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Destiny 2’sfirst episodic content has ten new weapons for Guardians to chase. But unlike previous seasons, the weapons in Echoes will be released over its three-act structure instead of all at once. Check back with each new act to see what Bungie adds, and jump into the Episode’s new activity to get your hands on some new weapon rolls.
Fortunately, this content structure gives you plenty of time to farm for red borders and god rolls. This guide will go over all ten of the weapons planned to release through Episode: Echoes. We’ll show the best perk combinations you’re able to get for PvE endgame activities and the toughest Crucible playlists.
Aberrant Action
Aberrant Action is the first Solar Rocket-Assisted Sidearm to grace the Destiny 2 sandbox, and it’s just as powerful as you’d expect. This is the first Special Sidearm to roll withIncandescent, creating an explosion with every kill that Scorches nearby targets. Inflict enough Scorch, and any survivors will violently explode. It’s overkill for most content, but for GMs and other tough PvE activities, Incandescent puts in some serious work here.
What you pair Incandescent with is entirely down to preference.Field Prepisn’t a bad option if you don’t mind crouching or sliding before every reload. It also gives you more reserve ammo to play with. If you already have a way to speed up your reloads, thenHeal Clipis an S-tier pairing here. Reloading shortly after a kill will grant x2 Cure to yourself and x1 Cure to nearby allies, which can proc effects like Ember of Benevolence.
Simply put, this is an S-tier PvE weapon that everyone should farm for once Act 2 launches. As for PvP, it’s a safe skip.Rocket Sidearms aren’t good in PvP. Period.
Field Prep OR Heal Clip
Do Not Use
Chronophage
Trace Rifles have effectively been powercrept by Rocket Sidearms in the current sandbox, so their main use should be for pure utility. Fortunately, you’re able to craft Chronophage withShoot to Lootto collect ammo bricks and Orbs of Power from a distance. You can pair this withOne for Allfor more damage orDemolitionistfor grenade energy with every kill. It won’t redefine the Special meta, but it’s not a bad pickif you get tired of using The Call.
Crucible players should generally avoid Trace Rifles due to their poor ammo efficiency, but if you have excellent accuracy while tracking enemy players, then you might find some use withHigh Ground.So long as you’re a meter above your foe (jumping doesn’t count), this weapon’s TTK drops to 0.67s against T10 Guardians and 0.6s against anything lower. Use any perk in the third column that suits your playstyle.
Range
Corrasion
Corrasion is a two-burst Pulse Rifle that deals Arc damage, allowing it to roll with perks like Eddy Current and Voltshot. However, we highly recommend you getFrenzyon this weapon. It already deals great damage in PvE, so throwing on Frenzy will fix the gun’s poor base stats and offer a consistent 15% damage buff in all content. Pair it withPerpetual Motionfor a consistent PvE workhorse weapon. It’s not flashy, but it’ll never let you down.
Crucible is where Corrasion starts to struggle. It’s lengthy 0.87s TTK just doesn’t cut it in today’s sandbox, so your main focus should be getting that TTK reduced through any means necessary.Swashbuckleris your best bet, offering a massive 33% damage bonus upon landing a melee kill. If you can pair this with a single surge mod or similar Exotic, the TTK drops to a whopping 0.47s, a two-burst kill. It’s not easy to get going, but the payoff is absolutely worth it. For dueling, use something else.
Faith-Keeper
There’s not much to say about Faith-Keeper. It’s a Precision Frame Rocket Launcher that deals Void damage, which received a fairly large ammo reserve buff recently.Auto-Loading Holsterpaired withBipodorExplosive Lightshould make this weapona solid mid-tier Rocket Launcher for endgame PvE DPS.
It doesn’t have any strong damage perks that buff Wolfpack Rounds, so it’ll be inferior to most Bait and Switch Rocket Launchers, but it’s nonetheless a good starting point for new and returning players. And while it does deal a little less damage than other archetypes, the innate tracking shouldn’t be disregarded. Most players miss a rocket or two during an intense DPS phase. With built-in tracking, that will never happen with Faith-Keeper.
As for PvP, runStrategistandDemolitionistto get some free ability energy with each kill. It’s not going to dethrone meta Heavy weapons, but it’s not a bad choice if you like using Rocket Launchers inside the Crucible.
Bipod OR Explosive Light
Blast Radius
Ill Omen
Ill Omen is the first Caster Frame Sword to roll withCold Steel. Unfortunately for this weapon, Cold Steel does not instantly freeze an enemy with its heavy attack, making it objectively inferior to The Slammer. If you desperately need a good Sword for Grandmaster Nightfalls, you can runRelentless StrikeswithCold Steelto stun Champions orSurroundedfor some free damage. Beyond that, this is a safe skip.
