Episode 42: Faction Vendor Weapons Breakdown

Let's talk about those faction weapons! This week we're covering New Monarchy, Dead Orbit, and Future War Cult, breaking down the factions for your edutainment.

Massive Breakdown of Faction Vendor Weapons and Overall Perk Recommendations

Originally shared on Reddit

Pulse Rifles

Very Low-Impact

The Waltz - Available from the Future War Cult Representative.

Pros - Very high aim assist. Above average mag size.
Neutral - None.
Cons - Very low range, reload speed, and recoil direction. Low stability.

Time-to-Kill: 0.80s (3 bursts, 8 crit 1 body), 1.33s (4.33 bursts, 13 body shots)
Rate of Fire: 77
Impact: 4 (23 damage per crit shot, 16 damage per body shot)
Range: 28
Stability: 59
Reload Speed: 54
Mag Size: 30
Aim Assist: 75
Recoil Direction: 56

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - Reflex, SureShot IS, SteadyHand IS
Column 2 - High Caliber Rounds, Extended Mag, Quickdraw, Flared Magwell, Lightweight
Column 3 - Perfect Balance, Smallbore, Hammer Forged, Third Eye, Outlaw
Column 4 - Counterbalance, Rangefinder, Headseeker

For the longest time, there weren't enough members of this archetype, and then for a brief period it felt like there were way too many. The Waltz may have been big news with the release of RoI, if only it wasn't for those meddling Clever Dragons! Stat-wise all weapons in this archetype are very similar across the board, but The Waltz lags just a bit behind the two leaders (GoM and CD) in most categories. For the randomly dropped versions, the sight recommendations are the same as all year three vendor pulses. Reflex first and foremost by a wide margin. After that the choice is purely up to the player. In the second column HCR is probably still the best perk, thanks mostly to a weak perk slot and the fact that the base flinch on PRs was nerfed so hard. Extended Mag is also a good choice, thanks to the high RoF, and Quickdraw is a nice luxury. In the second column I don't think anything competes with Perfect Balance, and you'll definitely need a stability perk because this gun does not have a great recoil pattern by default. Smallbore can help a bit, and Hammer Forged can boost the low range but it won't matter if your bullets are spread out too far to hit anything. It's unfortunate because the other perks in this column like Outlaw and Third Eye normally aren't in the same slot as the stat boosting perks, and they could be useful on this weapon, but they just aren't necessary when compared to increasing things like stability. In the last column you'll probably want Counterbalance this most since you can't do much else to help the recoil pattern, followed by Rangefinder and Headseeker.

Hand Cannons

Mid-Impact

The Wail - Available from the Future War Cult Representative.

Pros - Above average range and aim assist.
Neutral - Average reload speed.
Cons - Below average stability. Very low mag size and recoil direction. Low equip speed.

Time-to-Kill: 0.86s (1 crit shot and 2 body shots), 1.30s (4 body shots)
Rate of Fire: 22
Impact: 87 (86 damage per crit shot, 57 damage per body shot)
Range: 32
Stability: 37
Reload Speed: 39
Mag Size: 7
Aim Assist: 77
Recoil Direction: 83
Equip Speed: 44

Recommended PvP Perks:

Column 1 - SureShot IS/TrueSight IS
Column 2 - Explosive Rounds, High Caliber Rounds, Quickdraw
Column 3 - Hammer Forged, Smallbore, Outlaw, Third Eye, Perfect Balance, Hot Swap
Column 4 - Luck in the Chamber, Rangefinder, Hidden Hand, Luck in the Chamber, Reactive Reload

Recommended PvE Perks:

Column 1 - SureShot IS/TrueSight IS
Column 2 - Explosive Rounds, High Caliber Rounds, Quickdraw, Lightweight
Column 3 - Outlaw, Hammer Forged
Column 4 - Firefly, Rangefinder, Reactive Reload, Luck in the Chamber

Very much overshadowed by the superior Palidrome, The Wail actually does offer surprisingly good base stats. This is much more of a jack-of-all-trades hand cannon, and is put to better use in PvE. With the exception of a startlingly low mag size, the stats are decent, and the perks provide a little bit of everything. I'd struggle to recommend it over The Palindrome in most situations, but if you're looking for something a little less focused on the PvP meta, than this is your gun.

