Contributing Author: Alex R.

[divider]

Of all of these weapons, the JLB-47 is the only upper tier PVP choice, although the JLB-42 is pretty close – like a prescription from a questionable mail order pharmacy, it’ll get the job done. Just ignore that drywall aftertaste.

The ARI-45 goes down smooth, but loses out to high rate of fire Auto Rifles in close quarters engagements, and to lots of guns at mid and long ranges – it’s simply not competitive.

The Häkke Shotguns have some great perks available, but the Jingukogo only has 3 rounds, and like the Japanese Empress it is named for, any explanation for this bizarre weapon seems to have been lost to history. The Strongbow-D is pretty decent with a good roll though, and makes a fine PVE weapon.

Any – SUROS ARI-45

#1: Hammer Forged, Single Point Sling, Persistence

Keep in mind that this gun is starting at a disadvantage to many other weapons in terms of time to kill and suitability for purpose – Auto Rifles thrive in close to mid range combat, and here we have one that is pushing on long range. If you’re going to win with it, you’re going to need to keep your distance and make every bullet count – the brutal accuracy and enhanced mobility of this roll make that entirely possible. If ever this gun were to have a shot at being competitive, this could be it.

#2: Perfect Balance, Single Point Sling, Take A Knee

I wanted to highlight this roll not because it is really comparable to Roll 1 (Take A Knee probably isn’t a wombo combo with SPS), but because I wanted to point out that Take A Knee is actually a pretty good perk. It gives you a stellar boost to accuracy while crouched, and it’s worth watching out for rolls that can take better advantage of it.

#3 Perfect Balance, Smallbore, Outlaw

Perfect Balance and Smallbore take this gun to a whole new level. The ARI-45 already has great base range, but Smallbore’s boost takes it to as high as you’ll need in PvP. Outlaw rounds things out with a reload boost that can save your life in PvP and make add management in PvE that much faster. Plus, the SPO-28 sights improve aim assistance, so it will be easier to get your headshot kills!

None – SUROS JLB-42

If you want some free Legendary Marks, go ahead and pick up a roll this week for dismantling. If not, we’d highly recommend you wait until next week to see if the Gunsmith can give us something worthwhile. As stated before, look for Tracking or Grenades and Horseshoes.

#1 – SUROS JLB-47

Heavy Payload/Speed Reload, Surplus, Perfect Balance/Lightweight

Roll #1 gets special consideration here because of Surplus, but otherwise, you’ll want to hang on until next week for a better roll. Surplus is a rare perk that boosts the amount of ammo you get from ammo boxes of ANY type in PvE, which can make this rocket launcher useful if you are in a situation where ammo is very scarce. Otherwise, if you wait until next week, look for either Tracking or Grenades and Horseshoes. You’ll need one of those perks to reliably hit targets and get the most out of your few rocket reserves.

#1 – Jingukogo-D

Accurized Ballistics, Crowd Control, Spray and Play, Rifled Barrel

This build works with the PvE focus of Hakke shotguns. Crowd Control will reward your kills with extra damage, and Spray and Play is the best option for reload speed in between magazines. Plus, with Accurized Ballistics and Hand-Loaded, you’ll have a better time with range and impact than you would normally associate with this archetype. Arc damage is pretty effective versus Taken Phalanxes, which we’ve had the most trouble with in The Taken King, so overall, this gun has a lot to offer for PvE.

This is a decent roll on a bad gun. For once, Spray and Play will actually see a TON of use.

#3 – Strongbow-D

Final Round, Hot Swap, Rifled Barrel

In case of emergency, break face and remove victory…

No but really, Range + Damage + Accuracy makes this a fine holdout gun if you’re running a longer range Primary. It still lacks the punch of the high Impact Shotguns, but at least you’ll be able to fire a second shot before the world ends.

If you were to ever try a Hakke shotgun in PvP, this would be the one! Final Round, Rifled Barrel and Aggressive Ballistics are some of the most sought-after perks for PvP shotgun play. This build maximizes range and damage, so you may want gauntlets with shotgun reloaders to keep up! Hot Swap isn’t the best choice in the world, but the bonus accuracy may make a difference in what ranges you can effectively get kills.

