Where to Find the Ascendant Scepter Artifact in Destiny 2 Lightfall - Artifact inspection.
Image via Bungie

Ascendant Scepter Artifact Location in Destiny 2 Lightfall – How to Find Nimbus

The sooner you have it - the sooner you level it.

Wondering where to find the Ascendant Scepter Artifact in Destiny 2 Lightfall? I was the exact same. It’s incredibly easy to find the Scepter – yet myself and countless other Guardians have been left scratching their heads. Collectively, we have about two brain cells between us, but that doesn’t matter.

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I’m here to stop the headache and explain where to find the Ascendant Scepter Artifact in Destiny 2 Lightfall. You’ll be getting your hands on those juicy Seasonal Perks in no time.

Destiny 2 Lightfall – Where to Find the Ascendant Scepter Artifact

Boot up Lightfall and Complete First Contact

First Contact mission.
Image via Bungie

The first, and only real bit of legwork you’ll have to do to find the Ascendant Scepter Artifact in Destiny 2 Lightfall is to load up the game and complete the First Contact mission.

First Contact is the first Lightfall campaign mission, and it’ll start automatically the first time you boot up Destiny 2 after installing Lightfall. You’ll have the option to launch it after the opening cutscene. It’s a long mission – it took me around 40 minutes to complete it start-to-finish on Legendary.

Keep in mind that you’ll have an opportunity to adjust your gear before you launch First Contact. All of your old mod setups are outdated – so take a second to have a look at the new options and throw something together really quickly. You’ll get away with not doing this on the regular campaign, but I highly recommend it for Legendary.

The First Contact mission will take you through two different missions in one. The first is inside one of Calus’ ships, while the other is on the surface of Neptune, in Neomuna. This is where you’ll get your first taste of Strand – so that’s something to look forward to.

You’ll need to get this mission out of the way to access the rest of Lightfall, as well as the rest of Season 20 – so you don’t have a choice in the matter.

Related: What Does the Kinetic Tremors Perk do in Destiny 2 Lightfall?

Speak with Nimbus

Where to Find the Ascendant Scepter Artifact in Destiny 2 Lightfall - Nimbus dialouge.
Image via Bungie

After completing First Contact, you’ll have access to the Patrol Zone on Neomuna. Load into it (if you’re not already there) and speak to Nimbus, the Cloud Strider. He’ll tell you about some strange objects that showed up out of nowhere, and give you the Ascendant Scepter Artifact.

That’s it – you’re done! You can now start leveling up your Artifact in peace. There’s a new perk system out that’s replaced the old Artifact Mod system, in case you haven’t heard. If that’s news to you, make sure you take a second to bring yourself up to speed.


That’s all you really need to know about getting the Ascendant Scepter Artifact in Destiny 2. Most people will get their hands on this without even realizing or trying – just play through the Lightfall campaign like you normally would. For more Destiny 2 tips and tricks like this, make sure you follow Gamer Journalist on Facebook. We’ll keep you in the loop on all things Lightfall.

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