October 20, 2019
Hello and welcome to my breakdown of the Penumbra weapons, here you can find a links to my past articles for Forsaken, Black Armory, Joker’s Wild, and Penumbra Below are the weapon’s base stats and my thoughts and opinions on their best rolls.
Accrued Redemption - Garden of Salvation, Combat Bow
Draw Time: 684
Impact: 76
Accuracy: 80
Stability: 49
Handling: 60
Reload Speed: 46
Mag Size: 1
Aim Assist: 70
Recoil Direction: 77
Curated Roll:
Precision Frame / Polymer String / Natural Fletching
Recommended PvE Perks:
Sights: Polymer String, Natural String, Agile String
Magazine: Compact Arrow Size, Straight Fletching, Helical Fletching
Perk 1: Archer’s Tempo, Quickdraw
Perk 2: Rampage, Explosive Head, Rapid Hit
Masterwork: Draw Time
Recommended PvP Perks:
Sights: Elastic String, Flexible String, Polymer String
Magazine: Straight Fletching, Helical Fletching
Perk 1: Archer’s Tempo, No Distractions, Rangefinder
Perk 2: Rampage, Moving Target, Rapid Hit
Masterwork: Draw Time
First up is the newest bow added in Season of Undying. The Accrued Redemption has some big shoes to fill against the first bows we got back in Forsaken. What seems to be interesting a lot of folks is the potential roll of Rapid Hit / Archer’s Tempo, which is the first time we’ve seen it on a precision frame bow; but it is by no means new. The Vow (bow) from the Crimson Days event this past February was when we first got to see this combo. It might not be *broken* or incredibly overpowered, but it does reward a precise aim. I’d still take the tried and true Archer’s Tempo / Rampage for PvE.
In PvP you can one shot guardians with Rampage on the precision frame. Either starting with the bow, or swapping to it to get the Rampage stacks going. Either is a playstyle worth trying once. But if you want to succeed in PvP I’d highly suggest dropping the draw time as low as you can, and maximizing the accuracy stat to give you the best follow up shot times without dropping damage. (Looking at you charge time MW for fusions)
Exit Strategy - Gambit Pinnacle Weapon, Submachine Gun
Rate of Fire: 900
Impact: 20
Range: 43
Stability: 48
Handling: 55
Reload Speed: 56
Mag size: 33
Aim Assist: 47
Recoil Direction: 97
Curated Roll:
Adaptive Frame / Arrowhead Brake / Ricochet Rounds / Underdog - Threat Detector / Swashbuckler - Surrounded
Recommended PvE Perks:
Sights: Arrowhead Brake
Magazine: Ricochet Rounds
Perk 1: Underdog, Threat Detector
Perk 2: Swashbuckler, Surrounded
Masterwork: Stability
Recommended PvP Perks:
Sights: Arrowhead Brake
Magazine: Ricochet Rounds
Perk 1: Underdog, Threat Detector
Perk 2: Swashbuckler, Surrounded
Masterwork: Stability
Exit Strategy is the new Gambit ~~pinnacle~~ ritual weapon for Season 8. Nothing about this is extremely stand-outish as far as submachine guns go, and swashbuckler isn’t exactly new for SMGs. But not having to go through grinding Gambit Prime or Reckoning for a guaranteed swash roll is nice. What’s unfortunate is if you’re going through the quest for Exit Strategy then you’re already playing Gambit for a good pillager or Gambit Prime (aka, better Gambit) for that Swashbuckler bug-out bag.
In PvP Adaptive Frame SMGs aren’t extremely meta as far as SMGs go. Arrowhead and the stability masterwork coupled with some range and stability from ricochet rounds will make it a very easy shooting experience, but nothing is truly amazing about this SMG. Unless you really like Gambit I would stay away from this gun.
Imperative - Data Input quest from Ikora, Scout Rifle
Rate of Fire: 150
Impact: 67
Range: 69
Stability: 28
Handling: 30
Reload Speed: 37
Mag size: 13
Aim Assist: 33
Recoil Direction: 80
Curated Roll:
High-Impact Frame / Corkscrew Rifling / Tactical Mag / Moving Target
PvE Rolls
Sights: Fluted Barrel, Corkscrew Rifling, Polygonal Rifling
Magazine: Tactical Mag, Appended Mag, Flared Magwell
Perk 1: Outlaw, Triple Tap, Eye of the Storm
Perk 2: Multikill Clip, Rampage, Explosive Rounds
Masterwork: Handling or Reload
Recommended PvP Rolls
Sights: Hammer-Forged Rifling, Fluted Barrel, Corkscrew Rifling
Magazine: Accurized Rounds (PC), Steady Rounds (Console), Tactical Mag
Perk 1: No Distractions, Eye of the Storm, Outlaw
Perk 2: Opening Shot, Explosive Rounds, Rampage
Masterwork: Handling
In PvE scouts *should* be the long distance champs. Being able to pump out big damage from a very safe distance away. The biggest issue with High-Impact Scouts in PvE is their handling. Fluted barrel and a handling masterwork should fix that right up. Pair it with tactical mag or appended mag means less reloads. Outlaw will reduce the time between mags, or you can get more from each mag via triple tap. Either is a good option. In the final column you can go for more damage via rampage or multikill clip. If you’re overleveled then explosive payload can ensure you won’t get bodied by a charging Hive Knight.
