The workhorse in Destiny 2 is an exotic auto rifle that functions like a Gatling gun. Is it worth it?
During the “Destiny 2” beta, the workhorse caused a stir: it was one of three playable exotics – and a weapon like no other.
For the workhorse, which is categorized as an auto rifle, is essentially a Gatling gun – an automatic weapon with a revolving barrel:
Currently, Xur has the exotic on offer. Is it worth buying?
How to get the workhorse – Locations
There are several locations for the workhorse:
- You can obtain it as a random drop from all sources that can drop exotic engrams. You’ll need some luck.
- Xur: Sometimes the Agent of the Nine has the weapon for sale. You will need 29 Legendary Shards for this.
Xur sells you the weapon up to a maximum power level of 270.
What makes the workhorse special in Destiny 2? The perks
The workhorse, known in English as “Sweet Business,” is an exotic auto rifle. It is carried in the kinetic slot.
The stats are interesting: The base rate of fire is 360, and the magazine size is a massive 99. All other stats such as impact (18), handling (10), or reload speed (10) are extremely low, with only the stability (46) being decent. Why would one equip such a weak weapon?
This is where the special perks come into play:
- Payday: This perk ensures the large magazine and better accuracy when firing from the hip.
- Let’s get down to business: When you hold down the trigger, range and rate of fire are improved, and ammo pickups are automatically loaded into the magazine. The rate of fire increases significantly.
Also noteworthy is the perk High-Caliber Rounds, which causes shots to stagger enemies.
Is the workhorse worth it?
The gameplay style of this exotic is dictated by the perks: you are supposed to play aggressively and shoot at enemies for an extended period, preferably from the hip, which increases accuracy. You should feel like the hero in an action movie, blasting through enemies with a big minigun.
Thus, the workhorse should primarily be seen as a fun weapon. It’s enjoyable to enter battle with this Gatling gun, holding down the trigger and pumping around 100 rounds into enemies. Additionally, the weapon has a cool sound and looks great.
Destiny 1 veterans might reminisce about the assault rifles when holding the workhorse. This is a weapon class that has been removed from Destiny 2.
The workhorse not only has a high fun factor, but it can also be quite useful in certain situations. However, it does not rank among the top-tier exotics that one must always have.
- In PvE, you can quickly decimate your enemies, but this can also be done with other auto rifles without using your exotic slot. The workhorse excels particularly against large bosses that you can keep under fire for a long time. Once you reach the maximum fire rate, your damage output is enormous.
- In PvP, the workhorse has the slowest time-to-kill of all auto rifles (1.67 seconds). In comparison, Uriels Gift and Origin Story have 1.07 seconds. However, if you shoot at the enemy with the maximum fire rate, the optimal TTK is only 0.93 seconds. This requires 12 critical hits and 3 body shots. In a direct duel, you will often come out on the losing end, but if you are in sustained fire and enemies come one after another, you have a true beast in your hands.
In short: If you don’t have the workhorse yet, go for it. The weapon is fun and can shine in certain situations.
Note: If you want to get more out of the workhorse, you can try combining it with the Actium War Rig from Titan. This allows you to shoot continuously for about 12 seconds (instead of 7 seconds)!
