Commander Zavala got a new tool for the Vanguard’s arsenal with the release of Season of the Seraph: a Stasis-based SMG called Prolonged Engagement. This Veist laser beam comes with a 900rpm rate of fire, the Veist Stinger origin trait, and a couple of new perks under its belt, which make it a novelty addition to any guardian’s arsenal.
Its usefulness doesn’t just lie in its entertainment value, though. Prolonged Engagement may be the Stasis cousin to Funnelweb (which, in turn, is the spiritual successor to the now-sunset Recluse SMG), but it’s also a strong weapon in its own right. Here are the god rolls for this Stasis SMG so you know what to keep and what to dismantle.
Prolonged Engagement PvE god roll in Destiny 2
- Barrel: Arrowhead Brake, Corkscrew Rifling, or Smallbore
- Mag: High-Caliber Rounds, Armor-Piercing Rounds, or Flared Magwell
- First perk: Subsistence, Feeding Frenzy, or Outlaw (Honorable mention: Fourth Time’s The Charm)
- Second perk: Headstone, Target Lock, Multikill Clip, One For All, or Frenzy (Honorable mention: Surrounded)
Prolonged Engagement PvP god roll in Destiny 2
- Barrel: Arrowhead Brake, Corkscrew Rifling, or Smallbore
- Mag: High-Caliber Rounds, Armor-Piercing Rounds, or Light Mag
- First perk: Killing Wind or Eye of the Storm
- Second perk: Rangefinder or Encore
Best perks for Prolonged Engagement: third column
With 12 perks on each column to choose from, we’ve separated the best perks in both the third and fourth column. Some of the perks that aren’t on this list can work well (such as Pugilist), but they may not offer as much benefit as the others.
Subsistence, Feeding Frenzy, and Outlaw
When it comes to an SMG—especially one that fires as quickly as Prolonged Engagement—maintaining fire is key. Subsistence allows you to fire for longer by delaying your reload, and it also gives you more chance to proc the Veist Stinger origin trait.
Feeding Frenzy makes your reloads faster depending on how many enemies you’ve killed before reloading, with more kills giving you a bigger bonus. Outlaw, on the other hand, makes for a quick reload just like Feeding Frenzy. If you can land precision hits without much of a hassle, Outlaw might be better than it, but Feeding Frenzy continues to be a great choice. While we’re partial to Subsistence, focus on whichever one you prefer or what you can get your hands on. Any of these will make for a great weapon.
Fourth Time’s the Charm
Fourth Time’s the Charm plays in similar spaces to Subsistence by also delaying your reload. Fourth Time’s the Charm on a bullet hose that brings 900 rounds per minute means there are plenty of rounds to trigger the perk, but Subsistence means you only need one kill to get a chunk of your magazine back.
Heating Up
Heating Up is a solid all-rounder perk. With it, weapon kills with Prolonged Engagement increase its stability and improve its recoil, making for easier shots. The other perks on our list have a more palpable impact, but you can’t go wrong with Heating Up either.
PvP: Killing Wind, Eye of the Storm
Two staple PvP perks can also roll in Prolonged Engagement, and odds are that’s where you’ll look if you intend to take Prolonged Engagement to the Crucible. Killing Wind improves mobility and range after a kill, while Eye of the Storm gives you more accuracy and handling as your health decreases. Choosing between these is usually up to preference.
Best perks for Prolonged Engagement: fourth column
Target Lock
Prolonged Engagement can roll with Target Lock, one of the most flavorful perks in Destiny 2, especially at the release of Season of Seraph. Keeping your aim on a target will grant you a damage boost toward them, turning this fast-firing weapon into a laser. It’s fun, it’s effective, and it’s a solid choice for players who want some variety.
Headstone
If Funnelweb was already great, allowing it to make Stasis Crystals can make Prolonged Engagement even better. After all, shatter damage and freezing enemies make for great crowd control in a weapon category that already thrives when it comes to handling mobs. Headstone won’t give you a direct boost to damage, but the utility and flavor it brings already make this perk more than worth considering.
Multikill Clip, One For All, Frenzy, Surrounded
Of course, with 12 perks to choose from in column four, players were bound to encounter some heavy hitters. Now that Kill Clip is refreshable (as of the Season of the Seraph patch), Multikill Clip lost a bit of its allure, but it continues to be a solid choice. One For All also has a relatively easy trigger and provides a good damage bonus. Frenzy only requires you to be in combat for 12 seconds before activating, which is also not exactly an issue in longer engagements. The now-buffed Surrounded can also be a good choice thanks to its hefty damage and it has a relatively easy trigger, though its activation may be more unreliable than others on this list—particularly compared to Multikill Clip.
PvP: Rangefinder, Encore
Having extra range on your weapon in PvP can gain you a few meters of range-based damage fall-off, which can make a difference when playing outside Prolonged Engagement’s optimal range. Rangefinder gives you that by boosting the Zoom stat, while Encore does that through a lengthier process. Rangefinder is better, but in the absence of it, Encore can serve a decent purpose.
