Witherhoard

"Like a one-man private security company."

- The Drifter

Witherhoard is an Exotic Kinetic Grenade Launcher introduced in the Season of Arrivals. It was awarded to the player once they reached rank 35 on the free track of the season pass, or at rank 1 on the paid track.

As of the Beyond Light expansion, Witherhoard can now be purchased from the Monument To Lost Lights in the Tower.

Gameplay
Witherhoard is a popular weapon in Destiny 2, thanks to its versatility and ease of use.

Due to its ability to deal damage over time, Witherhoard is a very strong pick for boss damage, allowing players to fire a single grenade and then deal high damage with their heavy weapons. The introduction of the perk Bait and Switch in The Witch Queen increased its popularity further, as the perk requires players to fire a single shot from each of their weapons in order to trigger a damage bonus to the weapon with the perk on, and with Witherhoard's ability to deal solid damage over time, it allows for high damage numbers in combination with this perk.

Witherhoard is also a very popular weapon for add clear, due to dealing area of effect damage. The player is not required to hit a specific target in order to generate a blight in the area, so it is commonly placed in front of areas where low tier enemies can spawn from.

Perks

 * Primeval's Torment: Projectiles fired by this weapon blight the target or nearby area on impact.
 * Countermass: This weapon is weighted for vertical recoil. Greatly controls recoil. Increases stability. Increases handling speed.
 * Black Powder: This weapon's explosives are more effective. Slightly increases blast radius. Decreases stability.
 * Break the Bank: Blighted targets take damage over time and blight the nearby area on death.
 * Composite Stock: This weapon has a versatile dual-purpose stock. Slightly increases stability. Slightly increases handling speed.

Catalyst
The quest to obtain the catalyst for Witherhoard can be obtained from Banshee-44 in the Tower once the weapon has been acquired.

The catalyst, once completed, will grant an additional perk:


 * Silent Alarm: Increases handling. Holstering this weapon automatically reloads it after a short period of time.

Lore
LIKE A ONE-MAN PRIVATE SECURITY COMPANY."—THE DRIFTER

The Drifter slouches against the bulkhead of the Derelict, a pile of Dark Motes scattered across the table in front of him. He fixes his gaze on the massive Titan, the sharpness in his eyes belying his casual posture.

"I'm surprised you got the time to come around here, hassling me about these tiny Motes, Joxer. Seems like you got the big deal in orbit around Io. That's where the Vanguard oughta be." The Drifter's hand rests casually on the handle of a thick, breechloaded Grenade Launcher. "And ain't you Vanguard through and through these days?"

Joxer snorts at the irony. "I'm not here to hassle you, Drifter. On the contrary. Consider this a friendly warning."

"Friendly, huh? Is that what we are now?" Drifter's grip on the Grenade Launcher tightens. "Now you raised my suspicion. You better speak plain, Joxer, or prepare to draw."

The Titan shakes his head in exasperation. "Some people say those Pyramids damn near wiped us out once. Nobody knows for sure. But if they do end up hostile, it's going to get heavy in a hurry. And you don't want to be the guy standing in the middle holding a bag of Dark Motes."

"And what the hell business is it of yours where I'm standing?" the Drifter asks as he plants his boots on the deck. He rises to his feet, the Grenade Launcher dangling from his hand. "Unless I'm standing in your way."

Joxer puts his hands up in mock surrender. "You know what? I came here because I'm trying to change. Making amends. After what happened at Gambit Prime… I had to get right. And part of that is giving you some friendly advice to lay low for a while." He glances down at the Dark Motes. "But if you don't want to hear reason, that's on you."

Joxer trundles his way to the back of the ship. As the airlock hisses open, Drifter calls out, "That's real nice armor, Joxer. Don't forget where you got it."

Trivia

 * Witherhoard is one of only five weapons in Destiny 2 that deal damage over time. The other weapons are: Anarchy, Le Monarque, Osteo Striga and Thorn. It is the only special ammo weapon to deal damage over time.
 * Wish-Ender actuallly has a hidden damage bonus against enemies blighted by Witherhoard, dealing an extra 25% damage against these targets.

List of appearances

 * Destiny 2
 * Season of Arrivals