The night in Central Park went quiet, then the ECHO started whispering. I froze, heart up against my headset, because one wrong step and the moment would vanish. By the time I picked myself up, the map had already given me a clue.
I’ve chased every Guardian card so you don’t waste time wandering. I’ll show you where each one sits, what triggers you must trigger, and the exact sequence that sends the Clockwork SMG into your hands.
A park bench full of scavengers: All Guardian card locations in The Division 2
The park looks ordinary in daylight—garbage, taxis, and a few rusted signs—but those familiar props hide the six Guardian cards you need. I’ll walk you through each card’s spot and any special conditions it demands.
Where are the Guardian cards in Central Park?
You’ll find six: Toad, Owl, Carrior Eater, Spider, Porcupine, and the Stag. Each sits in a distinct pocket of Central Park. Some are brute-force park exploration; others are timed or gated behind events and in-game clock conditions.
Toad
Head east from the Mire’s lair to the pair of trucks shown above. One truck is tipped on its side—climb it, vault the crate, and drop forward. Keep moving straight from the high ground and you’ll stumble into the Toad pocket. It’s tactile and simple: run, jump, pick up.
Owl
From Central Park North checkpoint, go east until you hit the truck in the image. Slide left through the bushes to enter a hedge maze. Race the timer—if you linger the maze will kill you. Reach the maze’s heart before time expires and the Owl will be waiting.
Carrior Eater
Go south from the Thorn’s lair to the area in the screenshot. Four illuminated “Emerald” signs sit across the map. Shoot each one to release red smoke—do all four and the Carrior Eater event will trigger. Expect hostiles when you start shooting; this is not a solo stroll.
Note: this one must be completed after 21:00 (in-game time).
Spider
At the marked spot you’ll see two broken taxis. Move to the left of the taxi shown; there’s a tight gap. If an invisible collision wall traps you, use the vault or reload method to clip through. The Spider sits just beyond that seam.
Porcupine
At night, hunt down four candles scattered through the region and extinguish them in any order. Once all candles are out, a hidden cave opens where the Porcupine sits. This is another night-only task—plan your route or wait until 21:00 in-game.
Stag
You don’t need to wander for this one. Completing the Central Park campaign mission automatically adds the Stag card to your collection.
How do I get the Clockwork SMG?
Once you’ve collected all six Guardian cards, go to the Central Park East checkpoint and head to the image’s marked spot. Activate the ECHO there and wait for it to finish—the Clockwork SMG drops automatically when the ECHO completes.
Think of the process like finding a key in a coat pocket full of receipts; it’s messy until the right one appears. Collecting all six turns the map into a music box: every card is a tiny gear and the Clockwork SMG is the tune that starts to play.
Quick pro tips: use community maps on Reddit and creators on YouTube and Twitch for live routes; Ubisoft and Massive Entertainment patch locations occasionally, so cross-check before you run the route. If an event won’t trigger, log out to the main menu and re-enter the session—server ticks can be finicky.
Ready to wager a night play session against a rare SMG drop—what route will you try first?