Destiny 2 THE SWARM Arc Machine Gun | God Roll, Perk Pool, and How to Get

THE SWARM is a High-Impact Arc Machine Gun and one of the cleanest-looking Heavy weapons in Destiny 2. With 360 RPM, this weapon has the feel to match its obnoxiously capitalized name. This God Roll guide covers the best PvE and PvP rolls for The SWARM in Destiny 2.

• How to Get THE SWARM
• THE SWARM Perk Pool
• THE SWARM PvE God Roll
• THE SWARM PvP God Roll
• Is THE SWARM Worth It?

How to Get THE SWARM in Destiny 2

In Destiny 2, THE SWARM can be earned by completing Nightfalls when it is the featured weekly weapon. THE SWARM (Adept) is earned through Grandmaster Nightfalls. If you’ve obtained this weapon at least once, you can purchase it from Zavala in The Tower.

Nightfall rewards rotate between six weapons every Season, meaning each weapon is typically only available for one to two weeks per Season. If you’re searching for THE SWARM (yes, the capitalization is necessary) outside of its featured week, you’ll need to wait for it to rotate once again. If it’s out of the Seasonal rotation by the time you’re reading this, I am deeply sorry.

THE SWARM Perk Pool

Here are all the possible perks available to roll on THE SWARM in Destiny 2:

• First perk slot: Feeding Frenzy, Well-Rounded, Rangefinder, Dynamic Sway Reduction, Offhand Strike, Genesis
• Second perk slot: Target lock, Golden Tricorn, Vorpal Weapon, Tap the Trigger, Dragonfly, Pugilist
• Origin Trait: Stunning Recovery, Vindication

THE SWARM PvE God Roll

• Barrel: Arrowhead Break
• Magazine: Accurized Rounds
• Perk 1: Dynamic Sway Reduction
• Perk 2: Target lock
• Origin Trait: Stunning Recovery
• Masterwork: Range
• Mod: Adept Big Ones / Boss Spec

Dynamic Sway Reduction combined with Arrowhead Break drastically improves THE SWARM’s recoil and handling, ensuring none of those 360 rounds per minute go to waste.

Target Lock provides a considerable damage boost the longer the weapon remains on a target. On average, you’ll get a 25%~ damage boost when using a full magazine, with a maximum potential of 40%. If you’re a Titan, I recommend pairing THE SWARM with Actium War Rig, which automatically reloads Machine Gun (and Auto Rifle) magazines.

Good Range is crucial in Machine Guns, so a Ranged Masterwork paired with Accurized Rounds to increase Range by 19 is precisely what we need.

If you’re skilled enough to pick up the Adept version of this weapon, Adept Big Ones is the go-to option when choosing a mod (as usual). If you have the regular version, Boss Spec does just fine. Backup Mag is also a decent choice, considering it improves the magazine.

Related: Best Ways to Farm Legendary Shards in Destiny 2

THE SWARM PvP God Roll

• Barrel: Arrowhead Break
• Magazine: Accurized Rounds
• Perk 1: Rangefinder
• Perk 2: Tap the Trigger
• Origin Trait: Vanguard’s Vindication
• Masterwork: Range
• Mod: Adept Range / Icarus Grip

With limited Heavy ammo and Crucible sweats that’ll vaporize you in milliseconds, you need to make every bullet count in PvP. Rangefinder combined with Tap the Trigger make for a mean combo, delivering fast and powerful accurate blows directly into your opponent’s head.

Adept Range is the ideal weapon mod here, with Range being even more crucial in The Crucible than in PvE. For regular versions of THE SWARM, Icarus Grip can help out if you’re a jump-happy guardian like myself.

Is THE SWARM Worth It?

THE SWARM is a great machine gun in PvE with a sleek design and satisfying feel. However, the existence of Terminus Horizon from Spire of the Watcher outshines THE SWARM in just about every way.

With a Triple Tap and Target Lock combo available on Spire of the Watcher, along with other valuable perks and being easier to farm at all times, THE SWARM isn’t really worth the effort needed to find a God Roll. That said, if you love how this weapon handles or happen to stumble upon a great roll, THE SWARM is still perfectly useable in PvE content.

There’s no real reason to use THE SWARM in PvP, considering High-Impact Machine Guns rarely see any play. An Adaptive Machine Gun, like Commemoration, is a far better choice. If you have an Exotic slot free, Thunderlord is a blast to use on Control.

This guide was written while playing Destiny 2 on Xbox Series X.