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Destiny 2’sSeason of the Witch has a new Artifact for Guardians to experiment with, adding new avenues for buildcrafting and general build flexibility for endgame activities. This season’s Acolyte Staff has some rather unique Artifact perks, most of which revolve around a new mechanic called Elemental Orbs.
Related:Destiny 2: Every New Weapon In Season Of The Witch
If you were a fan of Warmind Cells in previous years, this Artifact brings a temporary return to that playstyle. Light subclasses can create a sea of explosive orbs to demolish their foes, and builds tailored to harder content can focus on debuffing targets from a distance. This guide covers all 25 Artifact mods introduced this season and gives an overview on how the Artifact system works in Destiny 2.
Updated June 17, 2025, by Charles Burgar:After some extensive testing, we’ve uncovered how all Artifact perks behave in Season of the Witch. We’ve updated this guide to include a thorough breakdown of every perk introduced in the Acolyte’s Staff this season, including exact buff values and timers.
Semi-Auto Striker
Frenzied Stacks
The Artifact is a grid of passive bonuses that your character can use at any time throughout the season.Acquired immediately after logging in this season, the Acolyte’s Staff allows the user to allocate up to 12 passive bonuses that greatly buff their character.
Passives are divided into columns, each requiring a certain number of allocated passives to unlock:
As for the passives themselves, they range from small quality-of-life improvements such as mod discounts to more transformative improvements. Season of the Witch’s Artifact includes multiple mods that createElemental Orbs, pickups that can be thrown to create an elemental explosion. The type of Elemental Orb you detonate will determine the debuff inflicted, as noted in the perk’s description. Veteran players might remember Warmind Cells behaving in a similar manner.These passives will be removed when the season ends, so take full advantage of them while the season is active.
Respeccing Your Artifact
Artifact perks may be refunded at any time by selecting the perk you wish to disable. This can be done at infinite number of times throughout the season for free, no resources needed.
Anti-Barrier Auto Rifle
Your equipped Auto Rifles pierce Barrier Champion shields.
Additionally, Auto Rifles are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Additionally, Bows are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Unstoppable Scout Rifle
Aiming down sights for a couple of seconds will load an explosive round, stunning Unstoppable Champions.
Additionally, Scout Rifles are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Overload Hand Cannon
Landing consecutive hits with a Hand Cannon will stun Overload Champions.
Additionally, Hand Cannons are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Unstoppable Fusion Rifle
Your equipped Fusion Rifles stagger combatants and stun Unstoppable Champions.
Additionally, Fusion Rifles are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Column One Perks Explained
Anti-Barrier Pulse and Bowallows both weapon archetypes to pierce Barrier Champion shields in PvE content. Weapons with Barrier Rounds can also pierce physical shields carried by Cabal Phalanxes, Hive Knights, and the rotating shields found on Vex Hydras. You can also damage Vex Hobgoblins while they’re regenerating HP. Additionally, these weapons are Overcharged in endgame PvE content, providing a 25% damage buff that doesnotstack with elemental surges.
Overload Hand Cannoninfuses your Hand Cannons with Anti-Overload rounds after firing a few shots, stunning Overload Champions. Normal enemies affected by Overload will deal less damage and restricts their abilities, preventing the likes of Taken Knights from casting Blight projectiles. Additionally, your Hand Cannons are Overcharged in endgame PvE content, providing a 25% damage buff that doesnotstack with elemental surges.
Unstoppable Scout and Fusion Riflesgrant Unstoppable Rounds to both weapon archetypes. Aiming your weapon for a few seconds will overcharge your next shot, staggering targets and stunning Unstoppable Champions.Unlisted in the description, Unstoppable Fusion Rifle also applies to Linear Fusion Rifles.All weapon types benefit from Overcharge while this perk is active, providing a 25% damage buff in endgame PvE content that doesnotstack with elemental surges.
Column Two Perks
Arc/Strand Siphon Combo
Helmets can now equip Arc/Strand hybrid siphon mods. Costs 3 energy.
