The Dawning has returned to Destiny 2 in 2022. With it comes the annual task of baking cookies, getting into snowball fights and so much more holiday fun. And what, for a Guardian, is more emblematic of festive cheer than getting a suite of new guns? If you want some more information on how to acquire all of these new rolls, you can find our guide on the Dawning 2022 here.
In this year’s edition of the Dawning, Bungie has added a brand new Legendary Pulse Rifle to the game exclusive to the seasonal event. Alongside that, all 4 of the old Dawning weapons have gotten a facelift and an updated perk pool, as well as access to the unique Dawning Origin Trait. Even if you’ve gotten these weapons before, there are a fair few reasons to go and pick them up again.
Here’s every new Destiny 2 Dawning weapon God Roll and the best perks each gun can roll with.
Want more Destiny 2 content? You can find more here on KeenGamer:
- Destiny 2 The Dawning 2022: How It Works
- Destiny 2 Spire of the Watcher Dungeon Guide
- Destiny 2 Spire of the Watcher Secret Bonus Chest Locations
- Destiny 2: All Devilish Recording Locations in Spire of the Watcher
- Destiny 2 Season of the Seraph: How it Works
New Weapons and the Dawning Surprise Origin Trait
First things first, there are a few key things to mention.
All of the Dawning weapons, new and old, have been updated with new visuals. This extends to the icon and to the gun itself, which now matches the Stay Frosty Pulse Rifle in style and appearance. By knowing which is which, you can easily tell which of your Dawning weapons have access to the Origin Trait and new perk pools.
New and Old Comparison
Speaking of the Origin Trait, any Dawning weapon you acquire in the 2022 version of the event will drop with the Dawning Surprise Origin Trait. At first glance, this can be a bit confusing as it uses terminology shared by other areas of the game. In reality, this Trait is very useful, especially considering that it will only drop on 5 weapons total for the next year.
Dawning Surprise has the following effect:
“Rapidly defeating targets awards a Dawning gift. Defeated powerful targets count as more than one.”
Dawning Surprise Origin Trait, Destiny 2
What this Trait does is, upon killing 5-8 enemies, one of them will randomly drop a small blue cube. This stays on the ground for a limited amount of time and needs to be run over to pick it up. Upon pick up, the player will get around 10% recharge to all of their abilities, as well as a burst of health that starts regeneration.
While this isn’t the strongest ability generating Origin Trait in the game (Bray Inheritance from the Deepstone Crypt Raid has it beat), the addition of healing alongside the ability regeneration makes it an interesting choice. Considering that you can roll this Trait on some pretty strong add-clearing tools like a Machine Gun, Sword and even the Fusion Rifle, it gives them an additional way to both keep you alive and keep your abilities continually topped up.
A Dawning Gift
Stay Frosty – Pulse Rifle
The Stay Frosty Pulse Rifle is a brand-new addition to the Dawning roster for 2022. This is a Stasis Lightweight Frame Pulse with some interesting perk combinations.
In Perk column 1, Stay Frosty can get:
- Offhand Strike: Final bows grant additional range, stability and accuracy when firing from the hip for a short duration.
- Well-Rounded: Throwing a grenade or hitting a target with a charged melee grants a stacking bonus to weapon stability, handling, and range. Using a Super grants maximum stacks.
- Tunnel Vision: Reloading after defeating a target greatly increases target acquisition and aim down sight speed for a short duration.
- Moving Target: Increased movement speed and target acquisition when moving while aiming down sights.
- Thresh: Killing combatants with this weapon generates a small amount of Super energy.
- Killing Wind: Final blows grant increased mobility, weapon range, and handling for a short duration.
- Encore: Final blows grant a stacking stability, range, and accuracy bonus to this weapon. Precision final blows grant more stacks.
Meanwhile, in Perk column 2, Stay Frosty can roll:
- Headseeker: Body shots landed with this weapon increase precision damage for a short time.
- Kill Clip: Reloading after a kill grants increased damage.
- Desperado: Reloading after a precision final blow increases your rate of fire.
- Adaptive Munitions: This weapon adapts its damage output and effectiveness against energy shields that don’t match the weapon’s damage type.
- Golden Tricorn: Final blows with this weapon grant bonus damage. While this buff is active, grenade or melee kills of the same damage type greatly increase its damage and duration.
- Headstone: Precision final blows spawn a Stasis crystal at the victim’s location,
- Under-Over: Deals bonus damage to targets with overshields. Deals a small amount of bonus damage to combatant shields.
