Gjallarhorn

Gjallarhorn
Production overview
Manufacturer:	Crux/Lomar
Style:	Iron Lords
Rarity class:	Exotic
Weapon type:	Rocket Launcher
Required level:	40
Min-max accuracy:	Great
Min-max stability:	Good
Min-max handling:	Decent
Min-max magazine:	2
Specifications
Damage:	Solar
Effective range:	indefinite
Service history
In service:	In service
Affiliation:	Guardian Vanguard Victor Lomar and Feizel Crux

"If there is beauty in destruction, why not also in its delivery?"

— Feizel Crux

Gjallarhorn is an Exotic Rocket Launcher.^[1] It is also the only rocket launcher that has tracking missiles that each function separately from the warheads. It is currently available through a quest called Beauty in Destruction, where you retrace the steps of its original maker, Feizel Crux. The rocket is one of three exotic Rocket Launchers found in Destiny that are made by the Crux-Lomar weapons foundry. The other two are Dragon's Breath and Truth.

Gameplay

Gjallarhorn is commonly regarded by the playerbase as one of the most overpowered weapons in Destiny, especially during the later half of Destiny 1 Year 1. The weapon was considered to be essentially required to play higher-level activities; for example, many of the LFG posts during Year 1 often included the phrase "Gjallarhorn Req.", meaning that if a player joined without the weapon, they would be kicked from the activity.

Another example of its dominance has to do with how many times it was sold by Xur. In the second week of Destiny 1, Xur sold the weapon to the players. Unfortunately, due to how early Destiny was in its life span many refused to spend Strange Coins on such a "weak" weapon. Many viewed the perks of tracking and wolf pack rounds as too simple or underpowered. The weapon would then go on a nearly year-long drought, with it only ever being sold once more a few weeks prior to the start of Year 2.

Destiny 1

Gjallarhorn's special perk is "Wolfpack Rounds", wherein rounds fired from this weapon split into tracking cluster missiles upon detonation of the main warhead. This adds to the overall damage of a single round and thus can down high-level enemies and/or bosses in a short amount of time, or take out large groups of lower-tier enemies. In Rise of Iron, there is a quest available for players to forge their own Gjallarhorn after the main story is completed.

Destiny 2

Gjallerhorn remains largely unchanged from its Destiny 1 variant with the exception of having the ability to empower other legendary rocket launchers with Wolfpack rounds, and a catalyst being added onto it. The catalyst grants the weapon an extra shot and, upon defeating a target, spawns a faster, more powerful missile at the targets location.

Lore

Randy finally reaches the Tower. It was a long road from the Cosmodrome, but Shaw Han had given him some good directions. His ship had only exploded twice on the trip from Old Russia, and while he defended his Ghost's second (and much better) repair job, he even found some loot!

As he materializes on the receiving pad of the Tower, a gathering horde of Humans and Guardians of all "ages" gather around a singular figure deep in the crowd. Randy can feel an almost mythic aura—exotic, even—radiating from the figure. He jabs his scuffed elbows through the crowd to get a clear look. When he finally breaks through, he understands the draw: the Guardian. They stand, one leg propped up on the Tower railing. Randy's Ghost talked about this person a few times before. Some kind of hero.

Big deal. Randy was a hero too.

"Amazing," a Titan says about the weapon in the Guardian's hands. Randy looks at the Titan wearing a strange chainmail visor.

"It's just a rocket launcher. I got one of those in Old Russia the other day," Randy brags proudly, unholstering a launcher.

His Ghost, Dandy, nudges him. "Now listen here, berry blue," Dandy says. "What you are looking at in the Guardian's hands is a top-of-the-line wolfpack deployment device. Each firing of which unleashes hell in the form of a swarm of homing micro rockets. I've told you a flock of crows is called a murder? Well, they really should've reserved the name for this swarm instead."

Randy holds up his Bad Omens. "I can put a tracking module on this." Dandy chuckles. "I guess."

Randy looks at the Bad Omens. His pride turns into frustration at the mediocrity of his equipment. In a fit of anger, he heaves the launcher over the Guardian's head and over the Tower railing.

The Guardian pivots and drops to a solid stance. They shoulder and fire off the Gjallarhorn like a volcanic eruption, blowing the Bad Omens to smithereens. Micro tracking rockets hunt down and turn each piece of falling debris to fireworks before they hit the ground. The acrid-sweet smell of burning fuel hangs in the air.

