Destiny 2’s Nightfall activity brings a slew of exclusive weapons for players to obtain with some luck and Adept versions of them for those who brave the Grandmaster Nightfall. Though it was vaulted with Beyond Light, Duty Bound returned in Season of the Risen, bringing a series of new perks and combinations. This gave it a series of options primarily for PvE content, with four different ways to directly boost damage and Fourth Time’s the Charm as another option (out of six possible choices in the fourth column).
With the overhaul, Duty Bound became a coveted weapon, and for more than just its novelty. With good stats and solid perks, this 600rpm might just take your Kinetic slot.
Here are our god rolls for Duty Bound to make the most out of its potential. The perk list here reflects the data on d2gunsmith.
Duty Bound PvE god roll
- Barrel: Arrowhead Brake, Corkscrew Rifling, or Chambered Compensator (Arrowhead will get your recoil direction to 90, with another 15 from a Counterbalance Stock mod, though you can’t really go wrong with any here)
- Mag: Tactical Mag, Appended Mag, or Flared Magwell
- Third column: Perpetual Motion (Honorable mentions: Triple Tap, Stats For All)
- Fourth column: One For All, Rampage, Frenzy, or Vorpal Weapon (Honorable mention: Fourth Time’s the Charm).
Duty Bound PvP god roll
- Barrel: Hammer-Forged Rifling
- Mag: Accurized Rounds
- Third column: Perpetual Motion or Steady Hands
- Fourth column: Rampage or Dynamic Sway Reduction
The Duty Bound PvE god roll takes advantage of the large suite of PvE perks it has, offering a series of avenues to maximize raw damage or prolong fire with Fourth Time’s the Charm. For the PvE god roll, we went with three choices that improve Duty Bound’s recoil control and stability. The weapon doesn’t really need that much extra range or handling, so we felt the recoil was the most noticeable improvement, with Perpetual Motion providing a bonus boost to stability and handling. For magazines, we went with mag size or reload speed as well.
As for the PvE perks, Duty Bound has a series of good options to choose from, and any combination that doesn’t involve Compulsive Reloader, Zen Moment, Steady Hands, or Dynamic Sway Reduction will likely be worth using and among the top of our god roll. We picked Perpetual Motion and Stats For All for their boost to several stats and simple triggers, but Triple Tap can also keep you firing longer.
For the PvP god roll, we went with parts that gave as much range as possible. Duty Bound doesn’t have PvP-specific perks like Quickdraw or Snapshot Sights, though, so Steady Hands and Perpetual Motion are the natural choices in the third column. Out of the perks in column four, Rampage has the most consistent trigger in the Crucible, so that one is also an easy choice. Dynamic Sway Reduction can help with your accuracy, too, so pick whichever you prefer (or whichever you can find).
If you’re looking to know what works and why, though, here’s a breakdown of Duty Bound’s perks so you know what can go to Banshee-44 and what goes in your vault.
First perk column
Triple Tap vs. Perpetual Motion vs. Stats For All
Perpetual Motion and Stats For All will boost a series of attributes and will have a fairly consistent uptime. If you’re looking for functionality, these two might be more useful than Triple Tap. Choosing between them is a matter of taste, though.
Triple Tap, on the other hand, is more commonly seen in god rolls for snipers or linear fusion rifles, but Duty Bound can still get some benefit out of it. It refills a bullet every third precision shot, so in practice, it gives you more bullets to shoot without reloading. Duty Bound is also one of the few weapons that can roll Triple Tap and Fourth Time’s the Charm at the same time, which opens up for fun, even if gimmicky, perk combinations.
Steady Hands vs. Zen Moment
Steady Hands is a solid quality-of-life perk, increasing handling for all weapons after a kill. This means quick ADS and weapon swaps, so this perk shouldn’t be underestimated. It may not be as coveted as the other three above it, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.
Zen Moment, on the other hand, improves stability as you deal damage, but it brings more utility to controller players. It’s still a solid perk, but it’s not as desirable as the other ones on the list.
Compulsive Reloader
This is one of the few perks that make Duty Bound’s perk pool less than perfect. Compulse Reloader, at least in its release state alongside Season of the Risen, only activates for the first 30 percent of your magazine, so you’re better off going with anything else on this list.
Second perk column
Rampage vs. One For All
This trio is among the best damage-boosting perks in Destiny 2 and Duty Bound can roll with any of them. Rampage needs a kill to activate and stacks up to three times, giving you 10/21/33 percent damage depending on how many stacks you have, lasting up to five seconds and stacking every kill. Its effectiveness falls off in Grandmaster Nightfalls or content where kills are less frequent, but it’s still an excellent perk for all-around use and a top-tier choice.
One For All provides a larger damage buff than Rampage (a flat 35 percent) for longer if you shoot three different enemies in quick succession, which is particularly helpful in higher-level content where you might find yourself below the recommended Power Level. Duty Bound can also roll Stats For All, giving you the benefits of two perks with a single trigger.
Frenzy vs. Vorpal Weapon vs. Fourth Time’s The Charm
Frenzy and Fourth Time’s The Charm are definitely good options, though they don’t pack as much firepower as our top three choices. Frenzy activates after 12 seconds in combat and gives a 15-percent damage boost as long as you’re in combat after it procs (and that’s before factoring in the buff to handling and reload).
Vorpal Weapon, on the other hand, gives you a 20-percent damage buff when shooting at a Champion, Major, or boss. Though Vorpal won’t have much uptime in your garden-variety low-end activities, its usefulness increases exponentially in Nightfalls and higher-level raids, especially when Champion mods are involved.
Fourth Time’s The Charm helps you delay reloads by giving you two rounds after landing four precision shots in quick succession, which can be particularly deadly when taking into account Duty Bound’s high magazine size. That said, it just doesn’t provide the flat-out damage buffs that other perks on this list offer, which puts it below the competition on our god roll.
Dynamic Sway Reduction
Dynamic Sway Reduction isn’t necessarily a bad perk, but it’s up against tough competition. It makes your weapon more accurate as long as you’re holding the trigger, and that effect pales in comparison to the higher damage numbers you’ll get from the rest of the choices. That situation changes slightly for PvP. It can help with landing shots in the Crucible, and you won’t really get frequent benefits from One For All, Frenzy, Vorpal Weapon, or Fourth Time’s the Charm. This makes it more valued for PvP players.
