On May 6th, 2025,Destiny 2released a new event calledThe Rite of the Nine, which bookends Episode Heresy and serves as a prologue to the upcoming Edge of Fate expansion, releasing on July 15th, 2025.
The Rite of the Nine challenges you to undertake a rotating roster of three legacy dungeons:Spire of the Watcher, Ghosts of the Deep, and Prophecy. Because of these featured dungeons, this event also has a reprised version of their respective weapons, along with enhanced, Adept versions.
Destiny 2: Best Builds For Heresy Aspects
Here are the builds that best synergize with the newly released Aspects in Episode Heresy.
Much likeInto the Light in 2023, you may attune to these weapons, which increases their drop rate during The Rite of the Nine dungeons. With that said, we’ll be taking a look atwhat weapons you should be attuning and farming for.
Not all of these weapons might be worth your time, not even their god rolls. Still, if you’re looking to expand your collection and fill up your Vault (better call Datto), thencheck out the god rolls for each of the new Rite of the Nine weapons.
Some weapons might only have PvE or PvP rolls due to the current meta. Ideal perks will bebolded, along with the type of activity they’re best used for.Every Rite of the Nine weapon also rolls with the Origin Trait Gravity Well, which automatically gathers nearby ammo when you reload.
12New Pacific Epitaph
Stasis Wave Frame Grenade Launcher
Envious Arsenal
Unrelenting
Rimestealer
Lead from Gold (PVE)
Demolitionist (PVE)
Recycled Energy
Chain Reaction (PVE)
Elemental Honing
Sword Logic
Redirection (PVE)
Adrenaline Junkie (PVE)
Let’s start off with New Pacific Epitaph, which normallydrops from Ghosts of the Deep.Because farming Ghosts of the Deep always feels like pulling teeth,I would highly recommend farming for this weapon and its other Ghosts of the Deep brethren, even if you’re not looking for their god rolls.
Wave-frame grenade launchers once dominated the meta whenForebearance from Vow of the Disciplereigned supreme with Ambitious Assassin and Chain Reaction.Now, they’re not as strong, though they remain decent at clearing hordes of enemies.
The ideal perk combination would beLead from Gold and Chain Reaction, and is best used for add-clearing, as Lead from Gold makes sure you’re topped up on ammo from heavy bricks. While Chain Reaction has been slightly nerfed, it’s extremely useful in clearing out a few more enemies that you normally would have missed.
Still, there are better options if you’re not too worried about completing your collection. Besides, it doesn’t have a lot to let you synergize with any Stasis builds.
11Long Arm
Aggressive Frame Arc Scout Rifle
Rapid Hit (PVE)
Lone Wolf (PVP)
Dual Loader
Hip Fire Grip (PVP)
Subsistence
Rolling Storm (PVE)
Dragonfly (PVE)
Precision Instrument (PVP)
Explosive Payload
Fitting the Wild West aesthetic,Long Arm is a lever action scout rifle that drops from the Spire of the Watcher dungeon.
Because they share the same archetype,Long Arm is essentially “we have Dead Man’s Tale at home.“With a 120 RPM and an emphasis on hip fire thanks to the Tex Balanced Stock origin trait, this scout rifle is suitable for mid-to-long-range engagements, as it works best when youmethodically plan your shots.
The perk combo you want for Long Arm in PVE comes down to personal preference. Explosive Payload might seem appealing, but it decreases bullet damage slightly in exchange for AOE.
The PVE god rollRapid Hit and Dragonflymight be the best roll out for this weapon. Because you need to reload it one bullet at a time, it can take a long time to top up on ammo, and anything that helps with reload speed is more than welcome. As for Dragonfly—well, everybody loves this perk.
Like I said, Long Arm is an off-brand Dead Man’s Tale. Unless you want a free Exotic weapon slot, there’s not much reason not to use DMT if you really want a lever-action weapon. If you want to make the most out of theHip Fire Grip and Tex Mechanus origin trait,then the following leg armor might be for you: Lunafaction Boots (Warlock), Radiant Dance Machines (Hunter), Lion Rampart (Titan).
10Liminal Vigil
Stasis Heavy Burst Sidearm
Lone Wolf (PVP)Headstone (PVE)Attrition Orbs (PVE)Tap the Trigger Enlightened Action Perpetual Motion
Rimestealer (PVE)Kill Clip (PVP)To the PainDesperado (PVE)RangefinderDesperate Measures (PVE)
Because of the sheer popularity and versatility of rocket sidearms, regular primary ammo sidearms have been shunted to the side. Unfortunately, Liminal Vigil doesn’t have a lot going for it to put it above its special ammo brethren.This weapon drops from Spire of the Watcher.
