Destiny 2’s New Weapon Perks: Game-Changing or Overhyped?

Just as anticipated with the arrival of a fresh season in Destiny 2, Episode Heresy introduced numerous novel weapon attributes that have significantly altered the game’s meta, compelling players to pursue these valuable finds.

When choosing which weapons to prioritize farming, the perks they possess hold immense significance in determining their value. Whether you aim for top-tier PvE or PvP weapons, securing optimal ‘god rolls’ with desirable meta perks is crucial if your goal is to excel and keep up with others.

As a dedicated fan, I can’t contain my excitement when a fresh episode drops, especially since it brings new opportunities to boost my strength. And with Heresy, it’s no different! Let me share with you the exciting array of perks that have been introduced in this episode and how they stack up against each other:

1. Empowerment Boost: This perk significantly increases your attack power, making you a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. However, it requires careful management as using it too frequently may drain your energy reserves.
2. Agility Amplifier: This perk enhances your movement speed and reflexes, allowing you to dodge incoming attacks more efficiently and react quickly in combat situations. It’s a valuable asset for those who prefer a fast-paced playstyle.
3. Resilience Reinforcement: Boosts your defense and health, making you a tougher target for opponents. This perk is particularly beneficial for players who prioritize survivability over offense.
4. Focus Factor: Enhances your resource gathering speed and efficiency, allowing you to collect more resources in less time. This can be a game-changer for those who enjoy building and crafting.
5. Loot Luck: Increases the chances of finding rare items when looting chests or defeated enemies. If you’re a collector at heart, this perk could help you complete your collection faster.

Now that you know about these new perks, it’s up to you to decide which ones best suit your playstyle and maximize your potential in Heresy!

Episode Heresy perks ranked

TIER	WEAPON PERK
Meta	Demoralize, Detonator Beam, Rolling Storm
Situational	Elemental Honing, Reciprocity, Tear
Not Viable	Melee Momentum, Recycled Energy

Our tiers explained

Meta: Top-tier perks that feature often on god rolls and have a big impact on the meta.
Situational: Niche perks that are useful but more suited to specific activities or builds.
Not Viable: Weak perks that are outclassed by other options.

Meta Perks

Demoralize

Effect: Precision final blows cause nearby targets to become Weakened.
Best Weapons: Corrective Measure, Joxer’s Longsword, Unvoiced

In Episode Heresy, Void underwent an impressive transformation, with Destabilizing Rounds receiving a boost and the introduction of Demoralize. The new perk, Weaken, weakens all nearby enemies when you score a precision final blow, making them take 15% more damage from any source.

This is astonishing because it works well when used alongside Destabilizing Rounds, which first weakens and then detonates a cluster of opponents. This deadly duo could be seen as Void’s counterpart to Incandescent, as the Light subclass now provides similar abilities for clearing adds.

Detonator Beam

Effect: Dealing sustained damage creates an explosion around the target.
Best Weapons: Unsworn, Warlord’s Spear

This bonus feature essentially functions like the Kinetic Tremors trait for Trace Rifles. It allows for continuous damage and a significant increase in DPS, as well as area-of-effect damage that impacts nearby opponents. The impact varies depending on the situation, but you can usually anticipate a 30% higher damage output from Trace Rifles with this bonus.

Destiny 2 Episode Heresy Artifact: All mods and best perks in Act 1

A substantial increase in power makes these weapons suitable for dealing damage as effective DPS options, particularly against Major and Champion enemies. While it’s generally not advisable to fire at bosses with them, it could be a last resort if you’re low on Heavy ammo. In fact, this perk has significantly improved the value of Trace Rifles once again.

Rolling Storm

Effect: Final blows grant Bolt Charge. While amplified, final blows grant additional Bolt Charge.
Best Weapons: Psychopomp, The Palindrome, Watchful Eye

In the game Heresy, a fresh feature called Bolt Charge, or Arc Keyword, has been introduced, and it’s undeniably potent. Accumulate 10 stacks, and you can summon a powerful lightning bolt that inflicts significant damage with any ability damage. The most effective method to accumulate these stacks currently is by employing weapons with Rolling Storm for clearing adds.

