Echoes Act 2 introduced five new Artifact Mods, two of which improved all Sniper Rifles. However, the one Exotic that was supposed to benefit the most from these mods remains as ineffective as ever.
Five new seasonal mods were introduced in Act 2, including Anti-Barrier Sniper Rifle and Sniper’s Meditation. These two mods can be used in combination to stun Barrier Champions, boost damage by 25% in specific activities, and provide extra damage, stability, and reload speed after each shot for Snipers.
Despite these enhancements, it is reasonable to assume that the top Snipers would experience a surge in popularity. This is somewhat accurate, as evidenced by the frequent usage of Snipers such as Still Hunt and Whisper of the Worm in the current meta, and the success of Cloudstrike in certain builds.
Despite receiving double stacks from Sniper’s Meditation, D.A.R.C.I has still maintained its status as the worst Exotic weapon in the sandbox, even with the benefit of these two mods. This is a significant disappointment, especially considering that all Heavy Snipers also receive the same advantage.
D.A.R.C.I allows its user to mark and scan combatants to see information about them.
The issue is straightforward. Despite the application of these artifact mods, D.A.R.C.I’s damage per second remains unimpressively low, and the Personal Assistant perk is only a novelty. The ability to view an enemy’s health and distance is never going to be beneficial in any activity, and the damage increase from this perk is insufficient to make a significant impact.
Despite its catalyst, D.A.R.C.I does not receive any significant benefits. The only effect of the catalyst is an increase of 18 stability for the Sniper. There are no extra abilities or damage, only a slight improvement in stability to make landing consecutive shots slightly easier.
Despite Bungie’s efforts, the Destiny developer’s buff to D.A.R.C.I during Season 19 only slightly improved its viability. The addition of Jolt to the Personal Assistant perk increased its damage and allowed for debuffing of enemies. However, it was not sufficient in making the Exotic Sniper Rifle a truly viable option.
The fact that D.A.R.C.I is having difficulty even with Act 2’s Artifact Mods suggests that it may be in need of a significant buff or a potential rework. This could involve a significant increase in damage, a change to Special ammo, or a complete overhaul of its functionality, potentially making it the Gjallarhorn of Snipers. Regardless of the approach chosen by Bungie, there is no doubt that D.A.R.C.I is in greater need of a buff than any other Exotic weapon.
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