Stay Frosty Pulse Rifle
God Rolls
The most impactful (and interesting) perk in column 2 is undeniably Desperado. Previously, this perk was unique to high-impact Pulse Rifles to make use of their high damage with a higher fire rate. However, a few seasons ago it started appearing on a variety of other guns. Stay Frosty is the first time that Desperado has made it to a Lightweight Frame Pulse Rifle, allowing your high mobility to pair with a super high fire rate after getting a headshot kill. Paired with some perks from the first column perks, Desperado can be a real menace.
For PvE, Well-Rounded + Headstone or Desperado are good picks. Well-Rounded is a perk that is slightly slept on, but when paired with the Dawning Surprise Origin Trait, there’s potential for a lot of uptime on this perk. Pair this with Headstone and Stasis shards for a Stasis build, or the sheer power of Desperado to shred through low and high-health targets alike, and this is a pretty solid bet for most PvE activities.
For PvP, if you aren’t planning on utilising Stasis Crystals or Headstone, Moving Target + Kill Clip is your simple, easy bet. This combination will always perform well, especially on a Lightweight Frame. If you want something a bit riskier, though, go for Moving Target + Desperado. This is the first Lightweight Frame to get Desperado and, while it lacks the damage of its higher-impact contemporaries, its high rate of fire and increased acquisition for Moving Target are sure to make this weapon viable and competitive.
Stay Frosty God Roll
Cold Front – Submachine Gun
The Cold Front Kinetic Submachine Gun has been around for a few years now. However, in 2022, it has gotten a new lick of paint as well as a new perk pool and Origin Trait.
In column 1, Cold Front can roll:
- Unrelenting: Rapidly defeating targets triggers health regeneration. Guardians and powerful combatants count as more than one kill.
- Tap the Trigger: Grants a short period of increased stability and accuracy on trigger pull.
- Air Assault: Final blows grant a stacking bonus to airborne effectiveness. Final blows while airborne grant increased stacks.
- Subsistence: Defeating targets partially reloads the magazine from reserves.
- Slickdraw: Significantly increases handling, significantly decreases target acquisition.
- Stats for All: Hitting three separate targets increases weapon handling, stability, reload, and range for a moderate duration.
- Perpetual Motion: This weapon gains bonus stability, handling, and reload speed while the wielder is in motion.
Then, in column 2, Cold Front can get:
- Thresh: Killing combatants with this weapon generates a small amount of Super energy.
- Rangefinder: Aiming this weapon increases its effective range and zoom magnification. Increased projectile velocity while aiming Rocket Launchers, Grenade Launchers, and Bows.
- Rampage: Kills with this weapon temporarily grant increased damage. Stacks 3x.
- Gutshot Straight: Aiming down sight increases body shot damage, decreases target acquisition.
- One for All: Hitting three separate targets increases damage for a moderate duration.
- Cascade Point: Final blows or sustained precision hits with another weapon increase this weapon’s rate of fire for a short duration.
- Frenzy: Being in combat for an extended time increases damage, handling, and reload for this weapon until you are out of combat.
Cold Front Submachine Gun
God Rolls
For PvE, there are two main God Roll options. The first is Stats for All + One for All. Hitting multiple targets will never be hard for a submachine gun, as they’re built for up-close combat with a lot of enemies. As such, every time you enter combat with this weapon, you will likely trigger both of the perks effects, granting you bonus weapon stats and weapon damage. This is without needing to juggle final blows or additional requirements on other perks: as one of the few guns that can get both of these perks, it makes a deadly combination.
On the other hand, Perpetual Motion + Frenzy is a lot safer but still very effective. Perpetual Motion will boost your mobility and help you get around the battlefield, all the while buffing your weapon stats and making Cold Front feel better to shoot. At the same time, Frenzy gives you a chunky, free damage boost for simply being in combat. Fights and engagements within Destiny 2 are growing larger and longer, so both of these perks work to keep you alive and deal with your enemies easily without needing to rely on other, more confusing, buffs.
For PvP, Perpetual Motion comes back in clutch. Just like in PvE, the additional weapon stats are very nice, especially in the Crucible where standing still will often get you killed. This way, you get some free boons just for playing aggressively. Then, you can either pair it with Rangefinder for some additional distance on your shots or Rampage for a direct damage boost.
