Destiny 2: Is Lodestar Worth Getting?

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In Destiny 2, Lodestar is a unique Trace Rifle found in the Energy weapon slot that’s sure to appeal to fans of Arc subclasses and effects. It’s a fantastic weapon to wield, though it might not be the most powerful in your collection. However, when used correctly, especially with suitable builds, it can more than hold its own.

As a dedicated Destiny 2 fan, if you’re considering running an Arc build, let me suggest the Lodestar as your go-to primary weapon. Despite being classified as a Trace Rifle, it can more than hold its ground as your main gun. Here’s a rundown of what makes this rifle an exceptional choice:

1. Arc Energy: The Lodestar harnesses the power of Arc energy, making it a perfect fit for your build.
2. Versatile Damage: Its primary function is to deal explosive damage, but it can also charge up and detonate multiple secondary explosions, providing a wide area of effect.
3. Kinetic Ammo: In addition to its Arc capabilities, the Lodestar can also fire regular kinetic rounds when fully charged, offering flexibility in combat situations.
4. Energy Return: The Lodestar’s unique perk, “Energy Return,” allows you to generate Orbs of Light upon defeating enemies with this weapon, aiding your team in Super regeneration and additional abilities.
5. Stability and Handling: With a high stability stat and decent handling, the Lodestar is easy to control, ensuring precise aiming even during intense firefights.

Destiny 2: Lodestar Review

Rather than typical Trace Rifles, the Lodestar boasts an endless supply of ammunition. This means you can keep zapping targets as long as its battery lasts, making it perfect for clearing groups of tougher enemies marked in red. The Lodestar’s firepower is on par with other Legendary Trace Rifles, except when dealing with less formidable foes; against them, it dishes out a 40% higher damage, just like all other Exotic weapons.

Apart from having infinite ammo, Lodestar carries the following Exotic perks:

  • Starlilght Beam: This weapon fires a low-intensity Arc beam with enhanced stability and accuracy.
  • Arc Alignment: Dealing Arc damage from any source aligns the battery’s coils. When alignment is complete, hold the reload button to disengage the safety and enable hip-fired Starlight Beam to apply Jolt to any target damaged for a short time. Aim down sights to slow the rate at which the battery drains.
  • Phase Converter (Battery): When aiming down sights, the beam is compressed into short, high-energy bursts that interact with targets affected by Arc debuffs, dealing increased damage and causing them to detonate into blinding explosions on final blows.

Here’s a simpler way of explaining it:

As you use your weapon, Lodestar, to inflict Arc damage or activate its Arc Alignment perk, the bar gradually fills up. Once the bar is fully charged, press the reload/alternate weapon button to supercharge Lodestar, which will cause the gun to emit powerful beams that jolt enemies. When an enemy is jolted (or affected by any other Arc debuff), aim down the sights of Lodestar for increased damage output.

With Arc Alignment engaged, the Jolt effect takes place only when you hit targets during hip-firing with the Lodestar. However, activating Arc Alignment isn’t necessary for the Lodestar to inflict extra damage when aimed down sights.

Is Lodestar Any Good?

This weapon, Lodestar, is primarily designed for handling crowds of enemies. Its hip-fire beam has the power to swiftly disintegrate red-bar opponents, and when you defeat targets that have been Arc-debuffed while aiming down sights, they’ll detonate in a series of blinding explosions. Essentially, this weapon is all about managing large groups of enemies, so it’s best used for that purpose.

To get optimal results from Arc Alignment, mark an opponent with a single hip-fire shot for Jolt, then sight in and keep firing at the electrified adversary using Lodestar’s energy bursts.

Lodestar’s damage per second (DPS) against major enemies isn’t exceptionally high, which is typical for primary weapons in Destiny 2. However, its Arc Alignment effectively harms these major enemies, and if there are Trace Rifle mods available in the Seasonal Artifact, Lodestar will perform well during Nightfalls and similar activities that feature Champions.

Similar to Coldheart, Lodestar performs optimally when combined with an Arc-themed setup, such as any version of the Bolt Charge Titan configuration. When equipped with Fragments, this weapon will produce Ionic Traces that replenish your subclass’s Aspects, enabling you to unleash powerful elemental surges throughout the cosmos.

What About PvP?

The Lodestar performs well in player versus player combat, which is unexpected considering its design. However, due to its similarity to a Pulse Rifle when aiming down sights, it can sometimes feel uncomfortable to handle. Despite this, it’s capable of dealing significant damage to opponents even without aiming, making it fun to use. But using it instead of more popular choices might not be the best strategic decision unless you’re playing for enjoyment rather than competition.

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2025-05-17 15:04