If you get one to drop, the first thing you need to know is it will not have a great PvP roll, as the perk selection simply just doesn't allow it. If you insist on taking it into PvP, then the sights will be SureShot and Truesight, as always, followed by a range increasing perk like Hammer Forged, coupled with LitC to work with the small mag size. Unfortunately Rifled and Reinforced Barrel are not options on this weapon. Explosive Rounds or HCR will probably do the best in the second slot for the increased flinch. I would normally recommend a Rangefinder roll on a weapon of this archetype, but without Rifled or Reinforced Barrel there really isn't a point.

In PvE, it is an option to get a baby-Fatebringer roll, even if it's a little unorthodox. Firefly and Outlaw are the two main options, but Explosive Rounds on this archetype is very powerful in the raid right now. If you don't want ER to interfere you can go with HCR, or if you want perks that are reliable with ER, then Hammer Forged and Rangefinder are probably your best bet in the last slot.

Low-Impact

Free Will III - Available from the New Monarchy Representative.

Pros - Above average recoil direction, mag size, and stability. High reload speed and aim assist.
Neutral - None.
Cons - Low range.

Time-to-Kill: 0.80s (2 crit shots and 1 body shot), 1.20s (4 body shots)
Rate of Fire: 32
Impact: 68 (77 damage per crit shot, 51 damage per body shot)
Range: 20
Stability: 41
Reload Speed: 48
Mag Size: 9
Aim Assist: 83
Recoil Direction: 94
Equip Speed: 82

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - SureShot IS/TrueSight IS
Column 2 - Explosive Rounds, High Caliber Rounds
Column 3 - Hammer Forged, Smallbore, Outlaw, Hot Swap, Third Eye
Column 4 - Rangefinder, Hidden Hand, Reactive Reload, Luck in the Chamber

Although the low-impact hand cannons aren't really in favor right now, this gun tries its best to change that. With a fantastic stat line, the only area it's not capable in is range, and with vendor stock rotating weekly, at some point you should get a perk set that covers it. If you get two range boosting perks, a good sight, and Explosive Rounds, you should be able to do quite well in most head to head match ups. Although it won't be as forgiving as its mid-impact brethren, if you can utilize the Explosive Rounds perk to shake off your opponents aim, you can easily force them to retreat or outright kill them before they know what's happening.

Scout Rifles

High-Impact

Keystone 01 - Available from the Dead Orbit Representative.

Pros - Very fast Optimal Time-to-Kill. Very high range.
Neutral - None.
Cons - Very low aim assist and stability. Low mag size. Below average reload speed.

Time-to-Kill: 0.80s (3 crit shots), 1.60s (5 body shots)
Rate of Fire: 27
Impact: 61 (73 damage per crit shot, 49 per body shot)
Range: 78
Stability: 28
Reload Speed: 56
Mag Size: 14
Aim Assist: 32

Recommended PvP Perks:

Column 1 - Reflex
Column 2 - High Caliber Rounds/Explosive Rounds
Column 3 - Perfect Balance, Smallbore, Third Eye, Unflinching, Outlaw
Column 4 - Hidden Hand, Crowd Control, Zen Moment, Firefly

Recommended PvE Perks:

Column 1 - Reflex
Column 2 - Explosive Rounds, High Caliber Rounds
Column 3 - Triple Tap/Perfect Balance, Outlaw
Column 4 - Crowd Control, Firefly

While this weapon is in my personal favorite archetype in the entire game, and high-impact scout rifles have been making something of a resurgence of late, statistically the Keystone just isn't the best of the bunch. For drop rolls, for PvP we're going to be looking for the Reflex sight to improve aim assist. High Caliber Rounds and Explosive Rounds are both the optimal perks to increase flinch in the second column. In the third column Perfect Balance is still the best perk here, but Smallbore can also work a bit if you don't mind the mag size hit. Third Eye, Unflinching, and Outlaw are all good perks, but they can't compete with increasing the stability to make follow up shots easier. In the last column any of the perks are good, although I personally prefer Hidden Hand for PvP.

