Destiny 2 Champion mods list for Season 18, how artifact mods work explained
How to defeat the unique, powerful encounters.
Destiny 2's Champion mods are specific gear mods that help to fight against champion enemy variants.
These are different every season, with the main variation being which weapon types can use them, as well as the effect on them.
These can help you defeat Unstoppable Champions, Overload Champions and Barrier Champions.
Each season brings its own set of mods, as they are related to the seasonal artifact.
This page will explain how Champion mods work, as well as how to equip Champion mods and the Season 18 Champion mods list to prepare yourself accordingly.
On this page:
Destiny 2 Champion mods and Artifact mods list for Season 18
Champion mods and Artifacts have a seasonal rotation, which means that no season will have the same set of mods available.
In Season 18, the Champion mods are as follows at a glance:
- Anti-Barrier mods - Scout Rifles, Auto Rifles
- Overload mods - Bows, Machine Guns
- Unstoppable mods - Pulse Rifles, Shotguns
Here are all Artifact mods for Season of Plunder, with the Champion mods in bold (all copied verbaitum from Bungie.net):
| First row: | After two perk choices: | After four perk choices: | After eight perk choices: | After ten perk choices: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overload Bows (Arms) | Scout Rifle Loader (Arms) | Glaive Loader (Arms) | Overload LMG (Arms) | Thunderous Retort (Class): Arc Supers do more damage when cast while in critical condition or while amplified. |
| Unstoppable Pulse Rifles (Arms) | Sword Ammo Scavengers (Legs) | Focusing Strike (Arms): Causing damage with a melee ability grants class ability energy. | Anti-Barrier Snipers (Arms) | Hype Train Conductor (Class): +2 seconds to amplified timer. Stacks. |
| Anti-Barrier Scout Rifles (Arms) | Machine Gun Holster (Legs): Gradually reloads stowed Machine Guns over time. Stacks. | Combo Arc + Solar Resist (Chest) | Bad Amplitude (Class): Damaging a Champion with an Arc ability causes the Champion to become jolted. | Trace Evidence (Class): Precision hits on Arc debuffed targets will generate Ionic Traces. |
| Anti-Barrier Auto Rifles (Arms) | Scout and Sniper Targeting (Head) | Machine Gun Ammo Scavenger (Legs) | Surge Detonators (Class) | Lightning Strikes Twice (Class) |
| Unstoppable Shotguns (Arms) | Bottomless Bounty 1 (Head): Improves two Origin Perks. | Bottomless Bounty 2 (Head): Improves two Origin perks. | Inferno Whip (Class) | Sundering Glare (Class) |
How Champion mods work in Destiny 2
Champions mods are an essential tool when it comes to higher level content in Destiny 2.
These enemy variants will be present in several occasions, and can really throw plans out of the window if you come unprepared. Thankfully, you're always warned ahead of time in the lobby, so make sure to investigate the activity or quest beforehand.
There are three Champion mod variants, each countering a specific Champion type. As of Season of the Lost, these are the following:
- Anti-Barrier (triangle-shaped icon with a smaller icon within)
- Overload (square-shaped icon with two lines across)
- Unstoppable (circle-shaped icon with a lighting across)
It's important to know exactly which Champion type is awaiting for you after the lobby, since different mods won't work - they have to target the same type. Fortunately, these have always remained the same, with the biggest difference across seasons being the eligible weapon types.
For example, Season of the Lost has a total of three Unstoppable Champion mods, which can be used on Fusion Rifles, Sidearms or Pulse Rifles.
These mods are tied to the seasonal artifact. As you gain XP completing all sorts of weekly and daily activities, you'll be able to unlock artifact mods.
By hitting certain XP milestones, you'll be able to use artifact unlocks via your inventory to purchase artifact mods. These, of course, include Champion mods.
The process does not vary between standard mods and those designed specifically to target different Champion enemy variants. Some of them can be obtained from the very first row, which is super helpful, but others will take a bit of a grind.
Once you've gotten your hands on one or more yourself, it's time to actually put them to use.
The Season of the Deep is here alongside the Into the Depths quest. You can know go fishing too! Don't forget to keep an eye on the Lost Sector and King's Fall challenge rotation schedule!
How to equip Champion mods in Destiny 2
Once you've gathered a Champion mod, you'll first have to equip it for the effect to activate.
As we've previously mentioned, Champion mods are tied to gear. This means that instead of using them in weapons, you'll be equipping them to your gauntlets, for example, or any other gear piece.
This is a straightforward process. You have to open your character screen, select whichever pair of gauntlets you have equipped and then select the Arms Armor mod. You will notice which ones you've just purchased right away as they're blue.
Equipping them has a (low, mind you) cost of Glimmer, as well as an Energy cost. This is always indicated in the Champion mod before you make a purchase. If you don't have enough, remember to upgrade the armor to increase the energy cap.
Unless the activity locks your loadout, you are free to equip mods at any point in case you forget to do so before jumping into matchmaking. Some activities, such as the quest in the Shattered Realm, will ask for specific Champion mods.
It's always worth diversifying which Champion mods in your squad, if possible. In one occasion the quest indicated that we would need a mod to fight Unstoppable Champions, but it did not mention the presence of Overload Champions as well, and thus we were unable to progress.
If you're flying solo, make sure to have at least two weapon variations with the corresponding mod. If you're unsure of which ones there are in this season, follow to our section below.
Best of luck hunting your preferred Champion mods!