The new exotic sniper rifle Izanagi’s Burden is tied to one of the most arduous and elaborate quests in Destiny 2. But is the effort worth it for this exotic sniper?
Those who want to obtain the exotic sniper rifle Izanagi’s Burden in Destiny 2 have a long and rocky road ahead.
The weapon is linked to a mega-quest, during which Guardians must master all 4 Forges of the Black Armory and the Broken Throne, as well as complete various collection tasks.
Many players who are tempted by the weapon wonder if Izanagi’s Burden is even worth the effort. We take a closer look at the weapon.
Izanagi’s Burden – How the new sniper performs in practice
This is what makes Izanagi’s Burden special: Izanagi’s Burden is an exotic sniper rifle for the kinetic slot with a fire rate of 90 and a impact of 70. The weapon uses special ammo – so green boxes.
What makes the weapon special is its intrinsic perk, Honed Edge. Holding the reload button consumes the magazine and compresses it into a single round.
This projectile gains increased range and more damage. Depending on how many rounds are currently in the magazine (4 is the maximum), the exotic effect can stack up to 4 times.
With this exotic perk, the weapon is able to achieve kills with just one body shot in PvP under certain circumstances.
Additionally, the perks Enhanced Rounds and Outlaw can be found on the weapon, increasing range and reload speed after precision kills. Moreover, a composite stock improves the stability and handling of the sniper.
By the way: The overcharged projectile remains after compression until fired – even if you switch weapons in between.
How to obtain Izanagi’s Burden: The weapon is tied to a long quest line that takes the player through almost all the content of the “Black Armory” DLC. A detailed guide can be found here: How to get the exotic sniper Izanagi’s Burden
What Izanagi’s Burden can do in PvE
In PvE, Izanagi’s Burden deals the following damage:
- 3657 with a critical hit without Honed Edge
- 7292 with a critical hit with Honed Edge 2x (+199% damage)
- 10427 with a critical hit with Honed Edge 3x (+285% damage)
- 18238 with a critical hit with Honed Edge 4x (+499% damage)
All these values are achieved without additional buffs. For comparison – the Whisper of the Worm achieves 8439 with Breathing Control activated and 5224 without.
This is what PvE players think: Izanagi’s Burden hits hard, especially since it is a kinetic and not a power weapon. Almost all owners of the weapon agree on this. However, compressing and activating Honed Edge takes time. Additionally, the weapon needs to be reloaded afterward.
In PvE, Izanagi’s Burden cannot compete with the current top choice Whisper of the Worm when it comes to sustained damage output over time – especially in endgame content like the raid Last Wish or Scourge of the Past. However, the new exotic sniper has its qualities.
To fully unleash its potential, one must consistently land critical hits with the Whisper. Only then can the enormous damage output over time be maintained.
Players who cannot achieve this can easily reach for Izanagi’s Burden if they want to use a sniper capable of dealing heavy damage. In Nightfall, Strikes, the Forges, or while patrolling, the new sniper can really make a difference.
What Izanagi’s Burden can do in PvP
The weapon is equipped in the kinetic slot and can therefore be combined with popular PvP weapons like Luna’s Howl or Not Forgotten.
In the Crucible, Izanagi’s Burden deals the following damage:
- 394 with a critical hit and 131 with a body shot without Honed Edge
- 786 with a critical hit and 155 with a body shot with Honed Edge 2x
- 1104 with a critical hit and 185 with a body shot with Honed Edge 3x
- 1965 with a critical hit and 328 with a body shot with Honed Edge 4x
This is how one-hit kills are possible: The damage for critical hits is exaggerated and deadly even at the lowest damage rank. However, to eliminate a Guardian in the Crucible with a body shot, a stack of 4 Honed Edge bullets is needed. You have to compress a full magazine (4 shots) into a single projectile, but you only start with 2 shots.
Without extra special ammo, one-hit kills with body shots are not possible, you need to collect additional special ammo beforehand. However, if you manage to collect special ammo, one-hit kills with body shots become quite easy to achieve.
This is how one-hit kills against enemies with an active super are possible: Izanagi’s Burden can also kill your opponents with just one shot during their Super in PvP.
This means that you can take down any active super in Destiny 2, as long as you compress at least 2 rounds into a projectile and land a critical hit. However, one-hit kills with body shots during a super are not possible – not even with Honed Edge 4x.
This is what PvP fans say: So far, the new sniper has received very positive feedback from PvP fans. In addition to the one-shot capability, the weapon features excellent handling, a good and quick sight, and a generous hitbox that makes it easy to hit running or turning targets.
Additionally, it has the best flinch behavior of all existing snipers. This means that the flinching of the sight when hit by opponents feels the least jarring of all sniper rifles, which is a big plus in PvP. In PvP, Izanagi’s Burden is arguably one of the best sniper rifles you can equip.
Is Izanagi’s Burden worth it in the exo slot?
This question largely depends on whether you are playing in PvE or PvP, and what weapons you usually prefer.
Against AI enemies: In PvE, when it comes to sustained damage, there is hardly any way around the Whisper. Furthermore, the competition for the exotic slot is strong with weapons like Thunderlord and Sleeper – even though both use the power slot.
Thus, Izanagi’s Burden has a comparably hard time fighting for a spot in the exo slot – especially in endgame content.
In the Crucible: In PvP, you can achieve a lot with the new sniper if you’re a fan of snipers and enjoy this weapon category. Especially if you have filled your special and power slots with legendary weapons out of preference, Izanagi’s Burden is a very strong alternative for the Crucible.
What do you think of this sniper? Have you been able to gather your own experiences with it?
