In Destiny 2, you can now earn the second weapon Exotic of Season 6 – the Arbalest. But how does this new weapon perform in practice? Is it even worth the effort?
How to get the Arbalest: You can currently obtain this new exotic firearm through the Spring Event “The Indulgence”. After May 7, it will only be available as a random drop from exotic engrams. So if you want to secure the weapon directly, you should hurry.
What you need to do during the Spring Event to earn the Arbalest, you can find out here: Get the Arbalest – Here’s how to get the new exotic weapon
What can the Arbalest do in practice?
What is the Arbalest anyway? The Arbalest is the first kinetic linear fusion rifle of Destiny 2. Other representatives of this weapon type, such as the Slate Reaper or Tarantula, can only be found in the power slot. It has a charge time of 533 and boasts quite good base stats compared to other linear fusion rifles of the same archetype.
The Arbalest requires special ammunition and fires special projectiles through its intrinsic perk Binding Power, which deal massive damage to enemy elemental shields – even though it is technically a kinetic weapon.
With the perk Disruptor, enemies also become more vulnerable to kinetic damage when the Arbalest destroys their elemental shield.
How does the Arbalest perform in PvE? In PvE, the Arbalest is only worthwhile situationally. It is particularly useful in activities where you encounter numerous enemies with elemental shields – such as for example the forges, Gambit, or in Nightfall. There, the weapon performs really well.
When you break the enemy’s shield, that enemy becomes more susceptible to kinetic damage (also from other team members). The damage is increased by about 50%.
The problem is: the Arbalest really shines only against enemies with shields. Against all other enemies, you basically waste that precious exotic slot.
Without a shield, it cannot benefit from its powerful perk combo. While it can effectively eliminate high-value targets in Gambit or majors in the forges in certain situations, there are plenty of other exotic alternatives like the Wardcliff Coil or the Thunderlord that can be used consistently against all enemies.
Many fans had hoped for the Arbalest to be an overpowered weapon for the Nightfall. However, even there, the weapon is not always as effective as some Guardians had hoped – despite being specifically designed to crack elemental shields.
If you set the modifier Precise in the Nightfall strike (Enemies shields are resistant to mismatched elemental damage), you will need a total of 4 – 5 shots with the Arbalest to break the shield. This is significantly faster with matching elemental weapons. Here, some Guardians expected much more.
How does the Arbalest perform in PvP? Although the Arbalest is primarily designed for PvE, it is actually a good and solid weapon in the Crucible. Here, the Arbalest can indeed do something significant in the right hands, even if it probably won’t disrupt the meta in PvP.
It deals 166 damage with body shots and 414 with a critical hit – a critical hit is therefore immediately fatal. With the kinetic damage increase, the damage grows to 248 body damage and 620 crit damage. When you break the shield with the Arbalest, the enemy suffers 50% more damage from the kinetic fire of your entire team.
Where the Arbalest can particularly shine in PvP is in weapon handling. The aim assist and especially the hitbox of the weapon seem to be very generous according to initial reports – especially on consoles. It should be very easy, with a little practice, to land critical hits with the Arbalest.
Another advantage: Since the Arbalest requires special ammunition, you spawn in PvP with two shots. This means you can immediately get started with the Arbalest, unlike its counterparts from the power slot, and quickly gather more ammunition. If you enjoy linear fusion rifles in the Crucible, you should be happy with the Arbalest.
However, those hoping that the Arbalest could take down enemy Guardians with just one shot from an active super will be disappointed. Just like its counterparts of the same archetype from the power slot, the Arbalest cannot do that – not even with a critical hit.
Is the grind worth it? It depends. If you were hoping for an exotic weapon that can be used consistently and can plow through enemy masses – assuming enough ammunition – you will likely be disappointed.
The Arbalest is definitely not a must-have, except perhaps for passionate collectors. However, if you’re looking for a fun exotic for specific scenarios, you might indeed find joy in this new weapon exotic.
Because the Arbalest is essentially a niche weapon in PvE and can truly shine only situationally. However, it struggles to compete with exotic all-rounders like the Wardcliff Coil or the Thunderlord.
In PvP, you can make more of an impact with the weapon – provided you like the shooting behavior of linear fusion rifles. Because in the Crucible, that is far from everyone’s cup of tea.
Have you already gotten the Arbalest? What are your experiences with the weapon?
