Elemental damage

From Destinypedia, the Destiny wiki

Destiny-ElementalDamageTypesChart.jpg

Elemental damage is a modifier that exists on certain attacks and weapons. Elemental damage is one of the manifestations of Light, and can be used to a player's advantage to make their attacks more effective. It comes into play for both Guardians and enemies.

Elemental Types

There are four types damage types:

  • Kinetic - White - The default damage type on most weapons. Will do base damage on any enemy.
  • Solar - Red - Causes thermal damage, with a chance of igniting enemies
  • Arc - Blue - Causes shock damage, with a chance for splash damage
  • Void - Purple - Causes void damage[1]

Weapons

Weapons can be infused with elemental damage; by default, most weapons only do kinetic damage, but some may come with modifiers. The modifier is indicated not only on the weapon's stats, but also in the weapon menu on the HUD. At the common level, only Fusion Rifles do elemental damage, but at higher levels nearly all special and heavy weapons do elemental damage. Only a handful of primary weapons do elemental damage, and most of those weapons are typically acquired in raids.[1]

The damage type on most weapons is random, though some weapons such as exotics or legendary raid weapons have a set damage type.

Weapon Class Solar Arc Void
Auto Rifle Abyss Defiant Necrochasm Atheon's Epilogue
Pulse Rifle Oversoul Edict, Praedyth's Timepiece
Scout Rifle Vision of Confluence Fang of Ir Yut
Hand Cannon Fatebringer Word of Crota
Sniper Rifle Black Hammer, Icebreaker Patience and Time Eye of Sol, Praedyth's Revenge
Fusion Rifle Murmur †, Praetorian Foil, Pocket Infinity, Vex Mythoclast Murmur †, Light of the Abyss, Plan C, Queenbreaker's Bow
Shotgun Invective, Lord of Wolves Astral Horizon, Found Verdict, The 4th Horseman Swordbreaker
Sidearm Dreg's Promise, Vestian Dynasty
Machine Gun Super Good Advice Song of Ir Yut, Thunderlord Corrective Measure
Rocket Launcher Hezen Vengeance, Hunger of Crota, Gjallarhorn, Dragon's Breath Tomorrow's Answer, Truth

† Murmur is capable of switching between Arc and Solar damage.

Guardians

Each Guardian subclass focuses on one type of elemental damage. This extends to melee attacks, grenades, and supers.

Class Solar Arc Void
Hunter Gunslinger Bladedancer Nightstalker
Titan Sunbreaker Striker Defender
Warlock Sunsinger Stormcaller Voidwalker

Enemies

Elemental damage will do bonus damage against certain types of enemies. The most obvious way to tell if an enemy is weak to a certain damage type is to see what color shield they have; for example, Fallen Captains with blue Absorption shields are weak to Arc attacks. Every race has at least one type of enemy shielded by default, but will also have another type of enemy that's shielded whenever the Epic modifier is active (or during certain public events. [1]

Race Solar Shield Arc Shield Void Shield
Fallen Noble Shank Captain x
Hive Wizard Anointed Knight, Omnigul x
Vex x Harpy Zealot Minotaur
Cabal Centurion, Psion Flayer Psion Flayer Elite Psion, Psion Flayer

Enemy weapons and abilities typically have their own elemental damage types as well. Normally this doesn't come into play, unless players are playing a mission with damage modifiers on. For example, a Nightfall mission with a 300% boost to arc damage applies to both Guardians and enemies, so enemies that do arc damage are especially dangerous.

Race Solar weapon Arc weapon Void weapon
Fallen Shrapnel Launcher, Fallen Walker's main cannon Shock Pistol, Shock Rifle, Wire Rifle, Shock Grenade, Shock Dagger, Shock Sword, Pike, Skiff, Fallen Walker's secondary armaments Servitor
Hive x Boomer, Thrall's melee attack, Cursed Thrall explosion, Wizard's darkness blast Shredder, Ogre's eye beam attack, Shrieker, Tombship
Vex Slap Rifle, Line Rifle, Hobgoblin's Shield x Torch Hammer, Slap Grenade, Goblin's melee attack, Hydra, Cyclops
Cabal Slug Rifle, Projection Rifle, Heavy Slug Thrower, Harvester, Interceptor, Goliath Tank Psion Psychic attack x

References

  1. ^ a b c Bungie (2014-6-12), Destiny: Alpha PlayStation 4, Activision Blizzard.