Compact Defender is one of six weapons Destiny 2 players can earn from the new expansion. The Sidearm drops from any Renegades-related activity. It falls under the Heat Weapon Archetype added in Renegades. The tiered system added in the Edge of Fate gives you a better chance at finding the god roll. While farming, keep an eye out for an already masterworked version of Compact Defender. Regardless of tier, the masterworked version drops with an extra Origin Trait.
Compact Defender Information
Compact Defender is a Void Dynamic Heat Sidearm. For a reminder, Heat Weapons do not have a reload. Instead, every shot generates Heat. You can press the reload key to vent the weapon. It will automatically vent when not fired, stowed, or overheated. The Sidearm performs decently. It will not be meta-defining, but as a Heat Weapon, it has its place in the Sandbox.
Compact Defender Perks
Column 3
- Cooling Baubles, Destabilizing Rounds, Built to Blast, Hip Fire Grip, Proximity Power, Rangefinder, Delicate Tuning
Column 4
- Desperate Measures, Frenzy, Kill Clip, Swashbuckler, Precision Instrument, Repulsor Brace, Thermal Atomization
PvE God Roll
Whenever there is a Void weapon used for ad-clear, Void-related perks are almost a must. Compact Defender has the ideal Void combination of Destabilizing Rounds and Repulsor Brace. If you feel that Repulsor Brace is unnecessary, you can go with Desperate Measures, Thermal Atomization, or Frenzy instead. These three perks will help with taking down enemies. Thermal Atomization allows for extra AOE damage. However, you might not need it because of Destabilizing Rounds. Cooling Baubles is another option in the third column, and is better for general use cases.
- Barrel: Corkscrew Rifling
- Battery: Overclocked Heatsink
- Third Column: Destabilizing Rounds (alternative – Cooling Baubles)
- Fourth Column: Repulsor Brace (alternatives – Desperate Measures, Frenzy, Thermal Atomization)
- Masterwork: Range
- Origin Trait: Accelerated Assault (Air-Cooled Core for non-masterworked drops)
PvP God Roll
Compact Defender has middling performance in PvP. The low range makes it situational. You must get close to your competition for the most value. Fortunately, we have Rangefinder in the third column to boost the weapon’s range. Kill Clip or Desperate Measures will increase your chances of chaining Kills in the Crucible.
- Barrel: Smallbore
- Battery: Particle Repeater
- Third Column: Rangefinder
- Fourth Column: Kill Clip (alternative – Desperate Measures)
- Masterwork: Range
- Origin Trait: Air-Cooled Core
Acquiring Compact Defender
Compact Defender drops from the Lawless Frontier and Renegades Campaign. Players can spend Dark Ingots at Syndicates, Credits at the weapons shop, and salvage at the local Vendors to acquire a Compact Defender. Only the weapons shop will guarantee a drop of the Sidearm.
All Renegades Weapons
There are six Renegades’ Destination weapons in Destiny 2. For a list of all of them and their perks, head over to our previous article.
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