Solar/Strand Siphon Combo
Helmets can now equip Solar/Strand hybrid siphon mods. Costs 3 energy.
Void/Strand Siphon Combo
Helmets can now equip Void/Strand hybrid siphon mods. Costs 3 energy.
Origin Perk Specialization I
Head Rush, Nanotech Tracer Rockets, Unsated Hunger, and Cursed Thrall (Crota’s End) origin traits are improved.
All scavenger leg mods cost 1 energy.
Column Two Perks Explained
Siphon Combomods unlock new helmet mods that act as hybrids between different elemental siphon mods. For example, Arc/Strand Siphon grants the benefits of Arc and Strand Siphon in a single mod slot. Each mod costs three energy to install.
Origin Perk Specialization Ienhances the following origin traits: Head Rush, Nanotech Tracer Rounds, Unsated Hunger, and Cursed Thrall. Any duration-based origin trait receive roughly a 50% duration boost, while damage-focused origin traits receive a small damage boost.
Diviner’s Discountreduces the cost of all scavenger leg mods to one energy. This applies to harmonic scavengers and elemental scavengers.
Related:Destiny 2: Season Of The Witch - Altars Of Summoning Activity Guide
Column Three Perks
Thanatotic Tangles
Strand weapon final blows have a chance to generate a Tangle.
Origin Perk Specialization II
Weapons with Head Rush, Nanotech Tracer Rockets, Unsated Hunger, or Cursed Thrall (Crota’s End) origin traits are Overcharged in endgame PvE content.
Overcharged weapons deal 25% more damage in pinnacle content, such as Master raids and Legend Lost Sectors. Does not stack with Surges.
Elemental Orbs: Void
While on a Void subclass, Void weapon kills can spawn Void Elemental Orbs. Shoot or throw the orbs to detonate them, making targets volatile.
Elemental Orbs: Arc
While on an Arc subclass, Arc weapon kills can spawn Arc Elemental Orbs. Shoot or throw the orbs to detonate them, jolting targets.
Elemental Orbs: Solar
While on a Solar subclass, Solar weapon kills can spawn Solar Elemental Orbs. Shoot or throw the orbs to detonate them, scorching targets.
Column Three Perks Explained
Thanatotic Tanglescauses your Strand weapons to always spawn Tangles, provided your Tangle cooldown isn’t active. Spawning a Tangle this way still incurs a cooldown, so you won’t be able to spawn multiple Tangles at once.
Origin Perk Specializationcauses all weapons from Neomuna, Crota’s End, this season, and last season to be classified as Overcharged in endgame PvE content. Overcharged weapons deal 25% more damage in activities where the Overcharge modifier is enabled, but it doesnotstack with elemental surges.
Elemental Orbsare a new type of pickup introduced this season. They function similarly to Tangles, creating an object you may pick up and throw at enemies. Orbs inflict a moderate amount of damage over a small area and inflict a subclass keyword depending on the orb. Solar Orbs inflict Scorch, Arc Orbs inflict Jolt, and Void Orbs make targets Volatile. Elemental Orbs have a short cooldown before they can spawn again, and anyone in your fireteam may pick them up. Elemental Orbs cannot spawn inside the Crucible.
Overload Machine Guns
Uninterrupted fire with Machine Guns now stun Overload Champions.
Additionally, Machine Guns are always Overcharged when that modifier is active.
Stunned Champions take bonus damage from abilities and Elemental Orbs.
Communal Pickups
When an ally destroys or picks up a Tangle or Elemental Orb, you gain bonus weapon damage for 10 seconds.
If your ally interacted with a Tangle, your Tangle cooldown is also reduced by 5 seconds.
Refreshing Pickups
Picking up Tangles or Elemental Orbs will grant energy to your least-charged ability.
While under 2 Armor Charge stacks, rapid precision hits with Bows, Snipers, and Scout Rifles grants Armor Charge.