For PvE, same sight recommendation, but I'd move to suggesting you take Explosive Rounds over HCR, unless you're shooting for a Firefly build. In the third column Perfect Balance is still the best, with Outlaw being in second, and in the last slot I like Crowd Control with ER, or Firefly if you don't get ER or don't mind the interaction between the two.

Mid-Impact

The Wounded - Available from the Future War Cult Representative.

Pros - High stability, range, and reload speed.
Neutral - Average aim assist.
Cons - Slow optimal Time-to-Kill. Below average mag size.

Time-to-Kill: 1.00s (2 crit shots and 2 body shots), 1.33s (5 body shots)
Rate of Fire: 37
Impact: 48 (61 damage per crit shot, 41 per body shot)
Range: 74
Stability: 49
Reload Speed: 66
Mag Size: 15
Aim Assist: 57

Recommended PvP Perks:

Column 1 - Reflex
Column 2 - High Caliber Rounds/Explosive Rounds
Column 3 - Perfect Balance, Smallbore, Third Eye, Unflinching, Outlaw
Column 4 - Hidden Hand/Zen Moment, Crowd Control, Firefly

Recommended PvE Perks:

Column 1 - Reflex
Column 2 - Explosive Rounds, High Caliber Rounds
Column 3 - Triple Tap/Perfect Balance, Outlaw
Column 4 - Crowd Control, Firefly

I don't think I can recommend this weapon enough for anyone who wants to start using scout rifles. Although the TtK is too slow to be used in competitive Crucible, the ability to kill with two crit and two body shots is fantastic for players who need a more forgiving weapon to try out. On top of that, in PvE there are almost no drawbacks to using it, and the vendor roll is fantastic. Reflex is my favorite sight out of the group, giving a small boost to aim assist couple with an open sight picture. In PvP, High Caliber Rounds or Explosive Rounds will keep your opponents staggered or flinching, while the combination of Perfect Balance and Hidden Hand or Zen Moment will turn the gun into a pinpoint-accurate laser. In PvE we put a higher priority on more rounds in the mag, so don't hesitate to use Triple Tap if you get it in column three. In the last slot I'd like Crowd Control or Firefly the most, probably depending on whether it had ER in column two.

The perk recommendations are basically the exact same as the Keystone from Dead Orbit, as they have identical perk layouts despite being in different archetypes.

Auto Rifles

Mid-Impact

Extremophile 011 - Available from the Dead Orbit Representative.

Pros - Very high reload speed. High stability. Above average aim assist and mag size.
Neutral - Average range.
Cons - Very low recoil direction.

Time-to-Kill: 0.90s (10 crit shots), 1.20s (13 body shots)
Rate of Fire: 88
Impact: 8 (20 damage per crit shot, 16 per body shot)
Range: 27
Stability: 55
Reload Speed: 80
Mag Size: 37
Aim Assist: 71
Recoil Direction: 47

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - Reflex, SureShot IS, OEG Riflescope
Column 2 - High Caliber Rounds, Quickdraw, Hip Fire, Lightweight
Column 3 - Perfect Balance, Smallbore, Crowd Control, Third Eye, Hammer Forged,
Column 4 - Counterbalance, Hidden Hand, Rangefinder

I know auto rifles aren't really in the meta right now for either PvE or the Crucible, but this weapon deserves some consideration. Boasting very nice stats almost across the board, the Extremophile 011 not only looks good, but plays well too. The only drawback to this weapon is a less than optimal recoil pattern with some noticeable sideways movement, but that can be made up for with practice and a controlling thumb.

If you get one with random perks, you'll want to look for Reflex as the optimal sight. If you don't get that, SureShot IS or OEG Riflescope will be the next two best options, to improve aim assist and range, respectively. As far as perks go, in the second column High Caliber Rounds is really the only tier-one perk, but Lightweight, Hip Fire, Quickdraw, or Extended Mag can all be decent situationally. In the third column I would try to help the stability first, so Perfect Balance and Smallbore will be the primary choices. After that you can go with something less specific like Crowd Control or Third Eye, or even try to boost the range with Hammer Forged. In the last slot Counterbalance is by far the strongest selection, mostly to assist the abysmal recoil direction. Rangefinder and Hidden Hand are both good if you can deal with the bullet spread on your own.

