This week, it is now possible to fully level the exotic catalyst for the Perfected Exile in Destiny 2 for the first time. What can the masterwork version of this weapon do in practice?
The first diligent Guardians have been able to finally complete their catalyst for the Perfected Exile since the Weekly Reset on May 21 and are now experiencing the full potential of this new top weapon. We explain what the Exile can do as a masterwork and what changes in detail with the fully leveled catalyst.
Perfected Exile as a Masterwork – What You Need to Know
The Perfected Exile was introduced just a few weeks ago, but it has quickly proven to be one of the best weapons in PvE – even without a catalyst. It can pulverize almost any boss in no time in a group and is also a good choice against enemy hordes.
The catalyst is supposed to make the weapon even more powerful. Many Guardians were curious about what the weapon could do in its perfected form. First experiences are already coming in.
How to get the weapon and the catalyst is explained here: The Exile Primus is back – Here’s how to get the new weapon exotic
This is what the Exile can do: The exotic pulse rifle has a fire rate of 450 and is carried in the kinetic slot.
Through its perks, kills by critical hits and rapid successive hits generate swarms of seeking SIVA nanites. These infest the enemies, damage them, and make them more vulnerable to further fire from the Exile. Additionally, this weapon deals more damage to enemies based on the number of SIVA nanites attached to them.
The cool part: If multiple players have equipped the weapon, all bearers of the weapon benefit from the buff effect of other Exile users. This allows for extreme damage values for a primary weapon.
Read more about it here: Perfected Exile: How the new exotic weapon shakes up Destiny 2
This is what the catalyst does: The catalyst makes the Perfected Exile even more powerful. In the masterwork version, the SIVA nanite swarms deal more damage. Additionally, enemies that still have nanites attached when they die generate further nanites. But what does this mean in practice?
This is how the catalyst affects PvE: In PvE, the masterwork version is significantly noticeable.
If you play against groups of smaller enemies, you can now noticeably eliminate them faster and more effectively. On the one hand, the nanites themselves now deal nearly 30% more damage, causing many smaller enemies to perish more quickly. On the other hand, precision kills now spawn 12 instead of 9 nanites, which further enhances this effect against larger groups of enemies.
Even against majors, that is, high-ranking enemies with yellow health bars, a difference is noticeable. For example, a single player with the masterwork version needs over a second less for an Ogre major than without the catalyst (14.04 instead of 15.13 seconds). If you’re in a group and benefit from each other’s nanite buffs, it goes even faster.
The weapon thus deals even more damage as a masterwork and can take down bosses and majors even faster – especially in a group. This should further strengthen its position as one of the currently best weapons in Destiny 2.
This is how the masterwork version plays in PvP: The weapon is also popular among many guardians in the Crucible – especially on consoles. Many describe the weapon’s handling as excellent. With a controller, it is said to be one of the most precise pulse rifles in Destiny 2.
The catalyst does not make this weapon overpowered in 1v1, as some players feared. It much more represents a kind of cherry on top, allowing the weapon to shine a bit more in certain situations – especially against multiple enemies standing close together.
On the one hand, precision kills with the Exile masterwork now generate 12 instead of 9 nanites. On the other hand, the damage of the seeking nanites is also increased by 30% in PvP. If previously a single nanite dealt 10 damage (90 with 9 nanites), the damage with the catalyst is now 13 per nanite. So if you take out an enemy and their neighbor takes the full brunt of the nanites, you can take them down with just one salvo – even guardians with maximum resilience. Moreover, not all shots of the salvo need to hit.
Even in PvP, the weapon becomes better with a fully leveled catalyst – if only situationally.
A review of the Exile catalyst can be found in this video from Atzecross Gaming:
Have you already upgraded the Perfected Exile to a masterwork? What are your experiences with the active catalyst? Is it worth the effort?
