Quick Links
Solstice has returned toDestiny 2this year, and it brought a new Bow and some much-needed perk updates to the loot pool. Something New is a powerhouse for ability builds, Compass Rose is a great PvP Shotgun, and Crowning Duologue is now a strong PvE Rocket Launcher.
All of these weapons can be found in the Bonfire Bash activity, available for the duration of this year’s Solstice event. While farming for your Solstice set, keep your eyes peeled for these PvE and PvP perk combinations. And remember: you can now enhance perks on weapons, including every Solstice weapon we mention in this article.
Compass Rose
Ever since Shotguns received a rework in Season of the Seraph, Precision Frames have been the best pick for PvP. Compass Rose is part of this fairly rare archetype, and it has some fantastic perk combinations that make it a decent alternative to Matador 64 and similar meta picks.If you need a good PvP Shotgun, get Compass Rose.
Most players will want a roll withSlideshot and Opening Shot, both of which substantially increases this weapon’s range, capping it at 100 with ease. If you don’t like Slideshot, you’re able to also getThreat Detectorto support a more reactive playstyle.
As for PvE, it’s nothing special.Dual Loadercan be paired withIncandescentis a decent weapon for slaying tougher adds, but it’s nowhere near a meta, S-tier Special weapon. If you’re looking for a strong PvE Shotgun, you have better options. But if you want a Shotgun that can compete with Matador, this is your gun.
Slideshot OR Threat Detector
Range
Crowning Duologue
Crowning Duologue received the largest glow up out of all the Solstice weapons this year. Before we even get into the new perks, this weapon’s archetype has been considerably buffed in recent seasons. greatly increasing its ammo reserves while buffing its overall damage. It still lags behind Apex Predator for burst DPS, but the auto-tracking missile baked into Crowning Duologue’s origin trait makes up for this in most situations.
For perks, there are tons of good options here.ReconstructionwithBait and Switchcan roll together, a fan-favorite combination for weapons like Apex Predator. If you want a good Heavy weapon for GM Nightfalls, you may drop Bait and Switch forBipodinstead, granting four rockets per cartridge. You can even getEnvious Assassinin the last column, although we aren’t sure how this works with Reconstruction. If it doubles Envious Assassin’s ammo capacity, you can firesixrockets in a row.
There’s not much to say for PvP. It has innate tracking and can get a ton of blast radius with the right perks.Impulse Amplifier and Chain Reactionis a decent pick for PvP, although you’re usually better off with an Eager Edge Sword or any Heavy GL.
Bait and Switch OR Bipod
Blast Radius
Fortunate Star
Fortunate Star is the newest weapon to enter the Solstice loot pool, and it’s arguably the worst weapon of the bunch. It has some absurdly powerful perks in the second perk column, yet none of them enable new builds or plalystyles.
There are some fun combos here, likeSuccessful Warmuppaired withArcher’s Gambitfor an absurdly short 114ms draw time, but that’s not a roll that’s practical or even necessary. Your best bet in PvE isRepulsor BracewithDestabilizing Roundsfor free overshields. For PvP, we don’t recommend using this weapon at all. Lightweight Bows need help to compete in this new sandbox, more than what the perks on Fortunate Star can offer.
Do Not Use
Something New
While it’s ironic that Something New is a remodel of Better Devils, this year’s perk refresh has breathed new life into this Hand Cannon, mostly for Crucible fans.PvE playerslikely know this weapon for its excellent perk combination ofDemolitionistandHeadstone, and we still recommend it for this version. Headstone kills will proc Demolitionist’s grenade energy, and throwing a grenade lets you bypass reloading entirely.
For non-Stasis users, we recommend farming for Demolitionist and Wellspring. This is a fairly rare perk combination for a Primary weapon, let alone for a Hand Cannon.
PvP fans will want to farm for Something New as well.Snapshot SightsandPrecision Instrumentis an S-tier perk combination. The low handling of this weapon is completely offset with Snapshot Sights, and Precision Instrument allows you to counter Void Overshields and high Resilience checks. Throw on some range, and this weapon becomes an excellent support weapon for 3v3 game modes like Trials of Osiris.
