If you’re a fan of fusion rifles, the Riptide is definitely worth your attention. One of three stasis fusions in the game, its perk pool is as simple as it is effective, making it a reliable choice for both PvE and PvP gameplay (and a must when facing Champions).
In this article, we’ll go over how to obtain the Riptide Fusion Rifle, where it sits in the current meta, and the god rolls that will make it even more lethal.
| Art | Weapon | Archetype | Rarity | Ammo | Element | Requirements | In loot pool? | Ammo? | Element? | Tier | Excels | Source | Craftable? | Requires | Released | Slot | Can be Crafted? | Best of? | Top Perk? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Riptide | Rapid-Fire | Legendary | Special | Stasis | Free-to-Play | Yes |   Special |   Stasis | Best ❘ S | PvE | Playlist: Crucible |   |  Free-to-Play | Season 17 | Kinetic | No | Top-tier |
How to get Riptide this season
To obtain the Riptide Fusion Rifle, you’ll need to earn Crucible rewards by playing in any of the Crucible Playlists or through vendor focusing, which can be done at Lord Shaxx so long as you have earned the weapon once and have Crucible engrams.
As a side note, the more you reset, the more perks can roll in Columns 3 and 4, up to a max of 3 in each. Additionally, it’s worth running a Crucible Prosperity mod on your Ghost to increase your chances of having a drop at the end of a match, and playing during double reputation weeks helps the rate at which you reset as well as earn engrams.
Crucible Prosperity Mod, Destiny 2
How good is Riptide today
Since the reworks to fusion rifle charge times, rapid-fire fusions have been the go-to for PvE content, and Riptide is no different. The weapon’s principal perk, Chill Clip, is especially useful in end-game PvE, as it applies 50 slow stacks for each hit with the top half of the magazine. In effect, this allows you to slow and then freeze an enemy in two shots, making it effective against all Champion types.
In PvP, the Riptide Fusion Rifle has seen a slight uptick thanks to the recent buffs allowing rapid-fire fusion rifles to kill any Guardian in 7 bolts. While not the most Meta fusion out there, it is the only rapid fire in the kinetic slot as of this writing, so if you enjoy running an Energy Primary weapon, this might be just the fusion you are looking for.
Riptide is a solid choice overall, but it can be considered S Tier for PvE, especially when dealing with Champions.
Best alternatives:
| Art | Weapon | Archetype | Rarity | Ammo | Element | Requirements | In loot pool? | Ammo? | Element? | Tier | Excels | Source | Craftable? | Requires | Released | Slot | Can be Crafted? | Best of? | Top Perk? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Aurvandil FR6 | High-Impact | Legendary | Special | Stasis | Free-to-Play | Yes | Special | Stasis | Strong ❘ A | PvE | World loot pool | | Free-to-Play | Season 19 | Kinetic | No | Top-tier | |
 | Deliverance | Precision | Legendary | Special | Stasis | The Witch Queen | Yes | Special | Stasis | Best ❘ S | PvE | Vow of the Disciple Raid |   |  The Witch Queen | Season 16 | Kinetic | Craftable | Top-tier |
Best Riptide Rolls for PvE and PvP
Riptide God rolls, Destiny 2
Riptide PvE god roll
Like all fusions, stability and recoil direction are the stats you want to boost the most. To that end, Arrowhead is the best for recoil, Polygonal for stability, and Chambered for a mix of both. As for your battery, Enhanced Battery or Accelerated Coils are your go-to.
Column 3 has a host of great perks that can match any playstyle, but most players will easily gravitate towards Auto-Loading Holster, Lead from Gold, or Field Prep. If being used as an anti-champion weapon, Auto-Loading or Field Prep is the way to go, as it allows for a more consistent uptime of Chill Clip.
Speaking of Chill Clip, it and Vorpal are your two best choices for Column 4. As stated earlier, Chill Clip’s ability to freeze and slow combatants means that it can stun both Overloads and Unstoppables, as well as preventing Barrier Champions from spawning their shields. Vorpal can also be useful, as while it may not stun champions, it can certainly help burst them down once they are.
- Barrel: Arrowhead Break or Chambered Compensator
- Battery: Enhanced Battery or Accelerated Coils
- Perk 1: Auto-Loading Holster or Field Prep
- Perk 2: Chill Clip (also good: Vorpal Weapon)
- Masterwork: Charge Time
Riptide PvP god roll
If you are looking to push the range as much as possible, Extended Barrel is your go-to choice. If stability and recoil are more your speed, Arrowhead Break or Chambered Compensator are your choices. For Batteries, go with Projection Fuse for Range, or the coveted Particle Repeater for more Stability.
Column 3 is dominated by Under Pressure for PvP, as its ease of use is hard to beat. Simply have less than half a magazine, and you are rewarded with a linear increase to your accuracy cone and stability, a whole 30 stability, might I add. However, Well-Rounded and Perpetual Motion also offer decent stat increases and are viable options if Under Pressure eludes you.
Column 4 offers Successful Warmup, Harmony, or Cornered, allowing various playstyles. Those more confident in their gunplay might go for Successful Warmup or Harmony, allowing for a faster TTK at the expense of getting kills. More defensive players might go for Cornered to hold an entryway or shut down a push.
- Barrel: Extended Barrel or Arrowhead Break
- Battery: Projection Fuse or Particle Repeater
- Perk 1: Under Pressure (also good: Perpetual Motion)
- Perk 2: Harmony or Cornered
- Masterwork: Range or Stability
Riptide: Is it worth farming?
Given that slow, freeze, and shatter now reliably combat all three champion types, Riptide is easily worth farming for. Its fast fire rate and inclusion of Chill Clip make it a viable weapon in all forms of PvE content, and the recent rapid-fire fusion buffs could elevate this to an A or even S tier weapon. While its associated activity isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, the sheer utility it provides will have players of all walks hopping in for a chance at a God roll. Use the double reputation weeks and Ghost mod to your advantage, and you should have a God roll in no time.
Before you go…
If you’re looking to put together a strong PvE loadout able to compete in the current Meta, we recommend taking a closer look at the Perpetualis or Round Robin. Also, you can find all of our God roll guides here.
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