Destiny 2 Renegades Artifact Perks Guide
The Encrypted Data Disk is the seasonal artifact for Destiny 2: Renegades, built around Kinetic, Arc, Void, and Sword-focused gameplay. It plays a major role in shaping early-season builds, Champion coverage, ammo economy, and subclass routing.
If you’re planning to run Legend Lost Sectors, Nightfalls, or the Equilibrium Dungeon, understanding the Destiny 2 Renegades artifact perks is the fastest way to boost your damage.
The artifact includes five columns, each adding a different layer of power: Champion counters, siphon mods, Kinetic ammo generation, Sword tech, and subclass-driven explosions and debuffs.
Destiny 2: Renegades is set to launch on December 2, so it's advisable to get acquainted with the essential details ahead of time to ensure you stay competitive. If you want to be fully prepared for Renegades from day one, you can check out our Destiny 2 Renegades Boosting Services.
A Closer Look at the Encrypted Data Disk
The Encrypted Data Disk is the Renegades seasonal artifact, a stolen Cabal data core turned into a flexible perk system. As you gain XP throughout the season, you can unlock perks from any column in any sequence. Its design heavily supports:
- Kinetic ammo generation and economy (Kinetic Synthesis, Kinetic Rupture)
- Arc and Void subclass synergy
- Advanced Sword tech and combo perks
- Full Champion coverage across Hand Cannons, Snipers, Pulses, SMGs, and Bows
How Perk Columns Function in Renegades
The Encrypted Data Disk contains five perk columns, each offering five choices. Leveling the artifact through standard gameplay unlocks access, and you’re free to select perks in any order across available columns.
Important structure notes:
- Column 1 - pure Champion counters
- Columns 2–3 - weapon handling, reload buffs, siphons, and ammo systems
- Columns 4–5 - subclass-driven perks, Sword empowerment, debuffs, Arc orbs, utility
You can reset the artifact whenever you want, letting you rebuild around new weapons, subclasses, or endgame activities.
All Destiny 2 Renegades Artifact Perks
Column 1 — Champion Counter Perks
| Perk | Effect |
|---|---|
| Anti-Barrier Hand Cannon | Hand Cannons pierce Barrier shields and stun Barrier Champions. |
| Anti-Barrier Sniper Rifle | Snipers pierce Barrier shields and stun Barrier Champions. |
| Overload Pulse Rifle | Pulse Rifles fire disrupting rounds that stun Overload Champions and slow regeneration. |
| Overload Submachine Gun | SMGs fire disrupting rounds that stun Overload Champions and reduce enemy ability regen. |
| Unstoppable Bow | Fully drawn Bows and Crossbows fire an explosive shot that stuns Unstoppable Champions. |
Column 2 — Siphons, Armor Charge, Handling & Precision Perks
| Perk | Effect |
|---|---|
| Impact, Shock, Gravity | Unlocks Kinetic/Void and Kinetic/Arc Helmet Siphon mods at a reduced cost. |
| Gravitic-Voltaic Charge | +1 max Armor Charge while using Arc or Void Super. |
| Expert Handling | Weapon final blows give stacking Stability; Swords gain Guard Resistance. |
| Fastest Draw | Your first precision shot after readying/reloading grants flinch resistance. |
| Elemental Siphon | Rapid final blows with Kinetic or Super-matching weapons create elemental pickups matching your Super element. |
Column 3 — Ammo Economy, Reload Tech, Devour & Sword Utility
| Perk | Effect |
|---|---|
| Press the Advantage | Breaking shields grants Handling, Reload Speed, Stability; Swords gain Guard Resistance. |
| Kinetic Synthesis | Sustained Kinetic damage and rapid kills can spawn a unique ammo brick. |
| Reload at Range | Bow and Sniper precision hits stack reload buffs. |
| Riposte | Guarding with a Sword briefly enables Light/Heavy attacks to stun unshielded targets (Unstoppable). |
| Power From Pain | Rapid kills against weakened enemies grant Devour. |
Column 4 — Arc/Void Utility & Sword Combat Enhancers
| Perk | Effect |
|---|---|
| Dielectric | Defeating Arc-debuffed targets generates Bolt Charge; rapid kills create Orbs and minor healing. |
| Armorsmith | Breaking shields grants temporary damage resistance and increased melee damage. |
| Counter Energy | Stunning Champions gives ability energy to your lowest-charged ability. |
| Combination Argent Blade | Light - short pause - Light/Heavy empowers your Sword with bonus damage + charge rate. |
| Singularity Blade | While you have a Void buff, melee/Sword hits weaken targets; final blows create a weakening burst. |
Column 5 — High-Impact Endgame Perks
| Perk | Effect |
|---|---|
| Elemental Orbs: Arc | Arc weapon kills can spawn Arc Orbs that jolt on detonation. |
| Kinetic Rupture | Kinetic damage against powerful foes may create a Rupture; shooting it causes a big stagger explosion (Unstoppable). |
| Snipers Meditation | Sniper hits grant stacking damage, stability, and reload boosts; Heavy Sniper hits count as multiple. |
| Sword Storm Combo | Three Light attacks + Heavy summons blades that rotate and damage/disorient nearby enemies. Final blows extend duration. |
| Void Infestation | Defeating weakened enemies spawns a tracking projectile that spreads weaken. |
Final Thoughts
Once you unlock the right perks, your setup starts flowing naturally.
The 12-perk limit forces you to focus, though. You can’t take everything. Sword builds want the whole combo chain, ability-heavy players lean into siphons, and generalists mix one Champion mod with a few utility perks.
FAQ
What are the Renegades artifact perks?
How many artifact perks can be active at once?
Twelve. You can unlock all perks over time, but only 12 can be active, so builds rely on smart filtering and swapping based on the activity.
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