Episode 97: Dreaming City Weapons Breakdown
Let’s talk about the Dreaming City Weapons!
Massive Breakdown of the Dreaming City Weapons (Including Stats, Times-to-Kill, and Recommended Perks)
If you're wondering where the numbers and full list of guns are, the Weapon Stats Spreadsheet has you covered.
If you want to look at things like Barrel stats, you can go to the BSMT Visual Tool.
Several things to note:
Classes are broken down into Impact Archetypes.
These are strictly my opinions, so I'm very aware that a lot of people will probably disagree with them.
The Bolded Perk/Perks in each slot mean that I recommend using them the most. If there are no bolded perks, it means that I feel any of the listed perks are fine to use in the slot.
This is not a comprehensive list of every perk available in the pools, just the ones I recommend. Some perks that are on the Curated Masterwork Version cannot be found on the randomly rolled version.
All Times-to-Kill are assuming Guardian has 192hp (6 Resiliency).
Pros and Cons are determined by comparing weapons within the same class, not by all weapons in general, and not by only the weapons within the archetype. If you would like a different or more specific comparison than what I have listed, feel free to ask and I can provide one in the comments.
Some of the "Curated" rolls are not available in-game, but I've listed them here in case they become available.
Hand Cannon
Lightweight
Waking Vigil - Energy (Arc)
Pros - High recoil direction and aim assist. Above average mag size, handling, and reload speed.
Neutral - None.
Cons - Low range. Below average stability.
Time-to-Kill: 0.80s (3 crit), 1.60s (5 body)
Rate of Fire: 150
Impact: 78 (68 crit, 43 body)
Range: 31
Stability: 38
Reload Speed: 56
Handling: 63
Aim Assist: 85
Recoil Direction: 98
Mag Size: 12
Random Perks:
Sights - HitMark HCS, TrueSight HCS, SteadyHand HCS, Crossfire HCS, FastDraw HCS
Magazine - Ricochet Rounds, High-Caliber Rounds, Armor-Piercing Rounds, Light Mag, Flared Magwell, Appended Mag
Trait 1 - Opening Shot/Zen Moment
Trait 2 - Outlaw, Dragonfly
Curated Perks:
Sight - HitMark HCS, TrueSight HCS, CrossFire HCS
Magazine - Ricochet Rounds
Trait 1 - Outlaw
Trait 2 - Snapshot Sights
With Luna's Howl/Not Forgotten being so popular in PvP, and Nation of Beasts (curated) being tier-1 in PvE, it makes it tough for people who want to branch out into other usable Hand Cannons. Fortunately, the Waking Vigil may be just what you're looking for. The 150 RPM HCs have a very fast 0.80s TtK in PvP, requiring 3 crits, and that puts them .07s faster than Ace of Spades (140 RoF), .27s faster than Crimil's Dagger (110 RoF), and .20s faster than Ikelos/West of Sunfall (180 RoF). I think the issue that most people have with Lightweights is that they try to prioritize range at all costs, similar to how you'd treat other HCs, but they really need a more subtle mix of range AND a little bit of stability (at least on console) to be effective in PvP. Their faster RoF gives less time for the weapon to settle back into it's optimal firing line, and stability can help a decent amount with this. Of course, you should not be sacrificing range to do this, which is why I recommend sights like HitMark and TrueSight, which either give a flat bonus to range, or a small boost to both range and stability, respectively. CrossFire is probably the biggest hit I'd take to stability, and I'd really only do that if you had something like Ricochet Rounds or Zen Moment to counteract it. Instead, I'd look for SteadyHand and try to pair it with Opening Shot, which will massively boost the range of the first shot fired in an engagement, and basically makes the bullet act like a magnet to a target's head. For the magazine, like I mentioned previously I think Ricochet Rounds is the best option, thanks to the boosts to range and stability, but Hi-Cal rounds, APR, or even Light Mag can all give small bumps. For the first trait I like Opening Shot for PvP, and Zen Moment for PvE, but Zen Moment is actually surprisingly useful in PvP too. In the final slot I like Outlaw a lot, since it has use in both PvP and PvE, but Dragonfly is excellent for PvE too, and makes it a poor man's Nation of Beasts. As far as stats go, it has great recoil direction and aim assist which makes it a breeze to shoot, and the relatively large mag size, and quick handling and reload speed make it feel great too. The curated roll has all good perks except Snapshot Sight, which I've never found to be useful on HCs.
