As a Guardian who's weathered every meta shift since the Red War, I can confidently say Relentless isn't just another pulse rifle—it's a tectonic shift in our combat philosophy. This Strand High-Impact Frame weapon arrived with Rite of the Nine like a spider weaving its first web across a moonlit battlefield, silently dominating both PvE and PvP landscapes. With its refreshed perk pool and Crossing Over origin trait (mirroring Closing Time's efficiency), it transforms group encounters into symphonies of unraveling Strand energy. When I first unleashed its Hatchling and Slice combo in Altars of Summoning, the resulting AoE severing effects cascaded like crystalline shatter patterns across a frozen lake—utterly transformative.
🔫 Obtaining the Unrelenting Force
Acquiring Relentless feels like deciphering an ancient puzzle box—complex but deeply rewarding. Here's your 2025 roadmap:
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Prophecy Dungeon Runs: Attune during Rite of Nine rotations (25% drop chance in Eternity difficulty)
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Nonary Manifold Exchange: 250 manifolds = 1 focused roll (prioritize this season's knockout system!)
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Curated Roll Unlock: Automatic reward after first Rite of Nine questline
Drop rates skyrocket during Iron Banner weeks, and trust me—hearing that Holofoil version clink in your inventory sounds like gemstones tumbling onto silver.
⚔️ PvE God Rolls: Sculpting Reality
In PvE, this rifle doesn't shoot bullets—it weaves reality. My recommended configuration:
| Component | Perk Choices | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 🎯 Barrel | Chambered Compensator | +10 Stability, +10 Recoil Control |
| 📦 Magazine | Appended Mag | 42 rounds (essential for sustained Strand procs) |
| 🌀 Perk 1 | Slice | Sever targets for 30% damage debuff |
| 🐛 Perk 2 | Hatchling | Strand seekers after precision kills |
Why this dominates:
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Slice+Hatchling creates overlapping damage fields like ink spreading through water
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Appended Mag sustains damage during boss DPS phases
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Try Firefly instead of Hatchling for Solar/Strand explosive alchemy
🎯 PvP God Rolls: Precision Perfected
In Crucible? Relentless becomes a chronometer—every shot measures time between life and respawn:
1. Barrel: Chambered Compensator (control recoil like taming lightning)
2. Magazine: Ricochet Rounds (bounce shots in corridors = free kills)
3. Perk 1: Keep Away (10% range boost when enemies retreat)
4. Perk 2: Headseeker (forgives body shots like a merciful executioner)
Map dominance tips:
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The Burnout control lanes become fishing nets for Strand seekers
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Cirrus Plaza sightlines turn into ruler-straight kill corridors
🔮 Versions & Variants
Five iterations exist—each more elusive than the last:
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Standard Kinetic (Season of Wish legacy)
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Rite of Nine Base (farmable via dungeon)
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Adept Version (+3 all stats, Ultimatum difficulty exclusive)
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Holofoil Standard (cosmetic shimmer like oil on obsidian)
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Holofoil Adept (0.7% drop rate—the weapon equivalent of a black orchid)
❓ People Also Ask
- Does Hatchling trigger sever from Slice?
Absolutely—they intertwine like DNA strands, creating 15m AoE lockdown zones
- Adept mod recommendations?
Adept Range for PvP (+10 range), Adept Big Ones for PvE (+7% boss damage)
- Holofoil drop secrets?
Speedrun Ultimatum difficulty with all Nine subclass verbs active (25% bonus chance)
💎 Closing Thoughts
Returning to where we began—Relentless isn't meta. It's theorema. Like discovering gravity still works differently on another planet, this Strand pulse rifle defies old combat doctrines. Whether you're painting PvE arenas with emerald explosions or making Crucible opponents feel like flies caught in cosmic honey, it redefines excellence. Two years after its introduction, I still find new synergies—proof that true power resonates like temple bells across time itself.