The Horror Story is a recurring 450 RPM Auto Rifle that's always available during Destiny 2's annual Festival of the Lost event. Its 2023 iteration, however, is worth taking another look at, thanks to its new set of perks.
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A new trailer for Destiny 2 shows off the new game modes, rewards, and gear players can experience during Festival of the Lost 2023.
With the weapon rebalancing implemented in Destiny 2 Season 22, Auto Rifles have become much better than they were before in all activities, including the Crucible. Here's a quick overview of the top rolls for this weapon, as well as some notes on its most promising perks.
Horror Story God Rolls for PvE and PvP
Festival of the Lost 2023's Horror Story has one exceptionally strong perk combo for PvP in the form of Dynamic Sway Reduction/Target Lock. The latter perk has received a number of changes since it was added to the game, but it remains a good choice for players who have good aim. It won't lower the weapon's TTK, but it will make it more forgiving by increasing body shot damage when active.
Frenzy and Adrenaline Junkie are fun perks to use in 6v6 PvP matches. Respectively, these weapons lower Horror Story's optimal TTK from 0.80 to 0.67 and 0.53, respectively (assuming Adrenaline Junkie has max stacks). Pair any of these perks with Smallbore and Accurized Rounds to get an effective range of up to 32m with decent Handling.
As for PvE, almost every perk in Horror Story's fourth column is top-tier. These perks are:
- Collective Action
- Headstone
- Target Lock
- Cascade Point
- Frenzy
- Adrenaline Junkie
- Vorpal Weapon
It's hard to recommend a good PvE god roll, as all of these increase the weapon's DPS when triggered. Frenzy, Adrenaline Junkie, and Target Lock are the most consistent out of all these options, as they can easily be triggered from a neutral stance. They don't need to meet any special conditions like breaking Stasis crystals or using elemental pickups, which means they'll be active most of the time.
There is a case to be made for Collective Action and Headstone, though. Both are very potent when used in ability-focused builds. Headstone is particularly valuable here because Precision Frame Auto Rifles are well-suited for scoring headshots. Shattering Stasis crystals also make up for Horror Story's low rate of fire, letting it clear groups of enemies more efficiently.
Regardless of what damage perk players end up with, pairing them with either Enlightened Action or Demolitionist will be the most ideal. The former increases reload speed and Handling. Meanwhile, the latter automatically reloads the weapon when throwing a grenade while simultaneously granting Grenade energy when defeating targets.
Demolitionist and Adrenaline Junkie work extremely well together, even for players who aren't using grenade builds. It's worth keeping a Horror Story that has these two perks together, even if it's just for the strong synergy.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.