[toc] Ever since its initial release in 2018, the Desperado perk has been a fan-favorite damage perk in all areas of the game. Not only is the perk extremely potent—it’s also unique and fun to use.
But with so few weapons that can roll with it and a very vague description in-game, it may be hard to understand why this perk is so popular. That’s why, we’ll cover what weapons can roll with Desperado, how it works, and what perks and mods synergize well with it.
Scorch weapons: Weapons with the Desperado Perk
Originally a Pinnacle weapon perk on Redrix’s Claymore/Broadsword, Desperado can now be found on a few other pulse rifles throughout the game. However, it’s still exceptionally exclusive, only able to be found on two non-sunset weapons today. These are the weapons that can roll with Desperado:
| Art | Name | Type | Archetype | Rarity | Ammo? | Element? | Requirements | In loot pool? | Ammo | Element | Tier | Excels | Source | Craftable? | Requires | Released | Slot | Can be Crafted? | Best of? | Top Perk? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | New Purpose | Pulse Rifle | High-Impact | Legendary | Primary | Stasis | Witch Queen Dungeon Key | Yes |  Primary |  Stasis | A › Strong | PvE + PvP | Duality Dungeon |  No | Season 17 | Kinetic | No | Top-tier | ||
 | The Messenger | Pulse Rifle | High-Impact | Legendary | Primary | Kinetic | The Final Shape | No | Primary |  Kinetic | A › Strong | PvE + PvP | Trials of Osiris | No |  The Final Shape | Season 13 | Kinetic | No | Top-tier | Kinetic Tremors |
 | Yesteryear | Pulse Rifle | Adaptive | Legendary | Primary | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | Primary |  Void | B › Average | PvE + PvP | Playlist: Gambit | No |  Free-to-Play | Season 18 | Energy | No | Repulsor Brace |
ℹ️ It’s worth noting that this trait used to be exclusive to High-Impact Frame pulse rifles. However, during Season of the Haunted, Desperado got a nerf and a backend change that allows Bungie to expand it to other pulse rifle frames, such as the Yesteryear. So while it’s tough to come by a gun with Desperado right now, we expect it to become significantly more common soon!
The Messenger, the first “modern” Desperado weapon
What does Desperado do: Hard Figures
The perk’s description provides a very simplistic view of its function:
Reloading after a precision final blow increases your rate of fire.
| - | Weapon Perk | PvE Damage increase | PvP Damage increase | Duration | Activation | Effects | Type | Weapons | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Desperado | Rate of fire increased 30% | 6s | After Reloading within 6 seconds of a Precision Kill, the delay after shooting is reduced by 30% for 6 seconds. Can be refreshed. | Specific | Pulse Rifles | ||
Diving a little deeper into Desperado’s ability, it will do the following:
- Triggers after reloading within 6 seconds of a precision kill.
- When triggered, it lasts 6 seconds.
- Reduces delay after shooting by 30%, increasing the rate of fire.
While the enhanced version of the perk is not currently offered on any in-game weapons, we know through the database that it will increase the perk’s duration. This section will be updated with more exact numbers once the enhanced perk is released and tested.
Remember that Desperado doesn’t reduce impact damage, meaning it essentially works as a damage bonus. While there isn’t an exact number, it’s estimated that the Desperado perk increase damage against PvE combatants by 20%.
All of these values come from the amazing Light.gg.
How do you trigger Desperado, and what synergizes with it?
While Desperado’s proc requirement asks a little more of you than something like Kill Clip or Rampage, it’s still pretty basic: just get a precision kill and immediately reload. However, you can utilize numerous synergies to make this perk more user-friendly.
Full Auto Retrofit
The first addition that you can make here is the Full Auto Retrofit mod, which makes the weapon fire in full auto when holding down the trigger. This is extremely useful with Desperado as the rate of fire increases to very high speeds when triggered, which means you’ll need to spam your fire button if not using this mod.
Note: Within the next few seasons, Bungie is planning to make full auto a setting as opposed to a mod, meaning soon you won’t even need to waste a mod slot!
New Purpose, one of few weapons that roll with Desperado
Reload Perks
The second S-Tier synergy with Desperado is a reload-enhancing perk, namely Outlaw or Rapid Hit. Similar to Desperado, both of these perks require precision hits or kills to trigger, meaning they’ll activate just as Desperado does.
Lastly, unlike Kill Clip, Desperado can be refreshed, meaning that you can keep performing quick reloads with Rapid Hit or Outlaw to keep the fast-paced rate of fire constant.
All in all, Desperado is one of very few exceptionally unique perks that is powerful at its base and can be enhanced through other means. Even though it has gone through its fair share of nerfs, Desperado continues to be a fan favorite that can excel in both PVE and PVP.
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