Auto Rifle
Precision
Tigerspite - Kinetic
Pros - Above average range.
Neutral - Average recoil direction.
Cons - Very low mag size. Low aim assist. Below average stability, reload speed, and handling.
Time-to-Kill: 0.93s (6 crit 2 body), 1.33s (11 body)
Rate of Fire: 450
Impact: 29 (26 crit, 18 body)
Range: 62
Stability: 41
Reload Speed: 40
Handling: 40
Aim Assist: 44
Recoil Direction: 68
Mag Size: 33
Random Perks:
Barrels - Chambered Compensator, Smallbore, Polygonal Rifling, Corkscrew Rifling, Extended Barrel, Hammer-Forged Rifling, Fluted Barrel
Magazine - Ricochet Rounds, High-Caliber Rounds, Light Mag, Flared Magwell, Appended Mag, Armor Piercing Rounds
Trait 1 - Dynamic Sway Reduction, Tap the Trigger, Outlaw, Triple Tap, High-Impact Reserves
Trait 2 - Kill Clip, Under Pressure
Curated Perks:
Barrels - Smallbore, Polygonal Rifling, Corkscrew Rifling
Magazine - Accurized Rounds/Steady Rounds
Trait 1 - Kill Clip
Remember back when Precision ARs were the kings of the Crucible? Pepperidge Farm remembers... Unfortunately since the rise of the pulse rifles, and the subsequent rise of the pinnacle HCs and shotties, they just haven't really been able to find their place in the meta. The problems rise from the fact that they don't have the range to compete with Bygones, and they don't have the in-air accuracy or ability to break line-of-sight that HCs have, and they can't kill fast enough to stop shotty rushers. The Tigerspite is no exception. Even for the archetype as a whole, it's stats are nothing to write home about, coming in near the bottom of the pack in range, stability, reload speed, handling, aim assist, and recoil direction! Compared to just the other Forsaken Precision ARs, it fares a little better, tied with Hazard of the Cast for aim assist, and slightly higher than Horror Story, but both of those weapons have better reload speed, handling, and recoil direction. It's obviously straight up outclassed by the Breakneck thanks to the Onslaught perk, but of course that's a pinnacle weapon. In terms of perks, I've found that things that boost the steadiness of the weapon seemed to work best for me, especially if I could combine it it with a range increase to help me start engaging shotgunners earlier (or pressing poorly positioned PR users). Thanks to the archetype being Precision, and the base recoil direction being decently high at 68, I don't believe you really need a perk like Arrowhead Brake to make it fire more vertically, and I'd avoid Full Bore because it hurts the stability a lot. Besides that though, basically any other barrel will help you out. I'd probably chase Chambered Compensator, Smallbore, and Polygonal Rifling the most, since they provide the biggest boosts to stability, but Hammer Forged Rifling and Extended Barrel give some range boosts that are nothing to sneeze at either. Corkscrew Rifling gives a small boost to both range and stability, which is nice as well. In the magazine slot, Ricochet Rounds is again tier-1, but HCR is very useful on ARs thanks to the large number of shots impacting a target. Light Mag can give you faster reload speed and a boost to range as well. For the first trait, I really like Dynamic Sway Reduction on ARs, which is basically the equivalent to Destiny 1's Persistence perk. Tap the Trigger can also be useful in a pinch, and Outlaw and Triple Tap are both solid for PvE. In the second trait slot, Kill Clip (as always) is a fantastic perk and definitely what I recommend. I'm actually not sure that this curated roll can drop in game, but I listed it just the same.
