In Destiny 2, you should now test the exotic trace rifles. A pro explains which change suddenly makes the weapons interesting. We will then take a close look at all 5 representatives of the category at MeinMMO.
In Destiny 2, the category of trace rifles has somewhat fallen into oblivion. Completely unjustly, says an expert. Because the Season of the Splicer has suddenly made all 5 exotics useful in PvE and PvP.
What is different now?
- Since trace rifles were classified as special weapons in 2018, the category has suffered from chronic ammunition shortage.
- The current Season 14 has now brought some mods that are explicitly designed for trace rifles.
- This allows you to finally equip your armor with trace rifle ammo finder and collector.
This avoids the category’s main problem: trace rifles feel like primary weapons, are fully automatic, and consume your ammo quickly. Unusual for special weapons. Here, you usually find shotguns, sniper rifles, or grenade launchers – all weapons that deal significant damage with a single shot.
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Surprised Pro: “Trace rifles are better than you think”
The expert in question: Due to the new mods for trace rifles, the well-known Destiny expert Datto has taken a closer look at the category. He is quite positive about the exotics and considers their PvE and PvP performance.
Datto has been known since Destiny 1 as something like the lovable nerd who analyzes the game and has questioned Bungie at live events. For the whole year of 2021, he is the 6th largest streamer for Destiny 2 (via Sullygnome.com). What Datto says carries weight in the community.
Trace rifles in PvE of Season 14
This is how strong the category is: In normal PvE content, you shred through enemies. Depending on the trace rifle, even majors are only briefly present before dying immediately. But even in the endgame, you will be surprised by the damage, according to Datto. Trace rifles play like primary weapons on steroids here. The new ammo mods make a significant difference.
In the endgame with champions, you must ask yourself:
- Am I playing a trace rifle in combination with a primary weapon (to interrupt champions)
- Or am I using 2 special weapons to deal damage?
- Additionally, it must be considered that each trace rifle is an exotic – thus, the anarchy for the power slot is out.
According to Datto, as a trace rifle user, you must rely on your teammates. They need to handle stunning the champions. This could change dramatically with Season 15 – should the new artifact bring appropriate anti-champion options from August.
How strong are trace rifles in PvP?
In PvE, the category is surprisingly potent. The advantages of trace rifles are their large magazine, which delivers high damage at good range. The advantage of the category is also that you don’t really need to be precise, and the maximum aim assist helps you additionally.
This ensures balance: What balances trace rifles is the available ammunition. For all trace rifles, you start with 50 rounds in the magazine – you should have 25 with 2 special weapons in your loadout. So equip double collector mods to always have a loaded gun (some 100+ rounds per box). If you can’t find special ammo, the exotic is of no use to you.
- As a general rule for trace rifles (except Divinity), the TTK, or time to kill a Guardian at full health, is under 1 second. Around 0.7 seconds. The range is very generous.
- The great thing is, even if you only land body shots, the TTK with 0.93 seconds is under the magical threshold.
- For comparison, the dominant 120 hand cannons need exactly 1 second. Many other strong weapons are at a TTK of about 0.8 seconds if you hit all important headshots.
Now you know how trace rifles perform in both PvE and PvP of Destiny. Let’s take a closer look at each of the 5 exotics in conclusion.
Coldheart (eng. Coldheart)
The first trace rifle from Destiny made Bungie proud at release in 2017. Coldheart was basically an ice weapon, 3 years before Stasis was even in the game. However, it deals arc damage despite the frost effects. In Season 14, you can find Coldheart randomly in exotic engrams.
What makes the exotic special? The laser of Coldheart becomes stronger the longer you shoot at an enemy. This significantly increases the damage as long as you hit. The magazine holds 101 rounds, and both range and stability are strong.
You can masterwork Coldheart. Then the exotic has +20 stability and reload speed. Unfortunately, the exotic is somewhat one-dimensional – you can tell it comes from the early days of Destiny 2.
