In the MMO shooter Destiny weapons with God Rolls are considered the best weapons overall. What is behind it? When is a weapon a God Roll?
Every weapon in Destiny has “Perks” that give it specific characteristics. One perk might make the weapon a bit more stable, another increases the magazine size. The better the perks enhance a weapon, the better the weapon is. Even the strongest weapons on paper with the best base stats will be dismantled if they show weak perks.
Destiny: Hunting for the God Roll
The “God Roll” refers to the best perk combination possible on a weapon. Such a weapon performs significantly better than “normal” weapons.
That is why Iron Banner weapons that can be purchased from the vendor are so popular: They often appear with a particularly strong roll, a God Roll. An example of this can be the first “Felwinter” that could be purchased from Lord Saladin during Iron Banner back then. It had such strong perks in February 2015 that it disrupted the Crucible for months.
Even in the “modern age” there are such outliers in Destiny’s Iron Banner, as with the “Clever Dragon.”
At the vendor Banshee-44, Guardians place weapon orders every week, hoping he will bring them back the following week with a “God Roll”.
As easy as the “God Roll” is to describe, it is just as controversial: Many Guardians have different ideas about how to get the most out of each weapon. Moreover, it always depends on the situation at hand which perk is really useful.
In PvE and PvP, there are differences in perk selection because the situations in which the weapon must perform vary: Am I fighting against a Guardian? Do I need to eliminate large hordes of enemies? Is it against a big boss?
As an example, hand cannons can be mentioned here: To be competitive in PvP, most hand cannons need perks for range. Barrel Shroud is top here. Additionally, Targeting Adjuster helps immensely. In PvE, however, many strive for the Fatebringer roll, meaning Outlaw, Explosive Rounds, and Firefly, as this allows clearing many enemies with a few shots.
The Choice of Best Perks in PvE and PvP
While exotic weapons come with fixed perks, most legendary weapons have randomly selected properties: In each column on the weapon, multiple perks are possible, with randomness deciding which one the weapon actually receives upon drop.
Even among weapons of the same archetype, the best possible roll can look different because not every weapon can get every perk. Bungie has previously changed the perk selection on weapons because the God Roll was so powerful that it disrupted the game’s balance.
But which perks are the best in PvE and PvP? In response to this question, the Redditor ebolaxb provides an impressive answer. He created lists for PvP and PvE, naming a God Roll for each legendary weapon. You can find his work here:
These lists are “Live Guides” that he will update as needed. He is sure that not everyone will agree with his recommendations – because as mentioned, God Rolls are controversial. However, the majority of users praise him for this great work.
The 12 best legendary primary weapons in PvP are presented here.
