One of the most popular melee-oriented builds inDestiny 2has been nerfed, leaving Titans without another unique gameplay option for close-quarter encounters.Destiny 2’s impressive arsenal of unique armors and weapons has led to some of the most innovative builds in the series' almost decade-long history, which continues to grow as new perks and weapon types get introduced with each major content release. Most of the time, these interactions do not provide game-breaking benefits to players, except for those rare instances when players discover a combination that eventually leads tospecific weapons and armor being disabled inDestiny 2.
Destiny 2players have always been fascinated with the bladed weapons in-game since Swords were introduced inDestiny’sThe Taken Kingexpansion. The developers would even match the community’s enthusiasm by introducing asword-based movement tech inDestiny 2but promptly nerfed when players started to trivialize endgame content by skipping treacherous jumping sections. DuringThe Witch Queenexpansion, players would get their hands on Glaives, and intuitive buildcrafters were quick to realize the potential of the new weapon type by pairing them with exotics such as Necrotic Grips and Wormgod Caress for maximum carnage and fun.
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During Season of the Seraph, Titan players combined the Biotic Enhancements perk of Synthoceps with the new Glaive-exclusive Close to Melee perk to achieve incredible damage numbers with minimal ammo consumption. The game registered Glaive hits as melee hits, providing players the full benefits of Synthoceps and other melee-oriented Exotic armors.Destiny 2’s new Exotic Glaive Vexcalibur also benefited from this interaction, producing similar damage results while providing Overshields to players. In the latest 7.0.0.5 patch released yesterday, Bungie limited the value of the damage multiplier of Biotic Enhancements while wielding a Glaive
A Reddit user named Atmosck posted the results of their detailed weapon testing after the patch, presenting a long table of damage values using different Glaives in different loadouts, showcasing the drastic change in numbers. In the detailed chart, Atmosck shares how pairing the Synthoceps with Winterbite and Vexcalibur leads to a meager 50% damage buff after the patch, compared to the previous 200%, while the buff goes up to 95% for the Legendary Judgment of Kelgorath. The user further states that hitting enemies with basic melee attacks while under the influence of Biotic Enhancements leads to higher damage values than Glaives. Most notably, Solar Titans using the Throwing Hammer melee ability can dish out 100,000 damage per hit with Synthoceps, making the subclass a viable alternative. Furthermore, Synthoceps works wonders with Berserker, makingStrand a lucrative choice inDestiny 2’s new endgame.
Many players are mourning the loss of a unique DPS option, noting how the melee-oriented Titan is now restricted from entirely investing in close-quarters combat. And with Bungie taking steps to eliminateeasy endgame gear farming inDestiny 2, this nerf might indicate what the developers are planning for future sandbox changes.
Destiny 2is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
