Published , by Rise of Bacon
Published , by Rise of Bacon
First introduced in Season of the Chosen, Igneous Hammer changed the landscape of Destiny 2 PvP in a big way. Landing with great base stats, Igneous Hammer became the must-have weapon in PvP. This time around, with a refreshed perk set, it is expected to be no different.
Igneous Hammer is a 120RPM, Solar, Aggressive Frame, Hand Cannon, and its new perk set only enhances its qualities as a top Hand Cannon in the Crucible and gives it some powerful options in PvE.
As it is a Trials of Osiris endgame PvP weapon, it can also come as an Adept version for those guardians who reach the fabled Lighthouse on the week it is available.
Igneous Hammer can be obtained by levelling up to Rank 16 on Saint-14’s reward track during Season of the Witch or the Adept version can be obtained by going flawless when Igneous Hammer is the weekly reward.
Once unlocked, Trials of Osiris engrams can be used to focus more rolls of Igneous Hammer from Saint-14’s inventory.
Igneous Hammer comes with great base stats and we can tap into those qualities to push it to the limit. Starting with Fluted Barrel, this provides a large bump to Handling, making this weapon feel snappier when switching to finish off or engage with your next target. Ricochet Rounds a top pick here for its benefits to Range and Stability, helping to ensure accuracy when duelling your opponents.
| Igneous Hammer - PVP | |
|---|---|
| Barrel | Fluted Barrel (Stability +5, Handling +15) |
| Magazine | Ricochet Rounds (Stability +10, Range +5) |
| Perk 1 | Rapid Hit (5 | 30 | 35 | 45 | 60 Reload stat - 0.99x | 0.97x | 0.96x | 0.94x | 0.93x Reload Duration Scalar - 2 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 25 Stability) |
| Perk 2 | Eye of the Storm (at low health: Handling +40, Accuracy Cone size -40 percent and, Accuracy Cone growth -17 percent) |
| Origin Trait | Alacrity (While last guardian standing or solo: Range +20, Stability +20, Reload Speed +50, and Aim Assist +10) |
| Masterwork | Range (+10 when fully masterworked) |
| Mod | Targeting Adjustor (Aim Assist +5) |
Rapid Hit just edges out some other perks in this slot due to its bonuses to Stability and Reload when landing shots. The Stability ensures each follow up shot is easier to land while the Reload Speed boost is significant when getting ready for your next gunfight. Eye of the Storm is the essential perk here because the advantages it provides in a gunfight are majorly significant when giving the edge to win the fight at low health. It can easily turn the tables if an opponent gets the drop on you.
Notable perks to keep an eye out for are Opening Shot, which you may prefer for its immediate advantage when going into an engagement, or Moving Target. Golden Tricorn can be utilized to push Igneous Hammer to a two-tap monster, but it requires setup with Radiant which can be tricky in tight games.
Many might see Igneous Hammer as a PvP-only weapon, but with recent buffs to Hand Cannons in PvE, this hard hitting weapon can do a great job at taking down enemies of the Light.
| Igneous Hammer - PVE | |
|---|---|
| Barrel | Fluted Barrel (Stability +5, Handling +15) |
| Magazine | Ricochet Rounds (Stability +10, Range +5) |
| Perk 1 | Rapid Hit (5 | 30 | 35 | 45 | 60 Reload Speed Stat - 0.99x | 0.97x | 0.96x | 0.94x | 0.93x Reload Duration Scalar - 2 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 25 Stability) |
| Perk 2 | Golden Tricorn (Increases damage by 15 percent for seven seconds on weapon kills. Matching grenade or powered melee kills while the buff is active grant 50 percent increased damage for 10 seconds. The 50 percent damage buff's duration can be refreshed by getting another matching ability kill) |
| Origin Trait | One Quiet Moment (Grants Reload +40 when out of combat) |
| Masterwork | Handling (+10 when fully masterworked) |
| Mod | Minor or Major Spec (7.7 percent damage increase) |
Fluted Barrel remains a top choice here because Handling is key to that snappier feel you want when switching to this weapon or across your kit for maximum efficiency. Ricochet Rounds is always a top perk for the Magazine to keep shots accurate and effective at longer distances.
Rapid Hit is effective in PvE on this Hand Cannon because its hard-hitting nature means you can mow down low tier enemies, some with just one shot, and still get the bonuses to follow up to your next target. With a relatively low magazine of just nine shots, the faster reload speed is a strong tool to have. Round Igneous Hammer off with Golden Tricorn to give its damage output a serious boost which you can keep rolling with ability kills to push it to 50 percent. Hit this and Igneous Hammer can throw out some serious power.
A worthy mention to Incandescent, which benefits from the hard-hitting nature of this Hand Cannon. If you want to roll Igneous Hammer in lower tier activities, you can push for Incandescent and bring some hot fire to PvE.
Igneous Hammer remains a fan favorite for good reason and this return will only push that popularity higher. For more Season of the Witch information and weapon guide content, be sure to check out the Shacknews Destiny 2 complete strategy guide.