Destiny had a decent variety of weapons when it launched and DLC packs The Dark Below and House of Wolves have only added to the fun. But we haven’t seen anything yet; the first major expansion, The Taken King, will bring huge amounts of boomsticks when it launches in September.
“The Taken King features the largest armory any Guardian has ever seen, and that includes the original launch of the game last year,” according to a new Bungie.net update.
These weapons won’t just be plentiful; Bungie wants to infuse the weapon selection with “more diversity – and heritage”. To this end it has created three “foundries” – weapon manufacturers with very different approaches and selections.
Looks, design goals and special abilities vary between foundries. Even the way the foundry weapons’ perks work is different according to its approaches. Here’s a quick run down of each:
Häkke – Functional. Reliable. Unapologetic.
Design Pillars provided by Lead Artist Raj Nattam:
- Hammers, not scalpels
- Relatable design harkening back to a lost era
- Hakke is not about exciting form, it is about exciting function
- A weapon’s weapon
- Hakke is the instrument of the people
Tactical Analysis provided by Sandbox Designer Jon Weisnewski:
Building reliable tools built for soldiers in the field, Hakke values simplicity over intricacy. Function over flair. Hakke weapons all start with a more tightly focused band of base stats that don’t spike as high or low as other weapon families, granting a solid foundation for growing the weapon. On a Hakke talent grid you’ll see a simplified set of scopes that work best for the weapon, front-loaded perk nodes, with the stat upgrade options occupying the final column. Hakke perk selection is focused on offensive actions and combat tactics. Hakke Pulse Rifles fire a burst of four rounds with damage adjusted to match the DPS of a three round burst, meaning the pulse rounds do less individually but are equal as a group. Fire time between bursts is slightly faster.
Omolon – The future is what we make it.
Design Pillars provided by Lead Artist Raj Nattam:
- Experimental, bordering on irresponsible
- Powered by barely understood technology
- A fusion of the mad scientist and product engineer of the new frontier
- Hallmark is the liquid ammo displays and Omolon power cells
- Omolon is the future returned
Tactical Analysis provided by Sandbox Designer Jon Weisnewski:
Pioneers of energy weaponry, Omolon is the first foundry to experiment beyond the world of combustion ballistics. Sporting lighter ergonomic frames, Omolon weapons all start with generous base handling stats to build from. Omolon talent grids focus on behavioral perks over stat customization. Legendary talent grids are the only weapons that offer three perks: one as the first non-scope upgrade and two as a binary choice in the final column. Perk selection favors perks that are energy based and/or go beyond the weapon to interact with the wielder’s abilities or status.
Suros – Elegance in the face of brutality.
Design Pillars provided by Lead Artist Raj Nattam:
- This is my sword
- Function is a given; it must be given form
- Design is honed, precision
- Every curve, every line, every chamfer speaks to the Suros philosophy
- Suros is elegance amidst brutality
Tactical Analysis provided by Sandbox Designer Jon Weisnewski:
Some say the best weapon for a Guardian is the one they can customize to match their intent. Suros believes in options – weapons that can be repurposed for a variety of combat situations. Suros talent grids offer two columns of two stat perks, granting more options for changing weapon stats than any other foundry. The single behavior perk is grounded in the middle of the talent grid as a focus point for the weapon’s core potential. If you want a weapon that can flex from CQ to ranged, quick to powerful, fast handling to hard hitting all with the swap of a few nodes: SUROS.
You can see example weapons from these three brands through the source link above. Destiny: the Taken King launches both as an expansion and a stand-alone re-release on September 15.