Does Rampage Work on Glaives in Destiny 2? A Deep Dive

▶

The short, definitive answer is: no, Rampage does not affect the melee damage of Glaives. Rampage, a weapon perk that grants increased damage after each kill with the weapon, only affects the projectile portion of the Glaive. While you might see the Rampage buff icon appear after a projectile kill, it will not enhance the damage output of the Glaive’s melee attack. This distinction is crucial for understanding how to effectively utilize Glaives and which perks and mods synergize best with their unique mechanics.

Understanding Glaive Mechanics

Glaives occupy a unique space in the Destiny 2 arsenal, functioning as a hybrid between ranged weapons and melee tools. They have a projectile attack, which behaves like a traditional weapon, and a melee attack, which is treated differently by the game’s systems. This dual nature leads to some confusion regarding which perks and mods apply to which aspect of the Glaive. It’s essential to grasp this separation to optimize your Glaive builds. The Glaive is a great weapon to use in Destiny 2! If you are interested in learning more about the intersection of gaming and learning, check out the Games Learning Society.

The Projectile vs. The Melee

The projectile attack benefits from standard weapon damage buffs, such as Rampage, Kill Clip, Swashbuckler, and Frenzy. However, the melee attack is considered a separate entity and only benefits from melee damage buffs, such as those provided by exotic armor pieces like Winter’s Guile and Wormgod Caress, or certain subclass abilities.

This separation means that building a Glaive loadout requires a specific approach. You can’t simply rely on standard weapon perks to enhance both aspects of the weapon. You need to focus on mods and abilities that specifically boost either projectile damage or melee damage, or those that provide utility benefits applicable to both.

Synergies and Alternatives

While Rampage doesn’t directly boost the melee damage, there are other perks and mods that work wonderfully with Glaives, opening up exciting build possibilities.

• Grave Robber: This perk synergizes exceptionally well with Glaives, allowing you to reload your weapon with each melee kill. This makes it ideal for aggressive, close-quarters combat where you’re constantly engaging with melee attacks.

• Frenzy: Although Frenzy doesn’t affect the melee damage, the reload speed, handling, and damage boost it provides to the projectile portion of the Glaive is invaluable, particularly in longer engagements.

• Glaive-Specific Mods: Mods like Combo Fury, Combo Killer, Mark of the Beast, and Power Throw enhance various aspects of the Glaive, from damage to handling. These mods are exclusive to Glaives and should be a priority when building your Glaive loadout.

• Melee-Enhancing Exotics: Exotics like Synthoceps (for Titans) and Winter’s Guile (for Warlocks) can significantly boost Glaive melee damage, turning your Glaive into a devastating melee weapon.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions about Glaives and their interactions with various perks, mods, and abilities:

1. Do Glaive melee kills count as melee kills for all purposes? Not always. While they count for some things, like Void 3.0 Fragments and some exotic armor perks, they often don’t trigger perks that rely on “weapon kills.”

2. Does Feeding Frenzy affect the Glaive’s melee attack? No, Feeding Frenzy only improves the reload speed of the projectile.

3. Do Synthoceps or Wormgod Caress work with Glaive melee? Yes! These exotic armor pieces boost melee damage, which directly impacts the damage of the Glaive’s melee attack.

4. Does Grave Robber work on Glaives? Yes, Grave Robber reloads your Glaive when you get melee kills, making it a great pairing for aggressive melee builds.

5. Which is better for Glaives: Frenzy or Rampage? It depends on your playstyle. Rampage is great for quickly clearing weaker enemies, while Frenzy excels in longer engagements where you can maintain the buff.

6. Which exotic Glaive is considered the best? This is subjective and depends on the current meta, but Winterbite is often considered one of the strongest due to its unique freeze capabilities. Vexcalibur is very popular as well.

7. Is Frenzy or Vorpal Weapon better for a Glaive? Frenzy offers more versatility with its reload speed and handling benefits, while Vorpal Weapon provides a consistent damage boost against bosses.

8. Does Knockout work with Glaives? Knockout does not start health regeneration on glaive melee final blows. Echo of Leeching will.

9. Does Unrelenting work on Glaives? Unrelenting will not activate on Glaive Melee Kills.

10. Do Glaives work with Echo of Exchange? Yes! You will get grenade energy on melee kills which yes, triggers on glaive stabbing.

11. Do Glaives work with Banner of War? Yes! Defeating a target with a melee finisher, sword, or glaive activates Banner of War

12. Do glaives work with melee exotics? Glaives are technically melee but they don’t trigger most melee related exotics at this point in time.

13. Do surge mods work with glaive melee? Unfortunately, Focusing Strike and Impact Induction (Arm Mods), Kinetic Weapon Surge (Leg Mod), and Kinetic Siphon (Head Mod) do not work off of Glaive melee.

14. Does adrenaline junkie work on glaive melee? Glaive melee does not give a stack of adrenaline junkie.

15. Is Glaive strength or dex? Strength is needed. If a melee weapon has the Finesse property, you can use Dexterity instead of Strength.

Conclusion

Understanding the nuances of how Glaives interact with various perks and mods is crucial for maximizing their potential in Destiny 2. While Rampage may not directly affect the melee damage, there are plenty of other options for building powerful and effective Glaive loadouts. Experiment with different combinations of perks, mods, and exotics to find what works best for your playstyle. With the right setup, Glaives can be a formidable weapon in both PvE and PvP. You can learn more about gaming at GamesLearningSociety.org.