Edge of Fate brought six solid legendary weapons from Kepler, each packing the unique Exhaustive Research origin trait. While none of these guns will completely shake up the meta, they've got some compelling perk combinations that make them worth your time in both PvE and PvP. Here's everything you need to know about which rolls to chase and why these weapons deserve a spot in your vault.
What Makes Kepler Weapons Special
This micro-missile hits hard enough to one-shot Vex Hobgoblins even on Legend difficulty, and here's the kicker - it doesn't have damage falloff. That means weapons with normally short range can suddenly reach out and touch enemies at scout rifle distances. It's particularly valuable for close-range weapons that usually struggle against distant targets.
Getting Your Hands on These Weapons
Kepler weapons drop from pretty much everything on the destination - kills, chests, activity completions, you name it. The Altar of Relativity in the Caldera lets you focus your farming using Fated Ciphers and Phaseglass Refractions (both earned through Kepler activities). The required materials rotate daily, so check back regularly.
The Complete Arsenal
Kepler's weapon lineup covers most of your loadout needs:
Primary Weapons:
- Giver's Blessing: Kinetic Auto Rifle (720 RPM Rapid Fire Frame)
- Agape: Solar Hand Cannon (Heavy Burst Fire Frame)
- Sublimation: Arc Scout Rifle (150 RPM High Impact Frame)
- Last Thursday: Strand Pulse Rifle (390 RPM Adaptive Frame)
Special and Heavy Weapons:
- Precipial: Void Shotgun (Precision Frame)
- Ulterior Observation: Stasis Machine Gun (600 RPM Aggressive Frame)
Some of these weapons punch above their weight, while others fill specific niches without reinventing their weapon categories.
Primary Weapons Breakdown
Giver's Blessing Auto Rifle
This kinetic 720 RPM auto rifle sits in an interesting spot. Sure, it lacks elemental damage which limits its PvE potential compared to alternatives, but it's excellent for building Transcendence energy and has some solid utility perks. In PvP, it's decent but won't be most experienced players' first choice.
PvE God Roll:
This setup focuses on consistency and ability generation. Fluted Barrel and Flared Magwell give you the handling and reload improvements that make the gun feel smooth. Demolitionist works with any subclass setup - you get grenade energy on kills plus instant reloads when you throw grenades. Both Kinetic Tremors and One for All provide big damage boosts that trigger easily in typical PvE scenarios.
PvP God Roll:
For Crucible, you want range and stability above all else. Smallbore and Ricochet Rounds boost both stats that matter most in PvP. Moving Target is really your only viable option in column one, which is unfortunate. Multikill Clip drops your time-to-kill significantly even with just one stack, while Zen Moment gives you more consistent performance if you prefer predictable gunplay.
Agape Hand Cannon
This Solar Heavy Burst hand cannon has serious potential despite feeling pretty clunky. The double-fire archetype takes some getting used to, but the damage output justifies the learning curve. In PvP, enhanced Precision Instrument can two-burst guardians when you've got around 130 weapon stat, giving you a nasty 0.57-second time-to-kill.
PvE God Roll:
Quality of life is king in PvE. Fluted Barrel and Flared Magwell smooth out the weapon's handling, stability, and reload speed. Heal Clip is incredibly valuable for staying alive in tough content where health recovery can be tricky. Incandescent gives you more reliable area damage than Firefly since it doesn't require kills to proc, though both are excellent for add-clearing.
PvP God Roll:
Range and stability are your priorities here. Encore hits harder but needs kills to activate, while Moving Target gives you constant benefits without prerequisites. Precision Instrument is the clear winner for competitive play - that two-burst potential is too good to pass up, especially when enhanced and paired with high weapon stats.
Sublimation Scout Rifle
This Arc High Impact Frame scout rifle fires at 150 RPM and gets more accurate when you're stationary or moving slowly. It's got some really strong perk combinations that work great for precision gameplay and Arc-focused builds. The Exhaustive Research micro-missile system adds serious value for long-range fights where scout rifles traditionally shine.
PvE God Roll:
This build maximizes Arc synergy while keeping excellent general performance. Rapid Hit and Voltshot work incredibly well together - Rapid Hit gives you the stability and reload improvements that make scout rifles feel crisp, while Voltshot chains Arc damage for great add-clearing. Eddy Current paired with Voltshot creates a powerful ability generation loop if you prefer that playstyle. Explosive Payload is perfect for players who want consistent damage boosts over elemental synergies.
