Thunderlord is an Exotic Machine Gun in Destiny 2 and is great for add clear. This weapon can create lighting strikes to decimate groups of enemies.
Thunderlord is an Exotic Machine Gun in Destiny 2 that was added in the Forsaken expansion. This Arc weapon is incredibly fun to use and is great for crowd control. While not as efficient as other choices in the Heavy slot, Thunderlord can still deal significant damage to bosses. Season 18 will be introducing Arc 3.0 subclasses, and this Machine Gun could synergize well with the new Fragments and Aspects. Thunderlord is a world drop in Destiny 2, but that was not always the case.
Originally, players had to complete a series of steps before they were rewarded with the coveted Exotic. The quest was broken up into three weeks and could be acquired from Amanda Holiday in The Tower in Destiny 2. She had Guardians collect Legendary Engrams and defeat bosses in specific Lost Sectors. In the final quest, Guardians were teleported to the Cosmodrome, via a teleport pad on the EDZ, and had to defeat a Fallen boss. Thunderlord was the first Machine Gun added to Destiny 2 and marked the return of the weapon archetype.
Exotics are a fun way to enhance gameplay and, oftentimes, have features unique to the specific weapon. Thunderlord comes with the Intrinsic Trait Reign Havoc, causing kills to generate lightning strikes at the target’s location. The Exotic also has the Perk Lightning Rounds, which allows the weapon to fire faster and more accurately the longer the trigger is held down. Additionally, continuous damage causes lightning to strike targets. Thunderlord can be considered the Machine Gun version of Destiny 2‘s Exotic Sniper Rifle Couldstrike. Both weapons create lightning strikes and excel at crowd control. Unlike Cloudstrike, Thunderlord does not require Guardians to land precision hits to activate its effects.
This Exotic Machine gun is a world drop in Destiny 2. This means that there is a random chance that an Exotic Engram will turn into Thunderlord. These rare items come from any activity in the game, but there are game modes that have increased drop rates. Guardians with a Fireteam can complete Nightfalls for a low chance of finding an Exotic Engram, with the rates increasing at higher difficulties. Alternatively, players can purchase select weapons and armor from Xur every weekend in Destiny 2. One Exotic Engram can be bought as well, rewarding a random piece of gear. Luckily, weapons that have yet to be obtained will be prioritized first. This means Guardians have a guaranteed chance to eventually get Thunderlord after a certain number of Exotic Engrams.
Arc has not had its time to shine yet in Destiny 2. Season 18 will change that by introducing the new reworked subclasses. Guardians are left to speculate about the potential of Arc 3.0. Thunderlord remains one of the best Machines Guns in the game. Even if Arc 3.0 does not enhance the potency of the weapon, using this Exotic is some of the most fun Guardians can have while clearing content.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Google Stadia.
John Feliciani is a Game Features Writer for Screen Rant. He fell in love with video games from a very young age. John’s favorite types of titles tend to involve exploration, colorful design, and rich storytelling. His passion for video games and writing brought him to Screen Rant.