Salvation's Grip Guide: Stasis Prototype Quest & Crystals

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Welcome, Guardian. The power of Stasis, first wielded by our enemies on Europa, can now be channeled through a unique and formidable weapon: the Salvation's Grip Exotic Grenade Launcher. Introduced alongside the Beyond Light expansion in November 2020, this weapon was the very first to utilize Stasis energy, offering Guardians unprecedented control over the battlefield by freezing foes and creating Stasis crystals on demand. Acquiring Salvation's Grip requires completing "The Stasis Prototype" Exotic quest, a journey that delves into the dark power harnessed by the Fallen House of Salvation. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough of the quest, a detailed breakdown of the weapon's mechanics, build synergies, combat applications, and its essential role in unlocking further Stasis powers.

Acquiring the Darkness: The Stasis Prototype Quest Walkthrough

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Unlock Salvation's Grip

Obtaining Salvation's Grip involves a multi-step questline available after completing the main Beyond Light campaign. This quest not only rewards the Exotic grenade launcher but is also a prerequisite for unlocking Stasis Aspects, making it a crucial step for any Guardian looking to fully master the powers of Darkness.

Prerequisites:

• Complete the Beyond Light Campaign: Finishing the main storyline on Europa is the first requirement.
• Visit The Drifter: After the campaign, find The Drifter in the Tower Annex. He initiates "The Stasis Prototype" quest.
• (Optional but Recommended) Complete Variks' Post-Campaign Quests: Specifically, the "Reclaiming Europa," "Empire's Fall," and "The Dark Priestess" questlines unlock Empire Hunts as a standalone activity, which is required for a later step in The Stasis Prototype. Completing these alongside the Exotic quest can save time.

Quest Steps:

1. Collect Intel (Captains & Servitors):

Objective: Defeat 10 Fallen Captains and 10 Fallen Servitors on Europa to collect Weapons Intel.

Tips: These enemies are common across Europa. Engage in Patrols, Public Events, Lost Sectors (like Bunker E15 or Concealed Void), or progress Variks' "Reclaiming Europa" questline to encounter them naturally. Cadmus Ridge is often cited as a good spot. Some players found loading into the Glassway strike repeatedly was efficient for finding these specific enemies near the start.

2. Complete an Empire Hunt:

Objective: Defeat one of Eramis's council members by completing any Empire Hunt.

Requirement: Empire Hunts must be unlocked as a standalone activity by completing Variks' post-campaign quests ("Reclaiming Europa," "Empire's Fall," "The Dark Priestess"). Once unlocked, they can be purchased from Variks for Herealways Pieces. Alternatively, completing the "Dark Priestess" quest itself counts for this step, saving resources. Ensure your Power Level is adequate, as these missions can be challenging.

3. Stasis Eliminations:

Objective: Eliminate combatants using, or affected by, your Stasis abilities.

Tips: Equip your unlocked Stasis subclass and use your grenade, melee, and Super abilities to defeat enemies. This step is not restricted to Europa; farming kills in Lost Sectors on planets like Nessus or the EDZ, or activities like the Blind Well, can be efficient, especially near Rally Flags for quick Super regeneration. Progressing other quests simultaneously is recommended.

4. Rendezvous in Concealed Void:

Objective: Meet Spider's associate within the Concealed Void Lost Sector in Asterion Abyss, Europa.

Tips: Complete the Lost Sector as normal. After defeating the final boss and opening the cache chest, a Fallen NPC (Spider's associate) will appear behind a previously locked barrier at the end of the room. Speak to them to obtain Skiff Codes.

5. Return to The Drifter (Part 1):

Objective: Visit The Drifter in the Tower Annex.

Outcome: He provides the "Stasis Containment Device," a temporary item that occupies a Power weapon slot.

6. Complete "Stealing Stasis" Mission:

Objective: Launch and complete the "Stealing Stasis" mission on Europa, located near the Charon's Crossing landing zone.

