll
| PERK TYPE | PERK DESCRIPTION |
| Barrel | Quick Launch: +10 Velocity |
| Magazine | High-Velocity Rounds: +10 Velocity |
| Trait 1 | The Fundamentals: Changes this weapon’s damage type, cycling between Solar, Arc, and Void. Grants different stats based on selected type. Solar – Increases reload speed and aerial effectiveness.Arc – Increases handling and range.Void – Stability and aim assist. |
| Short-Action Stock | Handling +15 |
| Trait 2 | Demolitionist: Kills with this weapon generates 10% grenade energy. Using your grenade ability reloads the weapon when holstered. |
Dead Messenger’s projectiles fan out in a three-pronged wave once it hits the ground. Shoot floors faster with Quick Launch and High-Velocity Rounds to max out your DPS with Dead Messenger.
This pairs well with Demolitionist, which grants an energy boost per kill, letting you use your grenade skill more often.
Doing so also reloads Dead Messenger when Dead Messenger’s in reserves, making it excellent for “add clear” (especially when paired with Voidwalker Volatile).
Destiny 2 Dead Messenger PvP god roll
| PERK TYPE | PERK DESCRIPTION |
| Barrel | Quick Launch: +10 Velocity |
| Magazine | High-Velocity Rounds: +10 Velocity |
| Trait 1 | The Fundamentals: Changes this weapon’s damage type, cycling between Solar, Arc, and Void. Grants different stats based on selected type. Solar – Increases reload speed and aerial effectiveness.Arc – Increases handling and range.Void – Stability and aim assist. |
| Short-Action Stock | Handling +15 |
| Trait 2 | Unrelenting: Rapidly defeating targets triggers health regeneration. Guardians and other combatants count as more than one kill. |
Dead Messenger rocks as an anti-flanking 1v1 tool in PvP. Pair it with the usual attachments, but run with Unrelenting instead of Demolitionist to help survive some close encounters.
PvP Dead Messenger isn’t the best, but it’s definitely not the worst Grenade Launcher to have. It’s perfect for tight firefights in enclosed areas. And while it may be overshadowed by Grenade Launchers like Forbearance, you can’t beat that spread!
Dead Messenger best subclass fragments
Choosing the best Fragments for your gun can further enhance and customize your build.
For the Stormcaller Warlock subclass, use the Arc Fragment “Spark of Beacons” to create a blinding explosion per kill. This can be especially cool in both PvE and PvP situations, and makes your build more versatile.
For Voidwalkers, using Dead Messenger with “Echo of Instability” is perfect for its chain reaction build. This is a great option that takes care of adds faster, and competes with Forbearance on PvP.
Lastly, “Ember of Empyrean” on Dawnblade lets you extend restoration and radiant effects, giving you more survivability in PvP situations.
All Vox Obscura Destiny 2 rewards
Like in any Exotic Quest, the loot you can get from them is top-notch. In Vox Obscura’s case, rewards can range from Legendary Pulse Rifles to explosive Exotics. Here’s everything you can get:
- Dead Messenger – Grenade Launcher
- Sweet Sorrow – Auto Rifle
- Under Your Skin – Combat Bow
- Recurrent Impact – Machine Gun
- Thoughtless – Sniper Rifle
- Piece of Mind – Pulse Rifle
- Explosive Personality – Grenade Launcher
Last thoughts
Dead Messenger is an excellent Grenade Launcher that can erase groups of enemies in Destiny 2’s endgame content.
It pairs extremely well with subclass perks and is on par with the new Echo Weapons. Given enough Velocity and Handling, you’ll be shredding waves of enemies and getting killstreaks with this in no time.
READ MORE: Destiny 2 Echoes: Act 2 — release date and what it will feature