One of the most perplexing, and interesting, perks on Cold Front is the new Cascade Point perk. When you get kills and precision shots with other weapons, the fire rate of Cold Front will be increased. This has the potential to be strong in PvP, especially if you use Cold Front alongside a special weapon like a Linear Fusion Rifle or Sniper Rifle. However, it is certainly riskier than just taking a standard, proven perk like Frenzy, Rangefinder or Rampage.
Cold Front God Roll
Glacioclasm – Fusion Rifle
The Glacioclasm is the only Special Dawning weapon. This Void High-Impact Frame has a few new interesting perks that are sure to attract some attention.
In perk column 1, Glacioclasm:
- Under Pressure: Improved stability and accuracy as the magazine get lower.
- Slideshot: Sliding partially reloads this weapon’s magazine and temporarily boosts range and stability.
- Killing Wind: Final blows grant increased mobility, weapon range, and handling for a short duration.
- Subsistence: Defeating targets partially reloads the magazine from reserves.
- Repulsor Brace: Defeating a Void-debuffed target grants an overshield.
- Shot Swap: Final blows build and store charges which allow you to swap and stow this weapon at a faster rate.
- Offhand Strike: Final bows grant additional range, stability and accuracy when firing from the hip for a short duration.
Perk column 2 contains:
- Fragile Focus: This weapon gains bonus range until the wielder takes damage. The bonus returns when no damage is taken for a short duration.
- High-Impact Reserves: Rounds at the end of the magazine deal more damage.
- Kickstart: Gain bonus damage and charge rate during a slide after sprinting for a short duration.
- Harmony: Final blows with other weapons improve this weapon’s damage and performance for a short duration.
- Reservoir Burst: When the battery is full, your next burst deals additional damage and causes enemies to explode on death.
- Golden Tricorn: Final blows with this weapon grant bonus damage. While this buff is active, grenade or melee kills of the same damage type greatly increase its damage and duration.
- Eye of the Storm: This weapon becomes more accurate and boosts handling as your health gets lower.
Glacioclasm Fusion Rifle
God Rolls
For both PvE and PvP, Slideshot is a top-tier option. High-Impact Fusions usually take a while to reload, and having ammo always available as you charge up a shot is important. Slideshot means that, in PvE or PvP, you will rarely get caught off guard needing to make a quick reload. This is even better when paired with the other perks: Reservoir Burst in PvE and High-Impact Reserves in PvP.
With Reservoir Burst, getting to a full magazine using the perk can feel clunky or annoying, so Slideshot is here to give you instant, easy access to constant Reservoir Burst shots, so long as you time your slides correctly. Meanwhile, High-Impact Reserves is a very powerful perk on Fusion Rifles and, while you do need to keep your ammo count low to make it work, Slideways allows instant access to Reservoir Burst when sliding over a Special brick or around a corner.
Both Reservoir Burst and High-Impact Reserves do have other options if Slideways isn’t to your taste. Subsistence + Reservoir Burst has a similar cadence without the need to purposely pace or slow yourself down – you rely more on final blows to keep the Reservoir Burst chain going, however. Then, Under Pressure + High-Impact Reserves synergise so well together, as two perks that require a low ammo count to effectively utilise. Glacioclasm has a lot of great options.
Glacioclasm God Roll
Zephyr – Sword
The Zephyr was the first Stasis sword to make its way to Destiny 2. With a new look and a new suite of perks, there are still a few that reign supreme.
The first column for the Zephyr contains:
- Relentless Strikes: Landing three light-attack hits within a short time grants Sword ammo.
- Tireless Blade: Sword ammo granted for every other powered sword kill.
- Thresh: Killing combatants with this weapon generates a small amount of Super energy.
- Unrelenting: Rapidly defeating targets triggers health regeneration. Guardians and powerful combatants count as more than one kill.
- Duellist’s Trance: Sword final blows grant increased charge rate, efficiency, and defence until this weapon is stowed.
- Wellspring: Kills with this weapon generate ability energy. This energy is divided between your uncharged abilities.
On the other hand, column 2 has:
- En Garde: Quick attacks immediately after swapping to this sword do additional damage.
- Assassin’s Blade: Sword kills boost movement speed and damage.
- Surrounded: This weapon gains damage when three or more enemies are nearby.
- Whirlwind Blade: Rapid sword strikes increase this weapon’s damage for a short duration. Guarding also ends the effect.
- Vorpal Weapon: Increased damage against bosses, vehicles and Guardians with their Super active.
