[Top 11] Destiny 2 Best Artifact Mods That Are Powerful (And How To Get Them)

Updated:

30 May 2022

Artifact mods are not a new feature to Destiny 2. With each new season comes new artifacts to help players confront the new challenges that they will eventually face. Each artifact allows players to unlock mods that they can equip to affect their gameplay, either to deal with threats or encourage them to try out new gameplay mechanics. The Witch Queen DLC is no different, introducing the Synaptic Spear for players to grab.

To get this artifact, you must first complete the first mission in the Witch Queen, which is called ‘The Arrival’. Said mission doesn’t only just jump you into the main campaign, but it also leads into The Season of the Risen, which offers rewards for progressing the story as well as hitting level-up milestones. After completing The Arrival, you will need to travel to the Enclave and visit Ikora. Talking to her will then grant you the Synaptic Spear, which you must upgrade as you progress in power.

However, the Synaptic Spear comes with quite a few mods that you can choose from. To help streamline your experience, here are the top 11 artifact mods that I recommend you unlock and try as soon as possible.

11. Rocket Launcher Scavenger (best for PVP and PVE)

With Gjallarhorn and Sleeper Simulant still being one of the top heavy-weapon picks for DPS, it’s no wonder why this mod is being used so much. Rocket launchers are already limited by low ammo reserves, and this mod helps counteract it by giving a buff to reserves when picking up heavy ammo. This means you can deal more pain more often, which is especially useful when you need to do a lot of damage fast. From spanking invaders in Gambit to ruining people’s lives in Crucible, you’ll find this mod will enhance your gaming experience by a large margin.

It’s hard to believe that such a simple mod can make a big difference, but it does. I run Gjallarhorn as a main heavy weapon and this mod lets you spam rockets at everyone and everything. I never run Gambit without it, because it’s so easy to delete invaders with it. You may also find a use for it in raids for both ad-clear and DPS damage. With it being a tier two unlock, be sure to grab this mod fast for the best early season experience.

Why Rocket Launcher Scavenger is great:

Allows extra ammo pickup.
Can be used by any subclass.
Counteracts the low ammo reserves of powerful rocket launchers.
Normal Rocket Launcher Scavenger mod costs 5 energy, compared to the artifact version which only costs 1.

Rocket Launcher Scavenger details:

Equip Slot: Legs
Equip cost: One Energy
Description: Rocket Launchers get bonus reserves when picking up Heavy ammo.

How To Get Rocket Launcher Scavenger:

Unlock at least two mods in the Synaptic Spear to access Rocket Launcher scavenger (Column 2).
Artifact unlocks are earned through gaining XP by playing game activities and leveling up your seasonal pass.
Seasonal XP and Artifact unlocks are shared between your characters so you don’t have to earn more XP to unlock everything again.

10. Overload Rounds (best for PVE)

When Witch Queen dropped, so did a lot of new Submachine Guns and Auto Rifles for everyone to try. Many of them feel good, with Funnel-web and Sweet Sorrow being some of my top favorites of the season. However, Overload Champions are always there and are always a pain to deal with. With this mod, you can use your favorite SMG/Auto rifle or experiment with new ones to take them down. Since SMGs/Auto rifles are common and used by nearly everyone, you won’t need to juggle different weapons to survive in PVE.

Legendary events/lost sectors and seasonal missions are always full of Overload Champions, and you will need something to deal with them. At the very least, you want to stun them so your allies can jump in to take them out. Often I find myself stunning champions to allow a teammate to rez a fallen ally or escape to somewhere safe. With Overload Rounds, it offers a lot of flexibility in dealing with these threats at a distance.

Why Overload Rounds is great:

Can be used by any subclass.
With so many new SMGs and Auto Rifles this season, it lets you take on Champions without having to juggle extra weapons.
Designed to take on Overload Champions.
As an early unlock, it gives an edge in early game.

Overload Rounds details:

Equip Slot: Arms
Equip cost: One Energy
Description: Uninterrupted fire from your equipped Auto Rifles and Submachine Guns grants bullets that disrupt combatants, stunning them, delaying their ability to regenerate energy, and lowering combatant damage output. Strong against Overload Champions.