Low-Impact

Assembly II - Available from the New Monarchy Representative.

Pros - Very fast TtK with body shots (1.07s, 17 body shots to kill). Very high aim assist. High mag size. Above average reload speed.
Neutral - None.
Cons - Very low range and stability. Below average recoil direction.

Time-to-Kill: 0.87s (13 crit shots and 1 body shot), 1.07s (17 body shots)
Rate of Fire: 100
Impact: 2 (15 damage per crit shot, 12 per body shot)
Range: 15
Stability: 32
Reload Speed: 69
Mag Size: 56
Aim Assist: 83
Recoil Direction: 60

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - Reflex, OEG Riflescope, SureShot IS
Column 2 - High Caliber Rounds, Quickdraw, Hip Fire, Extended Mag
Column 3 - Perfect Balance, Smallbore, Hammer Forged, Crowd Control, Third Eye
Column 4 - Counterbalance, Rangefinder, Hidden Hand

New Monarchy's Assembly II is not quite as good a Braced Frame DoP or Arminius, or a Perfect Balance Soulstealers, but this is still an excellent option for anyone looking to get into using this type of weapon. Just like with the previous ARs, your choice of sight will depend on whether you want to boost stability or push out the range with higher zoom. You'll want to look for Reflex, OEG Riflescope, or SureShot IS. Although I favor aim asisst, in this case Riflescope might actually be a better option than SureShot, since the increased zoom helps a lot with damage fall off. Remember though, all the zoom in the world doesn't help when you can't stay on target. High Caliber Rounds is by far the best option in the second slot, followed at a distance by Quickdraw, Hip Fire, and Extended Mag. In the last two columns the best set-up is Perfect Balance and Counterbalance, hands down no questions asked. Perfect Balance will do its best to keep the recoil under control, and that combined with the purely vertical pattern of Counterbalance should be enough for most people to handle it. However, if you don't get Perfect Balance then Smallbore is the only other stability perk that well help. Hammer Forged, Crowd Control, and Third Eye trail far behind those first two. In the last column without CB you're probably not going to have a good time, but Hidden Hand and Rangefinder are still possibilities.

Sniper Rifles

Mid-Impact

Deposition VII - Available from the New Monarchy Representative.

Pros - Can Revive Snipe. Above average reload speed and aim assist.
Neutral - Average mag size and equip speed.
Cons - Can't kill most Supered Enemies with 1 crit shot. Below average range, stability, and inventory.

Body Shot Time-to-Kill: 0.67s (2 hits)
Rate of Fire: 26
Impact: 22 (334 damage per crit shot, 134 per body shot)
Range: 70
Stability: 46
Reload Speed: 67
Mag Size: 4
Aim Assist: 62
Inventory: 38
Equip Speed: 52

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - ShortGaze SLH10/ViewTac SLH20, LongView SLR10, Ambush SLH25
Column 2 - Quickdraw, Snapshot
Column 3 - Perfect Balance/Life Support
Column 4 - Hidden Hand/Unflinching

I've put quite a bit of time into this sniper archetype, and, while I once really enjoyed it, I've since discovered that the weapons I was using were more outliers than the norm. I really enjoy Defiance of Yasmin, Hereafter, and Patience and Time, but most of the legendary snipers in this archetype disappoint me, and Deposition is no exception. They try to fill the role between high-impact and high-RoF snipers, where they should be taking a little bit of the best of both, but in the current special meta I find that they really end up taking the worst of both. They do 134 to the body, and with two body shots taking 0.67s, this archetype only offers a quick-ish double tap weapon, while also lacking the ability to kill any armored super. If I can't super snipe, I'd much rather go with a faster RoF weapon and go all in on the double body shots. Perk-wise, the scopes are the same as always: Low zoom models like ShortGaze and ViewTac. Perks that increase ADS speed come next, so Quickdraw and Snapshot, and then you can either choose to increase the stability and hopefully make follow up shots easier, or go with Life Support which I think is an underrated perk. In the last column Hidden Hand and Unflinching are the clear winners.

