Destiny 2 makes the old Exotic a boss killer that we have wanted for months

In Destiny 2 you should definitely try the Sleeper Simulant. After its buff, this exotic is now a real boss killer. Many Guardians are still confused, but damage comparisons to other top weapons show that it is meta.

This is what this exotic is about: The exotic linear fusion rifle Sleeper Simulant has been a well-known power weapon since Destiny 1. The futuristic gun is usually called Sleeper for short and fires a devastating laser beam after charging, which pierces and can bounce off targets.

The exotic has been gathering dust in Guardians’ vaults for years. Bungie wanted to change that in Season 14:

• Right at the start of the Splicer season (May 11, 2021), all linear fusion rifles received a proper buff
• But oh no, the Sleeper was bugged and didn’t notice the buff
• Guardians complained, wanting the old exotic back as a meta weapon
• Bungie then promised: “Sleeper will soon get the strongest shot in the game“
• The Update 3.2.1 finally brought the buff for Sleeper Simulant in July

MeinMMO is examining how strong the exotic is now in the sandbox after the update and why there is currently confusion among Guardians about the power of the power weapon?

The strength of Sleeper Simulant in Season 14 of Destiny 2

In short: The Sleeper Simulant is now a top weapon and definitely worth the exotic power slot.

Now the exotic is a proud 16.5% stronger than in the previous Season 13. The damage per shot is now indeed at the top for the Sleeper. No single weapon deals more damage when it comes to boss damage in a damage phase.

That’s why it’s the perfect boss killer in the raid: Against powerful raid bosses, you usually only have a narrow window of time to deal burst damage as a team. Depending on the boss, that’s 20 to 30 seconds – then the boss becomes immune again, and the mechanics circus starts over, or you have defeated him. This also applies to many strike bosses at the top.

Exactly in that time, you have fired all your ammunition with the Sleeper. This is how you optimally use the short damage phase.

Important tips:

• It is important, however, that you also have the exotic masterwork catalyst for the Sleeper. The upgrade ensures that you have a faster charge time (+75) and more ammunition as reserve (+3). Only then does the boss killer unleash its full potential.
• Combine that whole thing in Season 14 with a grenade launcher, for example, to quickly charge with Light (“Explosion Radius” mod) and then deal 20% more damage continuously (“High-Energetic Fire” mod). On top of that, you weaken enemies for the whole team (“Breach and Clear” mod).
• Also equip the appropriate mods on your armor: Especially linear fusion rifle loaders and more reserve ammunition for the exotic are worth their weight in gold.
• Don’t forget the advantage that while the Sleeper deals the most damage on critical hits, it also performs significantly stronger on body shots compared to other linear fusion rifles. If you don’t hit precisely, it’s not that bad.

Why is there confusion about the buffed exotic?

How good the Sleeper Simulant is now after its buff is still somewhat confusing among Guardians.

This is partly because some bosses in Destiny 2 are no longer bosses, but actually Majors (in Lost Sectors). Thus, in some cases, incorrect or old numbers were used for DPS comparisons, which make the Sleeper look worse. On the other hand, however, some real bosses have strange multipliers that suddenly make a weapon look significantly stronger: Kali in the Last Wish takes absurdly high damage from headshots, for example.

Also, our MeinMMO reader Zuko initially did not really believe in the new power of the Sleeper. But after his own tests, he was pleasantly surprised and even made an informative video about it.

Here you can see how the damage of the Sleeper Simulant compares to other top weapons in the power slot:

Damage compared to other top exotics

We are referring here to the current results from Season 14, found out by TheRealZukosan in the video above. Every exotic was tested, only with reload mods and maximum reserves (as well as a catalyst, if available).

Can it get even better? Yes, but you’ll need more than one weapon. In Season 14, nothing in Destiny 2 surpasses the combo of Anarchy and slug shotguns. Some Guardians take this to the extreme: First 2 shots with the Anarchy exotic, then with two slug shotguns that alternately harass the boss – as soon as the Anarchy charges stop dealing tick damage, the next grenade comes.

But combinations of Witherhoard and another weapon can also make damage soar and are sometimes much more comfortable to play with than the Sleeper. Many Guardians also forgo maximum damage and instead use more comfortable weapons like Xenophage, which is perfectly fine.

Another option that makes bosses melt is to first empty a strong weapon with high DPS and little ammunition in a short time and then give the boss the rest with a super – here the Titan with the Harnisch der Sternschnuppe is a good choice. And you should always carry another exotic weapon with you:

More on the topic

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von Philipp Hansen

Have you already dusted off the Sleeper Simulant since its buff and taken it on an outing? Can you confirm that the old exotic is now a real boss killer, or are you using completely different guns? Let us know in the comments.

The currently most popular and strongest power weapon, which appears in all strategies of Season 14, will soon get nerfed: Destiny 2 will soon nerf one of the best exotics – enjoy the weapon as long as you can