How To Get Overload Rounds:

Unlock in the Synaptic Spear (Column 1) after leveling up your artifact.
Artifact unlocks are earned through gaining XP by playing game activities and leveling up your seasonal pass.
Seasonal XP and Artifact unlocks are shared between your characters so you don’t have to earn more XP to unlock everything again.

9. Thermoshock Plating (best for PVE)

There are many kinds of damage that can be dealt to you while playing Destiny 2, and some of the more annoying ones are the elemental damages. Many mobs tend to use elemental damage, especially in large groups where they spam energy bolts at you. A great example is the final battle in the Grasp of Avarice dungeon, where you are pelted at all sides by constant arc damage. Some mods reduce incoming damage types, but most focus on one type at a time which can be a pain to equip.

Thermoshock Plating stands out by having it reduces damage from two sources, both arc and solar. It’s immensely useful to equip, especially if you know what you are going to face in an upcoming battle. It’s not so great in PVP, as it’s difficult to predict what subclass folks are going to run, and with the emphasis on void for this season, most people are going to go for that. Still, it’s a great protective mod, and since it stacks you can protect yourself even more.

WhyThermoshock Plating is great:

Two resistance mods in one.
Can be stacked.
Can be used by any subclass.
Great use of leftover armor energy.
Valuable for PVE battles with solar/arc damage present.

Thermoshock Plating details:

Equip Slot: Chest
Equip cost: Two Energy
Description: Reduces incoming Arc and Solar damage from combatants.

How To Get Thermoshock Plating:

Unlock at least five mods in the Synaptic Spear to access Thermoshock Plating (Column 3).
Artifact unlocks are earned through gaining XP by playing game activities and leveling up your seasonal pass.
Seasonal XP and Artifact unlocks are shared between your characters so you don’t have to earn more XP to unlock everything again.

8. Font of Might (best for PVP and PVE)

If you are the type of person that likes to match your weapons with your subclass, this is the mod for you. Font of Might allows you to stack quite a lot of damage as long as you are sure to match your weapons properly. To maximize the power of this mod, you will need to pair them with mods that will spawn Elemental wells. Elemental wells can drop from other players, but to be consistent you’ll need to generate them on your own. As an example, Melee Wellmaker is another seasonal mod that will drop a well of your subclass type with melee kills.

You can go further and also equip mods such as Volatile Flow, a mod that gives your void weapons volatile rounds when picking up void wells. There’s a lot of flexibility in experimenting with these mods and there’s no wrong way to decide which you like. In PVP you’ll want to make sure you equip the ones that will let you kill your enemy as fast as possible to spawn a well to utilize it effectively. For PVE, you can coordinate with your teammates. Teammates can also drop wells if they have the proper mods equipped, and with the power of teamwork (and mods), you can overcome any challenge.

Why Font of Might is great:

Costs one energy compared to the non-artifact version which costs five.
Can be paired with other mods for maximum damage.
Can be used by any subclass.
Allows for a near-perpetual motion machine of damage dealing.
Pairs well with other mods that deal with elemental subclasses.

Font of Might details:

Equip slot: Class Item
Equip cost: One Energy
Description: Picking up an elemental well that matches your subclass energy type grants a temporary bonus to weapon damage of that same elemental type.

How To Get Font of Might:

Unlock at least five mods in the Synaptic Spear to access Font of Might (Column 3).
Artifact unlocks are earned through gaining XP by playing game activities and leveling up your seasonal pass.
Seasonal XP and Artifact unlocks are shared between your characters so you don’t have to earn more XP to unlock everything again.

7. Volatile Flow (best for PVP and PVE)

With the new void system being implemented in Witch Queen, it’s no wonder why many of the seasonal artifact mods will be void-based. Bungie wants you to give void a try and I can say that the mods that came, as a result, are worth it. Volatile flow is a mod that grants your void weapons the ability to inflict the Volatile stat when you hit someone. Volatile makes targets explode and deal an area of effect damage around them, thus making it great for ad-clearing. If you are a build that tends to focus on cleaning out rooms, this will be the mod for you to equip.