Low-Impact

Bitter Edge 010

Pros - Fast body shot Time-to-Kill. Very high reload speed, mag size, aim assist, and equip speed. Above average stability.
Neutral - None.
Cons - Can't kill most Supered Enemies with 1 crit shot. Can't revive snipe. Very low range. Low inventory.

Body Shot Time-to-Kill: 0.50s (2 hits)
Rate of Fire: 40
Impact: 13 (250 damage per crit shot, 100 per body shot)
Range: 64
Stability: 50
Reload Speed: 78
Mag Size: 5
Aim Assist: 76
Inventory: 37
Equip Speed: 85

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - ShortGaze SLH10/ViewTac SLH20, LongView SLR10, Ambush SLH25
Column 2 - Quickdraw, Snapshot
Column 3 - Perfect Balance/Life Support
Column 4 - Hidden Hand/Unflinching

Part of the Weyloran's March archetype, this weapon can be a fantastic tool for any player who wants to basically use a sniper like a scout rifle. It offers the fastest two-tap body shot of all snipers that can still kill in two body shots, and works very well when paired with low zoom scopes and perks that increase ADS speed. These things combine to make it a wonderful tool for the sniper looking for to get in and get out with quickscopes as opposed to hard-scoping. In terms of stats, the gun struggles a bit with range and inventory, but the very high base aim assist can eat the penalty from Ambush without making you feel like you've really lost something. Equip speed is also insanely high, and 5 in the mag gives you a little bit of wiggle room if you miss a shot or two.

If you get one, I'd take ShortGaze or ViewTac over Ambush, so that you can really take advantage of the high base aim assist. I'd also look for Quickdraw over Snapshot, so that you get the bonus to ADS speed and equip speed, even though it's already very high. I like Perfect Balance and either Hidden Hand or Unflinching to round out the perks, but Life Support is also decent in slot three.

Shotguns

Field Choke, Linear Compensator, Accurized Ballistics all increase the damage per pellet by 2.5%. Aggressive Ballistics increases it by 5%. Soft Ballistics decreases it by 2.5%.

Very High-Impact

Last-Ditch 001 - Available from the Dead Orbit Representative.

Pros - Very high range and max range. Can still hit the range cap using Hand Loaded and Hammer Forged with Accurized Ballistics, Linear Compensator, or Field Choke.
Neutral - Average mag size.
Cons - Below average reload speed. Very low aim assist and equip speed.

Rate of Fire: 8
Time Between Shots: 1.27s
Impact: 67 (22 damage per pellet, 264 damage total)
Range: 23
Max Range: 32
Reload Speed: 29
Mag Size: 5
Aim Assist: 29
Inventory: 34
Equip Speed: 29

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - Accurized Ballistics/Field Choke/Linear Compensator, Smooth Ballistics
Column 2 - Hand Loaded, Quickdraw
Column 3 - Hammer Forged, Kneepads, Close and/or Personal
Column 4 - Rangefinder, Full Auto

The Matador class of very high-impact shotguns has basically been put on hiatus ever since the special ammo nerfs, but as the meta stabilizes they're starting to make a small return. The Dead Orbit Last-Ditch 001 has tremendously high base range of 23, and this combines that with Field Choke/Acc Balls/Linear Comp, Hand Loaded, Hammer Forged, and Rangefinder to bring the gun up to max range and just below max impact. As such, that is obviously going to be the roll we're looking for. If you miss out on one or two perks, Quickdraw is a fun substitute for Hand Loaded, as it wonderfully increases the equip and ADS speed and makes you not miss the extra range so much. In the third column Kneepads or Close and/or Personal are both fun shotgun perks, and the same with Full Auto in the last slot.

Mid-Impact

Bad Counsel IV - Available from the New Monarchy Representative.

Pros - Above average max range. Very high reload speed. High aim assist and equip speed.
Neutral - Average mag size.
Cons - Below average base range. Low stability and inventory.

