Every new season comes with a hidden catalyst or two, to spice things up. Cloudstrike has finally received a Catalyst, and it is good. Cloudstrike’s Catalyst may not sound very original on paper, but you can bet it significantly increases the lethality of this sniper.
This quick guide will tell you everything there is to know about it: How to get it? How to unlock it? Is it even worth it? And that last part is important because Exotic catalysts can be extremely hard to find and/or unlock, but the benefits are not always up to par.
| Art | Weapon | Archetype | Rarity | Ammo | Element | Requirements | In loot pool? | Ammo? | Element? | Tier | Excels | Source | Craftable? | Requires | Released | Slot | Can be Crafted? | Best of? | Top Perk? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cloudstrike | Exotic | Exotic | Special | Arc | Beyond Light | Yes |  Special |  Arc | Best ❘ S | PvE + PvP | Exotic Quest |  |  Beyond Light | Season 12 | Energy | No | Top-tier |
How to get the Cloudstrike catalyst
The Catalyst for Cloudstrike can be found when completing Playlist activities, including Nightfalls or Crucible matches.
| Name | Type | Slot | Catalyst Rank | Catalyst Source | Available? | Requirements | Catalyst | Tier | Source ❘ DLC | How to unlock | Catalyst effect | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudstrike | Sniper Rifle | Energy | A › Strong | Playlist Activity completions | Yes | Beyond Light |  Cloudstrike | Sniper Rifle | Strong ❘ A | Playlist Activity completions Beyond Light | ► Get 400 kills | ► Adds Triple Tap perk: Rapidly landing precision hits will return one round to the magazine. ► Increases Handling by +25. | Season 19 |
How to unlock the catalyst?
Once you have found the catalyst, you will need 400 kills to unlock it.
- 400 kills required
An in-game screenshot from @demonjoeTV
Cloudstrike Catalyst Perks
The catalyst adds the following perks:
- Triple Tap: Rapidly landing precision hits will return one round to the magazine.
- +25 additional Handling
It’s too early to say, as few players actually have seen this catalyst in action, but early impressions are surprisingly good. Triple Tap is not exactly original as far as Catalysts go, but you can be sure it will be extremely effective on a weapon that can so easily chain kills thanks to its lighting strikes.
How to get the Cloudstrike Exotic?
In case you don’t even have the weapon yet, you’ll need to complete the following steps:
- Complete the Beyond Light (paid) campaign
- Complete all of Variks’ Sabotage challenges
- Complete the “A Hard Rain Falls” quest from the Exo Stranger
- Farm Empire Hunt mission (the higher the difficulty, the better the odds)
Cloudstrike, an Exotic that can only drop from Empire Hunts
Is the Catalyst worth it?
While Sniper rifles are currently not part of the meta, Cloudstrike remains an extremely lethal and fun weapon to use. Once you get those lightning strikes going, it can deliver true “holy sh$t moments” with ease. On PVE, it’s hands down one of the strongest DPS options against bosses, something no one could have anticipated.
And adding Triple Tap, thanks to its catalyst, will only make this weapon stronger. If you don’t have it yet, this is the right time to get your own Cloudstrike.
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