The Nox Perennial V is a perfect example of how the right perks, and even a god roll, on a High-Impact Frame Fusion Rifle can turn the usually-middling weapon into a monster in Destiny 2.
The High-Impact Frame class of Fusion Rifle is always a hard one to sell in Destiny 2 amidst the reign of guns such as Techeun Force and Pressurized Precision that belong to the other subfamilies. Despite how hard the High-Impact Frame can hit, the slower charge time doesn’t feel as good to the wide majority of the playerbase. But the right roll on the Nox Perennial V can eliminate those concerns.
On the surface, its base stat package leaves a lot to be desired. Compared to Glacioclasm, the Dawning event fusion rifle which continues to be one of the finest examples of a High-Impact Frame available for PvP, it has half the handling and almost 20 less range. It’s more on par with the seasonal fusion rifle, The Eremite, and even manages to have a higher stability stat, but it’s still not the best you could get out of a High-Impact Frame.
However, season 22 is a time of change for fusion rifles. The decoupling of damage range from zoom, the nerf to the base damage falloff distance, and the handicaps fusion rifles used to exclusively have with zoom getting removed all mean that new fusion rifles have a chance to shine compared to old favorites. With perks like Kickstart, Hatchling, and Controlled Burst all possible to pair with strong utility options such as the (recently buffed) Envious Assassin perk or Under Pressure, there’s a lot to get excited about with Nox Perennial V.
Related: Techeun Force god roll and best perks in Destiny 2
Here’s our recommendations on what to look for in both PvE and PvP gameplay when constructing a Nox Perennial V god roll, as well as some of the best alternatives available in its perk pool.
Nox Perennial V PvE god roll in Destiny 2
- Barrel: Smallbore
- Battery: Accelerated Coils
- First perk: Envious Assassin
- Second perk: Controlled Burst or Hatchling
With its lackluster stats not limiting Nox Perennial V’s capabilities as much in a PvE environment, its strong suite of perks can shine far more than they can in PvP. The buff to Envious Assassin this season has made it a reliable route to consistently overflowed magazine capacity, and while Nox Perennial V can’t pair that with Reservoir Burst for maximum impact, it can pair it with the equally devastating Controlled Burst perk for high damage output in endgame content.
Nox Perennial V also has the new Origin trait Wild Card on it, which gives it an intrinsic amount of area-of-effect damage, thanks to the trait’s ability to occasionally create an explosive submunition upon killing a target.
However, personal god rolls aside, this is also a Strand fusion rifle at its core. It’s also a Strand fusion rifle that comes with the Hatchling perk, so those who want some synergy with their Strand subclass—especially players playing around with season 22’s new Aspects—will want to take this in place of Controlled Burst in column four.
Related: Destiny 2 Strand Aspects: How to get Weavewalk, Banner of War and Whirling Maelstrom
Take this in tow with a barrel and battery combination that can increase your fire rate and improve the weapon’s stat package a little bit, and you’ll be golden.
Nox Perennial V PvP god roll in Destiny 2
- Barrel: Corkscrew Rifling
- Battery: Projection Fuse
- First perk: Under Pressure
- Second perk: Kickstart
Despite having a perk combination that works wonders on similar guns such as Techeun Force and Glacioclasm, it’s hard to look away from Nox Perennial’s poor suite of stats in the far more competitive PvP environment. Under Pressure and Kickstart, even after the former was hit with a nerf this season, is still such a reliable workhorse combination that you’ll be able to find success at close to medium range with this gun.
Because of its stats though, the choice of barrel and battery that you go for need to focus on bringing its statistics up to a competitive level. That means a hard focus on range with Projection Fuse, and the well-rounded package that Corkscrew Rifling represents.
Ultimately, a PvP god roll of Nox Perennial V is more about having a gun that can tide you over until you gain access to better options—such as Pressurized Precision from Destiny 2’s Iron Banner event—rather than setting you up with something that will have you set for years.
