It has sights, range-boosting rounds, and powerful perks like Rapid Hit, Feeding Frenzy, Surrounded, and Dragonfly. Get one with a Range masterwork and you’ll be able to shred shotgun users in Crucible. Great For: PVP Good For: PVE. That’s it for now! Have any Destiny 2 sidearms that you’d recommend? Swear by Smuggler’s Word.
Let’s talk about a couple new Black Armory weapons, and dive into our annual Holiday Special!
If you'd like to hear a more in-depth discussion of the other BA Forge and Scourge of the Past weapons and their perks, check out the Massive Breakdown Podcast, Episode 98!
For all the numbers and a full list of guns, the Weapon Stats Spreadsheet has you covered.
For just things like Barrel and Sight stats, you can go to the BSMT Visual Tool.
Several Things to Note:
This is not a comprehensive list of every perk available in the pools, just the ones I recommend.
Occasionally, some perks that are on the Curated Masterwork Version cannot be found on the randomly rolled version.
Classes are broken down into Impact Archetypes.
These are strictly my opinions, so I'm very aware that a lot of people will probably disagree with them.
The Bolded Perk/Perks in each slot mean that I recommend using them the most. If there are no bolded perks, it means that I feel any of the listed perks are fine to use in the slot.
All Times-to-Kill are assuming Guardian has 192hp (6 Resiliency).
Pros and Cons are determined by comparing weapons within the same class, not by all weapons in general, and not by only the weapons within the archetype. If you would like a different or more specific comparison than what I have listed, feel free to ask and I can provide one in the comments.
Some of the 'Curated' rolls may not be available in-game, but I've listed them here in case they become available.
Pulse Rifle
Aggressive
Blast Furnace - Kinetic - BA Forge
Pros - Very high range and stability. Above average mag size.
Neutral - Average recoil direction.
Cons - Low aim assist and handling. Below average reload speed.
Time-to-Kill: 0.73s (2 bursts, 6 crit 2 body), 1.60s (3.25 bursts, 13 body)
Rate of Fire: 450
Impact: 35 (27 crit, 16 body)
Range: 81
Stability: 67
Reload Speed: 42
Handling: 31
Aim Assist: 41
Recoil Direction: 65
Mag Size: 40
Recommended Random Perks:
Sight - Rasmussen ISA/Meyrin RDS, Meyrin RDL
Magazine - Drop Mag, Flared Magwell, Tactical Mag, Steady Rounds, Accurized Rounds, Appended Mag, Alloy Mag
Trait 1 - Outlaw/Feeding Frenzy, Zen Moment, Quickdraw
Trait 2 - Kill Clip, Rampage, Headseeker
Curated Perks:
Sight - Meyrin RDL
Magazine - Tactical Mag
Trait 1 - Outlaw
Trait 2 - Headseeker
I wouldn't be surprised to see this gun become one of the most popular PvE and PvP primary weapons in the game. It has excellent base stats, with highest in class range and stability compared to the other legendary pulses, not to mention best in impact-archetype aim assist. The recoil direction is average which means you won't have to fight a ton of side-to-side sway, and the perk options are among the best available on any weapon. It starts with a relatively high base zoom (for a primary) of 1.8x, so I suggest trying to use one of the lower zoom scopes like Rasmussen or Meyrin RDS to keep your sight picture up, and buff the relatively low handling (one of it's only drawbacks besides slow reload speed). For the magazine and first trait slot, I like to go all in on helping the reload speed, with Drop Mag being a good perk to use on a primary which will almost never run out of ammo (Flared Magwell or Tactical Mag will also be acceptable, albeit with less of a boost), and then Outlaw and Feeding Frenzy are both tier-1. Outlaw will give you a bigger boost for a single kill, but it requires that kill to be a headshot. Feeding Frenzy will grant a smaller boost for a kill, and doesn't require headshots. I think Outlaw is probably your best bet for PvP, and Feeding Frenzy would be easier to use for PvE. In the last trait slot Kill Clip is obviously a fantastic option, pushing the TtK in Crucible down to 0.60s (aka faster than Luna's Howl speed). While I do think Kill Clip is the best perk in that slot, I wouldn't go so far as to call it required, for the sole reason that the standard optimal TtK is already pretty fast at 0.73s. So Kill Clip shaves two shots off of that time, and makes it a little more forgiving, but Rampage is also an excellent perk. It can shave a single shot off the TtK, at least against lower armor Guardians, bringing it down to 0.67s, but it needs 7 headshots, compared to 6 crits or 6 crits and a body for Kill Clip. So, in conclusion, I highly recommend this weapon.
