Destiny: Rise of Iron will re-introduce the first weapon players pick up in the game, this time as an exotic auto rifle with a pretty unique perk tree.
When players first open their eyes as a Guardian in Destiny, they soon come across an old weapon in the giant wall surrounding Old Russia. That weapon is the Khvostov, a throwback to an older time as the weapon is reminiscent of an assault rifle that could be seen in the world today. In Destiny: Rise of Iron, Destiny's fall expansion, the Khvostov is making a comeback, and it's getting an exotic makeover. You can see it in action here:
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According to Bungie's art director Shiek Wang, when the developers first designed the original common-level (the lowest class of item level in the game) Khvostov, they never imagined the gun would be so beloved by the community of players:
“I think it was very much like, ‘Hey, we need an old weapon that speaks to European design language, pick this reference, use it, make it look broken.’ And then we moved on to designing other things.”
As players know, there are a bevy of uncommon, rare, legendary, and exotic weapons to collect and move through in Destiny, but Bungie found that players really did have a special place in their hearts (and for some of them, in their Vaults) for the Khvostov. Players have even done raid challenges, defeating sections or entire raids using only the Khvostov.
So with Rise of Iron, where the word "nostalgia" has been used many times by its developers, Bungie decided to bring the weapon back in a new form, much like the Gjallarhorn. Lead designer Ryan Paradis says Rise of Iron seemed like the perfect time to put the assault rifle back in players' hands.
“We really wanted to pay homage to that. Let’s tug at the heartstrings a little bit. Let’s give this gun a little bit more fiction and purpose. It’s one of the true military weapons we have in the game that really feels like an assault rifle, so it was kind of neat for us to bring that back.”
The Khvostov does not possess an exotic perk per se, but what makes it exotic is the customization options players have with it. Here's the full perk tree via Game Informer:
Scope
- Classic Scope – The original Khvostov scope. Optimized for range and stability
- Modernized Scope – Grants additional zoom and target acquisition
Firing Mode
- Automatic – Sets firing behavior to fully automatic
- Burst Fire – Sets firing behavior to burst
- Semi Auto – Sets firing behavior to semi-automatic with higher muzzle velocity
Frame Options
- Hammer forged – Improved range and accuracy
- Rifled Barrel – Increased range; Slower reload
- Braced Frame – Increased stability; Reduced magazine size
Extras
- Extended Mag – A larger magazine
- Counterbalance – This weapon has increased stability
- Rangefinder – Aiming this weapon increases its effective range
RPM
- 450 RPM – Sets firing behavior to 450 RPM. Grants bonus range
- 900 RPM – Sets firing behavior to 900 RPM. Grants bonus stability
Ornaments
- The final column on the right represents the gun’s ornaments. This feature is new to Rise of Iron. We don’t know much about the Khvostov’s ornaments at this point, but we do know that once players find the requisite items to activate the ornament that they will be able to change the way the gun looks. Players will also be freely able to switch between these ornaments after they’ve been unlocked.
How can players get their hands on it in Rise of Iron? The Khvostov will be part of an exotic quest line, similar to how players will get their hands on another returning exotic, Thorn.
The Khvostov quest seems most like the Sleeper Simulant quest from The Taken King. Players will find weapon parts scattered across the new Patrol area the Plaguelands, either in chests or in the new Archon's Forge arena mode. Turn those in and the quest will kick off. Alternatively, if players still have a classic Khvostov in their Vault, they can dismantle it to get the weapon parts and start the quest.
Destiny: Rise of Iron launches September 20th on PS4 and Xbox One.
Source: Game Informer