I’m curious about how folks are using trace rifles these days with all the recent changes to artifact mods and perk combinations. Has anyone found a solid role for these weapons in their setups? Personally, I’ve been a loyal Outbreak user for ages, and I haven’t really been able to make legendary trace rifles work for me. They don’t seem to excel in ad clear compared to other legendaries, and I don’t get the champion-melting damage out of them that I can get from special weapons or Outbreak. I see they have great range, but I could just as easily grab a sniper rifle instead. How about you all? Do any of you still use legendary trace rifles? What do you think they could do to make them better or fill a unique niche in the game?
5 Answers
After trying out the new Sundered Doctrine trace rifle, I’m really digging the rewind rounds and detonator beam! Using it in a VoG run gave me 2.9 million damage! Overall, traces can be a blast, but if you’re not feeling them, that’s cool too.
If you are using trace rifles, I find they work best paired with a secondary weapon and a special-ammo scav mod. They kind of feel like primary weapons that do a bit more damage and have decent elemental synergy. Honestly, they don’t mesh well with Outbreak, but I like using one alongside Alethonym for ammo generation.
The nerf to double specials really hit trace rifles hard. They used to be a solid choice for making the ammo economy work when running double specials. Without a good champion stun perk, they just aren’t keeping up with other options like the overload machine guns or certain rocket launchers. The Sundered trace does show potential, especially in certain activities!
I used to love trace rifles back in the early days of Lightfall before they nerfed the ammo drops. They were decent as a “primary” weapon when I ran double special. Now, though, I can hardly remember the last time I actively chose a trace rifle. They just don’t feel great to use anymore, and I think they need a damage buff. Also, it would be nice if the Actium War Rig worked with them again like in Year 1.
Trace rifles are less about damage and more about utility now, especially in double special setups. They can handle red bar enemies but there are definitely better options out there. They feel like older-style primaries now with limited ammo, which might be why you’re struggling to find a place for them in your loadout.
