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Destiny 2 Rat King quest riddle solutions - how to get the Rat King with the Rat King's Crew item

How to start and complete the many steps in Destiny 2's Rat King quest.

The Destiny 2 Rat King Exotic firearm is a fascinating little weapon with some very interesting effects.

As with so many Exotic items it's quite a challenge to unlock, with the item's quest requiring you to solve several riddles - and complete their sometimes-tricky tasks - in order to get it.

Here on this page then, we'll take you through how to get the Rat King, including help with the Rat King riddle solutions and an explanation of how to get the Rat King's Crew item to start it all off.

If you're interested in other elusive weapons and armour, see our Destiny 2 Exotics list for what else is available and how to unlock them.

It's also worth noting undertaking this quest is one of the few ways to help you reach the Destiny 2 max level cap since it scales with whatever level you currently are. The prior link explains more, but the longer you wait to do the quest, the higher level the weapon will become.

How to get the Destiny 2 Rat King sidearm

Similar to many of Destiny 2's Exotics, the Rat King requires you to complete a special quest, involving several steps - some of which hidden behind some pretty obscure riddles.

It's worth it though, as the Rat King has some pretty awesome perks: an increase in damage, which stacks up to six times, depending on the number of other allies that have the weapon equipped nearby; and a second or two of invisibility, granted every time you reload immediately after getting a kill with the weapon.

It's extremely useful, especially when you imagine six Guardians all using them together, so with that in mind here's how to get it!

How to get the Rat King in Destiny 2:

  1. Complete the main story and get to level 20 - this unlocks the Enemy of my Enemy quest on Titan.
  2. Complete the quest Enemy of my Enemy - it's a blue quest marker you'll find in the world and on your map, which ends in you being given the option to kill or save an enemy captain. Either way, when you complete it, you'll get the Rat King's Crew item. The item takes up a Kinetic Weapon slot, but can't be used as one.
  3. On the Rat King's Crew you'll find a strange riddle. This is, in fact, the first of four riddles, and you'll need to solve them, and then complete their respective tasks, one at a time to get the weapon itself. Read on for detailed solutions to these in the section below!

Sounds simple enough! Aside from the obvious chunk of time you'll need to dedicate to completing the story - which is required for many Destiny 2 Exotics anyway - much of this is pretty simple.

The main sticking point comes from figuring out what the four Rat King riddle solutions are, and then there's the matter of actually completing the final one, which is most definitely not easy. Here's a handy video from YouTuber KackisHD, with our full written description of how to do it, in detail, below!

Cover image for YouTube videoDestiny 2: How to Get the RAT KING Exotic Sidearm! | Complete Quest Guide!

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!


Destiny 2's Rat King riddle solutions and how to get the Rat King step by step

So the steps sound pretty simple, right? Finish the story, do a quest, solve some riddles, get a cool gun. If only it were that simple. Those riddles are a little tricky to figure out, for a start, but there also not too easy to finish, at least the last one. Here's what they mean then, and how to complete them:

Rat King riddle solutions:

  1. "The Rat King's Crew runs to and fro, good girls and boys know where to go, pick up your toys and daron your socks, on errands of woe, on errands we walk" - Complete three Patrol Missions with a Fireteam of at least one other Guardian - to do this, you need to complete the Patrol quest, granted by Cayde in the EDZ after you've finished the main story questline. Then, any two Patrol Missions will do, as long as there's at least one other Guardian in your Fireteam.
  2. "The Rat King's Crew goes arm in arm, to fight as one, to do no harm, so have your fun and run outside, rally the flag and we'll never die" - Complete two Public Events with a Fireteam of at least one other Guardian - this is one of the simplest steps. Simply head to any Public Event with a Fireteam and crack on.
  3. "The Rat King's Crew goes four and four, with good good fights they learn to score, then three as one they stand upright, return from past the wall and wanting more" - Complete two Crucible matches with a Fireteam of at least one other Guardian - again, dead simple. Head to the Crucible with your Fireteam and crack on! Both Quickplay and Competitive will work.
  4. "The Rat King's Crew stands three as one, they see Night's fall and fear it none, but watch the clock as you scale the wall, lest five remain hope comes for none" - Complete the Nightfall Strike with at least five minutes remaining - and here's where it gets tough. This is taking most players several tries, because having at least five minutes remaining on the clock, even though you can stall its progress, is no easy feat. Our advice is to wait until a week where you can complete it comfortably without worrying about the clock, and then running it over and over, refining your approach until you get it. Being as high level as possible also helps, so ensure you get as close to the max Power level cap as a Fireteam. Good luck!

The Rat King's Crew will pop up on the right each time you complete one of its steps, and likewise soon as you finish that final step of completing the Nightfall with at least five minutes remaining, it'll instantly become available as the Rat King Exotic sidearm.

And with that, you're done! Enjoy lording over your fellow Rat Pack subjects, your majesty!