Time Between Shots: 0.93s
Rate of Fire: 23
Impact: 52 (19 per pellet, 228 total)
Range: 14
Max Range: 26
Stability: 41
Reload Speed: 35
Mag Size: 6
Aim Assist: 61
Inventory: 48
Equip Speed: 53

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - Accurized Ballistics/Field Choke/Linear Compensator, Smooth Ballistics
Column 2 - Hand Loaded, Quickdraw, Lightweight, Hip Fire
Column 3 - Hammer Forged, Kneepads, Close and/or Personal, Cascade, Smallbore
Column 4 - Rangefinder, Full Auto, Crowd Control, Final Round

The Bad Counsel is a shotgun in the middle impact archetype, similar to the Patch-A, The Comedian, and the Jingukogo and Strognbow. Long story short, this weapon won't ever be in the PvP meta due to the lack of a high one-shot kill distance, and it doesn't really have a fast enough RoF to at least make up for that. In PvE, you'd be better off using one of the low impact shotguns to pump a lot of rounds into high armor enemies quickly or rapidly clean up multiple weaker targets at close range. As such, this is one of those weapons that I really don't recommend using at all, so you might as well just throw anything on it, see what feels good to you, and use perks that mesh well with that. You could run with Full Auto, Close and/or Personal, and Quickdraw to run-n-gun, or try to max range with Hand Loaded, Hammer Forged, and Rangefinder, but let's be real you really shouldn't be using this weapon outside of playlists that you're drastically over-leveled for. The gun is the Destiny equivalent of Whose Line is it Anyway, where everything is useless and the perks don't matter.

Sidearm

Mid-Impact

The Wormwood - Available from the Future War Cult Representative.

Pros - Hitscan. High stability. Above average aim assist.
Neutral - None.
Cons - Below average range and reload speed. Low mag size.

Time-to-Kill: 0.60s (1 crit 3 body shots), 0.80s (5 body shots)
Rate of Fire: 94
Impact: 12 (60 damage per crit shot, 48 damage per body shot)
Range: 28
Stability: 76
Reload Speed: 86
Mag Size: 12
Aim Assist: 84

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - SureShot IS/TrueSight IS
Column 2 - High Caliber Rounds/Quickdraw, Lightweight
Column 3 - Hand Loaded, Fitted Stock, Zen Moment
Column 4 - Rangefinder/Hidden Hand, Hot Swap, Reactive Reload

My favorite of the new vendor sidearms, The Wormwood's only true drawback is the low mag size. This is the gun I generally recommend to people who are just getting into sidearms and don't want to have to grind HoJ for the Crow's Eye. It has good stability and aim assist, and the range is just barely below average, so stat-wise it's pretty solid across the board. For perks, the sight recommendations are the same as ever: TrueSight and SureShot. High Caliber Rounds is always my favorite in the second column, but Quickdraw is also an excellent choice. In the third slot you can use Hand Loaded to improve on the range, or Fitted Stock or Zen Moment to help with the already good stability. In the last column I'd go with Rangefinder, particularly if you don't use Hand Loaded in the previous slot, but Hidden Hand can also be used to push the above average aim assist even higher.

Very Low-Impact

Impeacher V - Available from the New Monarchy Representative.

Pros - Hitscan. High stability, reload speed, and mag size.
Neutral - None.
Cons - Very low range and aim assist.

Time-to-Kill: 0.53s (5 crits), 0.80s (7 body shots)
Rate of Fire: 100
Impact: 6 (40 damage per crit shot, 32 damage per body shot)
Range: 24
Stability: 76
Reload Speed: 92
Mag Size: 15
Aim Assist: 50

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - SureShot IS/TrueSight IS
Column 2 - High Caliber Rounds/Quickdraw, Lightweight
Column 3 - Hand Loaded, Fitted Stock, Zen Moment
Column 4 - Rangefinder/Hidden Hand, Reactive Reload, Hot Swap

If you've ever heard me talk about the Crucible Quartermaster's Anton's Rule sidearm, then the Impeacher V is the same story. The RoF is basically too fast to take full advantage of while remaining accurate in actual combat. You'll either have to slow down and pace your shots, which wastes the fast RoF, or spam shots and miss, which is equally pointless. Sight recommendations are the same as most sidearms and HCs, TrueSight and SureShot. For the other perks, in the second column it comes down to HCR and Quickdraw, both of which are excellent perks, but my personal favorite is HCR. In the third slot Hand Loaded is tier one to help with the low base range on the weapon, and then Fitted Stock and Zen Moment bring up the rear. In the last column Rangefinder and Hidden Hand are in equal demand, both trying to shore up poor base stat-lines. Reactive Reload comes next, since we're again attempting to up that damage in any way we can.

