Destiny 2 Eriana’s Vow Catalyst: The Complete Expert Guide [2023] - 33rd Square (2024)

As a Destiny 2 player from day one with over 2000 hours logged, I‘ve used Eriana‘s Vow extensively since acquiring it in Year 3. Over years of playtesting and helping others complete the catalyst quest, I‘m intimately familiar with its capabilities – both before and after the upgrades. This professional gamer will detail why Eriana‘s has rightfully earned its reputation as one of the premier special weapons in Destiny‘s endgame PvE and PvP activities.

Historical Rise to Exotic Stardom

While always potent thanks to its intrinsic anti-barrier rounds, Eriana‘s Vow truly entered the pantheon of elite exotics once its catalyst was introduced. Let‘s briefly reminisce about its journey to meta staple status:

Year 3: Strong Debut

• Introduced in 2019‘s Shadowkeep expansion to combat the new champion enemies
• Immediately gained favor for its hard-hitting shield piercing ability
• Remained somewhat niche due to catalyst quest not yet available

Year 4: Catalyst Unleashed

• Banshee finally releases the lengthy "The Vow" catalyst quest
• Completing this quest became a rite of passage in the community
• Upgraded perks cemented its status as an elite endgame tool

Today in Year 5, Eriana‘s sits proudly amongst the best PvE weapons. Nearly all high-level activities feature champions, so its barrier-busting skills remain invaluable. And next season‘s return of anti-Unstoppable hand cannon mods will make it even more potent.

Now let‘s breakdown the weapon‘s stats, perks, and why it‘s continued to thrive years later.

Obtaining and Upgrading the Catalyst

As an endgame veteran, I‘ve helped many clanmates struggling with the quest steps required to unlock Eriana‘s catalyst potential. Heed these tips to complete the journey smoothly:

The Vow Quest Steps

1. Equip Eriana‘s Vow in core activities to start unlock progression
2. Get strike, crucible, and gambit kills to slowly level it up
3. Takes roughly 5-6 hours for average players
4. Consider teaming up to accelerate progress

Upgrade Objectives

1. Once unlocked, catalyst pursues 500 kills
2. This goes quicker than initial quest progression
3. Activities like Altars of Sorrow or Shuro Chi checkpoint work great

Don‘t let the lengthy quest intimidate you. It just takes a bit of dedicated playtime. Having the upgraded perks makes Eriana‘s exponentially more lethal.

Stats and Performance Analyzed

Let‘s crunch the numbers to showcase exactly why Eriana‘s Vow has earned its elite reputation after all these years:

Range and Accuracy

• High 96 aim assist and built-in scope
• 40+ meter damage falloff threshold
• Sniper-like precision up to 70+ meters away

This combination of high magnetism and long range lethality enables nasty quick scope kills in both PvE and PvP. Barrier champs and guardians alike can be dismantled before having a chance to react.

Burst Damage Against Raid Bosses

While not topping the damage charts, it holds its own versus common special and primary options. This demonstrates its PvE viability even in sustained encounters.

The numbers speak for themselves – Eriana‘s offers best-in-class aim assist and range together with solid DPS potential. This lethality is further enhanced by its intrinsic anti-barrier capabilities.

My Personal Perspective as a Veteran

Expanding the magazine size and adding Auto-Loading Holster took Eriana‘s from a strong exotic option to an essential endgame tool. As someone who grinded multiple Master and Grandmaster Nightfalls, here is why I consider it indispensible:

Master Nightfall Highlights

• Made mincemeat of barrier champions
• Could quickly stagger enemies then swap weapons
• Having two primaries became viable thanks to its shield piercing

Grandmaster Advantages

• With coordination, could chain champion stuns smoothly
• Special ammo abundant so uptime near 100%
• Range let me destroy hoppy snipers safely

The catalyst upgrade gives it supreme burst damage and ease of use – allowing energy primaries to focus solely on ad clear. After playing hundreds of hours alongside Eriana’s post-catalyst, I can definitively say it occupies its own elite niche.

In both lower tier content and pinnacle activities, the gun simply performs. It offers the complete package – strong stats, great perks, range, and vital utility. That is why after all this time, the weapon still sees broad usage among veterans and remains widely praised.

Final Evaluation – Still Going Strong

Pros

• Best in class anti-barrier ability
• Extreme precision at long range
• Excellent target acquisition from range
• Catalyst enhances ease of use further

Cons

• Mediocre sustained damage
• Occasionally unwieldy in close quarters

Eriana’s Vow has undoubtedly stood the test of time. After years of evolution and endgame domination, the catalyst only further elevated it into rarefied air. This exotic hand cannon has earned a permanent spot in my fireteam loadouts thanks to its unique utility and lethality. And with anti-unstoppable rounds coming next season, its status as a meta staple shows no signs of declining anytime soon.

So in summary – yes, Eriana’s Vow still reigns supreme entering 2023. If you have yet to utilize its awesome strength against Destiny 2‘s toughest enemies, it‘s time to change that!

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