In PvP scouts are becoming more and more meta. Instead of using your exotic slot with Jade Rabbit or Polaris Lance you can use the Imperative. However, we have to bump up some stats in order to compete. I still think fluted barrel is the best option for making the 30 handling feel less painful. On controller I do think steady rounds is the way to go, you won’t need all that range if you can’t hit your shots. On MnK you can forego steady rounds for either more range or more ammo. In the third column I think No Distractions will make for an excellent perk choice to reduce flinch. Eye of the storm and outlaw are both great options as well. In the final column I think it’s a toss up between shot to ensure the first hit, or explosive payload to flinch out your opponent. Either is a great choice.
Loud Lullaby - Dreambane Engram, Hand Cannon
Rate of Fire: 110
Impact: 92
Range: 58
Stability: 25
Handling: 32
Reload Speed: 31
Mag size: 8
Aim Assist: 60
Recoil Direction: 98
Curated Roll:
Aggressive Frame / Hammer-Forged Rifling
Recommended PvE Perks:
Sights: Hammer-Forged Rifling, Smallbore, Corkscrew Rifling
Magazine: Tactical Mag, Extended Mag
Perk 1: Outlaw, Grave Robber
Perk 2: Multikill Clip, Rampage, Demolitionist
Masterwork: Reload
Recommended PvP Perks:
Sights: Full Bore, Hammer-Forged Rifling, Extended Barrel
Magazine: Accurized Rounds, Tactical Mag
Perk 1: Outlaw
Perk 2: Opening Shot, Explosive Rounds, Demolitionist
Masterwork: Range
Loud Lullaby is the Crimil’s Dagger killer. I don’t think it’s better than the Duke for certain areas. One place it will shine is in PvE. With a mag size of 8, you’re gonna want something to bump up your mag. Tactical mag or extended mag in combination with a backup mag will mean you’ll spend more time shooting and less time reloading. Pair the larger mag with a reload masterwork and either grave robber to completely bypass the reload or, the tried and true, outlaw is the best choice. In the final column there’s plenty of perks to be happy about. Multikill clip is still the highest damage increase, but rampage is far easier to understand and control. Demolitionist for a grenade heavy build like Devour in harder content might also be a good shout.
In PvP I think the Duke will be better. But you can still compete now that ricochet rounds had its lead pulled in. You’ll still want max or near max range to beat out those rangefinder rolls and pulses, but perks like opening shot and explosive rounds can ensure a great clean up weapon, or a great dueling weapon.
One Small Step - Dreambane Engram, Shotgun
Rate of Fire: 140
Impact: 65
Range: 33
Stability: 38
Handling: 46
Reload Speed: 65
Mag size: 7
Aim Assist: 68
Recoil Direction: 60
Curated Roll:
Rapid-Fire Frame / Smoothbore / Flared Magwell - Steady Rounds / Kill Clip - Snapshot Sights
Recommended PvE Perks:
Sights: Smallbore, Barrel Shroud, Corkscrew Rifling
Magazine: Tactical Mag, Extended Mag, Appended Mag
Perk 1: Grave Robber, Quickdraw, Auto-Loading Holster
Perk 2: One-Two Punch, Rampage
Masterwork: Reload
Recommended PvP Perks:
Sights: Full Choke, Rifled Barrel
Magazine: Accurized Rounds, Light Mag
Perk 1: Quickdraw, Slideshot
Perk 2: Opening Shot, Snapshot Sights, One-Two Punch
Masterwork: Range
Rapid-Fire Frame shotguns are still pretty darn good for burst DPS in PvE, but with the removal of auto-reloading mechanics you’ll want something like grave robber or auto-loading holster to make sure your shotgun isn’t taking two damage cycles just to load up a full magazine. Mag perks like tactical mag or appended mag that bump up your magazine size without hurting reload speed is also appreciated as you can then slot in a major spec or any of the new weapon mods. So the deal is have a good mag perk, something to bypass the reload time, and what better perk to add on top of that than the best DPS perk currently for shotguns. One-two punch. It’s not as strong due to the changes made to Liar’s Handshake, but is still best in column for this gun.