Bow
Lightweight
The Spiteful Fang - Kinetic - BA Forge
Pros - Fast draw time. Very high reload speed and handling. High aim assist.
Neutral - Average stability.
Cons - Low accuracy.
Draw Time: ~667 ms
Impact: 68
Accuracy: 53
Stability: 55
Reload Speed: 64
Handling: 73
Aim Assist: 76
Recommended Random Perks:
String - Polymer String, High Tension String, Tactile String, Natural String, Elastic String
Arrow - Fiberglass Arrow Shaft, Anti-Take Fletching, Straight Fletching, Helical Fletching
Trait 1 - Archer's Tempo, Moving Target, Rangefinder
Trait 2 - Rampage, Quickdraw, Explosive Head, Hip-Fire Grip
Curated/Masterworked Perks:
String - Natural String
Arrow - Fiberglass Arrow Shaft
Trait 1 - Archer's Tempo
Trait 2 - Explosive Head
Basically, if you like Arsenic Bite but have been looking for a randomly rolled version, then this is the bow for you. Personally, I like to focus on accuracy and draw time as the two things I want to improve for bows (especially accuracy for the Lightweight bows, which struggle with it a little bit naturally), so I'd want Polymer String (small boosts to both Accuracy and Draw Time) and Fiberglass Arrow Shaft (large boost to accuracy) as my first two perks. For the strings, if you don't get Polymer, High Tension String can give a medium boost to accuracy at the cost of a small amount of draw time, and Natural and Tactile string both give straight small boosts to accuracy. Elastic String gives a medium boost to draw time but hurts accuracy, so I'd only use this if you were planning to try to use the bow as a closer range option. For the arrows, like I said Fiberglass is probably the best, but Anti-Take, Straight, and Helical fletching all also give boosts to accuracy with no downside. For the traits, you're probably still best off going with the Arsenic Bite formula of Archer's Tempo and Rampage, but you could also try some new combinations like Moving Target or Rangefinder and Quickdraw. Quickdraw will allow you to swap weapons for those fast follow up body shots if you don't want to have to shoot a second arrow, basically like what you'd do with a sniper. I'm not 100% sure how Rangefinder works in terms of bows, and as far as I know this is the only bow to roll it. Bows don't have a range stat, so to speak, but they do have accuracy and Rangefinder usually serves to increase that by increasing zoom of the weapon. On most projectile weapons, on the other hand, it increases the speed of the projectile, and bows are projectiles if they are not drawn fully back. If it does either or both of those things, it could be a very good perk for bows, but until I can test it I don't want to recommend it super highly.
In terms of stats, it has just barely better accuracy than Arsensic Bite, the same reload speed, better handling, and slightly worse aim assist. Because it can roll with Polymer String and Fiberglass Arrow Shaft, however, it can end up with a decent lead in terms of accuracy, which makes this guns best possible roll, even with the same traits, a better option than Arsenic Bite.
TL;DR
Must Have
Blast Furnace (Aggressive Pulse Rifle)
Rasmussen ISA/Meyrin RDS, Drop Mag (Flared Magwell is second best), Outlaw/Feeding Frenzy, Kill Clip (Rampage is second best)
Pretty Good
The Spiteful Fang (Lightweight Bow)
Polymer String, Fiberglass Arrow Shaft, Archer’s Tempo (Moving Target or Rangefinder are secondary), Rampage (Quickdraw is secondary)
Shadowkeep has just been released and it’s really made some noise in D2 players community. Having brought big in-game changes, it significantly altered the pinnacle weapons system, replacing them with the ones called Ritual weapons. By doing so, Bungie once again has raised a crucial question of weapon rolls.
For those who are out of the loop, in this article, we’re gonna explain everything you need to know about rolls in D2, starting from the very basics and moving on to the tips for creating your own god rolls in accordance with the current meta. Are you ready to educate yourself on the subject of D2 weapon rolls? Yeah, we thought so. Let’s roll then!
Destiny 2 curated roll and other types of rolls explained
First of all, let us deal with what types of weapon rolls D2 currently offers. We’ll be looking at three of them: random, curated, and one more thing called a god roll.
