The third reprisal of the Warmind expansion’s iconic IKELOS weapons in Destiny 2 is no doubt one of the most exciting additions to the loot table in Season of the Seraph. Each iteration of the collection has enjoyed some prominent time in the spotlight, most notoriously in Season of Arrivals when paired with Warmind Cell mods before their nerf and removal.
Incredible rolls and a powerful frame gave the IKELOS SMG the crown above its compatriots, and in its refreshed form for the new season, it looks set to reclaim its throne once more. While Warmind Cells are no longer a popular pick compared to the more powerful Charged With Light and Elemental Well mod builds, a few key changes to Light subclasses and one new perk keep this submachine gun just as potent.
Related: The best PvE weapons in Destiny 2 Lightfall
First off, there’s the Arc 3.0 rework that was released with Season of Plunder. This added new effects and abilities to the Arc subclass and further enabled Arc weapons to synergize with Arc abilities. The IKELOS SMG is an Arc weapon, meaning it can work with Fragments such as Spark of Discharge. But most importantly, it is one of the only weapons that can roll with Voltshot, a powerful PvE perk previously only found on the likes of the Brigand’s Law sidearm.
Combine its rare 750 RPM Aggressive Frame and the addition of Voltshot to its perk pool alongside classic favorites from its Season of Arrivals incarnation, and the IKELOS SMG is once again an essential submachine gun to add to your collection. It’s also now craftable, which means each of its perks can also be upgraded to an enhanced version.
What is the god roll for the IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3 in Destiny 2?
IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3 PvE god roll
- Barrel: Corkscrew Rifling
- Magazine: Seraph Rounds
- First perk: Feeding Frenzy
- Second perk: Voltshot
Competing with Voltshot is a non-starter in PvE with the current setup of the perk, but there are a number of great options to pair with it in the first column.
Whether you’re just looking to increase the reload speed of the weapon and improve the uptime of Voltshot or you want a more widespread boost to stats, there are choices for you. Seraph Rounds did receive a nerf heading into the season but still stands tall as an amazing magazine choice.
IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3 PvE god roll
- Barrel: Smallbore
- Magazine: Accurized Rounds
- First perk: Perpetual Motion or Killing Wind
- Second perk: Rangefinder
The IKELOS SMG isn’t a weapon you will more than likely be building for a PvP environment, but there are god rolls that you can hunt down if you are so inclined. This is thanks to the presence of classic perks such as Killing Wind, Perpetual Motion, Rangefinder, and Tap The Trigger, which have historically worked well to increase the potency of submachine guns in a Crucible environment where they are easily out-ranged.
Even if the gun’s god rolls are set in stone, the rest of its perk pool is nothing to slouch at either. There are combinations here that can work for any kind of build, be it ability-based or something more nostalgically reliving the IKELOS SMG’s glory days.
First Perk
Feeding Frenzy
An extremely reliable perk for PvE, Feeding Frenzy’s significant boosts to the weapon’s reload speed makes it a perfect pick to pair with Voltshot. As Voltshot requires a reload after killing a combatant in order to activate its effect, it’s natural to utilize a perk in the first column that can decrease the downtime that these reloads cause. Faster reloads mean more hits infused with Jolt and more carnage in any encounter.
Perpetual Motion
Perpetual Motion is always a popular recommendation with gun rolls as there’s rarely a scenario where its benefits aren’t useful. Increases to handling, stability, and reload speed from continuous movement alone are a great utility boon when you will rarely be standing still with a weapon like the IKELOS SMG.
Its weaker effects as a perk compared to Feeding Frenzy mean it just misses out on being included in the god roll, but it’s a great alternative and also fantastic in PvP.
Killing Wind
Submachine guns often struggle with range by nature of the type of weapon they are, and Killing Wind can do a lot to amend that problem. The perk gives sizeable bonuses to movement speed, range, and handling that can be very effective in both PvE and PvP.
Taking Killing Wind on the IKELOS SMG is very much a personal choice and one that is hard to argue with even if it isn’t the objectively best choice on the menu.
Threat Detector
The combination of Threat Detector and Surrounded was iconic on the Season of Arrivals rendition of the IKELOS SMG, as both perks are designed to work in an identical environment. Season of the Seraph’s seasonal activities are pretty dense with enemies at close range, meaning Threat Detector has a good chance to proc its bonuses to reload speed, stability, and handling.
Whether it’s worth taking over a perk like Perpetual Motion that can do a similar job for a much smaller requirement, however, is up to you.
Dynamic Sway Reduction
A harder recommendation to make, but Dynamic Sway Reduction has some potential if it was to be paired with Tap The Trigger in the second column for a highly precise, long-range build of the IKELOS SMG for PvP. The accuracy and stability bonuses for sustained fire can follow effortlessly from the bonuses Tap The Trigger provides to the first few bullets of the magazine.
Shoot to Loot and Shot Swap
These two perks are the unfortunate victims of a pool that is largely made up of incredible alternatives. Shoot to Loot may have some utility in endgame activities if you want to safely obtain Special and Heavy ammo bricks from afar, but a submachine gun isn’t a traditional choice for this style of gameplay.
Even with Shoot to Loot’s additional benefit of collecting Orbs of Light, it just doesn’t cut the mustard compared to our preferred perks.
Second Perk
Voltshot
A perk that was already making waves when it only existed on a sidearm and a linear fusion rifle last season, Voltshot is in even higher demand on a submachine gun as statistically impressive as the IKELOS SMG. Whether you’re running the Arc subclass or not, Voltshot is the best choice for upgrading the weapon’s potential for clearing out a crowd of enemies quickly.
Rangefinder
Rangefinder is a great perk but almost exclusively for usage in PvP. There’s little reason to take it over one of the damage-boosting perks for a PvE environment, but the bonuses to range and zoom magnification can make the difference in PvP battles where submachine guns are traditionally out-ranged.
Frenzy and Surrounded
These two perks compete for the silver medal in the damage department for the second perk column, and your choice between them comes down to personal preference. Surrounded has great synergy with Threat Detector, while Frenzy is more universally applicable. Surrounded’s bonus to weapon damage is also far greater than Frenzy’s due to the more difficult activation requirements, making it a choice of ease versus potency.
Tap The Trigger
Tap The Trigger struggles in the shadow of Rangefinder when it comes to PvP perks in this column but has some potential to work with Dynamic Sway Reduction for a niche prospective build that some players may wish to investigate.
Gutshot Straight and Pugilist
These two perks struggle to impress against the backdrop of far more impressive alternatives. Gutshot Straight did receive some buffs that may make it more tempting for players willing to give it a shot—with damage dealt to the body through ADS being increased—but it’s hard to justify it over Voltshot. Pugilist similarly can be great for a melee build but holds little water for any player not heavily investing in their melee abilities.
