Hard Light

"Ionized polymer synballistic attack platform. The system's lethality is dynamically robust across tactical spaces."

— Weapon descripton

Hard Light
Production overview
Manufacturer:	Omolon
Rarity class:	Exotic
Weapon type:	Auto Rifle
Required level:	50
Min-max accuracy:	100
Min-max impact:	21
Min-max stability:	82 (100 with completed catalyst)
Min-max handling:	79
Min-max magazine:	40
Specifications
Ammunition type:	Omolon liquid bullets
Fire mode:	Automatic
Rate of fire:	600 RPM
Damage:	Kinetic (D1) Solar (D2, Solar mode) Arc (D2, Arc mode) Void (D2, Void mode)
Effective range:	46
Service history
Affiliation:	Thanatonauts, Omolon, Exo

Hard Light is a high-tech exotic energy auto rifle in Destiny. It is an experimental prototype weapon based on recovered Golden Age technology, developed by specialist Exo engineers from Omolon, and at least one Thanatonaut. Hard Light is one of few guns in Destiny (franchise) with virtually no damage fall-off from rounds fired from the weapon. One of the iconic (and frustrating) quirks about the gun is the tradeoff of no actual recoil for horrendous screen shake while firing the gun, making it seem more unstable than it really is. This is no longer the case in Destiny 2, where the screen shake has since been completely removed, in addition to giving it the ability to swap between all 3 elements by holding the reload button (Arc, Solar, then Void).

Lore Tab

IONIZED POLYMER SYNBALLISTIC ATTACK PLATFORM. THE SYSTEM'S LETHALITY IS DYNAMICALLY ROBUST ACROSS TACTICAL SPACES.
Today, we're introducing three revolutionary products.

The first is a quick-config interface for outgoing damage.
The second is a ricochet projectile that bounces off of any surface.
And the third an infinite range zero drop-off projection weapon platform.

We will be releasing them all at once.
In a single device.
In extremely limited quantities.

We call it Hard Light.

But there is one more thing.

Destiny 1

Year One

The weapon upgrades to having rounds fired that over-penetrate targets and ricochet on hard surfaces and the bottom half of each mag causes more damage.

Year Two

In addition to over-penetration and ricocheting rounds, this weapon also no longer suffers from damage falloff.

Destiny 2

Hard Light returns as an Energy Weapon with its main perk Volatile Light intact, with an additional perk that allows the user to switch between Arc, Solar, and Void damage. It saw extensive use in Season of the Worthy, resulting in a nerf to ricochet bullet damage in PVP modes. This nerf also added slight damage falloff.

Weapon mods

• Future is Chrome - Equip this Weapon Ornament to change the appearance of Hard Light.

• Lethal System - Equip this Weapon Ornament to change the appearance of Hard Light.

• Foundational Structure - Equip this Weapon Ornament to change the appearance of Hard Light.

• Brumal Dawn - Equip this Weapon Ornament to change the appearance of Hard Light.

Weapon Traits

• Volatile Light - Rounds fired from this weapon have reduced damage falloff, overpenatrate targets, and ricochet off hard surfaces. Projectile damage increases after bounce.
• Polygonal Rifling - Barrel optimized for recoil reduction. Increases stability.
• Alloy Magazine - Faster reloads when the magazine is empty.
• The Fundamentals - Holding reload button changes this weapon's damage type, cycling between Solar, Arc, and Void.
• Composite Stock - This weapon has a versatile, dual-purpose stock. Increases stability and handling speed.

Catalyst

The catalyst for Hard Light can be obtained as a random drop from Nightfall completions.

To complete the catalyst, the following objectives must be met:

• Defeat 1000 enemies with Hard Light

Once completed, the catalyst provides the following bonuses to Hard Light:

• +25 Stability

Trivia

• The Lore tab for the weapon in Destiny 2 is written similarly to Steve Jobs' announcement of the Apple iPhone at the 2007 Macworld convention.

Gallery

• 

  Wallpaper concept art of the Hard Light.

• 

  Extraction of the Hard Light. Note the name of the manufacturer on the magazine.

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  The Future Is Chrome ornament.

Browse more images on this article's gallery page.

List of appearances

• Destiny (First appearance)
• Destiny 2