Random rolls are a bit like Russian roulette: with every weapon drop there’s a totally random set of perks, and you never know whether they are good or not until you actually get the weapon. That’s simply a matter of luck, so getting something really nice requires a hell of tedious grinding. The rolls that we referred to as “something really nice” has come to be known as “god rolls”. A god roll hugely depends on what you’re doing, on your playstyle, build, and weapon preferences. Different types of weapons require different types of perks that’ll make them more effective and therefore, make them a god roll.
Then, we have a term of a “curated roll”. Curated rolls are Bungie rolls designed specifically to ensure great performance and impeccable perk synergy. A curated weapon also drops with a stat masterworked to the max. Such kinds of drops are quite rare and a bit tricky in a way: not all guns have curated versions. However, one thing we know for sure – in freshly-released Shadowkeep and SoU ritual weapons that have replaced the pinnacles all come with curated rolls. To be the first to obtain those rituals, peek into our website for some juicy weapon boosts.
And while you’re adding a bunch of carries to your cart, we’ll bring you up to speed on some curated rolls currently available in D2. We won’t talk about new weapons and will just give you a couple of examples to better understand this whole thing.
For starters, let’s take Spare Rations. This Legendary HC is well-known for its high Impact and nice handling. Spare Rations curated roll includes the following:
- Lightweight Frame for increased handling and moving faster while carrying this HC.
- Hammer-Forged Rifling barrel perk. Grants you +10 range.
- Appended Mag. Mag capacity boosted +20.
- Overflow Trait. Once you collect Special or Heavy ammo, it’ll give your Spare Rations a reload even beyond its usual capacity.
- Explosive Payload. When you fire your HC, the shot detonates once landed.
Spare Rations is pretty impressive as it is but will this Bungie roll, it becomes just insane.
Another example – Twilight Oath curated roll. A rapid-fire energy sniper, Twilight Oath is nothing extraordinary by the looks of its stats. The range is pretty low for a sniper, though you have a solid reload speed that’ll help you maintain a good flow and your gameplay. But with that curated roll, things significantly change. Some perks are quite standard, as they slightly buff reload speed, stability, and recoil direction. This is great for dumping shots on a rapid-fire sniper, especially for boss DPS. Yep, not perfect for PvE but rather reasonable for PvE. However, there are two perks that turn this curated roll into a gem. We’re talking about Snapshot and Box Breathing. Snapshot is an incredibly valuable perk on a sniper, as it improves your aiming a lot, allowing you to aim down almost immediately and land those kills as soon as you spot an enemy. Box Breathing is necessary to make up for that initial lack of range. When you zoom for a short time but don’t fire the weapon, you are granted extra headshot damage and some range boost on your next shot. By the way, if you pair Twilight Oath with The Last Word you’ll get yourself a nice lethal combo.
The last (but no the least) one we’re gonna review is Last Man Standing curated roll. This shotty proved to be quite something in the previous seasons, that’s why we’re convinced it’s gonna be very good for Shadowkeep as well. The curated roll here is rather convincing: increasing RoF, stability, and range, plus reloading while holstered and auto firing.
As you can see, a proper weapon roll can make a difference, so now we suggest discussing some god rolls that are definitely gonna be on top in S8 and Shadowkeep.
What makes a Destiny 2 god roll?
The answer to this question is simple: a god roll is made by perk combos that are efficient in a certain environment for a certain activity, according, of course, to your preferences and combat style. Sometimes curated rolls are not god rolls, as they show worse performance than they should. Let’s take . It is slightly different from the curated version. While Meyrin RDS and Outlaw from Bungie roll are nice, Headseeker is just useless. The best options for this gun are Feeding Frenzy and Kill Clip or Rampage. Despite the recent nerfs, Rampage and Kill Clip show good results anyway and now just give the same damage buffs for both PvE and PvP. So, for faster reloading and increased damage Feeding Frenzy/Outlaw and Kill Clip/Rampage are your go-to options.
Feeding Frenzy Online Game
Waking Vigil god roll. Waking Vigil is a true PvP monster on PC, absolutely slaying in the Crucible. Ricochet Rounds + Opening Shot + Outlaw are recommended for buffing stability, range, reload time, and making your shots more accurate. A Slide Shot is also a very decent option, especially coupled with Opening Shots, as they insanely boost range, making this HC just mind-blowingly good.