- Chain Reaction: Each final blow with this weapon creates an elemental damage explosion.
- Cold Steel: Powered sword hits slow targets.
Zephyr Sword
God Rolls
Offering a PvP God Roll for Heavy weapons can be quite difficult: you get Heavy ammo so little in PvP that the nuances between perks usually don’t matter much. The archetype of the weapon usually decides how an encounter will end, instead. As a result, this will mainly be a PvE God Roll summary.
Zephyr’s best column 1 perk is arguably Relentless Strikes. A few other options could be put forward (Unrelenting may allow you to get through waves of enemies without the fear of death or Wellspring may prove a useful companion to the Dawning Surprise Origin Trait) but for straightforward Sword gameplay, Relentless is the best. Gaining ammo back every three light attacks allows you to keep going for longer – something very useful when paired with the column 2 perks.
Relentless Strikes + Cold Steel is a great option. Each of your powered attacks will deal Slow to targets, allowing you to quickly whittle them away with light attacks, gain some ammo back, and then heavy attack again. It creates a great feedback loop that can take on adds and majors, alike. On the other hand, Relentless Strikes + Chain Reaction pivots you more towards an add clear roll with your Sword, getting ammo back as you explode foes at your feet. Or you can combine Relentless with Vorpal Weapon and focus on single-target, Boss DPS instead.
Zephyr God Roll
Avalanche – Machine Gun
Last but not least is the Avalanche. This is an Adaptive Frame Solar Machine Gun introduced a few years ago and, after its perk refresh, may surprise some Guardians.
The first column of perks for Avalanche contains:
- Surplus: Increases handling, reload speed, and stability for each fully charged ability.
- Auto-Loading Holster: The holstered weapon is automatically reloaded after a short period.
- Encore: Final bows grant a stacking stability, range, and accuracy bonus to this weapon. Precision final blows grant more stacks.
- Ambitious Assassin: Overflows the magazine based on the number of rapid kills before reloading.
- Subsistence: Defeating targets partially reloads the magazine from reserves.
- Shot Swap: Final blows build and store charges which allow you to swap and stow this weapon at a faster rate.
- Dynamic Sway Reduction: Improves accuracy and stability while continuously holding down the trigger.
Finally, the second perk column for the Avalanche has:
- Swashbuckler: This weapon gains increased damage from melee kills and kills with this weapon.
- Adrenaline Junkie: This weapon gains increased damage and handling from final blows with grenades or this weapon.
- Vorpal Weapon: Increased damage against bosses, vehicles and Guardians with their Super active.
- Tap the Trigger: Grants a short period of increased stability and accuracy on trigger pull.
- Incandescent: Defeating a target spreads Scorch to those nearby. More powerful combatants and opposing Guardians cause Scorch in a larger radius.
- Cascade Point: Final blows or sustained precision hits with another weapon increase this weapon’s rate of fire for a short duration.
- Target Lock: Damage increases the longer this weapon remains on a target.
Avalanche Machine Gun
God Rolls
Like with Zephyr, offering a PvP God Roll for a Machine Gun is largely redundant. The frame and archetype of a weapon will determine a Heavy ammo fight in PvP far more than perk choice.
The best way to use Avalanche in PvE is to hone in on its role as a Machine Gun, as an add-killer. To do this, Subsistence + Incandescent or Subsistence + Target Lock are both strong options to fulfil this role. Subsistence allows Avalanche to continue firing for longer periods without ceasing, letting either of the other two perks work its magic. While it does rely on kills, Machine Guns are arguably the best Heavy Weapon for add killing right now, letting you make great use of Subsistence.
What of Incandescent and Target Lock, then? Incandescent is a much-beloved perk which synergises well with Solar builds. Now that Avalanche has access to it, it makes it even better at add clear. With Subsistence and Incandescent together, you can continue firing into waves of adds without end, watching them explode and burn from Scorch – pair that with some Solar Aspects or Fragments and Avalanche may have a spot in your build.
Meanwhile, Target Lock goes in a different direction. Machine Guns will always be good at add clear but they lack a bit when it comes to killing Majors or Ultras. Target Lock helps alleviate that a bit. Your normal damage will chew throw minor enemies, giving you ammo back with Subsistence, whereas Target Lock will let you confidently deal with higher health, higher rank targets without much fear.
Avalanche God Roll
Those are all of the new God Rolls for the Dawning weapon in Destiny 2.
