Destiny 2: All IKELOS Weapons and God Rolls Guide

TL;DR

• There are four IKELOS weapons in Destiny 2: an SMG, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, and Hand Cannon.
• All four are obtained from Operation: Seraph’s Shield in the weekly Exotic Mission Rotator.
• Select the Classic Collector modifier before launching or you will not get IKELOS drops.
• All four weapons are craftable — farm red border versions to unlock the pattern.
• The IKELOS SMG is the standout of the set and one of the best Arc SMGs in the game.
• All weapons share the Rasputin’s Arsenal origin trait, which partially reloads on shield breaks.
• Crafting enhanced perks makes a big difference — prioritise the SMG and Sniper for your first crafted versions.

The IKELOS weapons are some of the most recognisable guns in Destiny 2. They first appeared in the Warmind expansion and have been reprised multiple times since. The current v1.0.3 versions are fully craftable, carry the Rasputin’s Arsenal origin trait, and have expanded perk pools compared to earlier iterations. In 2026, you can get them all from a single source: Operation Seraph’s Shield, accessed through the weekly Exotic Mission Rotator. This guide covers every IKELOS weapon, where to get them, and the best god rolls for both PvE and PvP.

What Are IKELOS Weapons in Destiny 2?

IKELOS weapons are a family of four Legendary weapons originally designed by Rasputin, the Warmind AI. The set includes a Submachine Gun, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, and Hand Cannon. All four are Solar or Void energy weapons, all four are craftable, and all four roll with the shared origin trait Rasputin’s Arsenal — which partially reloads the magazine whenever you break an enemy’s shield. This trait is especially useful in content with shielded enemies, where it gives you extra uptime without needing a reload perk.

In terms of power level, the SMG sits at the top of the set and is widely considered one of the best Legendary Arc SMGs in Destiny 2. The Sniper Rifle is a solid boss damage option. The Shotgun fills a melee-build niche. The Hand Cannon is the weakest of the four for most players but has a role in Lucky Pants builds. All four are worth having crafted if you play enough PvE content to use them.

How to Get All IKELOS Weapons in Destiny 2

All four IKELOS weapons drop from Operation: Seraph’s Shield, the Exotic mission associated with the Season of the Seraph. You access it through the Pinnacle Ops section of the Vanguard activities menu when it is the active mission in the weekly Exotic Mission Rotator.

Important: You must select the Classic Collector modifier before launching Operation: Seraph’s Shield. Without it, the IKELOS weapons are not in the loot pool and you will only get default Pinnacle Ops drops. Do not skip this step.

Each encounter in the mission has a chance to drop IKELOS weapons. Red border (Deepsight Resonance) versions count toward unlocking the crafting pattern. Once you have five red border versions of a weapon, the pattern unlocks and you can craft it at the Enclave on Savathun’s Throne World. Crafted versions can be levelled up to unlock Enhanced perks, which are a significant upgrade over the base versions of the same perks. For a full picture of how crafting works in 2026, the Destiny 2 crafted weapon upgrade guide covers the current system.

IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3 God Roll

The IKELOS SMG is a 720 RPM Aggressive Frame Arc Submachine Gun. It is the most used weapon in the IKELOS family by a wide margin. The combination of fire rate, range, and a top-tier perk pool makes it one of the strongest PvE SMGs available. It can stun Overload Champions with Jolt when Voltshot is active, and the Enhanced versions of its best perks push it even further. It was nerfed for recoil at one point, but it remains dominant in the sandbox.

IKELOS SMG PvE God Roll

• Barrel: Hammer-Forged Rifling
• Magazine: Seraph Rounds
• Perk 1: Feeding Frenzy
• Perk 2: Voltshot

Feeding Frenzy and Voltshot is one of the best PvE perk combinations in the entire game. Kill an enemy to trigger Feeding Frenzy for a near-instant reload, then fire to proc Voltshot and chain lightning through the next group of adds. This loop clears ads extremely fast and stuns Overload Champions at the same time. Seraph Rounds combine penetration, ricochet, and flinch increase into one magazine perk — an easy choice. Perpetual Motion with Frenzy is a solid alternative if you miss Voltshot, but the Feeding Frenzy and Voltshot combo is the definitive PvE god roll for this weapon.