. Here Bungie’s done a very good job with that curated roll, particularly with Feeding Frenzy and Rampage combo. As long as you make kills with this MG, you’ll reload faster and deal more damage. For this one, you really need to get a curated variant, ‘cause it comes with the masterworked handling, which is a must-have for such a gun as Hammerhead.
With it’s basically the same story – an extremely decent curated roll. Kill Clip + Rampage, even nerfed, are a hell of a damage-boosting combo, and masterworked range is the icing on the cake. The only thing you really need to be careful about is Drop Mag. The hugely increased reload speed comes with the price of wasting a good deal of your ammo.
Erentil FR4 god roll. This fusion is ridiculously good with the right perks. It can even perform like a sniper! Firmly Planted + Range Masterwork takes the range to some cosmic heights, and if you add Backup Plan to that mix you’ll get yourself a fusion that charges in no time. It will melt in PvP, you have our word.
What do weapon rolls have to do with Destiny 2 meta?
What do they have to do with the meta? Well, everything. With the proper perks, a gun that is just usual and has nothing outstanding in it can turn into a relentless death-dealing monster. Imagine what a god roll can do with the gun that has shown great performance even before. Yeah, it’s really a big deal, so if you wanna get yourself a true game-changer, listen up and pay attention, as we’re gonna tell you more about the current D2 god rolls.
With Trust god roll, we’ll be pretty short. Take Rampage, couple it with Outlaw for decent reload buffs on every precise shot, then add Accurized Rounds and Full Bore for unbelievable range. The next step is to run to PvE and just go ham. For PvP, for barrel and mag, it’s the same, but as legendary traits, it’s better to equip Opening Shot and Explosive Payload.
Swarm of the Raven god roll. Here once again, a curated roll is not the best one for this GL. Spike Grenades and Field Prep are way more effective, giving you terrific damage and stability buffs for direct hits alongside huge ammo boosts. It’s essential for annihilating adds and also grants you extremely high DPS numbers on bosses in PvE.
Crooked Fang god roll works miracles in PvP thanks to Snapshot Sights + Rangefinder combo. Aiming this linear is like a song: with increased range and zoom plus nice aiming speed, you will take your foes down from a distance before they even notice you.
Feeding Frenzy Online
Mindbenders Ambition god roll. This shotty is one of the best long-range models for PvP. If you try out Slideshot + Quickdraw perk combo and Range MW, your range will skyrocket and you’ll one-shot your Crucible opponents like it’s nothing. You can also try Snapshot + Moving Targets, but this one does not play out well for everyone while the first roll is a well-tested option.
What’s up with weapon rolls in Destiny 2 Shadowkeep?
The new DLC has brought big changes to weapon perks, nerfing some of them down, however, if you keep combining them properly, you will still get the greatest god rolls in D2. So, shall we proceed with our list?
Tatara Gaze god roll. Here we have one more good sniper that can become even better as soon as you roll a bunch of proper perks. For PvP, Kill Clip is recommended for effective one-shots and Snapshot Sights is just essential for this weapon class. As for mag, it’s up to you; for barrel, we’d pick some perk that buffs your range. And well, that’s it! You’re good to go and slay some Guardians in the Crucible.
Ringing Nail god roll. This energy AR’s curated roll with Dragonfly and Rampage is quite decent as they not only grant you damage boost but also create a Solar explosion if you manage to land a headshot. Another combo that’s worth mentioning is Ambitious Assassin + Rampage perks with the same good-old Impact buff but this time, paired with a mag overfilling perk.
Imperial Decree god roll. Imperial Decree is considered to be one of the best aggressive-frame shotguns in D2. With Shapshot + Slideshot, you’ll gain stability and range buffs combined with the ability to aim better.
Bygones god roll. One more PvP killer for you to appreciate. This pulse rifle is better served with a Range MW, and Kill Clip + Outlaw combo for more range boosts on headshots and nicely reducing reload time. It’s effective but if you don’t dig it for some reason, try Outlaw + Rangefinder once again with a Range MW.
Needless to say that god rolls are mostly a matter of taste but the ones that we’ve listed above are proven to work in most cases for players with various playstyles. With Shadowkeep already being out there, it’s time to take good care of your loadout and do some god roll grinding, so don’t forget to visit legionfarm.com to let our pros get you the best rolls for your favorite guns.
Happy hunting, Guardian!
Feeding Frenzy Free Play
See you soon.