PvP God Roll:
Consistency and range are everything in PvP scout rifle duels. Rapid Hit gives you increasing stability with precision hits, which is crucial for maintaining accuracy in sustained fights. Explosive Payload provides damage consistency and extra flinch against opponents, making it valuable for disrupting enemy aim while keeping competitive damage output.
Last Thursday Pulse Rifle
This Strand 390 RPM Adaptive Frame pulse rifle has some issues - mainly a terrible base recoil direction of 60 - but it makes up for it with solid damage and the Exhaustive Research micro-missile. You'll need to address that recoil through perks and masterwork choices to let this weapon really shine.
PvE God Roll:
Arrowhead Break fixes the weapon's biggest problem while boosting handling. Demolitionist excels in today's ability-focused meta, though Subsistence works great for sustained add-clearing. Dragonfly pairs beautifully with Demolitionist for grenade energy generation, while Frenzy and Binary Orbit give you raw damage increases.
PvP God Roll:
Recoil control is absolutely critical for PvP success. Rapid Hit gives you increasing stability with precision hits, creating a snowball effect for longer engagements. Headseeker offers forgiveness for mixed precision/body shot ratios while keeping your time-to-kill competitive.
Special and Heavy Weapons Analysis
Precipial Shotgun
This Void Precision Frame shotgun gives you predictable vertical recoil and solid damage output. While melee-oriented shotguns with One-Two Punch are abundant, Precipial carves itself a niche through its unique combination of melee synergy with Void 3.0 capabilities, offering something distinct from the typical One-Two Punch options.
PvE God Roll:
This setup takes advantage of powerful melee synergy that's become incredibly valuable with recent updates. One-Two Punch significantly boosts melee damage after landing all pellets, making it exceptionally strong in the current sandbox where melee builds have gotten major improvements. Combined with Destabilizing Rounds, you get both raw melee potential and Volatile round generation for area control. This combo works perfectly for builds focused on close-quarters combat and ability loops. Reconstruction offers an alternative for players who prefer automatic reloading for sustained engagements.
PvP God Roll:
One-shot potential and consistency matter most in Crucible, with range being the critical stat. Lone Wolf and Opening Shot work beautifully together - Lone Wolf provides damage and range bonuses when no allies are nearby, perfectly complementing Opening Shot's accuracy and range improvements for crucial first shots. Threat Detector gives you consistent handling improvements when enemies get close. Range maximization is everything for extending effective engagement distance in PvP scenarios.
Ulterior Observation Machine Gun
This Stasis 600 RPM Aggressive Frame machine gun delivers high damage with correspondingly high recoil. A good Stasis machine gun was long overdue, and the developers are trying to fix that with Qua Furor V and Ulterior Observation. While both weapons address this gap in the Stasis arsenal, Ulterior Observation offers much easier farming opportunities, making it the more accessible option for players seeking Stasis synergy in the machine gun category.
PvE God Roll:
This build focuses on sustained damage for long encounters. Subsistence and Killing Tally represent the most popular combination, giving you excellent ammo sustainability and escalating damage that reaches impressive levels with enough kills. Headstone creates Stasis crystals for area control and ability energy generation, pairing beautifully with Rimestealer for Stasis-focused builds or Dragonfly for area damage potential.
PvP God Roll:
PvP benefits from area denial capabilities. Headstone's crystal generation provides cover and area control, while Dragonfly creates elimination chains against grouped opponents. This combination offers tactical advantages beyond raw damage output, with Killing Tally serving as an alternative for players who prefer damage scaling over utility effects.
Advanced Tactics and Build Integration
Stat Priorities by Weapon Type
Different weapons need different stat approaches:
- Auto Rifles and Pulse Rifles: Stability and Range come first for consistent performance, with Handling as a secondary consideration for weapon swapping builds.
- Hand Cannons: Range and Stability balance differently based on archetype, with Heavy Burst frames needing extra attention to Handling for smooth operation.
- Scout Rifles: Range maximization is most important, with Stability as your secondary priority for sustained precision shots.
- Shotguns: Range determines your effective engagement distance, making it the top priority for both PvE and PvP.
- Machine Guns: Stability management becomes crucial for sustained fire accuracy, particularly on Aggressive Frame archetypes.