Tips: This mission involves infiltrating a Fallen facility to retrieve the grenade launcher. It features unique dialogue, often praised for Ghost's impersonation of The Drifter. The mission culminates in acquiring Salvation's Grip and using it to escape, fighting Fallen forces including several Brigs, with assistance from Spider's allies. Ensure your Power Level is sufficient (around 1060 was recommended at launch) as it can be challenging solo. The mission is repeatable via a flag near Variks after completion.

Reward: Salvation's Grip is awarded during this mission.

7. Return to The Drifter (Part 2):

Objective: Speak to The Drifter one last time in the Tower Annex.

Outcome: This completes "The Stasis Prototype" quest and formally adds Salvation's Grip to your collection. The weapon drop itself might be powerful, potentially aiding in power leveling if timed correctly.

Deconstructing the Cryocannon: Salvation's Grip Mechanics

Salvation's Grip is an Exotic Heavy Grenade Launcher dealing Stasis damage. It features a rate of fire of 120 RPM and an 8-round magazine. Its unique properties stem from its intrinsic perk and specialized trait.

Intrinsic Perk: Cryocannon

This perk defines the weapon's dual firing mode:

• Charged Shot: Holding the fire button charges the weapon. Releasing the trigger fires a projectile that creates a pattern or spread of Stasis crystals upon impact, freezing nearby targets. The resulting crystal formation is comparable in size to a Glacier Grenade and consists of approximately seven crystals. Some sources suggest that charging longer increases the freeze radius and the number/size of crystals created, however, the core mechanic reliably produces a significant crystal pattern upon any charged release.
• Uncharged Shot: Tapping the fire button launches a standard grenade projectile that does not create Stasis crystals.

Trait: Shatter Shot

• Bonus Damage: Uncharged projectiles deal bonus damage to Stasis crystals and frozen targets. This encourages a gameplay loop of creating crystals with a charged shot and then destroying them with uncharged shots.
• Auto-Reload: Rapidly destroying multiple Stasis crystals with uncharged shots reloads Salvation's Grip directly from reserves. This significantly boosts uptime when effectively shattering generated crystals.

Other Perks:

• Linear Compensator: Slightly increases projectile speed, blast radius, and stability.
• Alloy Casing: Greatly increases reload speed but decreases stability.
• Polymer Grip: Increases handling speed.

The Catalyst: Rimestealer

• Acquisition: The catalyst drops randomly from completing Vanguard Ops, Crucible, or Gambit playlist activities. Once acquired, it requires 400 kills with Salvation's Grip to unlock its Masterwork perk. Shuro Chi checkpoint in the Last Wish raid is often recommended for efficient catalyst completion.
• Effect: The Rimestealer perk grants "Frost Armor" (a form of damage resistance) whenever the Guardian destroys a Stasis crystal or defeats a frozen target using Salvation's Grip.
• Value: This catalyst provides a substantial survivability boost, directly rewarding the weapon's core gameplay loop. Creating crystals, freezing targets, and then shattering them not only deals damage and potentially reloads the weapon (via Shatter Shot) but also grants damage resistance, making aggressive Stasis playstyles much safer and more sustainable, particularly in challenging content.

Synergistic Freeze: Builds and Combat Applications

Salvation's Grip transcends being just a weapon; it functions as a Stasis ability engine. Its primary strength lies in its unparalleled ability to generate Stasis crystals and apply freeze on demand, independent of ability cooldowns. This consistent crystal generation fuels a wide array of Stasis subclass Aspects and Fragments, enabling potent build synergies and rapid ability regeneration. It effectively acts as a "third ability," supplementing grenade and melee cooldowns.

