Crimil’s Dagger, one of Destiny 2‘s most beloved hand cannons, is back, and with a couple of coveted perks in god rolls for both PvE and PvP.
This returning Iron Banner hand cannon continues to be an excellent choice across both Destiny 2 activity types, and for more than just how it looks and sounds. Crimil’s Dagger is deadly in its own right, and it doesn’t have that much competition in the realm of 120rpm Kinetic hand cannons (Though Malediction does exist).
Here are the god rolls for Crimil’s Dagger in both PvE and PvP in Destiny 2.
Crimil’s Dagger PvE god rolls and best perks in Destiny 2
- Barrel: Smallbore, Corkscrew Rifling, or Polygonal Rifling
- Mag: Appended Mag, Tactical Mag, or Flared Magwell
- Third column: Enlightened Action or Outlaw
- Strategist can work if you want class ability energy for your build)
- Fourth column: Explosive Payload or Kill Clip
Better Devils and Igneous Hammer, two 120rpms from Crucible and Trials of Osiris, can use the One Quiet Moment origin trait to speed up reloads. Crimil’s Dagger doesn’t have that luxury, which means there are very few ways to bypass its long-winded animation. Enlightened Action and Outlaw are excellent choices to get back to firing quickly, each with its advantages. Enlightened Action doesn’t rely on headshots (or kills) and can be an excellent choice for high-end play, while Outlaw also works well if you can land crits. Crimil’s Dagger hits like a truck, so it’s bound to get some kills even in sturdier targets.
Strategist can work if you need extra class ability energy, but the cost of not running a reload perk in Crimil’s Dagger is steep. It’s a hefty tradeoff, and we’re leaning toward reload.
Generally, guns shine with a reload or utility perk, and this hand cannon has access to two great contenders: Explosive Payload and Kill Clip. The two are established in most god rolls, and naturally, they feature in our picks. Explosive Payload is a good damage boost, while Kill Clip makes Crimil’s Dagger particularly lethal after a kill.
Your choice here depends on damage and availability, but Explosive Payload removes part of the damage falloff regardless of distance and doesn’t need a kill to proc. In higher-end content, the latter is probably the play due to that falloff.
Crimil’s Dagger PvP god rolls and best perks in Destiny 2
- Barrel: Hammer-Forged Rifling or Smallbore
- Mag: Accurized Rounds
- Third column: Moving Target
- Fourth column: Precision Instrument, Kill Clip, Opening Shot, or Explosive Payload
As a PvP hand cannon, Crimil’s Dagger also brings good perks for the Crucible. Opening Shot makes it easier to land the first shot in a fight, and since Crimil’s will generally kill in at least three bullets, this can help you get an important edge on a fight. Likewise, Kill Clip is pretty self-explanatory thanks to the damage boost after a kill. It drops the time-to-kill to two headshots and one crit when active (via data from d2foundry), though it requires a kill to get there.
Precision Instrument may shine in PvP, especially if your aim is good enough to get enough mileage out of it. Like Kill Clip, this perk got a shoutout in an official blog post, and it’s potent enough to justify that attention. It has the same effect of drawing down the time-to-kill values to one bodyshot and two crits without requiring a kill, as shown by jazzinyourface. Precision Instrument does reset on misses.
How to get Crimil’s Dagger in Destiny 2
Crimil’s Dagger is available as a reward from Iron Banner. During Echoes, it’s available at rank seven with Lord Saladin. Guardians can spend one Iron Engram to focus it, and the new two-week-long Iron Banner model grants players bigger windows to grab this weapon.
Unlike previous seasons, obtaining the first copy of Crimil’s Dagger is easier this time. We got our first drop of this hand cannon on our first match, without even needing to level up with Lord Saladin. After that, we could use Iron Engrams to focus it at a 1:1 ratio. Weapon and Engram drops will be more plentiful after matches, according to Bungie, even if you lose—so get ready to fight other guardians for a god roll of this weapon.