Lodestar is a unique Exotic Trace Rifle within the Energy weapon category that is sure to captivate fans of Arc subclasses and their effects. While it might not top the ranks of the strongest weapons in Destiny 2, it offers a fun experience and performs admirably when matched with the right builds.
If you’re considering an Arc build in Destiny 2, Lodestar could be the go-to weapon for you. Though classified as a Trace Rifle, it’s fully capable of serving as your primary weapon. Below is a detailed overview of what this rifle can provide.
Destiny 2: Lodestar Review
Unlike other Trace Rifles, Lodestar comes with unlimited ammunition. This allows you to fire continuously until the battery is drained, making it highly effective for clearing out smaller enemies. Its damage output is on par with other Legendary Trace Rifles, with an exception against minor foes (it grants a 40% damage boost to red-bar targets as is standard for Exotic weapons).
In addition to its infinite ammo capacity, Lodestar features the following Exotic perks:
- Starlight Beam: Fires a low-intensity Arc beam that boasts enhanced stability and accuracy.
- Arc Alignment: Inflicting Arc damage from any source charges the battery’s coils. Upon full alignment, hold the reload button to disengage the safety and allow hip-fired Starlight Beam to Jolt any enemies hit for a limited time. Aiming down sights decreases the battery drain rate.
- Phase Converter (Battery): When aiming down sights, the beam condenses into brief, high-energy bursts that strike targets with Arc debuffs, increasing damage and causing explosive blinding effects upon final hits.
In summary, as you fire Lodestar or deal Arc damage from any source, the weapon’s Arc Alignment perk will charge. Once the Arc Alignment meter is full, pressing the reload or alternate weapon function will supercharge Lodestar, unleashing Jolt-inflicting beams on enemies. If an enemy is Jolted or affected by other Arc debuffs, aiming down Lodestar’s sights further amplifies damage.
While Arc Alignment is active, Jolt only applies to hits made while hip-firing Lodestar. Conversely, you don’t need to have Arc Alignment active to enhance damage when aiming down sights.
Is Lodestar Any Good?
Lodestar is indeed a strong choice. It’s primarily designed for add-clearing – not only can its hip-fire beam eliminate red-bar enemies with ease, but defeating Arc-debuffed targets while aiming down sights leads to explosive blinding effects. This weapon excels at crowd control, making it ideal for such scenarios.
To maximize the benefit of Arc Alignment, tag an enemy with the hip-fire beam to apply Jolt, then aim down your sights and continue firing at the Jolted target with Lodestar’s energy bursts.
While Lodestar’s DPS against Major enemies isn’t exceptional, this is a common trait for most primary weapons in Destiny 2. Arc Alignment can effectively damage Major enemies, and if there are Trace Rifle mods in the Seasonal Artifact, Lodestar stands out in Nightfalls and similar content featuring Champions.
Similar to Coldheart, Lodestar performs optimally when integrated into an Arc build, particularly with any version of the Bolt Charge Titan setup. Coupled with Fragments, the weapon will generate Ionic Traces that enhance your subclasses Aspects, empowering your gameplay experience across the universe.
What About PvP?
Lodestar performs surprisingly well in PvP settings, but since it essentially operates like a Pulse Rifle when aiming down sights, it can feel somewhat clunky. However, it can still quickly eliminate opponents while firing from the hip, though it’s hard to justify its use over other meta options unless you’re looking for some lighthearted fun.