In PvP I’d take the worst Lightweight Frame shotgun over the best Rapid-Fire Frame shotgun, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make them compete. Full choke with snapshot sights, or rifled barrel with anything else is the best you can get. Range is still super important, and unfortunately One Small Step can’t get assault mag to boost the rpm even further. Opening shot is my go-to pick for shotguns. But something like One-two punch on the now lowered damage resistance in supers might be a good choice. I’d hang onto that roll just in case this archetype receives a PvP buff.
Pluperfect - Season Pass reward, Auto Rifle
Rate of Fire: 360
Impact: 33
Range: 75
Stability: 24
Handling: 41
Reload Speed: 41
Mag size: 31
Aim Assist: 54
Recoil Direction: 89
Curated Roll:
High-Impact Frame / Hammer-Forged Rifling / Tactical Mag / Auto-Loading Holster / Dynamic Sway Reduction
Recommended PvE Perks:
Sights: Fluted Barrel, Corkscrew Rifling, Smallbore
Magazine: High-Caliber Rounds, Appended Mag, Ricochet Rounds
Perk 1: Outlaw, Underdog, Zen Moment
Perk 2: Rampage, Kill Clip, High-Impact Reserves
Masterwork: Reload or Handling
Recommended PvP Perks:
Sights: Extended Barrel, Hammer-Forged Rifling, Smallbore
Magazine: High-Caliber Rounds, Ricochet Rounds, Light Mag
Perk 1: Underdog, Zen Moment, Outlaw
Perk 2: Kill Clip, Dynamic Sway Reduction, Mulligan
Masterwork: Range or Handling
Our first Season Pass reward, ~~Pulp Fiction~~ Pluperfect, is a contender against the Full Dan. With a pretty decent curated roll and barrel options is that enough to overcome the worse stats and different perk pools? For PvE High-Impact autos aren’t my first choice but Pluperfect can roll with high-caliber rounds for added flinch; something the Full Dan can only dream of. You can also roll with barrel options which are far better than sights in both PvE and PvP. n the third column Outlaw is easily the best choice. Despite doing a lot of damage per shot, 31 bullets is just far too little for me. Quick reloads also help that 41 reload stat. In the final column there’s really nothing special. Rampage or kill clip will be familiar and easy to use.
In PvP you’re going to want to nearly max out the range stat. Extended Barrel also helps the recoil direction a touch but drops the handling. On an already slow handling gun, hammer-forged rifling might be better. Again high-caliber rounds is best here increase your opponent’s flinch and make it easier to win your engagements. I rank underdog better than outlaw here because with a tracking weapon, more than likely, you’ll be taking damage. Having a better reload whether you get the precision shot or not, as well as better handling, without killing your opponent can mean a quick reload to top off the mag or swap can save your life. Couple that with kill clip for the best damage bump this gun can get for the Full Dan 2.0 Electric Bugaloo - Shadowkeep Edition, Revenge of the Dan.
Randy's Throwing Knife - Crucible Ritual Weapon, Scout Rifle
Rate of Fire: 45
Impact: 31
Range: 45
Stability: 45
Handling: 28
Reload Speed: 35
Mag size: 17
Aim Assist: 63
Recoil Direction: 59
Curated Roll:
Rapid-Fire Frame / Fluted Barrel / Extended Mag / Rapid Hit - Snapshot Sights / Zen Moment - Kill Clip
Recommended PvE Perks:
Sights: Fluted Barrel
Magazine: Extended Mag
Perk 1: Rapid Hit, Snapshot Sights
Perk 2: Kill Clip, Zen Moment
Masterwork: Range
Recommended PvP Perks:
Sights: Fluted Barrel
Magazine: Extended Mag
Perk 1: Rapid Hit, Snapshot Sights
Perk 2: Kill Clip, Zen Moment
Masterwork: Range
Randy’s Throwing Knife is the new ritual weapon for crucible and I’m only slightly whelmed by it. A Rapid-Fire scout is fun, but occupies a very interesting spot in my loadout. I could use my Austringer, Spare Rations, Bygones, or even Redrix’s Broadsword. In PvE the redeeming qualities are a decent handling stat compared to Black Scorpion; kill clip which is exclusive to Randy’s Throwing Knife for this archetype; and rapid hit in conjunction with the already fast reload speed when the mag is empty. It’s in an interesting space. Right around hand cannon and pulse range. I can see this being a reliable option, but do you want reliable or something closer to being overpowered to crush some dragons and slay gods?