IKELOS SMG PvP God Roll

• Barrel: Hammer-Forged Rifling
• Magazine: Accurized Rounds or Seraph Rounds
• Perk 1: Killing Wind or Dynamic Sway Reduction
• Perk 2: Rangefinder or Tap the Trigger

PvP rolls for the IKELOS SMG are all about range and recoil control. Killing Wind gives increased mobility after kills, which suits the close-range playstyle of an Aggressive Frame SMG. Dynamic Sway Reduction improves accuracy the longer you hold the trigger — excellent for sustained duels. Rangefinder extends effective range to reduce damage falloff, while Tap the Trigger does the opposite job by improving stability in the opening burst. Dynamic Sway Reduction with Tap the Trigger together is one of the smoothest-feeling combinations on any SMG in the game. Enhanced versions of these perks from a crafted roll make a real difference in Crucible. Check the Destiny 2 PvP weapons guide to see where it ranks against other meta SMGs right now.

IKELOS_SG_v1.0.3 God Roll

The IKELOS Shotgun is a 140 RPM Rapid-Fire Frame Solar Shotgun. Rapid-Fire Frames fire full auto with deeper ammo reserves and faster reload on an empty mag. This makes the IKELOS SG a strong option for sustained short-range pressure, especially when paired with melee builds. It is not a meta PvP weapon — Rapid-Fire Frames struggle to compete with more lethal Shotgun archetypes in the Crucible — but in PvE, the combination of Incandescent and the One-Two Punch / Grave Robber loop is genuinely powerful.

IKELOS Shotgun PvE God Roll

• Barrel: Corkscrew Rifling or Smallbore
• Magazine: Tactical Mag
• Perk 1: Grave Robber or Subsistence
• Perk 2: Incandescent or One-Two Punch

Incandescent is the primary reason to use this Shotgun in PvE in 2026. Every kill spreads Scorch to nearby enemies, turning a close-range weapon into an ad-clear tool as well. Grave Robber pairs with it by refilling the magazine on melee kills, keeping you in the fight longer. If you play a melee-heavy Solar build, One-Two Punch is the alternative — it grants a massive buff to melee damage for a brief window after landing all pellets on a target, which pairs extremely well with Synthoceps (Titan), Liar’s Handshake (Hunter), or Necrotic Grips (Warlock). Subsistence is the more universal option in Perk 1 if your build does not rely on melee kills to trigger Grave Robber.

IKELOS Shotgun PvP God Roll

• Barrel: Smoothbore
• Magazine: Accurized Rounds
• Perk 1: Threat Detector
• Perk 2: Swashbuckler or Trench Barrel

The IKELOS Shotgun is not a strong PvP weapon. Rapid-Fire Frames have low per-shot damage compared to more lethal archetypes, and the perk pool does not have many Crucible standouts. If you want to use it, focus all attention on range with Smoothbore and Accurized Rounds. Threat Detector improves Stability, Reload, and Handling when enemies are nearby — which in Shotgun range, is almost always. Trench Barrel gives 50% bonus damage after a melee hit, which is your best path to threatening kills in PvP with this weapon.

IKELOS_SR_v1.0.3 God Roll

The IKELOS Sniper Rifle is a Rapid-Fire Frame Solar Sniper Rifle. Rapid-Fire Sniper Rifles have deeper ammo reserves and faster reload on empty, making them excellent for sustained damage phases. The IKELOS SR is crafable and can roll with strong DPS perks like Overflow, Fourth Time’s the Charm, and Focused Fury. The origin trait Rasputin’s Arsenal partially reloads the mag after breaking a shield, which synergises well with the Rapid-Fire archetype by effectively extending your DPS window against shielded targets.

IKELOS Sniper Rifle PvE God Roll

• Barrel: Fluted Barrel or Hammer-Forged Rifling
• Magazine: Appended Mag or Accurized Rounds
• Perk 1: Overflow or Fourth Time’s the Charm
• Perk 2: Focused Fury or High-Impact Reserves

Overflow and Focused Fury is the top boss-damage combination. Overflow overloads the magazine when you pick up Special or Heavy ammo, giving you more shots before reloading. Focused Fury activates after you land half the magazine as precision hits, granting a 20% damage increase for the rest. Together, they give you an extended, high-damage window during DPS phases. Fourth Time’s the Charm is a safer alternative in Perk 1 — it returns rounds to the mag on rapid precision hits without needing to pick up ammo. High-Impact Reserves is the alternative in Perk 2 if you want the damage back-loaded to the end of the magazine instead of mid-mag. Enhanced High-Impact Reserves activates earlier in the mag than the base version, making it competitive with Focused Fury when crafted.