If it weren’t for the stasis rocket sidearm like Tinasha’s Mastery, then Liminal Vigil would be amazing. It might sound like I’m trashing this weapon, but it’s still worth getting for PVE and PVP because it feels good to shoot with, and its perks make it a rather useful utility PVE weapon, and an OK PVP weapon.
Most people might defer toHeadstone and Rimestealer,but plenty of Stasis weapons already roll with that perk combo. What’s interesting is theAttrition Orbs,which generates an orb when you fire at least half of the magazine.Perks like Desperate Measures and Desperadocan help you get those numbers up, making it not a bad choice for PVE.
As for PVP, there are plenty of sidearms that perform rather well, like Drang (Baroque) or Heliocentric QSc. But as a burst frame sidearm, this weapon lets you hit your shots more consistently.Combined with Lone Wolf and Kill Clip, this weapon’s time-to-kill (TTK) is rather impressive.
Stasis Adaptive Frame Hand Cannon
DemolitionistKeep Away (PVP) Lone Wolf (PVP)Headstone Rapid HitSlideshot (PVP)
Adrenaline JunkieParacausal AffinityRimestealerOpening ShotTimed PayloadPrecision Instrument
Judgment is a hand cannon that can drop from the Prophecy dungeon. As a hand cannon, it’s not meant to take out a bunch of enemies quickly, but rather with methodical shots. It fires 140 RPM, so it’s similar to other Adaptive hand cannons like Zaouli’s Bane or Fatebringer.
Because there are plenty of easily accessible and much better Adaptive frame hand cannons for PVE, I’d recommend reserving your farming for PVP instead.
Most of the perks listed up there are valid PVP perks, though I’ll be looking for Lone Wolf and Opening Shot since I’m a terrible shot in PVP, and maybe these two perks can help me get some sort of advantage while initiating engagements.
I’m not a PVP player, so I’m not really prioritizing this weapon that much.
8Relentless
Strand High-Impact Pulse Rifle
Keep Away (PVP) Tear (PVE)Rapid HitSlice (PVE)Lone Wolf (PVP) Firefly (PVE)
Desperado Elemental HoningHatchling (PVE)Headseeker (PVP)Closing Time Paracausal Affinity
Relentless is a pulse rifle that drops from theProphecydungeon,and is a surprisingly strong pulse rifle for both PVE and PVP. The only reason it’s not higher on this list is because other pulse rifles share similar traits to Relentless, making it a weapon to chase only if you don’t already have similar weapons.
But besides that, it has some decent perks, especially with Column 3. There are plenty of PVE perks to choose; Slice and Tear can synergize with any of your Strand-related builds, butFirefly takes the cake for me on this column. Hatchling is a must-have for any Strand buildthat could have a few Threadlings to help you in battle.
A perk that also works well in PVE and PVP is Paracausal Affinity, which gives a 20% damage boost when scoring a kill with the same energy type, so you can keep this buff activated as long as you keep getting kills.
As for a PVP dedicated perk combo, Lone Wolf seems to be the more popular choice nowadays, and you can look for either Paracausal Affinity or Headseeker, which the latter seems like a more solid choice than anything. But I also wouldn’t mind one with Desperado, since it gives a slow high-impact pulse rifle a slight boost to fire rate.
7Prosecutor
Arc Precision Frame Auto Rifle
Eddy Current (PVE) Dragonfly (PVE)SubsistenceKeep Away (PVP)Attrition OrbsZen Moment (PVP)
Rolling Storm (PVE)OnslaughtParacausal Affinity (PVP)Tap the Trigger Target LockVoltshot (PVE)
Of all the weapons on this list, Prosecutor is probably the best-looking legendary auto rifle that I’ve seen in the game. Its sleek design perfectly reflects the Prophecy dungeon aesthetics. It’s a decent auto rifle, and has some pretty good perks.
While it does have some decent PVP perks, I don’t think most auto rifles, let alone Prosecutor, are best suited for PVP engagements. But if you insist on using it, thenZen Moment and Paracausal Affinity would be a solid combo.
Destiny 2: Barrow-Dyad Exotic Catalysts Guide
Here’s how you can fully upgrade your new favorite exotic SMG.
PVE is where Prosecutor shines, andDragonfly and Voltshot would make this weapon a beast in add-clear.The reload speed boost in Dragonfly can make proccing Voltshot much quicker and easier, and the secondary explosions will let you clear hordes with ease.
If nothing else, it’s a really cool-looking weapon.
6Terminus Horizon
Arc High-Impact Machine Gun
DragonflyEddy CurrentReconstructionTriple TapEnvious Arsenal Demolitionist
Rolling Storm Jolting Feedback Precision InstrumentHigh-Impact ReservesKilling TallyTarget Lock
Terminus Horizon is a machine gun that drops from Spire of the Watcher,and has a set of decent perks that can make it a weapon for add-clearing or fighting tougher enemies. Regardless,it’s probably best reserved for PVE,as you don’t really get a lot of chances to use heavy weapons in PVP.