Scout Rifle
Lightweight
Vouchsafe - Energy (Void)
Pros - High handling. Above average reload speed and aim assist.
Neutral - Average mag size.
Cons - Low range. Below average stability.
Time-to-Kill: 0.90s (4 crit), 1.80s (7 body)
Rate of Fire: 200
Impact: 60 (51 crit, 30 body)
Range: 33
Stability: 32
Reload Speed: 55
Handling: 63
Aim Assist: 73
Mag Size: 15
Random Perks:
Barrels - Extended Barrel/Hammer-Forged Rifling/Smallbore/Chambered Compensator/Polygonal Rifling, Corkscrew Rifling
Magazine - Accurized Rounds/Steady Rounds, Tactical Mag, Appended Mag, Flared Magwell
Trait 1 - Full Auto Trigger System, Ambitious Assassin, Auto-Loading Holster
Trait 2 - Explosive Payload/Dragonfly/Rapid Hit, Outlaw, Triple Tap
Curated Perks:
Barrels - Fluted Barrel
Magazine - Flared Magwell
Trait 1 - Dragonfly
Trait 2 - Zen Moment
Even though Scout Rifles are generally weak compared to most other options in both PvE and PvP, Vouchsafe is one of those that I feel is still worth giving a shot. Lightweights SRs in general just feel pretty good to me, probably thanks to their fast-but-not-too-fast RoF, high handling, and good aim assist, along with a passable TtK of 0.90s. Unfortunately Vouchsafe really struggles with both range and stability, so you'll need to invest in some barrel and magazine perks that can help you out, but thankfully there are a lot of options so it shouldn't be too hard to fix it. Extended Barrel and Hammer-Forged Rifling both give big boosts to range, while Chambered Compensator and Polygonal Rifling give boosts to stability. Smallbore gives a slightly smaller boost to both. Depending on which barrel option you get, you'll want to try to help the other stat with the magazine. So if you got stability-enhancing barrels, hope you get Accurized Rounds to boost range, or if you get range-enhancing barrel perks, go for Steady Rounds to help with stability. As for the trait slots, I think Full Auto is probably the best first option, as it will allow you to consistently hit the max RoF, which can actually be difficult to do with an untrained finger. Ambitious Assassin is also great for PvE. In the second trait slot, it's really going to depend on your playstyle. Explosive Payload and Dragonfly are both fantastic for clearing adds in PvE, and Explosive Payload has the bonus of randomizing flinch to your opponents in PvP. Rapid Hit is phenomenal for increasing the stability and reload speed with crits (especially useful if you didn't get any stability boosting barrels or magazines), and Outlaw makes it reload blazingly fast after headshot kills. Triple Tap also pairs very well with Ambitious Assassin, if that's your thing. Basically, it's very hard to get a bad roll on this weapon, and there's pretty much an option for everyone. The curated roll is pretty decent as well, though Fluted Barrel and Flared Magwell aren't the best options. Zen Moment and Dragonfly make for a fun add clearing option.
Sniper Rifle
Rapid-Fire
Twilight Oath - Energy (Solar)
Pros - Very low zoom. Above average aim assist, reload speed, handling, and mag size.
Neutral - Average inventory.
Cons - Very low range. Below average stability.
