Synaptic Spear

"A lance aligned with the psychic plane, capable of dispelling Light."

- Artifact description

Synaptic Spear is a Seasonal Artifact for the Season of the Risen. It is also used as a weapon in the PsiOps Battlegrounds activity of the same season. In Season of the Witch, the Synaptic Spear returned as a usable weapon in the Savathûn's Spire activity and the Relic Crucible mode released in the same season.

Overview
The Synaptic Spear is a weapon developed by Psions based on the Cabal's Light-suppressing technology. When inactive, it appears fairly ornamental, a short metal blade with a blue handle and handguard, its tip forked, with the edges facing down and sideways. When wielded by a Lightbearer, the spear's tip extends from its bottom part. It becomes infused with the user's Light, becoming enveloped in a white aura and manifesting a long, ethereal tip.

In their studies of the Light, the Lucent Brood managed to manifests Synaptic Spears within Savathûn's Spire, which the Guardians turned against them.

Gameplay
As a Relic weapon, the Synaptic Spear changes the wielder's perspective to third person and makes the wielder's active abilities unusable. By using the "fire" button, the spear is thrown, dealing high damage to anything hit, and gaining high tracking against the Aspect of Savathûn. The player can also aim down sights with the spear. Using the "melee" button makes the guardian slam the spear in the ground, diving down if in the air, and inflicting huge damage in an area. Using the "grenade" button lets the user Blink.

The Synaptic Spear is used in the final battle of all PsiOps Battlegrounds, in the Mindscape of the targeted Hive Lightbearer, where it is the only weapon capable of damaging the Aspects of Savathun is conjures. When the weapon runs out of ammo, it disappears from the player's hands and reappears where it was first picked up.

The Spear returns as a Relic in the "Lighthoarders" encounter of the Savathûn's Spire Activity. If the encounter is centered around Arc Light, three Spears will manifest after Light is deposited in one of the plates. Players can use the weapons to mow down the swarming Hive and complete the encounter faster.

Column 1

 * Anti-Barrier Scout Rifle (Arms): Scout Rifles you are wielding fire shield-piercing rounds and stun Barrier Champions. Scout Rifles deal bonus damage against Barrier Champions.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Overload Rounds (Arms): Uninterrupted fire from your equipped Auto Rifles and Submachine Guns grants bullets that stun combatants, delaying ability energy regeneration and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Unstoppable Hand Cannon (Arms): Aiming down sights with any Hand Cannon you are wielding loads a powerful explosive payload that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Piercing Bowstring (Arms): Bows gain shield-piercing rounds, which bypass combatant defenses. Strong against Barrier Champions.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Unstoppable Pulse Rifle (Arms): Aiming down sights for a short time causes Pulse Rifles you wield to fire a powerful explosive payload that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions.
 * Requires 1 Energy

Column 2

 * Glaive Dexterity (Arms): Faster ready and stow speed for Glaives.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Rocket Launcher Scavenger (Legs): Rocket Launchers get bonus reserves when picking up Heavy ammo.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Psionic Forging I (Helmet): Increases the duration of the Psychohack Origin Trait and the effect of the Suros Synergy Origin Trait.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Melee Wellmaker (Elemental Well): Powered melee combatant final blows spawn elemental wells matching your subclass energy type.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Hand Cannon Targeting (Helmet): Improved target acquisition, accuracy, and aim-down-sights speed for Hand Cannons.
 * Requires 1 Energy

Column 3

 * Glaive Scavenger (Legs): Glaives get bonus reserves when picking up ammo used by that Glaive.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Thermoshock Plating (Chest): Reduces incoming Solar damage from combatants. Reduces incoming Arc damage from combatants.
 * Requires 2 Energy


 * Auto Rifle Loader (Arms): Increased reload speed of Auto Rifles.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Font of Might (Elemental Well): Picking up an elemental well that matches your subclass energy type grants a temporary bonus to weapon damage of that same elemental type.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Psionic Forging II (Helmet): Increases the duration of the Land Tank Origin Trait and the effect of the Häkke Breach Armaments Origin Trait.
 * Requires 1 Energy

Column 4

 * Unstoppable Glaive (Arms): Glaives you wield fire a powerful explosive payload that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions.
 * Requires 5 Energy


 * Lucent Finisher (Class Item): Defeating a Lucent Hive Lightbearer or Champion with your finisher spawns Heavy ammo for you and your allies.
 * Requires 6 Energy


 * Suppressing Glaive (Class Item): Damaging combatants with your Glaive suppresses them, preventing them from using abilities for a short time.
 * Requires 4 Energy


 * Overload Grenades (Class Item): Void grenades disrupt combatants, stunning them, delaying ability energy regeneration and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions.
 * Requires 1 Energy


 * Inferno Whip (Class Item): Solar melee abilities stun unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions.
 * Requires 1 Energy

Column 5

 * Suppression Mastery (Class Item): Suppression effects you create have increased duration.
 * Requires 3 Energy


 * Devouring Depths (Class Item): Casting your Void Super while you are critically wounded or benefitting from Devour increases your damage with that Super.
 * Requires 3 Energy


 * Volatile Flow (Elemental Well): Picking up a Void elemental well grants your Void weapons Volatile rounds.
 * Requires 2 Energy


 * Energy Vampirism (Class Item): Gain energy for your least-charged ability when you suppress a target.
 * Requires 3 Energy


 * Suppressive Darkness (Class Item): Whenever you suppress a combatant, you also weaken them, causing them to take additional damage for a short time.
 * Requires 7 Energy

Lore
Commander,

I regret to disclose that the Cryptarchy's following report on the so-called "Synaptic Spear" is woefully ill-prepared, even coming as it does from the few fledgling Cryptarchs who are not busy studying Savathûn's throne world. I myself am overseeing the construction of the Psisorium, where a Psionically gifted individual could theoretically scan through the networked memories of preserved minds, but I digress…

Based as it is on the Light-suppressing technology that Dominus Ghaul used to restrain the Traveler during the Red War, the Synaptic Spear is capable of interrupting or dispelling a single instance of Light if, and only if, it is wielded by a Lightbearer. However, this repellant effect is too weak to be of any use in the physical plane—the spear is only capable of disrupting Light in an environment charged with Psionic energies.

Even then, it cannot be used against a subject unless they are also a Lightbearer (perish the thought!) who believes themselves in such a perilous situation that they manifest an aspect of their Light in the Psionic environment. That aspect could then, it is theorized, be slain by the spear, leaving the subject Lightless in the physical plane.

In short, Commander, any use of the Synaptic Spear relies on a truly improbable chain of hypotheticals. With such an inconceivably narrow usage, it is difficult to imagine how this spear will be of any use to us in the battles ahead.

—Master Rahool

List of appearances

 * Destiny 2:
 * Season of the Risen
 * Season of the Witch