Iron Banner weapons haven’t always been the best version of their archetype, but the Roar of the Bear rocket launcher, reissued during Destiny 2‘s Season of Plunder, can be one of the best in the game. You can also target farm it using Iron Banner engrams, and getting one of the god rolls presented in this guide will make the weapon into a monster no matter where you use it.
Roar of the Bear Rocket Launcher PvE God Roll
There are many good rocket launcher options in Destiny 2, and Roar of the Bear can compete with most of them. Depending on your build, it can be one of the best options in the game.
Barrel: Quick Launch, Smart Drift Control
Projectile Velocity is paramount for rockets in all D2 content, as is weapon controllability. Quick Launch gives a good bonus to Velocity and Handling, making the weapon more consistent to use and easier to keep out or put away. Smart Drift Control doesn’t add as much Velocity as Quick Launch does, but it gives an equivalent bonus to Stability and Recoil, with additional bonuses to handling.
Magazine: Impact Casing, Alloy Casing
Impact Casing is a fantastic PvE option because you’re liable to be hitting targets directly, and it provides a damage buff whenever you do so. It gives a good bit of Stability as well. Alloy Casing removes some Stability from Roar of the Bear but dramatically increases its Reload Speed, ensuring your weapon always has a missile ready to go even outside of a team setting.
PvE Trait 1: Ambitious Assasin, Impulse Amplifier
Not needing to reload is always faster than reloading. With Ambitious Assassin, you can have up to two rockets in the tube as long as you’ve defeated one combatant before reloading. Impulse Amplifier is an excellent second choice, as it adds more Velocity and Reload Speed.
PvE Trait 2: Vorpal Weapon, Chain Reaction
With Vorpal Weapon, you have a passive damage bonus to any boss you damage, and it can combine with the Boss Spec mod for even more. Chain Reaction is more of an add-clear perk, but if you want to use Roar of the Bear for more than just straight boss damage, it’s a strong choice.
While rocket launchers aren’t always a top choice in PvP, they can be a game changer in the right scenario, getting an essential pick or taking out an otherwise annoying enemy Guardian.
Barrel
The PvE options work well in PvP as well.
Magazine: High-Velocity Rounds, Black Powder
Adding both projectile Velocity and Reload Speed, High-Velocity Rounds are a strong choice, helping ensure your rockets get the kill you want. If you somehow manage to get a second rocket in PvP, you can have it ready faster. Black Powder might push Stability down a bit, but the increase to Blast Radius can make the weapon kill more consistently.
PvP Trait 1: Impulse Amplifier, Demolitionist
Impulse Amplifier remains an outstanding option for PvP, reducing the need to lead a target and making your weapon all the deadlier for it. Demolitionist is especially useful for the Grenade ability regeneration, and if you find a second rocket, using that grenade will instantly reload the weapon.
PvP Trait 2: Vorpal Weapon, Incandescent
Enemy Supers are more powerful than ever in Destiny 2, and Vorpal Weapon provides a substantial bonus to the Roar of the Bear’s damage against them. If you’re running a Solar 3.0 build in PvP, Incandescent can turn any enemy Guardian into a potential bomb, extending the lethality of this weapon beyond its initial usage.
While the Roar of the Bear god rolls presented here are the best of the bunch, others are almost as effective, like Lasting Impression, Field Prep, and others. We’ve covered other god rolls here, including the Eyasluna, the Taipan-4fr, and Calus Mini-Tool. Our Destiny 2 guides hub has much more.
John Schutt has been playing games for almost 25 years, starting with Super Mario 64 and progressing to every genre under the sun. He spent almost 4 years writing for strategy and satire site TopTierTactics under the moniker Xiant, and somehow managed to find time to get an MFA in Creative Writing in between all the gaming. His specialty is action games, but his first love will always be the RPG. Oh, and his avatar is, was, and will always be a squirrel, a trend he's carried as long as he's had a Steam account, and for some time before that.
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