The biggest reason to run Destiny 2's new Grasp of Avarice dungeon is because it's a required quest step on the way to the Destiny 2 Gjallarhorn exotic rocket launcher. But you're going to want to keep coming back because the loot pool contains four new weapons that can roll with volcanically spicy perk combinations, including Eyasluna, which is one of the most notorious hand cannons in the series' history.
If you haven't dipped into the Dungeon yet, and don't mind being spoiled as to how the mechanics work, I recommend watching Fallout Play's excellent guide below.
Follow his instructions and even the most sausage-fingered fireteam will be able to clear the dungeon on Legend mode (1310 power) without too many problems. However, for the primo loot you should consider running the Master mode (1360 power), which rewards armour which has the Artifice perk. This enables you to slot a second artifact mod—very handy on class items and gloves when it comes to anti-Champion buildcrafting. Speaking of Champions, you'll face Overload and Barrier variants, so equip weapons and mods accordingly.
Now, onto the loot. Note that, at present, you can only loot the Dungeon three times per week—i.e. once per character class—but Bungie is planning to change that in the future to make it farmable.
Hotfix is still being finalized, targeting Thursday or Friday. Patch note preview:Fixed reward lockouts so each encounter can be looted for rerolls an unlimited amount of times per week as intended. New items from the loot pool and Power are gated to once per week per class. https://t.co/AYnclT09FUDecember 14, 2021
Once the dungeon is farmable, you'll be able to grab a check point for an encounter, swap between your characters, and repeat until you get the weapon drop with the perks you want. For Eyasluna, that will mean the final boss encounter. The complete loot table for the Grasp of Avarice dungeon is below.
Phyr’zhia the Insatiable (ogre boss) | Fallen Shield (servitor section) | Avarokk the Covetous (final boss) (final boss) |
---|---|---|
Matador 64 | Matador 64 | Matador 64 |
Hero of Ages | Hero of Ages | Hero of Ages |
Boots | Chest | Eyasluna |
Class item | Gloves | 1000 Yard Stare |
Row 4 - Cell 0 | Row 4 - Cell 1 | Helmet |
Row 5 - Cell 0 | Row 5 - Cell 1 | Arms |
Row 6 - Cell 0 | Row 6 - Cell 1 | Legs |
Row 7 - Cell 0 | Row 7 - Cell 1 | Class Item |
In keeping with the Bungie 30th Anniversary theme, the three guns are all reprised weapons from Destiny 1, while the sword is an homage to Marathon, the studio's 1994 Mac shooter. Below I'll break down the PvP and PvE perks to look out for on your grind.
Eyasluna
Weapon type: Hand Cannon
Archetype: Adaptive (140 RPM)
Element: Stasis
Recommended PvP perks: Ricochet Rounds, Outlaw, Range Finder, Perpetual Motion, Snapshot, Moving Target, Kill Clip
Recommended PvE perks: High Caliber-Rounds, Rapid Hit, Headstone, Kill Clip, Demolitionist
Overview: Anything less than an a triumphant return for Eyasluna would have been met with howls of anguish from the PvP community, so it's no surprise that Bungie has delivered an absolutely stacked 140 RPM Hand Cannon. With the exception of Accurised Rounds, all the favourite PvP perks are here, enabling players to pimp out the range to complement the gun's excellent base stats.
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What is a surprise is that it also looks like a potent addition to PvE. Eyasluna returned as a Stasis weapon, and the inclusion of the Headstone perk—which creates a freezing crystal where the target was killed—is likely to see this weapon supercede the less powerful Vulpecula very quickly. Also keep an eye out for the new perk, Perpetual Motion, which grants bonus stability, handling, and reload speed while the wielder is moving. It needs testing but sounds strong on paper.
1000 Yard Stare
Weapon type: Sniper Rifle
Archetype: Adaptive (90 RPM)
Element: Void
Recommended PvP perks: Arrowhead Break, Accurized Rounds, Quickdraw, Snapshot, Moving Target
Recommended PvE perks: Arrowhead Break, Tactical Mag, Triple Tap, Snapshot, Golden Tricorn
Overview: Another goat PvP weapon makes its comeback, and looks destined to take the Crucible by storm again. By my reckoning, 1YS is the only non-sunset sniper rifle that can roll with Quickdraw and Snapshot in different perk columns. As someone who previously had that combo on Beloved, (which was itself a reprise of 1YS), I can promise you this will be the best feeling 90 RPM in the game thanks to the deliciously responsive handling and ADS speed.
In PvE, 1YS faces more competition (notably from Tranquility which can roll Auto-Loading Holster and Firing Line). I am intrigued by the new Golden Tricorn perk though. It reads: "Final blows with this weapon grant bonus damage. While this buff is active, grenade or melee kills of the same damage type greatly increase its damage and duration." Could definitely be strong in an ability spam build.
Matador 64
Weapon type: Shotgun
Archetype: Aggressive (65 RPM)
Element: Arc
Recommended PvP perks: Full Choke, Rifled Barrel, Accurised Rounds, Assault Mag, Perpetual Motion, Killing Wind
Recommended PvE perks: Smallbore, Assault Mag, Full Auto, One-Two Punch, Golden Tricorn
Overview: Between Felwinter's Lie, A Sudden Death, and Found Verdict, we're really not short on aggressive frame shotguns. As a result, Matador 64, which was once the bane of the Crucible for its unhinged range, may struggle to stand out.
In PvP I like the look of Perpetual Motion combined with Killing Wind for a cracked run and gun style, but in PvE only Golden Tricorn stands out as special. It's worth noting that pellet shotguns did get a 10% PvE damage buff in the latest patch, but generally speaking slugs and rapid-fire shotguns tend to fare better against the AI.
Hero of Ages
Weapon type: Sword
Archetype: Vortex
Element: Arc
Recommended PvE perks: Jagged Edge, Swordmaster's Guard, Demolitionist, Unrelenting, Duelist's Trance, Chain Reaction
Overview: Oooh, this looks gorgeously medieval. As with the other weapons from Grasp of Avarice, Hero of Ages comes with a packed roster of possible perks, and most of them are very solid. As a Vortex Frame, it features the same spin-to-win heavy attack that makes Falling Guillotine so good. Hero of Ages may end up being even more fun, though, because it can roll the Chain Reaction perk, which makes enemies explode on death. We've seen this before on Sola's Scar, the Trials sword, and it's a ton of fun.
In the third column I'm looking at Unrelenting to heal up when you're in the thick of it and possibly Demolitionist. Obviously swords don't require reloading, but the ability to speed up your grenade recharge is nothing to be sniffed at, especially considering swords have excellent ammo economy
Happy farming, friends! Sound off with your best rolls in the comments.
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With over two decades covering videogames, Tim has been there from the beginning. In his case, that meant playing Elite in 'co-op' on a BBC Micro (one player uses the movement keys, the other shoots) until his parents finally caved and bought an Amstrad CPC 6128. These days, when not steering the good ship PC Gamer, Tim spends his time complaining that all Priest mains in Hearthstone are degenerates and raiding in Destiny 2. He's almost certainly doing one of these right now.