The Hothead god roll - Destiny 2

Grind out Nightfalls for the ultimate Hothead god roll in Destiny 2.

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The right Hothead god roll in Destiny 2 can lift a PVE build to new heights. For those PVP players out there, a god roll can catch many foes off guard. Below you’ll find our recommendations for a Hothead god roll for all those farming Nightfalls and Grandmaster Nightfalls.

Before we get into it, check out our Grandmaster Nightfall schedule guide for a look at which GM is available and what weapon you can get each week.

PVP – The Hothead (Adept) god roll

For PVP, this Hothead god roll will focus on blast radius. A wider blast radius will be able to catch foes that may think they’re safely away from the impact zone.

The Hothead (Adept) god roll - PVP
Barrel Volatile Launch (Blast Radius +15, Velocity -5, Handling -5)
Magazine Black Powder (Blast Radius +5, Stability -10)
Perk 1 Impulse Amplifier (Massively increases projectile velocity, increases reload speed)
Perk 2 Explosive Light (Picking up an Orb of Power increases the next projectile's blast radius and damage)
Masterwork Blast Radius
Adept Mod Adept Blast Radius

Volatile Launch and Black Powder both increase the blast radius of Hothead to the detriment of handling, stability, and velocity. However, Impulse Amplifier will help alleviate some of the speed woes. For the final perk, Explosive Light will see the blast radius increase further.

An image of The Hothead rocket launcher from Destiny 2 with perks selected
A PVP god roll may look something like this, focusing on blast radius to catch grouped enemies.
Source: D2Gunsmith

An alternative for blast radius focus would be velocity. This will see you looking for Hard Launch, High-Velocity Rounds, and Impulse Amplifier. The final column doesn’t appear to have great PVP perks, though Vorpal Weapon may be helpful in Gambit.

PVE – The Hothead (Adept) god roll

There are a couple of great options when it comes to a PVE Hothead god roll. The roll below focuses on impact damage and more rockets.

The Hothead (Adept) god roll - PVE
Barrel Hard Launch (Velocity +15, Stability -10, Blast Radius -5)
Magazine Impact Casing (Increased damage on direct hits, Stability +10)
Perk 1 Field Prep (Increased ammo reserves. Faster reload, stow, and ready when you're crouching)
Perk 2 Clown Cartridge (Reloading this weapon randomly overfills it from reserves)
Masterwork Reload Speed
Adept Mod Adept Big Ones Spec

Hard Launch will ensure the rocket makes it to the boss before it sidesteps out of the way. Impact Casing gives a 10 percent damage increase to direct hits. For the two perks, Field Prep and Clown Cartridge work together to boost the reload speed, give you more reserve ammo, and increases the number of rockets in the tube.

An image of The Hothead rocket launcher with PVE-focused perks selected
For PVE, more rockets means more damage.
Source: D2Gunsmith

If you are worried about missing shots, Tracking Module will help keep you on-target. Vorpal Weapon could also be a worthy contender for the 10 percent damage boost, but I am more partial to Lasting Impression which boasts 25 percent extra damage. Additionally, a Demolitionist and Explosive Light combo is devastatingly good, especially with Starfire Warlocks or even Demolitionist and Lasting Impression.

For anyone that's not using a Warlock and can't fully take advantage of Demolitionist, Auto-Loading Holster with Explosive Light or Lasting Impression is a great god roll. This works well with an Izanagi's Burden as you can fire a rocket, shoot and reload Izanagi's Burden, switch to the rocket and fire off another one.

Given that The Hothead is an Arc Rocket Launcher, and Season 18 will introduce Arc 3.0, farming for a Hothead god roll is important. Get a few in your vault in case perks shift and change between now and when you need it. Swing by the Shacknews Destiny 2 Strategy Guide for more weapon god roll recommendations.

Guides Editor

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as a Guides Editor. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler 

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    August 1, 2022 7:55 PM

    Sam Chandler posted a new article, The Hothead god roll - Destiny 2

    • reply
      August 1, 2022 10:46 PM

      OK, you know what I'm missing in these?
      The Unique Trait which makes a given weapon special. i.e. Rat Pack, Arc Conductor, MDA Multi Tool/Accomplice, Sunburn, Volatile Light, etc.
      Ah, the Intrinsic Trait.

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