Key Fragment Synergies:

The crystals generated by Salvation's Grip interact powerfully with numerous Stasis Fragments:

• Whisper of Shards: This is arguably the most crucial synergy. Shattering any Stasis crystal (including those from Salvation's Grip) grants a significant temporary boost to grenade recharge rate. Salvation's Grip provides an easy, ammo-dependent way to create crystals specifically for shattering to maintain high grenade uptime.
• Whisper of Fissures: Increases the damage and size of the burst when shattering a Stasis crystal or defeating a frozen target. This directly enhances the offensive capability of the create-and-shatter loop.
• Whisper of Chains: Grants damage resistance when near friendly Stasis crystals or frozen targets. This effect stacks with the Frost Armor provided by the Rimestealer catalyst, offering substantial survivability.
• Whisper of Rending: Increases Kinetic weapon damage against Stasis crystals and frozen targets. This encourages pairing Salvation's Grip with strong Kinetic primaries or specials for efficient shattering.
• Whisper of Rime: Collecting Stasis shards (often generated via Aspects like Tectonic Harvest) grants an overshield. Salvation's Grip helps enable builds focused on shard generation and collection.
• Whisper of Bonds: Defeating frozen targets with weapons grants Super energy. While noted as potentially less effective after past nerfs, it still offers a way to gain Super energy through the weapon's freeze effect.
• Other Synergies: Fragments like Whisper of Hedrons (weapon damage on freeze), Whisper of Refraction (class ability energy on frozen/slowed kill), and Whisper of Durance (longer slow duration) also benefit from the effects Salvation's Grip provides.

Key Aspect Synergies:

Salvation's Grip complements Aspects across all classes:

Class-Specific Build Concepts:

PvE Performance & Role:

Salvation's Grip has evolved significantly since its introduction. Initially viewed as primarily a tool for quests and novelty, post-rework and especially with its catalyst, it has become a potent PvE utility weapon.

Strengths:

• Unmatched Crowd Control: Creates large fields of Stasis crystals, freezing multiple enemies instantly over a wide area. Excellent for locking down chokepoints or entire rooms.
• Stasis Build Engine: Reliably generates crystals and freeze, fueling Aspects and Fragments for high ability uptime.
• Champion & Major Stagger: Can effectively freeze and stagger Unstoppable Champions (via shatter) and even larger bosses like Alak-Hul, providing significant control.
• Ammo Efficiency: Post-buff, it has generous reserves (24 total shots), and the Shatter Shot reload mechanic can extend uptime significantly.
• Survivability: The Rimestealer catalyst grants valuable damage resistance. Creating crystal cover provides physical protection. It avoids self-damage common to other grenade launchers.
• Endgame Viability: Proven effective in Grandmaster Nightfalls and high-wave Onslaught due to its control capabilities.
• Debuff Synergy: Pairs well with seasonal mods like Focusing Lens or Breach and Clear (when available) for team damage buffs.

Weaknesses:

• Low Direct DPS: Its primary weakness is poor single-target damage compared to meta Heavy weapons like rocket launchers or linear fusion rifles. It's not designed for melting bosses quickly.
• Opportunity Cost: Occupies both the Exotic slot and the Heavy weapon slot, preventing the use of other powerful options in either category.
• Build Dependency: Its effectiveness is heavily tied to investment in a synergistic Stasis subclass build. Without supporting Aspects/Fragments, its value diminishes significantly.
• Potential Awkwardness: The crystal spread can occasionally block movement or shots. Some users report instances of self-shatter or unexpected detonations, though this might be linked to specific interactions or incorrect usage (e.g., not charging the shot).

PvP Considerations:

In the Crucible, Salvation's Grip is generally considered weak and highly situational.

Niche Uses: Freezing an unsuspecting Guardian can be satisfying. The crystals can theoretically be used to block pathways or create temporary cover. However, its overall impracticality makes it more of a novelty or meme weapon in PvP rather than a competitive choice.

Beyond the Battlefield: Entropic Shards, Platforming & Puzzles

Salvation's Grip's utility extends beyond direct combat, serving as a key tool for exploration and unlocking further Stasis powers.

Essential Tool: Destroying Entropic Shards

Scattered across Europa are nine hidden Entropic Shards – small, pyramid-like objects immune to all damage except that from Salvation's Grip.

• Requirement: You must use Salvation's Grip to destroy these shards.
• Purpose: Destroying these shards is mandatory for progressing the Stasis Aspect quests offered by the Exo Stranger after the main campaign and The Stasis Prototype quest.

• Aspect of Control: Requires destroying 5 Entropic Shards.
• Aspect of Destruction: Requires destroying the remaining 4 (total 9).
• Subsequent Aspect quests (Influence, Interference) also require shard destruction.