I like to call this anArc version of Commemoration, because it rolls with Reconstruction and Killing Tally,which have been the go-to perks for many an add-clearing machine gun. Because of how popular that roll is, let’s ignore it for now and look at other perks.
Dragonfly and Rolling Storm or Jolting Feedback is a perk combo that would help turn you into a massive add-clearing machine.Not only that, but Jolting Feedback helps make iteffective against Overload Championsbecause of its built-in jolt effect, so it’ll still be useful even without an Artifact mod.
But if you’re looking to do some DPS with this machine gun for some reason,then Triple Tap and Precision Instrument might be your poison.I wouldn’t recommend using it on bosses, but maybe champions or yellow bar enemies would work.
5Greasy Luck
Solar Rapid-Fire Glaive
Melee Momentum Beacon Rounds ReconstructionHeal ClipReplenishing AegisLead from Gold
Unstoppable Force RedirectionChain ReactionSword LogicClose To Melee Incandescent
Glaives have been getting a glow-up, and it seems that there’s no stopping for them. Especially with one like Greasy Luck, which isa glaive that drops from Ghosts of the Deep.
Heal Clip and Incandescent is a tried and true combothat works amazingly for any weapon that happens to roll with it. The Heliocentric sidearm and Aberrant Action rocket sidearm come to mind.
While you cancraftAberrant Action with these exact perks,Greasy Luck comes with a built-in melee combo that can supplement whatever glaive-centric build you’ve got cooking up.Alternatively, Chain Reaction is also a good pick, but Incandescent is better since it can synergize with Solar and Prismatic builds.
You also can’t go wrong with the classicLead from Gold and Close to Melee combination.While Sword Logic seems like the perfect choice, unfortunately it only applies to Glaive projectiles and not melee attacks.
4Wilderflight
Void Double Fire Grenade Launcher
Auto-Loading HolsterRepulsor BraceSlideshotReverberationEnvious ArsenalDemolitionist
Destabilizing RoundsLead from GoldFrenzyVorpal WeaponWithering GazeBait and Switch
A double-fire grenade launcher that drops in Spire of the Watcher,Wilderflight is the first of its kind. Before, it used to be quite tame and lacked versatility, butthe reprised version makes up for that by mixing up its perks.
Let’s keep in mind that most grenade launchers are best used for PVE, and Wilderflight is no exception. There are three different ways you can use Wilderflight:add-clearing, utility, and DPS.
Let’s get add-clearing out of the way first, because while it does roll withRepulsor Brace and Destabilzing Rounds, there are other stronger Void weapons that have the same roll and are much more reliable.I’m talking aboutLotus Eater,a rocket sidearmthat can drop from Nightfalls and Grandmaster Nightfalls. I would recommend that more than Wilderflight for this perk combo.
As for utility, you’ll need to find one that rolls withDisorienting Grenades, Slideshot, and Lead from Gold.This combo will let you consistently and constantly blind enemies while keeping your ammo topped up.
Lastly, the DPS roll is great for those who are looking to elevate their damage-dealing with constant hotswapping.Envious Arsenal and Bait and Switch will ensure that you’ll never need to reload,and as long as you’re constantly hotswapping, Bait and Switch will constantly be activated.
This’ll be really useful for prolonged damage phases, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for this roll in preparation for fighting Simmumah Ur-Nokru in the coming rotations.
3No Survivors
I’m A Machine
Rewind RoundsHeal Clip (PVE)Surplus Attrition OrbsRangefinder (PVP)Demolitionist
Zen MomentMaster of Arms (PVP) Sword Logic (PVP)Target Lock Adrenaline JunkieIncandescent (PVE)
No Survivor is a submachine gun that drops from Ghosts of the Deep,and enjoyed some popularity when it was first released as a decent,more accessible substitute for The Immortal,which was an immensely strong Strand SMG that was once a Trials of Osiris reward.
Back in Season of Defiance, it stomped all its competition thanks to it rolling with some amazing perks.
As I mentioned previously,Solar weapons with Heal Clip and Incandescent are automatically god rolls,and No Survivors just happens to roll with these perks, too. Naturally, this would be a great perk combo to farm for.
But No Survivors works better as a PVP weapon.Prior to its reprisal from Rite of the Nine, I had a No Survivors that dropped from the dungeon that rolled with Rangefinder and Target Lock, the latter being an okay PVP perk for the original version.
However, with the new perk pool,Master of Arms and Sword Logic are much more gratifying when landing kills,granting a 25% and 15% max boost to damage, respectively. And if you look for this weapon with a Range or Stability Masterwork, this could be a monster in PVP.