Prometheus Lens (eng. Prometheus-Lense)
The Prometheus Lens came with the unpopular “Curse of Osiris” DLC to Destiny 2 (end of 2017). The exotic deals solar damage, and you can find it randomly in exotic engrams in Season 14.
What makes the exotic special? The Prometheus Lens fires a beam that creates a heat field with sustained fire. This solar damage increases over time. Additionally, the exotic reloads the magazine on kills – allowing you to keep firing.
The weapon is ideal for mowing through add hordes. The Prometheus Lens is also suitable in PvP. Especially in Momentum Control, this trace rifle is likely the strongest weapon. Fortunately, the exotic is not as OP as it was at launch – an emblem reminds of the terror reign of the Prometheus Lens.
The stats are very similar to Coldheart’s. 100 rounds in the magazine, good range, and stability. As a masterwork, stability and handling increase by +20.
Wavesplitter (eng. Wavesplitter)
Wavesplitter came to Destiny 2 in fall 2018 with Forsaken. The exotic with void damage was then exclusively found on PS4 for a year. Since Shadowkeep, you can randomly find the weapon in exotic engrams.
What makes the exotic special? Wavesplitter varies continuously between 3 damage levels when shooting. If you’re lucky, the weapon deals significant damage. If you collect a power sphere, the trace rifle reloads automatically and is at maximum power for a few seconds – now you should strike!
Unfortunately, the masterwork catalyst for Wavesplitter cannot be found in the game. Thus, you cannot generate spheres yourself. However, the item has been circulating in databases for years. Even without a catalyst, the exotic has max stability and, like all trace rifles, a large magazine.
Divinity (eng. Divinity)
Divinity came to Destiny 2 with Shadowkeep at the end of 2019. The exotic deals arc damage but plays entirely differently than the other trace rifles.
You only receive Divinity after a long quest in the raid “Garden of Salvation”: Here’s how to solve the new quest for the raid exotic Divinity
What makes the exotic special? Divinity deals significantly less damage than its counterparts because it is a support weapon. We are looking at the best support weapon in all of Destiny 2, which is indispensable in the endgame.
- The laser weakens enemies (debuff by 30%) and greatly increases the critical hit box.
- Your whole team can freely deal precision damage to the enemy – which is also increased.
- Additionally, you can stun overload champions even without mods using Divinity.
In terms of stats, it surpasses all trace rifles in magazine size: Almost 200 rounds are available to you. Stability is at max, but there is still no masterwork catalyst.
Ruinous Effigy (eng. Ruinous Effigy)
Ruinous Effigy is probably the most absurd weapon that Destiny 2 has to offer. It deals void damage, but that is secondary. If you missed the exotic in Season 11 (summer 2020), you can now buy Ruinous Effigy at the kiosk in Season 14.
What makes the exotic special? If you kill enemies with the void laser, they turn into so-called transmutation spheres. These are small purple balls that you pick up and then carry like a relic. The functions of the exotic are absurd; here is an excerpt:
- You can strike with the transmutation sphere, hitting enemies with other enemies.
- With a button press, you create a shield that even prevents annoying boss stomps.
- The exotic can drain life energy from enemies and disorient them.
- You can slam the purple sphere to the ground like a Nova bomb and trigger a void explosion.
- An explanation of all the exotic mechanics of Ruinous Effigy is here on MeinMMO.
There is a masterwork catalyst for Ruinous Effigy. This increases the void laser by 30% once you have affected enemies with the transmutation sphere.
With Beyond Light, the exotic – especially the transmutation sphere – was partially nerfed. But right now, a bug is causing the damage of Ruinous Effigy to go through the roof and pulverize everything: Destiny 2: So much for fixed – Broken mod lets all Guardians spam mini-Nova bombs.
What do you think of trace rifles in Season 14? Are you planning to use one of the exotics thanks to the now sufficient ammo or do you limit yourself to support from Divinity in the endgame? Let us know in the comments if you agree with Datto and are now positively surprised by the category.
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