VANQUISHER VIII legendary review

Vanquisher VIII Review

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
7.5/10

The good: High Impact & stability.

The bad: Low magazine, Glass Half Full barely helps.

Conclusion: Great for PvP.

Read the full review here

This is a Legendary Weapon
Auto Rifle (Primary Weapon)
Kinetic Base Damage/Upgraded272/331
Quality Lvl60
Rate of Fire
77
Impact
28
Range
32
Stability
54
Reload
72
Magazine Size
22

Aim Assist
45
Equip Speed
50
Recoil Direction
75
Zoom
15

Talent 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.

[divider]

Video Review


[divider]

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.

[divider]

Recommended

Red Dot-ORS1
+6 Stability
+8 Range

Fitted Stock (PvP)
+25 Stability

High Caliber Rounds (PvE)
[divider]

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.
VANQUISHER VIII scopes
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.
new monarchy vanquisher VIII review
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.
[divider]

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.

In PvP it’ll take about 8 precision shots to down an opponent, and against experienced players equipped with low TTK weapons, you’ll need to really make the magazine count. Be sure to use Fitted Stock for the best stability.

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.
[divider]

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.
VANQUISHER VIII vs abyss defiant
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.