What can Riskrunner do in Destiny 2? We take a look at the perks and see what the exotic submachine gun can do in PvE and PvP.
Xur has an interesting weapon available these days: Riskrunner. It is the only exotic SMG in the game that some of you may have played during the Destiny 2 beta.
So what is Riskrunner worth in PvE and PvP? Is it worth buying from Xur?
How to get Riskrunner – How do I get the Exotic?
There are several sources for Riskrunner:
- After about two-thirds of the campaign, you can choose the weapon as a reward. After the Rupture mission, you have the choice between Riskrunner, Sunshot, and Graviton Lance.
- Random drops from all sources that can drop exotic engrams.
- Xur: Sometimes the Agent of the Nine has the weapon available
What makes Riskrunner special in Destiny 2?
The Riskrunner SMG features great handling and a quick weapon readiness speed, making it feel really good in combat. It deals Arc damage. Compared to other SMGs, its range, recoil, and magazine size are excellent, though it is disadvantaged by a slow reload speed.
Here are the special perks:
- Arc Conductor: When you take Arc damage, the weapon becomes stronger and you resist incoming Arc damage. Kills extend the time in this overcharged state.
- Superconductor: When Arc Conductor is active, there is a chance that fired shots will become chaining lightning and refund ammunition.
Sounds confusing at first – what does that mean?
The requirement to benefit from these perks is that you take Arc damage. Interestingly, you can also deal yourself Arc damage to activate the perks.
Once you are hit by Arc damage, a buff will be displayed in the upper left corner of your screen. This is called Arc Conductor and lasts about 5 seconds: The special thing is: As long as Arc Conductor is active, you deal increased damage. Additionally, Superconductor activates, allowing chaining lightning to hit nearby enemies. This leads to,
- the Arc Conductor buff being extended by kills (effect of Arc Conductor),
- you being able to fire nearly continuously, as long as Arc Conductor is active, ammunition will be refunded per shot (effect of Superconductor)
and overall it means that you can keep enemies under constant fire with increased damage in PvE, as long as you are facing many adds. Riskrunner plows through enemy ranks!
To guarantee that you benefit from the perks, choose an Arc focus for your Guardian (e.g. Striker Titan with the Arc grenade), throw the Arc grenade on the ground before you so that you take a little damage. The perks of Riskrunner activate immediately.
Especially in public events or in Lost Sectors, the Riskrunner SMG shines, as you can chain and eliminate many enemies and benefit from Arc Conductor for a long time:
According to Nexxoss Gaming, Riskrunner is a weapon that is really fun against large groups of enemies. In PvP, however, the perks do not come into play. Damaging yourself before a fight with the grenade is not a good idea in the Crucible. And you can’t rely on your opponent shooting Arc damage at you.
There are two disadvantages of Riskrunner to mention:
- As an SMG, you must get very close to enemies to deal maximum damage. An offensive, “risky” playstyle is required.
- Since the weapon is exotic, you have to sacrifice your exotic slot for it.
So is it worth buying from Xur? If you don’t have the weapon yet, definitely go for it. In PvE, Riskrunner is definitely fun! However, if you prefer to play cautiously and from a distance, you won’t be happy with this SMG.
You can find all exotic weapons in Destiny 2 here in the overview.