Activity-Specific Builds
Performance at Different Content Types
- Raids and Dungeons: Focus on versatility and sustained damage. Weapons with reload perks (Demolitionist, Outlaw) and damage scaling options (Killing Tally, Frenzy) give you the most value.
- Grandmaster Nightfalls: Range and safety take priority. Explosive Payload, Destabilizing Rounds, and similar area-effect perks offer engagement flexibility while keeping you at safe distances.
- PvP Integration: Consistency and kill potential matter most. Opening Shot, Moving Target, and precision-boosting perks give you competitive advantages in varied engagement scenarios.
- Gambit Hybrid Builds: Balance anti-Guardian and add-clearing capabilities. Versatile perks like Demolitionist and Explosive Payload excel in the mixed PvE/PvP environment.
Masterwork Strategy
Your masterwork choice should complement weapon strengths while addressing weaknesses:
Masterwork Selection Guide
How They Stack Up Against the Competition
Comparing to Meta Options
Kepler Weapons vs Meta Alternatives
| Weapon Category | Kepler Option | Meta Competition | Unique Advantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Rifles | Giver's Blessing | Khvostov 7G-0X, Adamantite | Kinetic slot + Exhaustive Research |
| Hand Cannons | Agape | Maahes HC4, Unloved | Heavy Burst archetype uniqueness |
| Scout Rifles | Sublimation | Long Arm, Unworthy | High Impact Frame + Arc synergy |
| Pulse Rifles | Last Thursday | Bygones, Smite of Merain | Strand element + build diversity |
| Shotguns | Precipial | Various One-Two Punch options | Void 3.0 synergy combinations |
| Machine Guns | Ulterior Observation | Qua Furor V | Easier farming + Headstone access |
Subclass Synergy Recommendations
- Strand Builds: Last Thursday supports Strand-focused character builds with appropriate perk selections for ability generation and elemental synergy.
- Void Builds: Precipial excels in Void 3.0 compositions, particularly with One-Two Punch and Destabilizing Rounds combinations.
- Arc Builds: Sublimation provides excellent Arc synergy through Eddy Current and Voltshot combinations, making it ideal for Arc-focused loadouts.
- Solar Builds: Agape's Incandescent perk supports Solar 3.0 compositions effectively with Scorch application and ignition potential.
- Kinetic Focus: Giver's Blessing serves Transcendence energy building while providing solid primary weapon performance.
- Stasis Integration: Ulterior Observation offers Headstone capabilities for crystal generation and area control in Stasis builds.
Farming Strategy and Resource Management
Efficient Farming Routes
The initial Edge of Fate campaign gives you guaranteed weapon samples and introduces the attunement system.
High-intensity public events offer multiple reward opportunities with reasonable time investment.
Targeted activities provide focused reward opportunities with predictable completion times.
Systematic chest collection offers consistent but lower-yield weapon acquisition methods.
Smart Resource Investment
- Fated Ciphers: Save these for weapons requiring specific perk combinations or after you've established your base collection.
- Phaseglass Refractions: Use these strategically during daily rotations featuring your desired weapons.
- Attunement Cycling: Regularly switch your attunement focus based on current needs and collection gaps.
Long-term Collection Planning
Collection Phases
Get at least one copy of each weapon to understand base performance characteristics.
Focus farming on weapons that complement existing builds or fill specific role gaps.
Hunt god rolls on frequently used weapons while maintaining collection breadth.
Perfect secondary builds and niche configurations for specialized activities.
Final Thoughts
The Kepler weapon collection provides solid alternatives across multiple categories, with some weapons clearly outperforming others. Sublimation and Last Thursday stand out as particularly strong additions to any arsenal, while Agape provides unique capabilities despite its quirky mechanics. The remaining weapons offer reliable performance without revolutionizing their respective categories.
Exhaustive Research provides consistent value regardless of base weapon performance, making even average rolls useful in appropriate scenarios. This micro-missile system effectively extends engagement ranges and provides additional damage options across all weapon types.
The attunement system rewards focused farming over scattered collection attempts. Set clear goals for each weapon and systematically pursue the configurations you want rather than trying to get god rolls for everything at once.
Remember that weapon effectiveness depends heavily on your playstyle preferences and activity focus. While some weapons clearly outperform others, personal testing remains crucial for determining what works best for your specific circumstances.