IKELOS Sniper Rifle PvP God Roll

• Barrel: Fluted Barrel
• Magazine: Accurized Rounds
• Perk 1: Perpetual Motion or Moving Target
• Perk 2: Incandescent or Focused Fury

Rapid-Fire Sniper Rifles are not the top PvP pick, but the IKELOS SR can hold its own with the right roll. Perpetual Motion adds Stability, Handling, and Reload Speed while you are moving, which is exactly what you want when quickscoping between shots. Moving Target improves target acquisition while aiming — useful for hitting the first shot in a duel where flinch can be the deciding factor. Incandescent in PvP can trigger from precision kills, and the Scorch spread punishes clustered opponents in modes like Control. This is not a meta PvP weapon, but these perks make the most of what it can do.

IKELOS_HC_v1.0.3 God Roll

The IKELOS Hand Cannon is a 180 RPM Precision Frame Void Hand Cannon. Precision Frames have a more predictably vertical recoil pattern and fire quickly with high accuracy. The 180 RPM archetype is not in a strong spot in the current meta — it requires more shots to kill than 140 RPM alternatives — but the IKELOS HC has a niche in Lucky Pants builds where Triple Tap and a damage perk create an impressive burst DPS window. For most players, it is the least impactful weapon in the IKELOS family, but it is worth crafting if you run Lucky Pants on Hunter.

IKELOS Hand Cannon PvE God Roll

• Barrel: Corkscrew Rifling
• Magazine: Seraph Rounds
• Perk 1: Subsistence or Triple Tap
• Perk 2: Golden Tricorn or Frenzy

Subsistence and Golden Tricorn is the go-to PvE roll for general content. Subsistence refunds ammo from reserves on kills, keeping the 12-round magazine topped up. Golden Tricorn grants a 50% damage buff when you match the weapon’s element with your subclass damage type, which is easy to maintain on a Void build. For Lucky Pants-specific use, Triple Tap is the Perk 1 choice — it returns rounds to the mag on rapid precision hits, and combined with Focused Fury or a stacking damage perk, it delivers strong burst DPS during Lucky Pants windows. Frenzy is the consistent damage alternative in Perk 2 if you want a reliable 15% damage buff that stays up in combat without needing ability kills.

IKELOS Hand Cannon PvP God Roll

• Barrel: Hammer-Forged Rifling or Smallbore
• Magazine: Accurized Rounds
• Perk 1: Rapid Hit
• Perk 2: Rampage or Focused Fury

180 RPM Hand Cannons are not competitive in the Crucible, and the IKELOS HC is no exception. If you do use it, Rapid Hit is the best Perk 1 choice — precision hits stack Stability and reload speed, which helps land the additional shots the 180 RPM archetype requires. Rampage stacks damage on kills and has a longer buff window than most damage perks. Focused Fury activates after landing enough precision hits, giving a 20% damage buff that applies to follow-up shots. This is a weapon for players who specifically enjoy the 180 RPM feel, not a Crucible meta pick.

Which IKELOS Weapon Should You Craft First?

In 2026, the priority order is clear. The IKELOS SMG is the first craft. Feeding Frenzy and Voltshot with Enhanced perks is one of the best PvE weapon builds in the game and the Overload Champion synergy through Jolt is consistently useful across endgame content. The IKELOS Sniper Rifle is the second priority if you run DPS phases regularly — Overflow and Focused Fury with Enhanced perks extends your damage windows meaningfully. The IKELOS Shotgun is worth crafting for players invested in Solar melee builds. The IKELOS Hand Cannon is a niche craft for Lucky Pants Hunters only.

All four weapons tie into the broader Destiny 2 PvE weapon tier list, which covers how they compare to other Legendary and Exotic options across all content types. If you are building a full endgame loadout, the best armor mods guide covers how to maximise synergy between your weapons and build. For the IKELOS SMG in particular, the Voltshot and Jolt loop scales well in tier-level content — see the Destiny 2 Tier 5 weapons guide for how the SMG fits into that system.

IKELOS Weapons FAQ

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