The final act of Destiny 2’s first content episode, Echoes, introduces significant enhancements to gameplay and weaponry. The newly unveiled Speleologist, a Solar machine gun, serves as an effective alternative to the Fixed Odds from the Duality dungeon. This rapid-fire machine gun boasts a fire rate of 900 RPM, allowing players to unleash a torrent of damage on tough adversaries while efficiently dispatching smaller foes. Equipped with a variety of useful Solar-specific perks, Speleologist can synergize well with the other weapons from the Echoes episode and enhance Solar builds.
How to Obtain Speleologist
Speleologist can be acquired through random drops from completing activities associated with Echoes, such as Battlegrounds, Enigma Protocol, and Breach Executable. Players are guaranteed one roll of the weapon upon completing the Echoes weekly story missions. To tune Echoes Engrams for Speleologist drops, players must first complete the new Nessus Sample missions in Act 3 to unlock that upgrade. Additionally, Speleologist is craftable, allowing players to customize their version of the weapon with enhanced perks.
Speleologist God Rolls
PvE God Roll
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Barrel: Arrowhead Brake / Fluted Barrel
Arrowhead Brake: +30 Recoil, +10 Handling
Fluted Barrel: +5 Stability, +15 Handling -
Magazine: Appended Mag / Tactical Mag
Appended Mag: +14 Magazine
Tactical Mag: +7 Magazine, +5 Stability, +10 Reload Speed -
First Perk: Enlightened Action / Envious Assassin
Enlightened Action: Boosts reload speed and handling after dealing damage.
Envious Assassin: Defeating targets with other weapons before switching transfers additional ammo to this weapon’s magazine. -
Second Perk: Incandescent / Killing Tally
Incandescent: Defeats spread scorch effects to nearby targets.
Killing Tally: Final blows increase damage until stowed or reloaded. - Masterwork: Stability
Speleologist is an excellent choice for a Solar machine gun in PvE, especially in roles focused on crowd control. While it may not be the best, it offers reliable perks useful even without a dedicated build. Prioritize stability in the barrel and magazine selections to ensure consistent critical hits, alongside choices that enhance magazine size, handling, and reload speed.
For perks, Enlightened Action significantly boosts reload speed, a crucial advantage in battle. Incandescent works exceptionally well for eliminating enemies in challenging scenarios and doesn’t require a strict Solar build to maximize its effect. Killing Tally provides a substantial damage increase for tougher enemies after clearing out smaller ones, making Speleologist an effective tool for wiping out groups of enemies when paired with other synergistic weapons.
PvP God Roll
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Barrel: Polygonal Rifling / Hammer-Forged Rifling
Polygonal Rifling: +10 Stability
Hammer-Forged Rifling: +10 Range -
Magazine: Accurized Rounds / Steady Rounds
Accurized Rounds: +10 Range
Steady Rounds: +15 Stability, -5 Range, +7 Airborne Effectiveness -
First Perk: Slideways / Firmly Planted
Slideways: Allows partial reloads while sliding, boosting handling and stability.
Firmly Planted: Increases accuracy, stability, and handling while crouched. -
Second Perk: Killing Tally
Killing Tally: Final blows increase damage until stowed or reloaded. - Masterwork: Stability
While Speleologist may not be the top choice for PvP engagements, it remains a viable option. Players should focus on boosting range and stability to keep shots accurate. Both Slideways and Firmly Planted can enhance performance in quick skirmishes, making it crucial to select the perk that aligns with individual playstyles. Killing Tally can be advantageous for those capable of achieving multi-kills, leading to increased damage with each successful elimination.