In the Crucible Randy’s Throwing Knife will definitely spice things up. Being a reliable 3-4 tap (depending on resilience) and capable of stacking with external damage increases (empowering rifts, inertia override, frontal assault) can make this a real interesting weapon for something like solo competitive or rumble. In classic mix it could prove less useful and more of a niche weapon. I think the higher impact Lightweight Frames and High-Impact Frames will be better all around.
Sacred Provenance - Garden of Salvation, Pulse Rifle
Rate of Fire: 450
Impact: 35
Range: 72
Stability: 61
Handling: 32
Reload Speed: 42
Mag size: 40
Aim Assist: 48
Recoil Direction: 70
Curated Roll:
Aggressive Frame / Hammer-Forged Rifling / Appended Mag - Accurized Rounds / Firmly Planted
Recommended PvE Perks:
Sights: Arrowhead Brake, Fluted Barrel, Smallbore
Magazine: High-Caliber Rounds, Extended Mag, Ricochet Rounds
Perk 1: Rapid Hit, Outlaw, Full Auto Trigger System
Perk 2: Kill Clip, Quickdraw
Masterwork: Handling, Reload
Recommended PvP Perks:
Sights: Full Bore (PC), Arrowhead Brake (Console), Smallbore
Magazine: High-Caliber Rounds, Ricochet Rounds, Light Mag
Perk 1: Rapid Hit, Outlaw
Perk 2: Quickdraw, Snapshot Sights, Kill Clip
Masterwork: Range (PC), Stability (Console)
Next up is a weapon that piqued my interest. The Sacred Provenance had to separate itself from Blast Furnace and Go Figure somehow, and that way was bringing us an aggressive pulse rifle with the third and final reload buff. Rapid Hit. Go Figure and Blast Furnace could roll Outlaw. The Blast Furnace came with Feeding Frenzy, and now we get my favorite of the bunch. The amazing thing is that you can get almost maximum stacks in one trigger pull. Which should lessen the burst as you’re firing it. None of the other perks are incredibly powerful, but the inclusion of arguably the best reload perk on a burst weapon like this will make this a highly sought after weapon.
For PvP the same deal applies, Rapid Hit is incredible. Coupled with the new pulse ranges, and High-Caliber Rounds. This will dominate the medium to longer ranges. I personally recommend either of the handling bonuses you can roll over Kill Clip. The reason being, you can effectively two burst without the perk, the perk just makes it easier. While helpful I would rather have a weapon that feels consistent perks active or not.
Tranquility - Dreambane Engram Sniper Rifle
Rate of Fire: 09
Impact: 70
Range: 52
Stability: 43
Handling: 52
Reload Speed: 42
Mag size: 4
Aim Assist: 61
Recoil Direction: 62
Zoom: 45
Curated Roll:
Adaptive Frame / Ricochet Rounds - Appended Mag / Dragonfly
Recommended PvE Perks:
Sights: Fluted Barrel, Corkscrew Rifling
Magazine: Appended Mag, Extended Mag, Tactical Mag
Perk 1: Outlaw, Field Prep, Auto-Loading Holster
Perk 2: Firing Line, Fourth Time’s the Charm, Box Breathing
Masterwork: Reload
Recommended PvP Perks:
Sights: Fluted Barrel, Arrowhead Brake, Corkscrew Rifling
Magazine: Tactical Mag, Accurized Rounds
Perk 1: No Distractions, Outlaw
Perk 2: Snapshot Sights, Opening Shot
Masterwork: Range or Reload
Our last kinetic weapon is the Sole Survivor twin. Tranquility is the “knock-off” kinetic version of Sole Survivor. The main reason is not being able to roll firing line with a magazine extending perk like triple tap or fourth time’s the charm. The good news is you won’t have to grind Reckoning or Gambit Prime for this, and in a smaller loot pool you are more likely to get a good roll without much effort. You will want something like appended mag or extended mag in conjunction with one of the reload perks in column three to keep in line with Sole Survivor. This is just an alternative to help diversify your loadout. Similar to how Threat Level made more loadouts viable when it was just that and Ikelos.
I would not take Tranquility into PvP. The visual noise in the scope coupled with a 45 zoom is just a bit much. For comparison Twilight Oath has a zoom of 35, and Beloved a zoom of 40. So not the highest zoom imaginable but still higher than normal. Another issue is the hands down best sniper pairing is kinetic. The Last Word is an amazing sniper combo and you won’t be able to use that with this sniper. The best roll you can get on Tranquility would have to be a high handling roll, followed by range. Without quickdraw the best you can get is snapshot which only buffs ADS speed. So in order to swap weapons faster you’ll have to use something like Ophidian Aspects or Dragon’s Shadow. If that’s your preference then you can go for something like a ranged build and opening shot.
If you're looking for other breakdowns you can read my Energy Weapons breakdown, and the Power Weapons breakdown. Happy Hunting Guardians!