Submersion is Destiny 2‘s second-ever Combat Bow, worth farming for its unique qualities, but it’s not the easiest weapon to come by.
Introduced to the looter shooter’s sandbox in Edge of Fate‘s mid-season Ash & Iron update, Submersion is currently the only crossbow in the game obtainable outside of raid content, making it the most accessible version of the weapon type.
Fortunately, this bolt-throwing powerhouse also comes packing some serious heat, including some perks that Stasis lovers will find too tantalizing to ignore. Even if you’re not currently running the Darkness subclass, though, there’s still plenty Submersion has to offer for your neutral game needs.
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Submersion PvE & PvP god roll – Meta analysis
PvE God Roll
PvP God Roll
Rail: Empowered Rail
Bolt: Charged Bolts
Perk 1: Auto-Loading Holster
Perk 2: Chill Clip
Masterwork: Persistence
Rail: Mag-Lev Rail
Bolt: Explosive Bolts
Perk 1: Impulse Amplifier
Perk 2: Chill Clip or High Ground
Masterwork: Velocity
In a meta where some Special weapons have started teetering on the edge of surpassing Heavies in power, it can be difficult to justify running any option other than a Sword for the mobility they offer. Likewise, extremely high ability uptime has seen the likes of Rocket and Grenade Launchers fall out of favor.
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However, Submersion offers an alternative choice as a beastly fire-and-forget DPS tool. Combat Bows excel at dealing persistent rather than burst damage, with their unique Persistence stat dictating how long a fired bolt fired stays lodged in an enemy dealing tick damage.
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Empowered Rail and Charged Bolts pair perfectly for these purposes, increasing Persistence and tick damage respectively.
As you’ll want to be prioritizing other sources of DPS after firing, Auto-Loading Holster’s automatic reloads allow you to switch Submersion in and out to let additional bolts loose before returning to chucking out Abilities and the Special weapon (probably a Rocket Sidearm or Pulse Rifle, let’s be real) of your choosing. For the second perk slot, Chill Clip provides Stasis synergy and even more damage over time.
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While Combat Bows haven’t really found their place in the PvP meta yet, you can get decent mileage out of Submersion with Impulse Amplifier paired with Chill Clip or High Ground, but honestly, you’re probably better off running a Sword or Machine Gun instead.
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How to get Submersion
Currently, Submersion can only be obtained as a potential reward from Weekly Events. Following the conclusion of Reclaim, Ash & Iron’s launch event, the Combat Bow is now obtainable as a random drop from Iron Banner. Once that concludes on September 23, you’ll have to wait until the next Weekly Event to get additional drops of Submersion.
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That’s a wrap on everything you need to know about Submersion, but it’s far from the only weapon dominating Destiny 2 right now. Check out our god roll guides for Seraphine Haze and Unfall for more build ideas.
