As with every new expansion, Bungie added plenty of new perks into Destiny 2 for the Witch Queen. Some are great, and some are, well, not. There are those that absolutely destroy in PvP, and those which are explicitly geared toward PvE. You'll find plenty of good combinations, and even the less-than-stellar perks do have their moments.
Overall, Bungie did a great job keeping the new perks fun and interesting. What this writer appreciates the most is that they introduced new perks that can definitely be meta, but are not absolute must-picks. Yes, stuff like Adaptive Munitions is good, but Guardians can and will succeed with other perks as well. That is the sign of a healthy sandbox, where nothing is too good.
13 Adaptive Munitions
Starting out strong with one of the best perks added in the Witch Queen expansion, Adaptive Munitions is found on energy weapons. It tailors damage that does not match shield types to be more effective. In high-level PvE content, Adaptive Munitions will almost be a must-pick, allowing the Guardian to gear their elements toward their subclass instead of the enemy shields.
Of course, if you are lucky and the shields of the activity match the elements you are running, then by all means leave Adaptive Munitions in the dust. The power of this perk allows you to separate what you want to run from what the Nightfall or what-have-you wants you to run.
12 Bait and Switch
A new perk only available on weapons from the Vow of the Disciple Raid, Bait and Switch will be difficult to make use of in most of the game. Having to deal damage with all equipped weapons just to proc the perk is so much more complicated than something like Kill Clip or Swashbuckler.
The more streamlined the perk is, the easier it will be to use, especially in end-game content. Trying to use this perk in the Crucible is next to impossible, as heavy ammo only shows up once a match, basically. In Gambit it could work, but again there are more streamlined damage perks out there.
11 Chill Clip
For everyone not attempting the raid, Chill Clip is only available on the Palmyra-B rocket launcher. While it is not an outright bad perk, there are just better combinations for the said rocket launcher that will work so much better. Autoloading Holster and Explosive Light for those Guardians still playing with Orbs of Power will beat out Chill Clip every single time.
Personally, this writer would love to see Chill Clip on something like the Krait, a new stasis auto-rifle. That, mixed with Compulsive Reloader, would actually make for a great legendary add-clear weapon. However that might be too strong for Bungie's taste; maybe in the future on fast-firing weapons, Chill Clip will shine, but not today.
10 Compulsive Reloader
A PvP-focused perk through and through, Compulsive Reloader will be very helpful in 1v1s where you have a secondary perk that affects the top half of the magazine. Other than that, it does not do a lot.
Plus, Compulsive Reloader has anti-synergy with certain top perks right now; Focused Fury, for example, would be one of the worst perks to slot in here. That being said, special-ammo weapons in the Crucible will never see the effect of this perk. Just don't do it.
9 Focused Fury
Another very strong perk, Focused Fury deals bonus damage for 11 seconds if half the magazine is dealt as precision hits. Against bosses or with snipers or scouts, this perk can really pack a punch. Expect to see builds with it in high-level Nightfalls.
A great combination would be Focused Fury and Overflow, because Fury only counts the original magazine when determining the proc conditions. A Thoughtless sniper rifle with these two can run with 14 shots in the barrel, ten of which can get the Focused Fury buff if you land your crits.
8 Immovable Object
So far only available on one weapon, Lubrae's Ruin from the new raid, Immovable Object is mediocre. You have to stay standing still for the perk to do anything, which is basically a death sentence. It also is way more fun to be jumping around and strafing — why would you want to stand still anyway?
All Immovable Object does is make your shield last longer on the glaive. However, the shield should really be used to buy yourself some space to get to cover, not just stand out in the open. This perk advocates for a less-than-stellar playstyle.
7 Sleight of Hand
Sleight of Hand can be pretty powerful when having to deal with champions. If you are mowing down enemies with another weapon, then swap to one with Sleight of Hand for the champion damage, you get all those stat boosts while taking it down.
For example, if you have Sleight of Hand on the Submission submachine gun, you can use your main add-clear weapon up until you see the Overload Champion, switch to Submission, and get the bonuses while taking down the big boy. It definitely has its uses in-game.
6 Stats for All
Stats for All has a best friend called One for All, and as a good Guardian, you should never ever separate them. Both perks proc on hitting three separate targets — and between the two, boost just about every stat the weapon has.
This combination can be grabbed on both Come to Pass and Sweet Sorrow, so if you are an auto rifle main, get on it.
5 Steady Hands
Another really strong PvE perk for long fights, Steady Hands is really helpful in the snowball, forcing your enemies to have to really pop off to turn the tides. Once you get a kill it increases handling on all weapons for a short duration, which can be helpful in PvE as well. It is just definitely stronger against other Guardians.
The problem with handling perks in PvE is that the enemies in Nightfalls, while they can pack a punch, are not the hardest to hit. Handling really matters most in the Crucible and Gambit, where other Guardians come into the fray.
4 Successful Warm-Up
Successful Warm-Up feels like it's almost a necessary perk on bows. Combining Archer's Tempo with Successful Warm-Up on bows like Under Your Skin make it the fastest-drawing bow in the game.
With bows consistently being in the champion mod pool, getting a good one will be a life-changer. Otherwise, Successful Warm-Up can be really strong on fusion rifles in PvE, especially with Firmly Planted getting nerfed.
3 Tilting at Windmills
Strictly for use in PvE, Tilting at Windmills can actually be helpful when trying to duck behind cover in dangerous situations. Getting that movement speed buff while trying to escape is super helpful, and while the glaive itself is not geared toward high-level content, in basic strikes and such this perk will help the new weapon type shine.
Unfortunately for glaives, they are quite underpowered in PvP, especially when you have to land your energy shots.
2 Turnabout
Not the best perk in the world, and not the worst. Turnabout will grant an overshield when you break the shield of an enemy or other Guardian in their super.
It can definitely help in niche situations, but more often than not there will be better perk combinations that can do a lot more than Turnabout. Plus, if you play Titan, then you should have zero reasons to need anymore overshields.
1 Unstoppable Force
In theory, combining Unstoppable Force with Tilting at Windmills could be a fun combo, as they both proc off blocking damage. The problem is that Tilting is kind of useful, whereas Unstoppable Force only increases the damage of the projectile, not the melee.
The glaive projectile is really weak, and again there are better ways to buff it than using up your shield when you do not need it to save yourself, just for a small damage buff.
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