Destiny 2’s Season of the Deep is letting guardians keep using Strand to wreck its enemies. Thanks to its Artifact Mods, though, season 21 is also bringing plenty of incentive for players to use Void and Arc subclasses in addition to the dark-green Darkness power.
Artifact mods can make or break a season, as anyone who’s ever used Breach and Clear or Particle Deconstruction can tell you. Similar to how Season of Defiance had some surprises in store for Solar players (for instance, with extra Firebolt grenades), season 21 is shaping up to provide plenty of flavor for all players—especially those using Void, Arc, or Strand subclasses.
Related: What is the Nightfall weapon this week in Destiny 2?
The season artifact (NPA Repulsor Regulator) will help Void players lean into Void Breaches, the post-Lightfall take on Void Elemental Wells. As long as you have a quick way to access debuffs, odds are you’ll get a decent amount of Void Breaches—and even easier access to Devour through them.
Players also have a wealth of Anti-Champion mods to choose from, with two returning options for Special weapons: Unstoppable Glaive and Overload Trace Rifle. Here’s what’s in stock for Season of the Deep’s Artifact Mods in Destiny 2.
First-column Artifact Mods in Season of the Deep (Champion mods)
These mods focus on providing Anti-Champion functionality for some weapon categories. The abundance of Overload and Unstoppable mods hints at the Nightfall repertoire favoring those two Champion types. Anti-Barrier Auto Rifle is the only Artifact choice for Anti-Barrier, but players can take care of those champions using weapons with intrinsic capacities (such as Wish-Ender, Arbalest, and Revision Zero) or with Radiant and Volatile effects.
- Anti-Barrier Auto Rifle: Allows auto rifles to pierce enemy barriers. Auto rifles are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
- Unstoppable Hand Cannon: Aiming down sights briefly before firing allows hand cannons to stun Unstoppable Champions. Hand cannons are always overcharged when that modifier is active.
- Overload Scout Rifle: Hitting enemies with consecutive scout rifle shots will stun Overload Champions. Overcharges scout rifles when that modifier is applicable.
- Overload Trace Rifle: “Uninterrupted fire from your equipped Trace Rifles causes the beam to stun combatants, delaying ability energy regeneration and lowering their damage output. Strong against Overload Champions. Additionally, Trace Rifles are always overcharged when that modifier is active.”
- Unstoppable Glaive: Glaive projectiles can stun Unstoppable Champions, and glaives are always overcharged whenever applicable.
Second-column Artifact Mods (weapon cost reduction)
The mods in the second column grant a reduction to the cost of mods that touch on weapons, potentially opening up more slots for your builds.
- Authorized Mods: Arc: “The armor energy costs of all armor mods affecting your Arc weapons are significantly discounted.”
- Authorized Mods: Void: Grants the same effect for Void weapons.
- Authorized Mods: Strand: Grants the same effect for Strand weapons.
- Authorized Mods: Melee: “Significantly” reduces the cost of mods affecting your melee.
- Technicolor Siphon: Combines Strand Siphon and Arc Siphon into a single mod.
Third-column Artifact Mods
These mods refer to general-use benefits to specific weapons, subclasses, and origin traits.
- Improved Unraveling: “Increases the amount of damage dealt by unraveling a target.”
- Deeper Origins: “Greatly improves” effects of the Unsated Hunger, Nanotech Tracer Rockets (Neomuna), Harmonic Resonance (Root of Nightmares), and Noble Deeds (Season of Defiance) origin traits.
- Unto the Breach: Defeating a Void-debuffed enemy when you have a Void subclass equipped creates a Void Breach.
- Electric Armor: “Stay amplified longer while your Arc subclass is equipped.”
- Thunderous Retort: “Grants bonus Arc Super damage if cast while critically wounded or while amplified. Lasts until the end of the Super activation.”
Related: Destiny 2 Weekly Reset: Nightfall, challenges, weekly raid, reset time, and more
Fourth-column Artifact Mods
These mods provide bigger benefits than the third column and add extra effects to some subclasses.
- Strand Soldier: With a Strand subclass equipped, gaining Woven Mail also grants Unraveling Rounds to your Strand weapons.
- Overcharged Armory: Weapons with the Unsated Hunger, Nanotech Tracer Rockets (Neomuna), Harmonic Resonance (Root of Nightmares), and Noble Deeds (Season of Defiance) traits are always overcharged weapons for you when that modifier is active.
- Protective Breach: “Picking up a Void Breach gives you an overshield or refreshes your existing overshield.”
- Counter Charge: Stunning a Champion gives you one stack of Armor Charge.
- Amped Up: Being Amplified grants you damage resistance.
Fifth-column Artifact Mods
The mods in this column focus on giving tremendous benefits for Strand, Arc, and Void subclasses, as well as some interplay between the three.
- Conductive Cosmic Needle: “Targets affected by Strand debuffs take increased damage from Arc and Void abilities.”
- Shock and Awe: “Arc final blows while you are amplified summon a burst of lightning that damages and jolts targets.”
- Supernova: “Picking up a Void Breach causes your next source of Void damage to create a large weakening pulse.”
- Squad Goals: Performing a finisher while you have Devour, Amplified, or Woven Mail with a matching subclass equipped grants bonus effects to nearby allies.
- Void: Devour
- Arc: Amplified
- Strand: Woven Mail
- Lightning Strikes Twice: “After throwing an Arc grenade, gain increased grenade recharge for a short time. Arc final blows extend the duration of this benefit.”