Time-Between-Shots: 0.43s
Rate of Fire: 140
Impact: 55 (301 crit, 93 body)
Range: 27
Stability: 36
Reload Speed: 58
Handling: 65
Inventory: 45
Aim Assist: 70
Mag Size: 5
Zoom: 35
Random Perks:
Barrels - Fluted Barrel, Corkscrew Rifling, Arrowhead Brake, Hammer-Forged Rifling, Smallbore, Polygonal Rifling
Magazine - Accurized Rounds, Tactical Mag, Appended Mag, Extended Mag, Flared Magwell, Alloy Mag
Trait 1 - Opening Shot(PvP)/Rapid Hit(PvE)
Trait 2 - Triple Tap(PvE), Outlaw, Dragonfly, Box Breathing, Kill Clip
Curated Perks:
Barrels - Chambered Compensator
Magazine - Steady Rounds
Trait 1 - Snapshot Sights
Trait 2 - Box Breathing
This gun is perhaps my favorite PvP sniper rifle in the game, and I can't recommend it enough. High aim assist, low zoom, high mag size, and the capability to roll with Opening Shot, which means it's basically everything I could ever want in a PvP sniper. As far as perks go, I try to do everything I can to buff range and handling, which means going for Fluted Barrel and Accurized Rounds. If you can't boost handling, then range boosting barrels are the best like Hammer-Forged Rifling and Smallbore. In the first trait slot, Opening Shot is THE perk for PvP. Unfortunately the last trait slot doesn't have a ton of great PvP options, so I'd probably go with Outlaw since you should be hitting headshots pretty regularly, but Box Breathing, Kill Clip, or Dragonfly will at least provide some effect. Somewhat surprisingly, this gun is also awesome for PvE. I like to try to increase the mag size, then combine Rapid Hit and Triple Tap for some non-stop boss damage and fast reloads. With Triple Tap and Extended Mag, you can fire off 10 straight shots provided you have the ammo!
Shotgun
Precision
Retold Tale - Energy (Void)
Pros - Very high range. High aim assist.
Neutral - Average stability, inventory, and mag size.
Cons - Below average reload speed and handling.
Time-Between-Shots: 1.10s
Rate of Fire: 55
Impact: 70 (21.5 per pellet)
Range: 68
Stability: 50
Reload Speed: 46
Handling: 40
Inventory: 38
Aim Assist: 75
Mag Size: 6
Random Perks:
Barrels - Full Choke, Rifled Barrel, Smallbore, Corkscrew Rifling
Magazine - Accurized Rounds, Light Mag, Appended Mag, Tactical Mag
Trait 1 - Quickdraw, Moving Target
Trait 2 - Full Auto Trigger System, Slideshot, Rampage
Curated Perks:
Barrels - Rifled Barrel
Magazine - Assault Mag
Trait 1 - Hip Fire Grip
Trait 2 - Full Auto Trigger System
Not much needs to be said about this gun, as it's probably one of the two best shotguns in the game, alongside DRB, and Retold Tale is in the energy slot so it pairs very nicely with Ace of Spades. Full Choke still proves the best bang for you buck in terms of one-hit kill consistency inside 9m, but Rifled Barrel is a much closer second than it used to be, and either will be a good choice. Accurized Rounds is pretty darn near a necessity for those wanting to max range with the Full Auto perk (doubles RoF) in the second trait slot. I like Quickdraw in the first trait slot, but Moving Target is decent enough. If you can't get Accurized Rounds, Light Mag can give you some extra range in a pinch. I'm not sure the curated roll actually drops in game, but if it does it has a pretty solid set of perks, with Rifled Barrel, Assualt Mag, Hip Fire Grip, and Full Auto.
Rocket Launcher
High-Impact
Sleepless - Energy (Arc)
Pros - High blast radius, stability, and handling.
Neutral - Average inventory.
Cons - Very low RoF and velocity. Low reload speed.
