The Season 5 starting on 27.11. in Destiny 2 will have new “top weapons” in tow – powerful firearms that will only be available through lengthy quests. But what can the weapons do? We examine the three weapons for their suitability.
Why are there new top weapons at all? Those who wanted previous top weapons like the Redrix’s Claymore, Luna’s Howl or Not Forgotten had to do so in PvP.
However, not all Guardians are excited about the Crucible. For the PvE enthusiasts, Bungie has now delivered and introduced new toys that can also be earned by Guardians who prefer to ignore the Crucible.
But are the lengthy quest chains really worth it? Not all details of the top weapons are known yet. However, we do know the specific weapon category, the special “signature” perk, and the weapon slot.
It’s time to take a closer look at the new top weapons. The bar is high. Not Forgotten is undoubtedly the best Hand Cannon in the Crucible and Redrix’s Claymore is one of the best kinetic weapons for PvE content. Can the new top weapons keep up?
Fusion Rifle Question of the Day – Vanguard
Signature Perk: Storage Salvo: When the battery of the weapon is full, the next salvo deals extra damage and enemies explode upon death
How good is the signature perk? On paper, the perk doesn’t sound bad. A salvo from the magazine deals increased damage and also causes enemy explosions. How big this explosion will be is not yet known. The damage bonus is also not quantifiable yet.
The fact that the signature perk is only triggered when the magazine is full is a significant drawback for the weapon. Because you want to trigger the perk as often as possible, this means that you have to reload after every shot.
Why is this a problem for this weapon? Because it is a fusion rifle with piercing casing. Although the exact values of the weapon are not yet known, there are commonalities among all fusion rifles of this category:
- High damage
- High startup time
- Slow reload speed
- Low ammunition reserves
The slow reload speed and high startup time contradict the signature perk and negatively affect it. How noticeable the reload speed will ultimately be remains to be seen. However, the signs point to a weapon that deals devastating damage per salvo but cannot do so in a timely manner.
For which content is the Question of the Day suitable? Since you can only trigger the damage bonus with a full magazine, the weapon is presumably unsuitable for the Crucible. In PvE content, the weapon should serve one purpose: to take out medium enemies with orange or yellow health bars in one shot. Nothing more and nothing less.
Is there an exotic armor piece that synergizes with the Question of the Day? Yes, there is. The Lunafaction Boots reload weapons while you are in a Rift. This way it should be possible to trigger the signature perk multiple times in a row.
Conclusion on the Fusion Rifle Question of the Day
Even though it cannot be ruled out that Bungie will make the fusion rifles stronger – the Question of the Day is a highly situational weapon. Nobody fires a fusion rifle into a group of enemies, but at thick enemies. It is questionable how meaningful the enemy explosion actually is.
The explosion and bonus damage will be nice, but only usable in a few situations. The fact that you need to reload after every shot is a questionable design decision that will affect the use of the weapon.
However, the biggest problem with the Question of the Day is a shotgun. If Bungie does not change the perk “Rifled Barrel” on the Ikelos shotgun, people will continue to run around with the shotgun. The Question of the Day will not even come close to keeping up.
Auto Rifle Breakneck – Gambit
Signature Perk: Rampage: The rate of fire of Breakneck increases with each kill stacking the Rampage perk
How good is the signature perk? With the Rampage perk, the damage dealt increases with each kill. After killing one enemy, you deal 21% more damage for 3.5 seconds. After two enemies, it’s 43%, and after three enemies, it’s finally 65%.
The fact that you also receive an increased rate of fire from the Rampage damage bonus could make this auto rifle a true DPS monster under the right circumstances. Breakneck comes with a precision casing, firing 450 rounds per minute.
How much the rate of fire will increase specifically is still unknown. However, this mechanism could orientate itself on the auto rifles of other archetypes. There are auto rifles with a rate of fire of 600 shots per minute (adaptive frame) or 720 shots per minute (rapid-fire casing).
Exactly one auto rifle can also fire 900 rounds per minute. This weapon is likely to have been the inspiration for Breakneck: The Workhorse. The functionality of Breakneck will be significantly determined by the possible increase in fire rate.
But the weapon also has a problem – its weapon class. Because auto rifles with precision frames have the following characteristics:
- Good range (60-70)
- Medium stability (50)
- Rather poor aim assist for auto rifles (35-50)
- Meager magazine size (31-33)
Particularly problematic is the stability as well as the small magazine size. With a high rate of fire, stability must be high; otherwise, you will not hit reliably. To get the maximum out of a triple stack of Rampage, the magazine must also be as large as possible. Every reload will interrupt the Rampage chain, so it must be rebuilt.
For which content is Breakneck suitable? Although the temptation may be great, you will probably not win any flower pots with this weapon in the Crucible. In multiplayer mode, Kill Clip is superior to the Rampage perk, and the handling at an increased rate of fire might make it difficult to hit critical hits consistently.
In PvE content, the weapon could indeed be useful if applied correctly. Anyone who takes large enemies under fire with the weapon must periodically shoot down smaller enemies to optimally utilize the combination of Rampage and rate of fire.
Is there an exotic armor piece that synergizes with Breakneck? The Titan has access to an exotic chest armor that constantly reloads the magazine of your equipped auto rifle: The Actium War Rig. If Breakneck can be equipped with a magazine mod, you can significantly increase your damage output, especially in combination with this armor piece.
Conclusion on the Auto Rifle Breakneck
If the increase in fire rate is significantly noticeable while the weapon remains manageable, it should be a fantastic option in PvE content, as it is effective against both smaller and larger enemies.
However, in the Crucible, you will likely not be happy with this weapon. Perks like Rampage are inconsistent. The small magazine size will likely ensure that you rarely benefit from the signature perk.
Grenade Launcher The Summit – Crucible
Signature Perk: Micro-Rocket: Straight shots without drop, faster grenades, explosion on impact
How good is the signature perk? Grenade launchers are currently merely a niche weapon in Destiny 2. The decision to offer a grenade launcher as a top weapon for the Crucible may therefore seem strange. However, the perks of The Summit are very interesting.
This way you always fire grenades in a straight line with The Summit, the grenades are faster and explode on impact. If you think of the Crucible as a possible use case, you are undoubtedly on the right track. Since the grenade launcher is also carried in the kinetic slot, players do not even have to forgo Luna’s Howl.
The Summit will be the second of its kind: Until now, there has only been one grenade launcher that is carried in the kinetic slot, the Throwing Trauma. This one also belongs to the grenade launchers with lightweight casing, which come with the following characteristics:
- Good explosion radius (55)
- Very good reload speed (72-78)
- Small magazine (1)
You will have to reload after every shot, which offsets the good reload speed. In the Crucible, you start with 2 shots in the magazine. If you have two armor pieces with Grenade Finder, you start with three shots.
For which content is The Summit suitable? You will only want to use the grenade launcher in the Crucible. In PvE content, there are clearly better alternatives.