The third and final act ofDestiny 2’s first Episode, Echoes, has officially been released and with it, the fight for Nessus has come to an end. Here, players will finally confront the mysterious Conductor and attempt to secure the Echo of Command. On top of new story details, a treasure trove of new content was released including two new, Vex-themed seasonal weapons, the Solar Light Machine Gun Speleologist and the Void Trace Rifle Chronophage, as well as the new Exotic Mission: Encore. Once completed, players can unlock the new Exotic Auto Rifle, Choir of One, but this is no ordinary Auto Rifle, as Choir of One is the first inDestiny 2to use Special Ammo.
Destiny’s Auto Rifle History
For most ofDestiny’s lifetime as a series, primary weapons, includingAuto Rifles, have always used primary ammunition, while special and heavy ammo would be used by weapons such as Sniper Rifles or Rocket Launchers, respectively. Special and heavy ammo are harder to come by on the battlefield or in the Crucible, so players have to use their limited-ammo weapons wisely or risk wasting their powerful assets. AsDestiny 1and2expanded, more and more Auto Rifles were released and increasingly utilized elemental firepower.
However, oneDestinyweapon merged the concept of primary Auto Rifles and special Fusion Rifles together to create one of the most powerful weapons in the franchise. This weapon is the Vex Mythoclast,Destiny’s first raid Exotic weapon to be obtained only by beating a raid’s final boss on Hard mode. While theVex Mythoclast is classified as a Fusion Rifle, it doesn’t use special ammo and instead uses primary ammo. In terms of gameplay, the Mythoclast acts more like an Auto Rifle than a Fusion Rifle, shooting rapid-fire beams instead of bullets.
Destiny 2’s New Exotic Choir of One Explained
Like the Mythoclast, Choir of One is a weapon found in the Energy slot, but unlike it, it does utilize special ammunition for the first time ever in the family of Auto Rifles. Choir of One outputs Void damage and has two firing options. When aiming down sights, Choir of One fires like a normal Auto Rifle with increased precision damage, but when hip-fired,Choir of One fires five slow shotsat once in a cross-like pattern that will explode on impact. In that sense, Choir of One’s hip fire acts sort of like an explosive shotgun, much like the Wyverns' signature attack; however, when ADS, it fires 225 bullets per minute RPM. Compared to other Auto Rifles such as SUROS Regime or even legendary guns that have an RPM of 360-720, Choir fires more like a semi-auto Scout Rifle such as the MIDA Multi-Tool which has an RPM of 210.
While Choir of One is already a powerful weapon in PVE scenarios, the Exotic can be utilized as a powerful PVP weapon as well, provided players can micro-manage Special Ammo. In range, players could use Choir to quickly take out rival players with three shots to the body and one to the head. However, the farther away a player is, the less damage they’ll take from Choir, so it’d be unwise to try and use it as a Sniper or Scout Rifle equivalent, despite the extra headshot damage. When hip-fired,Choir of One can take out enemies in one shotat close range. However, Choir’s hip-fire will still move relatively slowly, so it’s best to hip-fire only in close-quarter combat.
Choir of One’s Potential Impact on Destiny 2
With Choir of One being the first Auto Rifle to utilize Special ammo, it could set off a wave of other primary weapons that use Special ammo as well. Something like this is already in the game, like with Eriana’s Vow or rocket sidearms, but the chain effect should be bigger. This may be restricted to Exotics for now, andDestiny 2’ssecond episode Revenant and third episode Heresycould introduce potential Scout and Pulse Rifles that use special ammo. Though unlikely, it could be fitting for each episode to repeat Echoes’ pattern of introducing one new Exotic primary weapon that uses special ammo in its third act.
Players who complete the Encore Exotic Mission and earn the Bravissimo Triumph by October 8th can purchase an official replica sculpt of Choir of One through Bungie’s Rewards store.
Destiny 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Dive into the world of Destiny 2 to explore the mysteries of the solar system and experience responsive first-person shooter combat. Unlock powerful elemental abilities and collect unique gear to customize your Guardian’s look and playstyle. Enjoy Destiny 2’s cinematic story, challenging co-op missions, and a variety of PvP modes alone or with friends. Download for free today and write your legend in the stars.An Immersive StoryYou are a Guardian, defender of the Last City of humanity in a solar system under siege by infamous villains. Look to the stars and stand against the darkness. Your legend begins now.Guardian ClassesChoose from the armored Titan, mystic Warlock, or swift Hunter.