To deal extra damage, you can pair this with Font of Might for a never-ending damage train. This mod mostly shines more in PVE play for when you need to clear out rooms. It has some use in PVP…especially when taking on groups of enemy Guardians. If the opposing team is foolish enough to stay close together, this mod can deal some devastating damage to them. However, it’s rather situational, but I could see skilled void Hunters use this to their advantage. If anything, it’s worth it if you primarily run void weapons.

Why Volatile Flow is great:

Pairs well with other void-based mods.
Allows for long chains of damage.
Great for ad-clear and clearing rooms.
Enhances already great void weapons.

Volatile Flow details:

Equip slot: Class Item
Equip cost: Two Energy
Description: Picking up a Void elemental well grants your Void weapons Volatile rounds.

How To Get Volatile Flow:

Unlock at least fourteen mods in the Synaptic Spear to access Volatile Flow (Column 5).
Artifact unlocks are earned through gaining XP by playing game activities and leveling up your seasonal pass.
Seasonal XP and Artifact unlocks are shared between your characters so you don’t have to earn more XP to unlock everything again.

6. Unstoppable Glaive (best for PVE)

With the introduction of glaives this season, most everyone has at least given this weapon a try. Most people like it because of not only the long-range damage it can inflict but the fact it can be used as a close-quarters melee weapon when out of special ammo. Every season has special Champions for players to take on, and one of them is the ‘Unstoppable’ Champions. These guys need to be stunned as they will not stop attacking until you do, and glaives fill that role nicely. Nothing is more fun to me than running about, poking Champions to death with what is essentially a stick with a knife at the end.

Still, you are going to need to have or have someone in your fireteam equipped to deal with Champions, and this is my favorite go-to to deal with them. You can also enhance this mod with other mods dealing with glaives to make them more versatile. Glaive Dexterity and Suppressing Glaive are great ones to add on as it helps with other means of combat besides stunning champions. Glaives are fun, and if you just want to poke a Champion to death, this is the way to do it.

Why Unstoppable Glaive is great:

Stuns Unstoppable Champions and prevents them from doing damage.
Can be paired with other mods to make your glaive stronger.
Can be used by any subclass.
Glaives can stun Champions even when out of ammo by using melee.
Great for high-level PVE when lots of Champions spawn.

Unstoppable Glaive details:

Equip Slot: Arms
Equip cost: Five Energy
Description: Glaives you wield fire a powerful explosive payload that stuns unshielded combatants. Strong against Unstoppable Champions.

How To Get Unstoppable Glaive:

Unlock at least nine mods in the Synaptic Spear to access Suppressing Glaive (Column 4).
Artifact unlocks are earned through gaining XP by playing game activities and leveling up your seasonal pass.
Seasonal XP and Artifact unlocks are shared between your characters so you don’t have to earn more XP to unlock everything again.

5. Piercing Bowstring (best for PVE)

Now on the other side of the coin, we have Barrier Champions that are even more annoying than the Unstoppable ones. Barrier Champions can create a barrier that prevents damage to them and allows them to heal damage in the process. It’s aggravating to chip away at one of these guys, only for them to toss up a barrier and undo all your hard work. As a result, you are going to need to have a mod to deal with them or have someone in your fireteam deal with them instead.

Piecing Bowstring steps up to the plate with a mod to make bows even more powerful than they already are. There are amazing bow exotics and even normal bows with great traits such as Explosive Arrowheads. The point is that not only is this mod enough to break a barrier, but it can also sometimes even one-shot or deal massive damage to said Champion in the process. When speed is of the essence in a fight, you want to deal with a Barrier Champion fast, and some bows are more than up to the task to do so.

Why Piercing Bowstring is great:

Makes bows even more powerful for this season for PVE.
Only costs one energy.
Can be used by any subclass.
Deals with Barrier Champions to pop their barriers.
Can also break through other enemy defenses, not just Barrier Champions.

Piercing Bowstring details:

Equip Slot: Arms
Equip cost: One Energy
Description: Bows gain shield-piercing arrows, which bypass combatant defenses. Strong against Barrier Champions.

