The Immortal is a new submachine gun arriving with Trials of Osiris in Destiny 2 Lightfall, and it’s releasing into a highly competitive category for the Crucible. Endgame PvP in Season of the Seraph was defined by the deadly synergy of the reprised IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3 with the Peacekeepers Titan Exotic, and while The Immortal won’t represent a dramatic meta shift, it will dethrone the current top dog.
Like the IKELOS SMG, The Immortal is a 750 RPM Aggressive Frame submachine gun. After the range stats of submachine guns was nerfed across the board, this frame came into popular use in PvP with the perk Rangefinder equipped as it remained capable of shredding in the mid-range.
Despite sharing the same archetype, The Immortal has a few key advantages: it has a higher base range stat, almost double the airborne effectiveness, less recoil and more aim assist. These natural advantages that come stock with the weapon are even further enhanced by its perk pool, which takes the highlights of the IKELOS SMG’s PvP options and improves on them. This includes Rangefinder now being in the third perk column, allowing for it to be combined with a damage perk for maximum impact.
This will no doubt be a gun that is highly sought after when it first becomes available in Trials of Osiris, so make sure to equip yourself with the knowledge of what the best rolls and perks are on the weapon before picking up your Trials Passage.
The Immortal PvP god roll in Destiny 2
- Barrel: Hammer-Forged Rifling
- Magazine: Ricochet Rounds
- First perk: Rangefinder
- Second perk: Kill Clip
Regardless of the promising options the weapon has for PvE, there’s no denying that The Immortal was forged for use in a PvP environment where 750 RPM submachine guns still excel. The combination of Rangefinder and Kill Clip has some devastating implications for what this gun is capable of in the right hands, reaping the range benefits that gave the IKELOS SMG the throne and then adding damage boosts on top of it. Combine that with range-boosting barrel and magazine options, and you have a mid-range monster.
If you struggle to secure this roll though, there are still other great choices. Rangefinder should be your top priority in the third perk column, but both Encore and Dynamic Sway Reduction can serve as effective replacements until you find that perfect drop. The range and accuracy bonuses that Encore stacks provide in particular are very noticeable following the buff the perk received last season.
Kill Clip is great to have in the accompanying perk column, but it’s certainly not the only good option you could choose. While there aren’t many similarly impressive damage-boosting perks available for PvP, both Killing Wind and Tap The Trigger are some notable utility options in their stead. For controller players, Tap The Trigger in particular will have a noticeable impact in your gunfights to how stable the weapon is when firing.
The likes of Hatchling, Demolitionist, Focused Fury and Target Lock better serve a PvE build of The Immortal, which in its own way is just as worth having a copy of in your vault.
The Immortal PvE god roll in Destiny 2
- Barrel: Corkscrew Rifling
- Magazine: Light Mag
- First perk: Encore
- Second perk: Kill Clip or Target Lock (honorable mention: Hatchling)
PvE scenarios are where The Immortal’s functionality as a Strand submachine gun specifically comes into play. With a limited arsenal of Strand weapons currently available and the other Strand submachine gun, Synchronic Roulette, hosting a lackluster perk pool, The Immortal will more than likely be the standout star for a while.
Hatchling is a natural route to go with the fourth perk column if you’re looking to use The Immortal with Strand and want to make the most out of that synergy, but more traditional damage perks like Kill Clip and Target Lock will be just as effective for the wide majority of players. Encore is a tough perk to beat when it comes to the third column, but options such as Surplus, Threat Detector, and Perpetual Motion exist to give you choices for reload speed enhancement if you so desire.
As with other Trials of Osiris weapons, this can also be a great choice of submachine gun for solo players in activities like Legend Lost Sectors. The Alacrity Origin Trait will be permanently active if you’re running without a fireteam, giving The Immortal a hefty chunk of aim assist, reload speed, range, and stability benefits with no activation costs.