Column Four Perks Explained
Overload Machine Gunsinfuses your MGs with Overload Rounds after firing for a few seconds, stunning Overload Champions. Other enemies hit by Overload ammo will deal less damage and cast their abilities less frequently. Additionally, all Machine Guns are classified as Overcharged in endgame PvE content, dealing 25% more damage. This doesn’t stack with elemental surges.
Elemental Furycauses Champions to receive 35% more ability and Elemental Orb damage while stunned. This stacks with other damage buffs and debuffs.
Communal Pickupsis a must if you plan on using Elemental Orbs or Tangles. Allies that pick up or destroy your pickups (Elemental Orbs or Tangles) will grant you ax3 elemental surge that matches your subclass, lasting 10 seconds.For those unfamiliar, a x3 Surge effect is a 22% damage buff that stacks with weapon perks, empowering buffs like Radiant, as well as debuffs.
Refreshing Pickupsrestores 25% energy to your least-charged ability when you pick up an Elemental Orb or Tangle. This effect doesn’t seem to have a cooldown. This perk will not generate Super energy if your grenade, melee, and class abilities are charged.
Semi-Auto Strikergrants x1 Armor Charge if you land consecutive precision hits with a Bow, Sniper Rifle, or Scout Rifle. You must have less than x2 Armor Charge for this perk to trigger. You can increase the amount of Armor Charge this perk grants by equipping the Stacks on Stacks mod on your leg armor.
Column Five Perks
Monochromatic Maestro
Dealing ability damage grants a x1 surge buff to matching elemental weapon damage and vice versa. The buff lasts for 5 seconds.
Rapid precision hits against a distant enemy will weaken them.
Elemental Embrace
Subclass elemental buffs grant you bonus recovery and damage resistance against combatant attacks of the matching element type.
Elemental Munitions
Tangle or Elemental Orb kills have a chance of spawning Special or Heavy ammo.
Armor Charge now buffs the damage of your Tangles and Elemental Orbs.
Armor Charge now decays every 10 seconds.
Column Five Perks Explained
Monochromatic Maestroreturns this season, albeit it’s been reworked slightly. The description is incorrect about this being a 10% damage buff.Whenever you deal ability damage, you receive a x1 elemental surge that matches your subclass, lasting 5 seconds.This distinction is important because stacking surges yields diminishing returns. If you have x3 surges already and proc Monochromatic Maestro, you’ll benefit from x4 surge or a 25% damage buff, a 3% damage buff rather than the listed 10%. Dealing damage with a weapon does increase your ability damage by 10%, however, just as the perk describes.
Rapid-Fire Rangerinflicts a 15% weaken effect on the target if you land consecutive headshots from 50+ meters away. Primary weapons require more precision hits than Special and Heavy weapons, so we recommend using a Sniper or Trace Rifle if you plan on using Rapid-Fire Ranger. This perk doesnotstack with other weaken effects.
Elemental Embraceprovides a 50% DR buff when damaged by an elemental type that matches your subclass, provided you’re currently buffed by an elemental keyword. Compatible keywords include:
Surprisingly,this perk works in PvP.You’ll also receive a Recovery bonus when this perk triggers, although the exact amount of Recovery provided is tough to measure.
Elemental Munitionsgives your Tangles and Elemental Orbs a high chance of spawning Special and/or Heavy ammo on kill, generating ammo for your entire squad. These are classified as full ammo bricks, not finders. Any Aspects or Exotics that allow these pickups to deal persistent damage—notably the Hunter’s Whirling Maelstrom Aspect—can trigger this perk multiple times in a row. This mod does not work in PvP.
Frenzied Stacksgrants a 30% damage buff to your Tangles and Elemental Orbsper stack of Armor Charge. This stacks linearly, providing up to 90% bonus damage at x3 Armor Charge and a whopping 180% bonus at x6 Armor Charge. Consequently, you now lose Armor Charge every 10 seconds. This timer may be extended by equipping Time Dilation mods on your class item.
