Executor-issued auto rifle for loyal supporters of the New Monarchy.
Vanquisher VIII is a Legendary primary auto rifle.
This weapon is purchasable from Executor Hideo but can also be rewarded randomly.
8.3/10
7.5/10The good: High Impact & stability.
The bad: Low magazine, Glass Half Full barely helps.
Conclusion: Great for PvP.
Auto Rifle (Primary Weapon)
272/331Talent Upgrades Tree (from the vendor)
Kinetic Damage
This weapon causes Kinetic damage.
STEADYHAND IS
Stable sight. Optimized for excellent recoil control.
+6 Stability
+8 Reload
SPRAY AND PLAY
Increases the reload speed of this weapon when its mag is empty.
Upgrade Damage 1
Increases Attack Power, resulting in more Damage.
HIGH CALIBER ROUNDS
Oversize rounds built to stagger targets and leave them reeling. Their mass makes a weapon harder to handle.
GLASS HALF FULL
The bottom half of each magazine causes additional damage
Upgrade Damage 2
Increases Attack Power, resulting in more Damage.
Upgrade Damage 3
Increases Attack Power, resulting in more Damage.
RED DOT-ORS1
Precision sight. Highest zoom in class. Enhanced range.
+6 Stability
+8 Range
FITTED STOCK
Increases weapon stability.
Upgrade Damage 4
Increases Attack Power, resulting in more Damage.
RANGED LENS RLS3
Mid-range scope. Good effective range and recoil control. Heavy and slow.
+3 Stability
+8 Range
-2 Reload
SINGLE POINT SLING
Switch weapons faster. Move quicker while aiming.
Upgrade Damage 5
Increases Attack Power, resulting in more Damage.
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Video Review
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Weapon Review
Vanquisher VIII is a Legendary primary auto rifle which can be purchased from the New Monarchy vendor or rewarded randomly with different perks.
The default perks are listed above, click here to see all of its potential perks.
Be sure to check out our other Legendary weapon reviews as well.
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Recommended
Red Dot-ORS1
+6 Stability
+8 Range
Fitted Stock (PvP)
+25 Stability
High Caliber Rounds (PvE)
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The Good
Vanquisher VIII has the highest Impact of any purchasable auto rifle at a monstrous 28.
This auto rifle is in the high Impact/low RoF archetype, similar to Grim Citizen III, Shadow Price, and the infamous SUROS Regime. Considering the former two auto rifles are no longer obtainable and the latter is an Exotic, Vanquisher VIII or Abyss Defiant (with Focused Fire) are your only low RoF Legendary options until House of Wolves.
This auto rifle will deal 19 body damage and 23 critical damage in PvP, leading to Guardians taking about 8-10 shots before they’re taken down. In PvE tier 1 enemies will take 123 damage to the body and 306 with precision hits.
Vanquisher VIII has solid and balanced stats when compared to the other Legendary auto rifles. Its low rate of fire is useful for keeping crosshairs locked on an enemy’s head, while the high Impact – with the help of Glass Half Full – handles the rest.
The base range, stability, and reload speed are all a little above average. The low rate of fire combined with manageable recoil makes it a breeze to line up shots down field.
Most vendor weapons come with a mishmash of stock perks that don’t truly benefit any style of play, but Vanquisher VIII is the exception. Spray and Play and Glass Half Full work in tandem, rounding out a low magazine of 22 to make for a perk set that feels complimentary.
This weapon feels most effective when you let the magazine run dry to activate Spray and Play, turning a 2.2 second reload speed into a blazing fast 1.5 seconds, while also reaping the (small) benefit of Glass Half Full.
Due to Vanquisher VIII‘s well-balanced perk set, the weapon inspires a uniquely distinguished flow. In PvE, you can forget about the bullets remaining in the magazine altogether, since being caught in a 1 second reload speed is rarely punishing. The more you let the magazine run dry, the less the low magazine will feel like a hindrance.
The stock perks allow it to dispense tremendous & consistent damage, finishing off low tier enemies with ease and with negligible downtime.
In PvP it’s more important to reload when it’s safe, but if the clip runs out in mid range encounters, Spray and Pray will have your back.
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The Bad
Using this weapon takes getting used to. The low magazine is jarring at first, and even when you’ve acquired a feel for the weapon, Vanquisher VIII is in dire need of Field Scout, so count yourself lucky if you got it with a random roll.
The weapon’s primary weaknesses are most apparent in PvE. The magazine is so quickly exhausted that it can lead to situations where it comes up a few bullets short of a kill. The problem is compounded when there are multiple targets, further exacerbating the low magazine issue.
Glass Half Full provides more damage on the bottom half of your magazine, and it will activate often, but the extra 6% damage is minuscule. In PvP you’ll only do a maximum of 1 extra damage per bullet once GHF activates, which equates to a maximum of 9 extra damage.
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Conclusion
Vanquisher VIII‘s striking red paint job is bound to turn heads, and if it doesn’t, the Impact surely will. It’s powerful and the default perks compliment each other which make the weapon a blast to use.
If you’re using an Exotic slot on a secondary or heavy weapon, or you’re just in the market for a Legendary auto rifle, this weapon will more than pull its weight. Its faults are few, and even with the recent auto rifle nerf, it still holds up.
Up For Anything and For The People make excellent alternatives if you’d like a larger magazine and higher base stability, and Abyss Defiant (full review) is arguably much better in PvE.
Vanquisher VIII is a beast, worthy of the grind to obtain it. It loses in every regard to SUROS Regime, but what doesn’t?
For PvP this weapon earns a 8.3/10 and for PvE a 7.5/10.