Randy's jaw drops.

The Guardian steps forward and places the Gjallarhorn into Randy's hands with a smile.

"Start your legend with this instead."

Trivia

"The Gjallarhorn shoulder-mounted rocket system was designed and personally crafted by Feizel Crux as a gift to the Guardians who fought the Battle of the Twilight Gap. Forged from the armor of the thousands who fell, to wield Gjallarhorn is to wield honor against any attempt at our extermination."

— Art Book Description^[2]

In Norse mythology, the god Heimdall, whose job was to protect the rainbow bridge to Asgard is the bearer of Gjallarhorn, "whose blast can be heard in all worlds". The Eddas depict him blowing into the horn to signal the beginning of Ragnarök".
In the E3 "Closed Doors Demo", when naming the rocket launcher, the Titan's player called the weapon "It Was Raised By Wolves"^[3]. It should be noted that there are no links between Gjallarhorn and wolves found in either the Poetic or Prose Eddas. However, Mowgli, the protagonist of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, was raised by wolves. In fact, the decision to add the wolves came from the designers' desire to "infuse this horn of destruction with a beastly spirit."^[4]
One of Gjallarhorn's Ornaments, Hraesveglur, bears the name of the lesser-known Jotunn Hraesvelgr, the originator of the wind that assumes the form of a colossal eagle, hence the eagle present in place of Gjallarhorn's typical wolf motif. However, the name of the ornament is anglicized from its Old Norse counterpart.
Anyone who preordered the Rise of Iron DLC for Destiny would receive a special black and white version of the weapon known as the Iron Gjallarhorn, as well as an exclusive Sparrow, the Iron Gjallarwing.
- The pre-order trailer for Rise of Iron uses audio of (streamers') reactions to getting Gjallarhorn.
Bungie 3-D Modeller, Mark Van Haitsma, Gjallarhorn's designer, added a wolf onto the weapon for each day he spent working on it. A total of 16 wolves thus far can be seen in in the various images of the weapon.^[4]
Crusader knights and gladiators inspired the design of the Gjallarhorn.^[5]
The design of the largest wolf on the front of the weapon resembles the Crest of Alpha Lupi (Hunter) and the Crest of Alpha Lupi (Titan).
The "Advanced Gungeons and Draguns" update for the game "Enter the Gungeon" features a weapon named "The Exotic" which is modeled after the Gjallarhorn. This gun has a perk called "Pack of Wolves" which functions similarly to the "Wolfpack Rounds" perk. Firing the gun in game also spawns a Ghost which follows the player character.

-"Fires homing rockets that erupt into short-range swarms. Comes with a helpful pal. Though this gun was built unimaginably far away, it seems it was destined to eventually find its way to the Gungeon"

The Spider has come into possession of a non-functioning replica of the Gjallarhorn within certain wares he sells to anyone who can afford it. The price for the replica is 20 Exotic Engrams.
- The requirement to purchase said item, however, is meant to be a gag, as players cannot trade Exotic engrams at will, nor can they carry more than ten.

Gallery

Reference chart of the Gjallarhorn.
A Gjallarhorn illustration from the Limited Edition "Arms and Armament" field guide.
Desktop wallpaper of the weapon.
Concept image of Gjallarhorn's targeting reticle. Note the titan symbol in the center.
Closeup detail of one of Gjallarhorn's many wolves.
First person view of Gjallarhorn.
As seen in-game.
The Gjallarhorn seen in a live-action trailer promo for Destiny.
Another extracted side of the Gjallarhorn.
Side render of the Gjallarhorn
Front render of the Gjallarhorn.
Back detail render of the Gjallarhorn.
Gjallarfoam NERF themed ornament for Gjallarhorn.
Hraesveglur ornament for Gjallarhorn
concept art of the GJNKR ornament for Gjallarhorn
GJNKR a military themed ornament for Gjallarhorn
Front view of GJNKR ornament for the Gjallarhorn.
Side view of GJNKR ornament for the Gjallarhorn.
Back view of GJNKR ornament for the Gjallarhorn.
Close view of GJNKR ornament for the Gjallarhorn.
Aiming down sights with GJNKR ornament.