The seasonal Exotic sidearm, Devil’s Ruin, is here. Based on what we’ve read on Twitter and seen on YouTube, it seems as though you’ll either love it or hate it. Some argue that the quest is too short, while others have expressed their enthusiasm for the end of mission dialogue between Saint XIV and Lord Shaxx.
The gun itself isn’t game breaking in either PVE or the Crucible. This has left many wondering what place it occupies in the meta outside of being a gimmick type exotic.
Regardless of how you felt about the exotic quest and its length, I’m taking a moment to review the Devil’s Ruin as a weapon in our current sandbox.
For informational purposes; this weapon is a Solar energy sidearm that fires 300 rounds-per-minute, has a charge time of 1000, and carries 15 rounds in its magazine.
Devil’s Ruin has an intrinsic Exotic perk called CLOSE THE GAP, defined as follows: “Variable trigger. Press and release to fire individual shots. Hold to charge up a high-powered, Unstoppable staggering laser. Strong against Unstoppable Champions.”
You can either fire individual shots or hold the trigger for one second and fire 15 rounds worth of ammo for a powerful laser beam. Firing the fully charged laser turns this gun into a strange hybrid of a sidearm, fusion rifle, and trace rifle.
As stated, it staggers Unstoppable Champions when you hit them with the charged laser. This appears to require at least half of the laser’s damage, but it could be slightly more than that.
This works in tandem with the weapon’s PYROGENESIS trait; “Fully charging the laser refills the magazine from reserves.”
The wording here is tricky, so here’s an example to clarify how this trait works. Let’s say you’ve been firing the gun like a normal sidearm. You’ve killed that first shotgun rusher running at you in a straight line, but now you’ve got a second one right behind them.
You don’t have enough ammo in your magazine to kill this second rusher and you won’t be able to reload in time to kill this new enemy. You can instead charge up the laser, which automatically restores your magazine to 15 rounds, spending them on the laser to fry that ape into a crisp. After that, you’ll reload and repeat.
There is currently a bug/hidden perk (I’m not sure which) with this weapon if you release the trigger JUST before the laser is done charging; the laser will both fire the laser and load your magazine with 30 rounds when it starts firing. Doing so leaves you with 15 rounds in your magazine once the laser is done.
You could theoretically keep doing this and never have to reload. I’m inclined to think this is a bug tied into framerates (which is how Destiny’s engine tracks time in the game) or latency rather than an intended function, but time will tell.
In PVE, it’s a fun Solar energy weapon continuing the trend we’ve seen since Shadowkeep’s launch. Exotic weapons are being tailored to deal with the various types of Champions we find in Ordeal Nightfalls, Nightmare Hunts, and the Raid.
It’s especially well-suited for the Sundial, given Cabal Centurions have Solar shields and the numerous Unstoppable champions in the activity.
I personally recommend firing it as a normal sidearm until you reach the last round, and then make a decision to charge up the laser or not to finish off Majors and Elites.
In PVP, Devil’s Ruin is a so-so sidearm with a functionality that rarely feels useful. You may have seen clips from YouTubers and streamers declaring the weapon “insane.” This doesn’t seem to hold true in most cases, in my opinion.
Its biggest draw for PvP is that it leaves Supers with almost no health if you can miraculously keep the laser perfectly on your target with its effective range. That’ll be a rare occurrence at best.
In summary; Devil’s Run follows the example set by other seasonal exotics we’ve seen since Shadowkeep’s release. It can deal with Champions in higher end PVE content at the cost of your exotic slot, while enjoying a niche spot in the Crucible. Thank you for stopping by, and please be sure to check back in for more exotic weapon reviews!