#wavesplitter

Wavesplitter

Omolon’s newest breakthrough uses focused sonic waves to superheat electrons into a devastating energy beam.

Type: Trace Rifle

Slot: Kinetic | Energy | Heavy

Element: Arc | Solar | Void

Perk: Harmonic Laser - Laser damage has three power levels that oscillate while the trigger is held down.

Trait: Supercharged Battery - Collecting an Orb of Light grants a short period of maximum power that starts with an automatic reload. Sustained fire in this mode suppresses targets.

Ornaments: Pseudoscience

Origin & Description: Last in the trio of elemental trace rifles, Wavesplitter spent the first year of its life as a PS4 exclusive. Now finally on PC to the delight of completionists everywhere, it’s...fine? In-universe Omolon (who also built Coldheart) describes Wavesplitter as a "weaponized sound system," although its pull quote has the more sober explanation of "focused sonic waves to superheat electrons" which...I'm pretty sure that doesn't work the way they're hoping it works, but whatever, Void isn't the easiest elemental damage type to illustrate, plus it's the space future and I'm a space future wizard who finds it very funny to imagine blasting my enemies with the concentrated fury of The Glitch Mob. In keeping with the musical theme Wavesplitter looks more "acoustic" than the other two trace rifles and the "firing tube" at the center takes its design cues from the vacuum tubes in fancy guitar amps. It's weirdly appropriate to Void Warlock's Nova Warp super whose AoE waves come with a nearly subsonic bass blast.

Wavesplitter's original "perk" is that when you fire it the laser oscillates every few seconds between three different power levels. The three elegantly-machined cylinders along the barrel as well as the small waveform readout provide a visual cue for what power level the laser is currently at. In practice, though, it doesn't seem to matter. When using it against red-bars the difference between min and max power is the difference between a one- or two-second kill, and on bigger enemies you're going to be holding it on-target long enough for the oscillations to average out. Its trait makes things more interesting, though, giving you a solid five seconds of Maximum Laser per orb of Light picked up plus a free reload in the bargain. The buff timer stacks - pick up two orbs and you get ten seconds. The Year 5 tuning pass that updated the three original trace rifles spiced up the deal even further by adding the ability to suppress targets (debuff and stun them out of abilities) in overcharge mode. In the right circumstances suppression is a very powerful tool in the Guardian arsenal, and Wavesplitter is currently the only non-ability way to deploy it. That hasn't skyrocketed it to the top of the meta, but Wavesplitter is considerably more useful in the current sandbox. And as the lore tab notes, Omolon is in the business of giving Guardians options - even if those options feel like being stabbed by a knife shaped like B-flat.

Destiny 2 Compendium Armarum Exoticarum

“Omolon’s really trying to corner the market on these things, huh? Two production models barely a year apart—plus I hear they’re trying to buy out the Cryptarchy for the design of that crystal-based one they came up with last year.”

“Nobody else has the technology yet, so makes sense they’d want to establish market dominance before competition shows up. And before the holiday gift season, obviously.”

“Think any will? Any competition?”

“Only a matter of time, especially with the high price tags on these things. If nothing else, some intrepid Guardians are gonna go stomping hobgoblins till they bring back a working Vex beam weapon, slap it onto a human-operable platform, and sell it to Suros or Veist. Or tie a ribbon on it and call it a late Dawning present.”

“Now that you mention it, surprised that hasn’t already happened.”