The Destiny 2 Season 18 Artifact mods are here, revealed by Bungie in the August 18, 2022, edition of TWAB (This Week at Bungie). In this guide, we’ll be breaking them down for you, including the unlock conditions and our personal recommendations on which mods to aim for to synergize your Arc 3.0 builds.
Season 18 Artifact mods
Hype Train and Bad Amplitude are looking like really good mods for Season 18 of Destiny 2 Source: Bungie
Below is a full list of the Season 18 Artifact mods for Destiny 2, including an explanation of what each one does.
First column
Overload Bows (Arms): Gives Bows the ability to stun Overload Champions
Unstoppable Pulse Rifles (Arms): Gives Pulse Rifles the ability to stun Unstoppable Champions
Anti-Barrier Scout Rifles (Arms): Gives Scout Rifles the ability to stun Anti-Barrier Champions
Anti-Barrier Auto Rifles (Arms): Gives the ability for Auto Rifles to stun Anti-Barrier Champions
Unstoppable Shotguns (Arms): Gives Shotguns the ability to stun Unstoppable Champions
Second Column (2 Artifact mod selections to unlock)
Scout Rifle Loader (Arms): Allows you to reload Scout Rifles faster
Sword Ammo Scavenger (Legs): Rocket Launchers get bonus reserves when picking up Heavy ammo
Machine Gun Holster (Legs): Gradually reloads stowed Machine Gun over time
Scout & Sniper Targeting (Head): Improved target acquisition, accuracy, and ADS for Scout Rifles & Sniper Rifles
Bottomless Bounty 1 (Head): Improves two (redacted) Origin Trait perks
Third Column (4 Artifact mod selections to unlock)
Glaive Loader (Arms): Increases the reload speed of Glaives
Focusing Strike (Arms): Causing damage with a Melee ability grants Class ability energy
Combo Arc + Solar Resist (Chest): Reduces incoming Arc & Solar damage from combatants
Machine Gun Ammo Scavenger (Legs): Machine Guns get bonus reserves when picking up Heavy ammo
Bottomless Bounty 2 (Head): Improves two (redacted) Origin Trait perks
Fourth Column (8 Artifact mod selections to unlock)
Overload LMGs (Arms): Gives Machine Guns the ability to stun Overloads and reduce their damage output
Anti-Barrier Snipers (Arms): Gives Sniper Rifles the ability to stun Anti-Barrier Champions
Bad Amplitude (Class): Damaging a Champion with an Arc ability causes that Champion to become Jolted
Surge Detonators (Class): Arc Grenades will stun Overload champions and lower their damage output
Inferno Whip (Class): Solar Melee abilities stun Unstoppable champions
Fifth Column (10 Artifact mod selections to unlock)
Thunderous Retort (Class): Arc Super abilities do more damage when cast while in critical condition or Amplified
Hype Train (Class): +2 seconds to Amplified timer (stacks)
Trace Evidence (Class): Hits on Arc debuffed targets will generate Ionic Traces
Lightning Strikes Twice (Class): After throwing an Arc Grenade, gain increased Grenade recharge
Sundering Glare (Class): Rapid precision hits against distant targets weaken them for a short duration
That’s your full list of Season 18 Artifact mods, Guardians. Your focus should be to burn through the first eight unlocks as quickly as you can to get to the fourth and fifth columns. This is where the magic happens. The mods in the final two columns will be exceptionally powerful compared to the first three columns. Right out of the gate I expect that Bad Amplitude will be quite good, not unlock some of the Solar Ignition mods from Season 18. Hype Train should also be good, as being Amplified as much as possible will be a huge goal for Guardians. Arc, as Bungie has stated, is all about getting that Crank 2: High Voltage power fantasy going, so the goal is to never stop and never lose that Amplified buff. Hype Train should play into that perfectly.
At the end of the day, all the mods are important, and you can unlock them all. All 25 Artifact mods can be unlocked for use, and if you make a bad choice before you unlock all 25, you can reset your Artifact and make new selections. It’s a very forgiving system.
For more help with Season 18 and all it has to offer, you’re going to want to bookmark our Destiny 2 strategy guide, full of hundreds of articles that will help you navigate life as a Guardian.