Lord of Wolves

"By this right alone do I rule."

— Weapon description.

Lord of Wolves
Production overview
Manufacturer:	Fallen
Style:	Shrapnel Launcher
Rarity class:	Exotic
Weapon type:	Shotgun
Required level:	Varies
Min-max accuracy:	High
Min-max impact:	68
Min-max stability:	39
Min-max handling:	40
Min-max magazine:	30
Specifications
Fire mode:	Burst-Fire
Rate of fire:	640 RPM
Damage:	Solar
Effective range:	20
Service history
In service:	Guardians
Affiliation:	House of Wolves

Lord of Wolves is an Exotic Shotgun originally from the Destiny expansion House of Wolves. It returned in Destiny 2: Forsaken.

Perks

Destiny

Devil's Touch—kills with this weapon grant +2 agility (jump height and speed).

Smart Drift Control—easier to control recoil, less range.

Soft Ballistics—less recoil, less range.

Linear Compensator—more predictable yet plentiful recoil, slightly more range and impact.

Hipfire—this weapon gains more accuracy when firing from the hip (not aimed down sights)

Speed Reload—quicker reload.

Extended mag—more bullets in the magazine (30-36)

Perfect Balance—less Recoil

Destiny 2

Intrinsic: Shrapnel Launcher - Fires a power short-range burst of Solar damage.

Barrel: Chambered Compensater - Stable barrel attachment.

• Increases stability
• Moderately controls recoil
• Slightly decreases handling Speed

Magazine: Extended Mag - This weapon has a greatly increased mag size, but reloads much slower.

• Greatly increases magazine size
• Greatly lowers reload speed
• Increases airborne effectiveness

Trait: Release the Wolves - [Alternate Weapon Action]: Swap to a longer, more powerful burst.

Stock Composite Stock - This weapon has a versatile, dual-purpose stock.

• Slightly increases stability
• Slightly increase handling speed

Catalyst

Perks: Fang and Claw - Increases reload speed while Release the Wolves is active, and increases stability when it is not.

Objectives: Enemies defeated - 500

Aquisition

Destiny

The Lord of Wolves is an Exotic burst fire Shotgun that can be obtained as a random reward, along with the Queenbreakers' Bow and Dreg's Promise, from completing Prison of Elders activities. In Destiny's Year One, it was obtainable only through Elder's Cipher Bounties, these were difficult to find due to their small chance of dropping from the completion of a Prison of Elders activity. This has been removed since the launch of The Taken King and replaced with a chance to drop at the completion of a Challenge of the Elders activity.

Destiny 2

The Lord of Wolves was originally acquired in Destiny 2 as a random drop from Spider's Bounties as part of the Forsaken expansion. In the years proceeding, Lord of Wolves was added to the exotic world loot pool and since the removal of the Tangled Shore with the launch of the Witch Queen expansion can no longer be obtained through the bounties.

Gameplay

Destiny

The Lord of Wolves is an Exotic Shotgun which rapidly fires five shots upon a single pull of the trigger. It has a thirty round magazine and reloads entirely with a single clip unlike most shotguns. It has poor recoil, but deals high damage. The Lord of Wolves' range properties surpass those seen in almost every other shotgun, approaching the range of a typical fusion rifle.

Destiny 2

Whilst keeping much of its traits from its first debut, The Lord of Wolves returned with a upgrade. Release the Wolves was now tied to an alternate weapon button. This meant one could switch the weapon's firing mode from a controllable, short range, five round burst to a high recoil, increased range and damage, ten round burst.

The weapon was considered the most powerful weapon in the crucible for a short period. Its Release the Wolves firing mode gave it the ability to not only kill from distances no other shotgun could reach but its high damage also allowed it to kill guardians even in their supers.

Eventually this was changed through a series of balancing patches. First the range and stability of the Release the Wolves firing mode were decreased then the damage. After shotguns as an archetype went through global range decreases, Lord of Wolves once again became a strong contender leading to a final reduction of the range in its normal mode. Bungie have stated that they are looking into changing the overall identity of the weapon but we are yet to see this idea come to Destiny 2.

Grimoire

"By this right alone do I rule."

Jolyon was a Crow. He'd seen much. More than most. He held the enemy's greatest weapon. Remembered its burn. Then began tinkering. He liked things. Liked how they worked. Found happiness in finding new avenues through which a thing could function. Not to alter the purpose, but simply to refine it.

The weapon delivered impact with incredible force spread over a range to increase its area of influence. But what if that force was brought to focus in a directed burst. A seasoned marksman with a steady, strong hand could deliver a burn that served less to herd, more to punish.

The feral ones deserved nothing less. The Wolves would have a new master. And that master was fire.

Lore (Destiny 2)

"By this right alone do I rule."

"Why did they call themselves Wolves?" the Hunter asks. "You guys don't have any wolves on your home world, do you?"

"Nama," the Captain replies. He has perched on a rusted-out Skiff. He scans the horizon, trying to remember the way to the crypt.

"So… Why, then? Most people haven't even seen one."

"Yeah," the Warlock chimes in. "I'd never even heard of wolves 'til I went to the Iron Temple."

The Captain cocks his head in a way that makes him look very like a squat, hulking owl. "Why Eliksni accept name 'Fallen'? Why Wolves accept name 'Wolves'? Why Misraaks is now," he grimaces as he mimes their accents, showing his serrated teeth, "Miff-racks?" He rises in one fluid motion and stands at his full height. "Why speak Guardian way instead Eliksni? Docked things do not word themselves."

He hops down, brushing past the Hunter and the Warlock with the rippling strength of a hunting tiger. "House of Wolves, they been Mraskilaasan. Gentle weavers. Come. I know the way now."

Gallery

• 

  The Lord of Wolves' upgrade tree.

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  Side render of the Lord of Wolves.

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  Front render of the Lord of Wolves.

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  Back render of the Lord of Wolves.

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  Perfected Predator ornament for the Lord of Wolves.

Browse more images on this article's gallery page.

List of appearances

• Destiny
  • House of Wolves (First appearance)
    • April Update
• Destiny 2: Forsaken

Trivia

• It is based on the Fallen Shrapnel Launcher commonly wielded by Captains, albeit modified to be a magazine-fed weapon instead of break-action. However it does not fire small rockets like the Launcher does, being closer in function to the Scorn Blaster. In an older version of the gun, its unique perk, Devil's Touch, lit enemies on fire to simulate this.
• The shotgun has the House of Devils symbol on the back side of its firing chamber.
  • Directly below the scope, one can see the partial symbol of the House of Kings.
• Upon the release of Season of Opulence, Lord of Wolves became one of the most powerful weapons in the Crucible, particularly with the keyboard and mouse input. It was able to kill very quickly from a longer range than most shotguns.
  • Players who competed in Iron Banner events during this time were awarded the Wolves Unleashed emblem as a nod to its popularity.