How To Get Piercing Bowstring:

Unlock in the Synaptic Spear (Column 1) after leveling up your artifact.
Artifact unlocks are earned through gaining XP by playing game activities and leveling up your seasonal pass.
Seasonal XP and Artifact unlocks are shared between your characters so you don’t have to earn more XP to unlock everything again.

4. Psionic Forging II (best for...)

You would have noticed by now that many new weapons this season have some new traits to them. You would have seen something called ‘Hakke Breach Armaments’ and ‘Land Tank Origin’, but not know exactly what those mean. Both traits are pretty awesome and worth playing with, and you’ll most likely agree with me when you find out why.

Hakke is a niche trait that buffs damage on the weapons it’s attached to against vehicles, turrets, barricades, and Stasis crystals. If you are going to be neck-deep in a Cabal strike, this is a trait you want to take with you. Land Tank, however, is more universally playable. This trait buffs a player's resilience and damage resistance whenever they score final blows, which is extremely valuable in end-game PVE. Just pop a few low-level ads before taking on a tougher opponent and you’ll be set. The fact this mod can be stacked only makes it more valuable, and if you find yourself running weapons with these traits, this is a must-have mod to get.

Why Psionic Forging II is great:

Can be stacked up to three tiers.
Can be used by any subclass.
Great for end and early-game PVE.
Helps take down turrets and tanks when dealing with Fallen/Cabal.
Allows for experimentation with new weapons.

Psionic Forging II details:

Equip slot: Head
Equip cost: One Energy
Description: Increases the duration of the Land Tank Origin Trait and the effect of the Hakke Breach Armaments Origin Trait.

How To Get Psionic Forging II:

Unlock at least five mods in the Synaptic Spear to access Psionic Forging II: (Column 3).
Artifact unlocks are earned through gaining XP by playing game activities and leveling up your seasonal pass.
Seasonal XP and Artifact unlocks are shared between your characters so you don’t have to earn more XP to unlock everything again.

3. Lucent Finisher (best for PVE)

Most likely you have already run into the Lucent Hive, it’s impossible not to at this point, and they are a pain to deal with. They are like Champions, where you often need to waste all your heavy ammo taking them down before they can stomp you to death. This mod offsets this pain by giving you the means to get your heavy ammo back. You simply use your finisher on a hive ghost or a champion and it will drop a heavy ammo brick for you and your fireteam.

Usually, special finishers cost a portion of super energy to perform, as you are essentially dealing a killing blow. This mod stands out by having those finishers involved cost no super energy at all. This is a big deal, as some supers take a while to charge, and deciding if you want to waste some on a finisher is often a choice players need to make. With Lucent Finisher, you don’t need to worry. Just take out those Champions and Hive ghosts and you not only keep your super progress but get some heavy ammo back to fuel up your heavy hitters.

Why Lucent Finisher is great:

Costs no super energy to use, unlike regular finishers.
Drops heavy ammo for both you and your fireteam.
Can be used by any subclass.
Gives you the excuse to have more cool finisher moves.
Makes killing Hive ghosts more rewarding than just making sure their partners don’t come back.

Lucent Finisher details:

Equip slot: Class item
Equip cost: Six Energy
Description: Defeating a Lucent Hive Lightbearer or Champion with your finisher spawns Heavy ammo for you and your allies.

How To Get Lucent Finisher:

Unlock at least nine mods in the Synaptic Spear to access Lucent Finisher (Column 4).
Artifact unlocks are earned through gaining XP by playing game activities and leveling up your seasonal pass.
Seasonal XP and Artifact unlocks are shared between your characters so you don’t have to earn more XP to unlock everything again.

Before Void 3.0, Suppression as an effect was only available to a handful of Titan and Hunter builds. Now, every class has the chance to use this ability to full effectiveness, and it’s quite a powerful ability to boot. Suppression in a nutshell suppresses an opponent. This means they can’t use any abilities, such as grenades and supers. For PVE, this keeps combatants from shooting you. Any way to keep your opponent from being able to hurt you is amazing in itself, and it can find use anywhere.