Rate of Fire: 15
Blast Radius: 90
Velocity: 40
Stability: 58
Reload Speed: 33
Handling: 66
Inventory: 36
Mag Size: 1
Random Perks:
Launcher Tube - Quick Launch/Linear Compensator, Smart Drift Control, Hard Launch, Volatile Launch
Magazine - High-Velocity Rounds, Black Powder, Implosion Rounds, Impact Casing
Trait 1 - Auto-Loading Holster
Trait 2 - Cluster Bomb, Quickdraw, Genesis
Curated Perks:
Launcher Tube - Quick Launch, Volatile Launch, Smart Drift Control
Magazine - High-Velocity Rounds, Impact Casing
Trait 1 - Quickdraw
Trait 2 - Tracking Module
My favorite legendary rocket launcher in the game, Sleepless is everything you loved about Sins of the Past, but with random rolls and one extra perk! It has a massive blast radius and can roll with Auto-Loading Holster and Clusterbombs, which right there makes it tier-1 in terms of usefulness. It's one drawback is the low velocity, which is why I like to try to improve it with barrels like Quick Launch or Linear Compensator, and High-Velocity Rounds for the magazine. If you don't get those options, perks like Black Powder can help to push the blast radius up to near-max levels. The curated roll is pretty great, as it comes with the perks you need to improve the velocity, while also having Quickdraw and Tracking, which makes it a very easy to use launcher. I don't think Tracking is as good as Clusterbombs, but it can help when shooting at smaller and more mobile targets. Quickdraw is excellent for those players who are sick of switching to their heavy and having to wait before they can fire.
Sword
Adaptive
Abide the Return - Energy (Solar)
Pros - High efficiency and defense.
Neutral - Average inventory, speed, impact, and range.
Cons - None.
Capacity: 40
Speed: 46
Impact: 61
Range: 46
Efficiency: 55
Defense: 55
Random Perks:
Edge - Tempered Edge, Honed Edge, Hungry Edge
Guard - Heavy Guard
Trait 1 - Tireless Blade
Trait 2 - Assassin's Blade
Curated Perks:
Edge - Tempered Edge, Enduring Blade, Jagged Edge
Guard - Enduring Guard, Balanced Guard
Trait 1 - Assassin's Blade
Trait 2 - Tireless Blade
I'm not a huge fan of swords, and the truth is most of them are just about the same, simply with different appearances. Abide the Return does little to break that mold. It has standard range, capacity, speed, impact, and efficiency, with it's one standout feature being naturally high defense. As for perks, I like to try to balance more damage per swing with more ammo, so Tempered Edge is the Edge for me. Honed Edge can give you just a bigger boost to damage, while Hungry Edge can give you more bonus ammo, if you want to go all in on one or the other. Heavy Guard is really the only good option in the Guard slot, as it gives you both high defense and efficiency, which not other Guard can do. Assassin's Blade and Tireless Blade work well together, as one gives bonus movement speed and damage on kills, while the other grants ammo on every other powered sword kill, which makes it great for PvP or add clearing. The curated roll thankfully has 3 out of the 4 perks that we want here, only missing Heavy Guard.
TL;DR Recommendations
Good news is there are basically no bad guns! Tigerspite is in an archetype that's a little weak right now (and Breakneck is much better thanks to Onslaught), and Abide the Return is a sword, but I still want to get them all!
Must Have -
Twilight Oath (Rapid-Fire Sniper Rifle) -
Fluted Barrel, Accurized Rounds, Opening Shot (for PvP)
Fluted Barrel, Extended Mag, Rapid Hit, Triple Tap (for PvE)
Retold Tale (Precision Shotgun) -
Full Choke/Rifled Barrel, Accurized Rounds, Quickdraw, Full Auto
Sleepless (High-Impact Rocket Launcher)
Quick Launch/Linear Compensator, High-Velocity Rounds, Auto-Loading Holster, Cluster Bombs
Pretty Good -
Waking Vigil (Lightweight Hand Cannon)
HitMark HCS, Ricochet Rounds, Opening Shot (PvP)/Zen Moment (PvE), Outlaw/Dragonfly (PvE)
Vouchsafe (Lightweight Scout Rifle)
Any barrel perk that boosts range and/or stability, Accurized Rounds/Steady Rounds, Full Auto Trigger System, Explosive Payload/Dragonfly/Rapid Hit
Decent -
Tigerspite (Precision Auto Rifle)
Any barrel perk that boosts range and/or stability, Ricochet Rounds, Dynamic Sway Reduction, Kill Clip
Abide the Return (Adaptive Sword)
Tempered Edge, Heavy Guard, Tireless Blade, Assassin's Blade (PvP/Add clear)