Summary
There have been many changes to the game’s sandbox with the release of Episode Heresy, withDestiny 2’s weapons and verbs undergoing some of the biggest shifts. Because the game is a looter-shooter first and foremost, all while being a live-service title, each major release adds a plethora of new weapons and other kinds of loot toDestiny 2, with seasonal and Episodic guns being the primary example of this logic.Episode Heresy’s weapons inDestiny 2are some of the best compared to the previous Episodes, and they greatly synergize with Arc buffs. Of these guns, one is quite unique within its subfamily.
In recent years, Bungie has put a lot of emphasis on buildcrafting inDestiny 2, which can be a great thing because it encourages players to experiment with different elements of the game to be rewarded with niche and yet powerful interactions. Sometimes, this is not easily done because some weapons or Exotics are necessary for a given build to work properly, so not having them can be frustrating or at least limiting. Heresy introduced the third Area-Denial grenade launcher in the game, though one could make the case for Witherhoard to be one as well. This gun, called Psychopomp, is very different from other Area-Denial GLs because it can load multiple shots into the magazine.
How Destiny 2’s Psychopomp Breaks a Grenade Launcher Tradition
Normally, Legendary non-Heavy grenade launchers can load a single shot into the magazine, be it if they are Wave Frames, Breech GLs, or Area-Denial guns.Destiny 2’s new Psychopomp weapon defies this rule not once, but twice - this is because it can roll with Ambitious Assassin, and the “shiny” version of the gun has two Origin Traits instead of one, including Runneth Over. Ambitious Assassin makes a given gun overflow its magazine when reloaded after multiple kills, whereasRunneth Overmakes a given gun overflow its magazine when reloaded near allies.
As such, any Psychopomp roll with double perks and Ambitious Assassin can load not two, but three shots into the magazine, making it a unique Area-Denial weapon and possibly even a unique non-Heavy grenade launcher. In fact,grenade launchers inDestiny 2can at times roll with Ambitious Assassin or similar perks, making it so that they can load two shots into the mag. However, there is no instance of such a grenade launcher that also has an Origin Trait like Runneth Over to further overflow the magazine beyond two shots.
Why Destiny 2 Players Shouldn’t Sleep on Psychopomp
Psychopomp is not necessarily the end-all, be-all of grenade launchers as a whole or even Area-Denial GLs, specifically. For example,VS Velocity Baton fromDestiny 2’s Vesper’s HostDungeon can be more powerful than Psychopomp in various scenarios - especially when Arc synergy is lacking. This gun can roll with Attrition Orbs and Demolitionist for great general play or Void builds, so even without the ability to load two or even three shots into the magazine, it can outperform Psychopomp. However, the latter does have great perks in its pool, so combining those with the potential of three shots into the mag can be quite game-changing.
One of the best perks for Psychopomp is Rolling Storm, which grants one stack of Bolt Charge per kill, or two when Amplified. This is perfect forDestiny 2’s buffed Arc builds, making Psychopomp an excellent add-clearing weapon that can indirectly buff single-target damage in some encounters. Likewise, it comes with other good damage perks, such as Full Court and Frenzy, which can be paired with Ambitious Assassin for scenarios like solo Dungeons or Envious Arsenal for full damage rotations.
Another option could beDestiny 2’s new Elemental Honing damage perk, which would work wonders on Prismatic builds. Regardless, it stands that Psychopomp is a unique grenade launcher, as being able to fire three shots without reloading can be an incredible quality-of-life upgrade, if not a build-defining ability. With this particular weapon, Bungie did a great job at making it stand out from its fellow Area-Denial GLs, though it may be hard to get the perfect roll without crafting.