This season, Arc-related weapons equipped with the perk like Psychopomp and Watchful Eye are incredibly powerful. In fact, it’s become a go-to perk that’s worth striving for on any weapon that can acquire it. Even if you’re not focusing on an Arc build, Rolling Storm remains a versatile choice that fits well in various activities.

Situational Perks

Elemental Honing

Effect: Dealing unique elemental damage grants this weapon a stacking damage bonus for an improved duration. This bonus is increased for kinetic weapons.
Best Weapons: Cynosure, Hezen Vengeance, Praedyth’s Revenge

Take some time to consider the value of this benefit before dismissing it outright. Elemental Honing could be a viable option for high damage output in competitive settings, although it does require some initial setup. By dealing damage with a new element, you’ll accumulate additional stacks, reaching a maximum of 40% increased damage when you have 5 stacks on Kinetic Weapons.

On Prismatic constructs, you can efficiently combine skills and special Exotics such as Two-Tailed Fox to accumulate all five stacks surprisingly fast. Once established, switch to the weapon equipped with this trait and let loose for substantial damage. While it may not be as straightforward as Bait and Switch, Elemental Honing remains effective when utilized correctly with the appropriate setup.

Reciprocity

Effect: When healing projectiles from this weapon strike allies, you also receive a small amount of healing.
Best Weapons: Adamantite

As a gamer, I’d say this game mechanic is like Physic, but with a twist – it’s not as powerful. Instead of granting Restoration like No Hesitation’s Physic does, it boosts my health by 3 points for each projectile fired, which isn’t earth-shattering, but definitely helps me stay alive when the game gets tougher.

In essence, this weapon enhancement truly shines in advanced gameplay scenarios, but it might not be as effective in easier or moderate challenges. It’s more useful when your team is finding things tough, not so much at the start. Nevertheless, Reciprocity performs satisfactorily and is worth a thought.

Tear

Effect: Precision final blows cause nearby targets to become Severed.
Best Weapons: Unloved, Unsworn

If Hatchling serves as Strand’s additional clearance perk, many players might consider it a long-desired utility perk for their subclasses. This perk is quite potent; it causes surrounding targets to be weakened after any precise final blow. Once the Sever debuff is inflicted on an enemy, they will deal 30% less damage, making it an excellent choice for challenging endgame content.

Choosing Tear as your primary weapon’s method for administering Sever to multiple foes becomes quite beneficial due to its ease of use. Nevertheless, it’s not a one-size-fits-all perk because the effect provided isn’t particularly useful in lower difficulty content where survival requirements are less pressing.

Not Viable Perks

Melee Momentum

Effect: Melee final blows with this weapon grant it bonus energy and provide increased movement speed while blocking.
Best Weapons: Backfang, Refusal of the Call

From my perspective, Melee Momentum isn’t the most exceptional perk, even though Glaives have been quite potent in this season. But when we weigh its advantages against other perks that consistently outshine it, it falls a bit short.

If you’re seeking utility, Replenishing Aegis provides ammo for shielding against damage, while if you value convenience, Beacon Rounds or Impulse Amplifier are more suitable choices. In certain specific scenarios, such as melee-centric builds, these alternatives might not be ideal; in those cases, a Shotgun or one of the three Exotic Glaives may serve you better.

Recycled Energy

Effect: Reloading after defeating targets grants energy to your lowest charged ability.
Best Weapons: Admetus-D, Mirror Image

It’s more advantageous to opt for perks such as Heal Clip, Kill Clip, or Voltshot instead if you intend to use one that necessitates reloading. These perks either significantly increase your damage output or offer exceptional utility. On the other hand, this perk only provides a minor energy boost, and unfortunately, you can’t direct where that extra energy is applied.

Among various energy-enhancing abilities, Recycled Energy stands out as a less favorable choice. Instead, opt for Demolitionist or Pugilist, each allowing you to specialize in your preferred gameplay style while still proving effective. In Episode Heresy, Recycled Energy is the perk that performs the poorest.

To get a better understanding of the additions made in Episode Heresy, take a look at the freshly introduced weapons and the seasonal artifact that brought in numerous meta mods which significantly impact your gameplay style.

2025-02-20 16:51