Weapons with refreshed perk pools are commonplace for every release, but it’s rare you see Bungie change a weapon’s elemental affinity. While the most recent example of this is being drowned out by the new Stasis rocket sidearm, the changed element of this Episode’s returning Iron Banner weapon has made it significantly more desirable.
Today, we’ll cover all there is to know about Archon’s Thunder (which was previously Solar but is now Stasis): its place in the current meta, its best rolls, and how to obtain it.
 Name: Archon's Thunder | Type: Machine GunArchetype: High-Impact | Ammo:  HeavyElement:  Stasis | Craftable:  NoReleased: Episode 2 | Source: Iron BannerRequires: Free-to-Play |
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How good is Archon’s Thunder?
Compared to its potency in previous releases as a Solar machine gun, Archon’s Thunder has definitely moved up a notch.
Even though not everyone will take full advantage of Archon’s Stasis element, it makes it considerably stronger in PvE. Especially when factoring in the new Stasis-themed exotic armor pieces (and new perks like Rimestealer), having a solid weapon to use for Stasis builds is vital. Luckily, Archon’s Thunder does pretty well at providing this, assuming you don’t need your heavy weapon slot for something more important.
As for The Crucible, Archon’s Thunder is alright but nothing special. Machine guns as a whole, however, excel at a variety of ranges, making Archon’s relatively solid right out of the gate. Archon’s Thunder is A-Tier in PvE and B-Tier in PvP.
Best alternatives:
 | Hammerhead | Machine Gun | Heavy |  Void | Onslaught Activity | |
 | Qullim’s Terminus | Machine Gun | Heavy | Stasis | King's Fall Raid |
Archon’s Thunder Perks and God Rolls
The Archon’s Thunder machine gun can roll with the following perks:
- Perk 1: Air Trigger, Enlightened Action, Dynamic Sway Reduction, Envious Assassin, Fourth Time’s the Charm, Rimestealer, High-Impact Reserves.
- Perk 2: Desperate Measures, Onslaught, Headstone, Killing Tally, Tap The Trigger, Target Lock, Rewind Rounds.
- Origin Trait: Skulking Wolf.
Archon’s Thunder God Rolls, Destiny 2
Archon’s Thunder PvE god rolls
| PvE Roll: All-Around | |
|---|---|
| Barrel | Fluted Barrel |
| Magazine | Tactical Mag |
| Perk 1 | Rimestealer (also good: Enlightened Action) |
| Perk 2 | Headstone (also good: Killing Tally) |
| Masterwork | Handling |
We’ll start our PvE roll with extra handling, reload speed, and magazine size through Fluted Barrel, Tactical Mag, and a handling masterwork.
From there, the main roll we recommend is Rimestealer and Headstone, obviously built to pair with a Stasis setup of some sort. That said, if you’re looking for something a bit more generic, we’d recommend Enlightened Action and Killing Tally. While Envious Assassin in the first column is also pretty enticing, you’ll realistically be killing most enemies you come across with Archon’s Thunder anyway, so building up Envious Assassin is slightly unrealistic.
Archon’s Thunder PvP god rolls
| PvP Roll: All-Around | |
|---|---|
| Barrel | Polygonal Rifling |
| Magazine | Steady Rounds |
| Perk 1 | Dynamic Sway Reduction |
| Perk 2 | Tap The Trigger |
| Masterwork | Stability or Handling |
Our roll for The Crucible almost exclusively consists of stability increases. Polygonal Rifling, Steady Rounds, and a stability masterwork all contribute to this, although a handling masterwork may work better for some.
As for our main perks, we’ll settle for Dynamic Sway Reduction and Tap The Trigger. Realistically, the weapon has high enough damage per shot and range to make it not worth focusing on anything else.
How to get Archon’s Thunder
Archon’s Thunder is one of many weapons available in the Iron Banner loot pool. It can be obtained simply by playing the gamemode whenever it’s available or by focusing the weapon at Lord Saladin in The Tower. We cover all Iron Banner weapons here.
How to get Archon’s Thunder, Destiny 2
Before you go…
Interested in other top-tier Iron Banner weapons? You should check out these Tinasha’s Mastery God Rolls.
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