Base weapons aren't the only things being balanced with Destiny's December update. Detailing the anxiously-awaited weapon tuning update, Bungie revealed a few changes coming to some already-existing exotic weapons, including a much-needed nerf to Hawkmoon.
The First Curse
Whereas The Last Word is designed for close range, rapid hip fire, The First Curse is designed to be a heavy hitting, slow firing pistol that requires precise aim. Bungie is continuing to tweak the hand cannon, "emphasizing its strengths as the longest range hand cannon."
- The First Curse perk now refills the magazine when activated, provides better Stability, better Target Acquisition, and damage falloff starts further out while the perk remains active.
- +25 to First Curse base range.
- Fixed a bug where The First Curse perk would deactivate if the player summoned their Ghost.
- Boost to Imprecation base range and magazine size.
Hawkmoon
Hate to be the one to say this, but I believe GameZone's Destiny specialist Austin Wood predicted this one a while back. Hawkmoon is probably the most overpowered hand cannon in Destiny right now, and it's getting nerfed.
- Reduce base Range by 20.
- Lucky bullets from both Luck in the Chamber and Holding Aces now deal 1.2x bonus damage (was 1.3x).
The Chaperone
After internally playtesting The Chaperone with the 2.1.0 shotgun changes, Bungie noticed it "rose above in a tremendously anxiety-ridden way." The Chaperone will be getting its base damage reduced but its precision damage increased.
- Reduce base damage.
- Increase precision damage scalar to 1.75x (was 1.1x).
Fabian Strategy
- Front Lines perk on Fabian Strategy no longer buffs Rate of Fire as a bonus modifier. Front Lines now increases the base Rate of Fire stat to highest speed. Damage per bullet is offset to match the High RoF archetype.
- Removed Extended Mag perk and replaced with Flared Magwell. Removed Small Bore perk and replaced with Rifled Barrel. Needed to make these changes to prevent shipping a magazine bug that could trigger when reloading the weapon while Front Lines perk was active.
- Increased base Reload and Stability on the weapon to help offset the removed stat upgrades.
Black Spindle
- Removed scope upgrades from Black Spindle talent grid (Spindle only has one scope). Replaced with Barrel upgrades.
Sleeper Simulant
Unfortunately, the ammo swap exploit is being removed, but at least the Sleeper Simulant is getting a much-needed ammo capacity buff.
- Maximum inventory ammo buffed (from 7 -> 9)
- Ammo swap exploit removed (weapon no longer converts one ammo from a different heavy weapon to a full inventory)
- Inventory no longer benefits from Fusion Rifle armor perks, but does benefit from Heavy Ammo armor perks.
Not all of the changes will please Guardians, but fret not as Bungie revealed that a new batch of Year One Exotics will be getting the Year Two upgrade treatment in December as well.