Mechanic: Simply shoot a shard with Salvation's Grip. A confirmation (like an XP notification) will appear. Progress is account-wide, meaning shards only need to be destroyed once across all characters.

Europa's Entropic Shard Locations (All 9):

Finding all nine shards unlocks further Stasis power and completes associated Triumphs. Use the checklist below to track your progress. Detailed visual guides or videos can also be helpful.

Creative Applications:

The ability to instantly create solid Stasis crystals has led to inventive uses beyond combat:

• Traversal & Platforming: Players can shoot crystals onto walls or even stack them mid-air ("towering") to climb to normally inaccessible locations or bypass complex platforming sections. The post-rework crystal spread can make precise climbing slightly more awkward, however.
• Puzzle & Encounter Skipping: The crystals have been used to bypass entire jumping puzzles in raids (like Vow of the Disciple) or skip initial encounter phases by manipulating respawn locations (like in Ghosts of the Deep). They have also seen niche use in specific raid mechanics, such as slowing Gatekeepers in Vault of Glass.
• Out-of-Bounds Exploration: The reliable platform creation makes Salvation's Grip a popular tool for players dedicated to exploring beyond the intended map boundaries.

These non-combat applications showcase the emergent gameplay possible when unique weapon mechanics interact with the game's physics and environment, highlighting the value of utility-focused Exotics.

Verdict: Wielding the Grip - Is It Right for You?

Salvation's Grip has journeyed from a necessary quest item and niche novelty to a genuinely potent and engaging Stasis utility weapon, particularly after its rework and the addition of the Rimestealer catalyst. Its value proposition, however, remains distinct from traditional Heavy weapons.

Summary of Strengths:

• Unmatched on-demand Stasis crystal generation and AoE freeze.
• Potent engine for synergistic Stasis subclass builds, enabling high ability uptime.
• Excellent crowd control capabilities, effective in high-density encounters.
• Good ammo economy and potential for extended use via Shatter Shot reload.
• Significant survivability boost via Rimestealer catalyst and crystal cover.
• Essential for unlocking Stasis Aspects via Entropic Shard destruction.
• Unique platforming and puzzle-solving potential.
• High "fun factor" due to its unique mechanics.

Summary of Weaknesses:

• Significantly lower direct single-target DPS compared to meta Heavy Exotics.
• Occupies both the Heavy and Exotic weapon slots, a major opportunity cost.
• Effectiveness heavily relies on investment in a synergistic Stasis build.
• Largely ineffective and impractical in PvP modes.

Final Recommendations:

Salvation's Grip is not a weapon for every situation, but it excels in its specific role.

Who should use it?

• Guardians deeply invested in Stasis subclasses, especially Behemoth Titans and ability-loop Warlocks/Hunters.
• Players prioritizing extreme crowd control and area denial over maximum boss damage.
• Those tackling high-level PvE content where survivability and controlling engagements are key (GMs, Legend/Master Onslaught).
• Anyone needing to complete Stasis Aspect quests or hunt Entropic Shards.
• Players who enjoy creative build-crafting, unique utility, and unconventional gameplay like platforming skips.

When to use it?

• Encounters with high enemy density and multiple dangerous threats.
• Activities where locking down areas or protecting objectives is crucial (e.g., Onslaught defense).
• When running a Stasis build designed to leverage crystal generation and shattering.
• For specific encounter strategies requiring mass freeze or Stasis crystal platforms.
• When exploring Europa for Entropic Shards or seeking creative traversal solutions.
• Simply for the enjoyment of its unique Stasis manipulation capabilities.

When to avoid it?

• Boss encounters where maximizing direct damage per second is the primary goal.
• Nearly all PvP scenarios.
• When not utilizing a Stasis subclass or a build that benefits from its effects.

Salvation's Grip represents a successful evolution of an Exotic, transforming from a simple quest tool into a powerful and engaging utility weapon. While it demands a specific playstyle and build commitment, mastering its chilling power offers Guardians a unique and rewarding way to control the battlefield with the might of Stasis.

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