Is Le Monarque About to Get Nerfed? The OP Exotic Everyone’s Talking About!

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Summary

  • Arc buffs in Destiny 2 have shifted the meta towards Arc subclasses due to powerful new Aspects.
  • Le Monarque with Storm’s Keep Aspect and Artifact mod creates a potent build for generating Bolt Charge stacks.
  • The strong Le Monarque combo may need a nerf to balance its OP capabilities with Aspect and mod interactions.

Upon the launch of Destiny 2’s third Episode, numerous adjustments were made to the game mechanics (sandbox), causing a significant shift in the game’s meta. Three new Aspects, allocated to Arc Titan, Arc Warlock, and Void Hunter, have been particularly influential in this change. Currently, there’s almost an exclusive preference for Arc subclasses within Destiny 2, with Prismatic being heavily utilized due to some modifications in the tools provided. This shift is primarily driven by Bungie’s introduction of the potent Bolt Charge action, which is expected to maintain its power unless it undergoes a balance adjustment (nerf). Although potential nerfs seem unlikely at this time, there’s an older Exotic item that has grown remarkably strong and may require adjustments sooner rather than later.

In Destiny 2, updates and new releases often make previously underused items or advantages relevant again, sometimes even overpowered. This is because Bungie frequently updates multiple exotic weapons and armor pieces at least once or twice per season or Episode. For instance, Arc Warlocks have a highly powerful build with Geomag Stabilizers in Heresy, while Thunderlord and The Queenbreaker, once the subject of jokes, are now solid choices for damage output. An unexpected addition to the top tier is the exotic bow Le Monarque, which may require adjustments due to its newfound dominance.

How Destiny 2’s Arc Buffs Made Le Monarque a Top PvE Weapon

In essence, a combination of factors turned Le Monarque in Destiny 2 into an exceptional DPS weapon within the game. A significant factor contributing to this is the newly introduced Arc Aspect for Striker Titans called Storm’s Keep. This aspect generates Bolt Charge stacks for both the Titan and their allies whenever a Barricade class ability is activated, while simultaneously enabling weapons to release lightning bolts from the Bolt Charge instead of abilities. This is already powerful, but Le Monarque amplifies it further.

Although it might not appear logical to incorporate a Void weapon within an Arc build, Le Monarque allows Arc Titans to generate Bolt Charge stacks passively by poisoning targets with precision shots from the exotic bow. This means that Bolt Charge can be stacked incredibly quickly using Le Monarque, and even faster when combined with other Titans in a fireteam. With Storm’s Keep, these stacks build up incrementally, so in theory, you could quickly reach full charge levels and discharge them almost immediately.

In addition to its other benefits, the Artifact for Episode Heresy includes an extra potent bonus in the second column that amplifies the power of this setup even further, making it exceptionally strong. This particular Artifact enhancement is called Volatile Marksman, and under normal circumstances, it enhances rapid, precise hits and final blows with Void weapons to produce Volatile Rounds, which increases the damage per second (DPS) significantly. However, Volatile Marksman can be upgraded by performing a Ritual of Desire using Destiny 2’s Tome of Want, and this upgrade bestows an additional effect that causes explosions from Volatiles to generate class ability energy. This synergizes perfectly with Storm’s Keep, as it not only generates the maximum number of Bolt Charge stacks possible but also produces more Barricade energy for reactivation, enabling immediate recovery of additional Bolt Charge stacks.

Why Le Monarque’s Combo With Storm’s Keep May Be Nerfed

This combination is so potent that some players are defeating Sundered Doctrine singlehandedly with it and wrapping up encounters within one or two phases. To put it simply, Le Monarque stands out as a top choice. However, given its current power level, it might be slightly overpowered. Bungie should consider adjusting the way Le Monarque interacts with Storm’s Keep or Volatile Marksman, perhaps by adding a cooldown to prevent these effects from activating too frequently. For now, this build is one of Destiny 2’s best, but its dominance may not last indefinitely.

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2025-02-17 00:12