Fusion Rifles

High-Impact

The Waiting - Available from the Future War Cult Representative.

Pros - High impact/damage per bolt and stability. Above average range and recoil direction.
Neutral - Average aim assist, bolts to kill, and mag size.
Cons - Below average charge rate. Low reload speed.

Charge Rate: 16
Impact: 95 (48 damage per bolt, 5 Bolts to Kill)
Range: 41
Stability: 63
Reload Speed: 59
Mag Size: 5
Aim Assist: 59
Recoil Direction: 63

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - Reflex
Column 2 - Accelerated Coils, Quickdraw, Hip Fire
Column 3 - Perfect Balance/Smallbore/Hammer Forged, Performance Bonus, Unflinching, Kneepads
Column 4 - Rangefinder/Hidden Hand

Similar to the previous FWC fusion rifle, The Vacancy, The Waiting is a high impact model with surprisingly high base stability. It's only drawback is the slower charge rate, which is why trying to shoot for Accelerated Coils is a perfect compromise. It doesn't lower the impact nearly enough to make it require another bolt to kill, so you get the benefit of a more rapid charge rate without the drawbacks. Either Perfect Balance, Smallbore, or Hammer Forged will be a fine choice in the third column, generally depending on whether you like to increase the range or use stability for some extra help in tightening up the burst pattern. I personally think Perfect Balance is hands down the better choice for most players, especially because the recoil direction isn't great, which makes it harder to control manually, but I know some people insist on range. Rangefinder is still a wonderful perk for fusions, as the increased zoom leads to better bolt groupings, but Hidden Hand is also excellent. As always the sight to look for is Reflex.

Mid-Impact

Worlds to Come 001 - Available from the Dead Orbit Representative.

Pros - Above average charge rate, recoil direction, and impact/damage per bolt. High stability.
Neutral - Average bolts to kill, reload speed, mag size, and aim assist.
Cons - Low range.

Charge Rate: 22
Impact: 87 (47 damage per bolt, 5 bolts to kill)
Range: 36
Stability: 56
Reload Speed: 66
Mag Size: 5
Aim Assist: 59
Recoil Direction: 67

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - Reflex
Column 2 - Accelerated Coils, Hip Fire, Quickdraw
Column 3 - Hammer Forged/Smallbore/Perfect Balance, Performance Bonus, Unflinching, Kneepads
Column 4 - Rangefinder/Hidden Hand, Eye of the Storm, Hot Swap

Basically a clone of Each New Day, Worlds to Come trades a bit of aim assist and an extra shot in the mag for better base recoil direction. As always Reflex is our sight choice. In the second column I would definitely take Acc Coils, hands down. Won't increase the bolts to kill and helps with the charge rate. In column three Hammer Forged is my choice, thanks mostly to the relatively high base stability and recoil direction, and the low base range. Smallbore will also do, and Perfect Balance can help those players who are still struggling with manually controlling bolt spread, but I wouldn't recommend this weapon if that's the case. In the last column Rangefinder is my number one option, again to help with the bolt spread, but Hidden Hand is also quite good. As always Eye of the Storm and Hot Swap are available, too.

Rocket Launchers

Very High-RoF

Unto Dust 00 - Available from the Dead Orbit Representative

Pros - Very high RoF and reload speed. High inventory.
Neutral - Average mag size.
Cons - Very low blast radius. Low velocity.

Rate of Fire: 25
Blast Radius: 60
Velocity: 47
Reload Speed: 80
Mag Size: 2
Inventory: 20

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - Warhead Verniers/Hard Launch
Column 2 - Field Scout
Column 3 - Tripod, Javelin, Heavy Payload
Column 4 - Grenades and Horseshoes/Tracking/Cluster Bombs

Very nearly a clone of the TTK Crucible-sold Smolder, this is not a good rocket launcher. Quite simply, it has awful blast radius and velocity, and a low inventory. Those are all three of the things that you look for in a rocket launcher, and this has neither. Even with a god roll it won't compete with other launchers, so I'm not sure why you would use it. Perks are the same as always for launchers: Barrel perk that increases blast radius and velocity like Warhead Verniers or Hard Launch, then Field Scout, Tripod/Heavy Payload/Javelin (they're all in the same slot, which also sucks), and then Grenades and Horseshoes/Tracking/Cluster Bombs.