If you want a good Caster Frame, farm for Ergo Sum instead. Perfect Fifth + Caster Frame is the strongest single-target DPS roll you’re able to get.
The same is true for PvP. You can’t get Eager Edge on this weapon, which is arguably the only reason you’d use a Sword in the first place.UnrelentingwithAssassin’s Bladeisn’t a bad pick, but there are far better options out there.
Surrounded OR Cold Steel
Impact
Lost Signal
Lost Signal might be the strangest gun Bungie has created in years. This is aburst fire, AoE Grenade Launcherin the same vein as Witherhoard. Each grenade fires five back-to-back radiolarian pools that linger for a few seconds, damaging targets inside. The AoE isn’t quite as large as Witherhoard, but you can spread these pools around to cover amuchwider area; it just takes practice.
The damage is also fantastic, especially if you haveAuto-Loading HolsterwithVorpal Weapon.Set it and forget it. Its effectiveness drops off a cliff in PvP andshould not be used in the Crucible, but its PvE effectiveness cannot be understated. It truly is a Legendary version of Witherhoard.
Sightline Survey
Sightline Survery serves one clear purpose:it’s the new best 180 RPM Hand Cannon forLucky PantsHunters.That’s because it can roll with the incredibly strongPrecision Instrumentperk, which grants up to a 30% precision damage bonus at max stacks. For comparison, Vorpal Weapon gives 20%. You can pair this withTriple Tapto ensure you have enough rounds to maximize Lucky Pants' bonus damage.
If you aren’t a Lucky Pants Hunter, then there aren’t many compelling reasons to farm this weapon.Keep AwaywithVoltshotisn’t bad, but those who’ve farmed Deep Stone Crypt can craft Posterity, which is leagues better than this gun.
Crucible players shouldn’t sleep on this gun. It’s one of a select few Hand Cannons that can roll withKeep Away, a perk that grants passive range and accuracy if you fight from a distance. You can pair this withPrecision Instrumentfor easy three taps after your first duel. Precision Hand Cannons aren’t a popular choice currently, but Sightline Survey might be an exception. This gun can put in work with the right playstyle.
Speleologist
Finally, you no longer have to farm Duality if you want a good Solar MG. Speleologist is the first craftable Solar LMG since Fixed Odds back in Season of the Haunted, making this an immediate must-grab for many.Deconstructin the first perk column is fairly rare, which lets you pair it withIncandescentfor some excellent add clear orKilling Tallyfor bonus damage. Incandescent might also count towards Deconstruct procs, but we can’t confirm this.
Firmly Plantedpaired withKilling Tallyis a solid pick for the Crucible. Try to slide or crouch during a gunfight to drastically improve this weapon’s accuracy, and you should be able to melt just about anything staring down the barrel of your Machine Gun.
Incandescent OR Killing Tally
Timeworn Wayfarer
What this weapon lacks in stats, it makes up for in perks. Timeworn Wayfarer is a lever-action Scout Rifle that deals Solar damage, allowing it to roll with some amazing perks likeHeal ClipandIncandescent.This is a great PvE perk combination for slaying adds from a safe distance. Pair this with a good Solar build to get the most out of this weapon.
Timeworn Wayfarer is the first lever-action scout to have a red dot sight. That alone makes this weapon worth trying at least once.
The same is true for PvP. While this gun can’t get Kill Clip like The Prophet, Timeworn Wayfarer has one trick up its sleeve:High Ground.This perk,when paired with Radiant, is aguaranteed two-crit kill, no surges needed. You can also opt to use Desperate Measures instead to achieve a similar effect, although that will require an ability kill to get going.
Stand on an elevated position, get the two tap, then reload to procHeal Clip. That healing can then activate Ember of Benevolence to greatly reduce your ability cooldowns, letting you refresh Radiant with ease. Pair all of this with Ember of Empyrean, and you have a surprisingly strong weapon for 3v3 game modes.
Veiled Threat
Veiled Threat lacks a good perk pool to leverage the gun’s incredible visual design. It’s a visually striking gun to look at, but actually using the thing is a different story.Desperate MeasuresandSurroundedare your only real damage perks on this gun, neither of which are ideal. The third column is just as bad, lacking any good reload perks outside ofThreat Detectorand maybeLoose Change. Your options are mediocre at best.
Shoot to Loot doesnotactivate from Headstone explosions, but it does activate from the gun’s origin trait.
We suggest using this weapon as a discount SMG.Threat DetectorwithSurroundedis a decent combination if you stick to close-range engagements. If you veer further out into Auto Rifle range, this gun will start to underperform. For PvP, you might find success withFragile FocusandMoving Target, but this is still going to struggle against Precision Frame ARs and most Pulse Rifles.