Suppression Mastery works by extending the effects with said suppression, and this works with either your glave or your void abilities. It’s a low costing mod that can greatly enhance your gaming experience, especially if you want to try your skills in PVP or jump into end-game PVE battles. This allows you more time to take down your enemy or in case of an emergency, escape to fight another day. In situations where revive tokens are few, this can save your team from wiping if things get a bit too tough. You can consider Suppressive Darkness a sister mod, which allows you to deal more damage for a shorter suppression duration. You can only equip one, so you will need to decide which will fit your playstyle the most.

Why Suppression Mastery is great:

Gives more time to defeat troublesome bosses or opponents.
Can allow time for escape and regroup measures.
Prevents abilities from being activated in PVP.
Great for all types of gameplay.

Suppression Mastery details:

Equip slot: Class Item
Equip cost: Three Energy
Description: Suppression effects you create have increased duration.

How To Get Suppression Mastery:

Unlock at least fourteen mods in the Synaptic Spear to access Suppression Mastery (Column 5).
Artifact unlocks are earned through gaining XP by playing game activities and leveling up your seasonal pass.
Seasonal XP and Artifact unlocks are shared between your characters so you don’t have to earn more XP to unlock everything again.

1. Suppressive Darkness (best for PVP and PVE)

Universally considered one of the best mods of the season, Suppressive Darkness is expensive but quite effective. Somewhat a sister mod to Suppression mastery, Suppressive Darkness instead grants a shorter suppression time, but with more damage. Enemies affected by this mod have their defenses lowered, so you can quickly dispatch tougher enemies without having to spend so much time chipping them down. If you have a build running around the suppression mechanic or favor glaives, this is a mod for you to get as soon as you can. Pair this up with Volatile Rounds for even more damage and soon you’ll be clearing dungeons and lost sectors in no time.

That being said, it’s best for PVE, but I would also recommend Suppression Mastery for PVP because of its ability to suppress combatants for a longer time, which will aid you and your team. PVE however, needs quick decisions and even quicker damage phases. Both mods are great, but if you prefer PVE compared to PVP, I would recommend equipping Suppressive Darkness instead. With how crazy late-game PVE gets, this mod will most certainly help you succeed.

Why Suppressive Darkness is great:

Pairs well with other suppression/void-based mods and glaives.
Great for DPS boss phases.
Helps handle end-game PVE enemies and ad mobs.
Adds speed to your combat.

Suppressive Darkness details:

Equip slot: Class Item
Equip cost: Seven Energy
Description: Whenever you suppress a combatant, you also weaken them, causing them to take additional damage for a short time.

How To Get Suppressive Darkness:

Unlock at least fourteen mods in the Synaptic Spear to access Suppressive Darkness (Column 5).
Artifact unlocks are earned through gaining XP by playing game activities and leveling up your seasonal pass.
Seasonal XP and Artifact unlocks are shared between your characters so you don’t have to earn more XP to unlock everything again.

In conclusion, this season gives us lots of mods to try out and experiment with. With the focus being on void and suppression, it’s more biased to the release of void 3.0. With Solar and Arc 3.0 to eventually follow, I can predict we will have future seasons revolving around them as well. If you find yourself annoyed by having to equip artifact mods, know that Artifice armor is available through the master Grasp of Avarice dungeon. These armor drops have an extra mod slot so you can use those for your artifact mods and leave room for your favorites. To get help acquiring these armor pieces, there are plenty of clans and groups out there that are more than happy to help you defeat the dungeon to get your rewards.

You will need to unlock all the mods anyway, so I recommend also experimenting with different mods to figure out what fits the best for you. These mods won’t last forever, and will vanish at the end of the season, so jump on in and see what crazy builds you can make!

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April Dillman

A cryptid hailing from the Pennsylvanian countryside, April can be found in her cave playing various games from D&D to Fallout. Gifts of dice are needed to prevent attacks on livestock.

Gamer Since:

1995

Favorite Genre:

FPS

Currently Playing:

Destiny 2

Top 3 Favorite Games:

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth, This War of Mine, DOOM

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