High-RoF

The Warpath - Available from the Future War Cult Representative.

Pros - High RoF. Very high blast radius.
Neutral - Average mag size.
Cons - Very low reload speed. Low velocity and inventory.

Rate of Fire: 18
Blast Radius: 96
Velocity: 41
Reload Speed: 50
Mag Size: 2
Inventory: 20

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - Warhead Verniers/Hard Launch
Column 2 - Field Scout
Column 3 - Tripod, Javelin, Heavy Payload
Column 4 - Grenades and Horseshoes/Tracking/Cluster Bombs

I highly recommend this weapon for PvE. The slow speed will help with Tracking and make it easier for the rocket to adjust its path in the air, and the very large blast radius will guarantee that anything near its impact point will be damaged or destroyed. As you may have seen recently on Reddit, you can also get it with Cluster Bombs and make it a DPS monster, although the usefulness of this tactic is hotly debated. Either way, like all launchers the perk recommendations are very similar. Unfortunately Tripod and Javelin/Heavy Payload are in the same slot, just like Unto Dust, but it does have much better base stats so it's not the worst thing in the world.

Machine Gun

Very Low-Impact

First Citizen IX - Available from the New Monarchy vendor.

Pros - Very high mag size and inventory. High reload speed and aim assist.
Neutral - None.
Cons - Very low range and recoil direction. Low stability.

Time-to-Kill: 0.46s (8 crit shots), 0.60s (10 body shots)
Rate of Fire: 100
Impact: 25 (26 damage per crit shot, 21 damage per body shot)
Range: 14
Stability: 38
Reload Speed: 41
Mag Size: 77
Aim Assist: 71
Inventory: 47
Recoil Direction: 55

Recommended Perks:

Column 1 - Smart Drift Control, Linear Compensator, Smooth Ballistics, Accurized Ballistics, Field Choke
Column 2 - Extended Mag, High Caliber Rounds, Quickdraw, Hip Fire, Flared Magwell
Column 3 - Perfect Balance, Hammer Forged, Smallbore, Crowd Control, Life Leech, Feeding Frenzy, Unflinching, Army of One
Column 4 - Persistence, Counterbalance, Rangefinder, Hidden Hand, Eye of the Storm

I'm not really a huge fan of this particular weapon, simply because if you must use something from this archetype, IF MATERIA is clearly the best. If you do get one, I would try to go with a barrel perk that increases the recoil direction first, so either Smart Drift Control (gives better stability, at the cost of range) or Linear Compensator (even though it takes away stability and aim assist as a trade-off for more range and impact). Smooth Ballistics would be my next choice for more aim assist and range at the cost of some stability. In the second slot, I actually think Extended Mag is the best option, simply for how hilariously large the magazine gets. High Caliber Rounds is also a passable choice if you're looking to flinch opponents, and the other perks after that are only decent. In the second column you really can't go wrong with most of the perks. I would select Perfect Balance as my first option simply because you recoil is crazy on this weapon, Hammer Forged and Smallbore can both help with the terrible range. Following that, Crowd Control is quite useful, and this weapon has the perk Life Leech (previously found on King's Fall raid weapons) that can restore a small portion of health and start shields regenerating after a triple kill, which would be incredibly useful in PvE. In the last slot Persistence is amazing on LMGs in this archetype, but if you don't get one of the barrel perks that increases recoil direction, Counterbalance may be your best bet. Rangefinder would be next to increase the effective range, then Hidden Hand and Eye of the Storm.

We hope you enjoyed this week's massive breakdown, Guardians. Please remember to share these articles and episodes with your fellow Guardians - friends don't let friends use bad rolls!

Thanks as ever for reading, listening, and showing the love.

-Kyt_Kutcha & Mercules904

Massive Breakdowns, Podcast, Guides and SGADestiny Massive BreakdownsMay 12, 2017Bungie, dead orbit, destiny, faction, future war cult, new monarchy, vendorComment