[divider]

Old Orders

That’s not all, Guardians! Like fine wines, your Orders will usually get better with age.

Aoife Rua-D

#1: Arc, Raptor, Surplus, Who’s Next, Injection Mold

A pretty solid PVE roll, Surplus nets you extra ammo for all weapons. Who’s Next doesn’t work the way its description implies – after a kill, it gives you a small but noticeable reload speed increase, and after a kill with the last bullet it gives you a bigger one. Or something like that. Finally, Injection Mold is pretty decent, adding some helpful Stability in exchange for our extra range. Take this one if you need an Arc sniper.

#3: Void, Scout, Surplus, Who’s Next, Injection Mold

So this is the same as Roll 1, except it’s Void. So blah blah blah, take this one if you need a Void sniper.

Uzume RR4

#2: Faucon SS1, Performance Bonus, Hand-Laid Stock, Unflinching

So this isn’t really a competitive weapon, meta-wise, but you could certainly have fun with it in 6v6 modes. We got a PVP scope, so that’s a start. Performance Bonus is a decent pull for ammo management, and Hand-Laid Stock and Unflinching will help keep your aim steady.
Also a good sniper if you hate Aim Assist.

[divider]

Next Week’s Orders

Weapon	Type	Impact	Notable Stat
SUROS ARI-41	Auto Rifle	Medium	Stability (68)
SUROS DIS-43	Scout Rifle	Medium	Range (77)
Cocytus SR4	Scout Rifle	Highest	Reload (59)
Tamar-D	Sniper	Medium	Range (78)
Uzume RR4	Sniper	Low	Reload (75)

SUROS ARI-41

This is another Monte Carlo style auto rifle coming in at a whopping 68 base stability. Its range is about as low as we’ve seen at 17 though, so this gun will absolutely depend on range perks to have any use outside of close range PvP. Other than that, it has high Aim Assistance (72) and decent reload speed (54), so we’ll be keeping a close eye on the rolls next week.

SUROS DIS-43

This Scout Rifle falls in a Vision of Confluence archetype, and with a magazine size of 19, it should be great for PvE despite its stability issues (base 48). With a range of 77, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a situation where this Scout Rifle isn’t hitting for full damage.

The most reliable and forgiving of Scout archetypes, this is my top recommendation this week. 2 to the dome, 2 to the chest, it’s pretty good but it’s not the best.

Omolon Cocytus SR4

The Cocytus SR4 is a high-impact Scout Rifle similar to Colovance’s Duty that packs huge range (74). If you’re a fan of this archetype of scouts that hit like a truck, this is a good order to place. With a magazine size of 13, perks like Extended Mag and Triple Tap will be on the wish list for PvE builds, but with Omolon’s highly-situational perk pool, it’s going to be hard to find a clear winner for PvP.

If you can land those headshots, you’re in business – this gun’s time to kill is both fearsome and unlimited by range on the generally small PVP maps. That said, it’s also terribly unforgiving if you land body shots, as the slower Rate of Fire makes it much easier for enemies to take cover and…recover. Anyway, it’s still my #2 recommendation for this week.

Hakke Tamar-D

The Tamar-D has equivalent Impact to the Low-Grade Humility and Patience and Time. However, with a base stability of 36, you’ll best be aiming for headshots and not double-taps. If you like sniping in PvE, order one of these! Hakke snipers can roll with Surplus, which really helps with ammo scarcity in PvE. Hakke’s scopes are a bit different than the ones offered by the Vanguard and Crucible Quartermasters, so you may have to adapt to use this gun in high-stakes PvP.

OMOLON UZUME RR4

This Sniper Rifle shares the impact/RoF class of the Eye of Sol, but it packs way more base stability at 58. In non-revive game modes, this is a great option for getting quick headshots or double tapping for body shot kills. We’ll be looking for something like Triple Tap or Zen Moment for PvE while hoping for a Faucon SS1 low-zoom scope for PvP.

Yes, we did just see this Order last week. And we’re seeing it again. This is a high RoF sniper that fires fast enough to double tap. Unfortunately, it lacks any real Stability or Aim Assist to help make that happen, so expect a lot of Guardians to escape your clutches. On the upside, if you can land headshots, it holds a ton of ammo. So there’s that. Yeah.