You know that feeling when an old friend shows up to a party and they’ve somehow gotten way more interesting since the last time you saw them? That’s basically the situation with the Braytech Werewolf god roll right now. For years, this thing was just a "vault warmer." It looked cool—I mean, it's a skeleton-themed rifle, what's not to love?—but it just couldn't compete with the heavy hitters in the kinetic slot.
Then Bungie decided to give it a massive perk refresh during the recent Festival of the Lost, and suddenly, the math changed.
If you're still rocking a version of this gun from 2021, honestly, just dismantle it. The new versions coming out in 2025 and 2026 feature the Search Party origin trait, which makes a world of difference for your strafe speed and ADS (aim down sights) snappiness when you're playing the lone wolf. It's a total game-changer for how the gun actually "feels" in your hands.
The PvP Beast: Precision and Range
Let’s talk Crucible. 450 RPM (Round Per Minute) auto rifles are in a weirdly good spot. They aren't as chaotic as the 720s, but they have way more "reach" than a submachine gun. If you want to make people angry in Trials or Iron Banner, you need a very specific setup.
For the barrel, go with Smallbore or Hammer-Forged Rifling. You want range. Period.
In the magazine slot, Ricochet Rounds is the gold standard. It gives you that stability bump and a tiny bit more range, which helps the bullets "stick" to heads at distances where an auto rifle usually starts to fail.
The real magic happens in the main perk columns:
- Perk 1: Dynamic Sway Reduction or Zen Moment. Personally, I’m a Zen Moment fan. It makes the gun feel like it’s glued to the target’s forehead once you start landing hits. Dynamic Sway is better if you have a tendency to "pray and spray."
- Perk 2: Kill Clip or Target Lock. If you're a duelist who takes one fight at a time, Target Lock helps you secure those kills on high-resilience Titans. But for 6v6 modes? Kill Clip is terrifying. The reload-to-damage-buff loop is just classic.
I’ve seen some people arguing for Lone Wolf in that third column. It's a niche pick, but if you’re the type of player who flanks and stays away from the "blueberry mosh pit," the aim assist boost is actually noticeable. It stacks beautifully with the Search Party origin trait.
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PvE Performance: Clearing Rooms Without Trying
PvE is a different animal. You aren't worried about flinching a Guardian; you're worried about 50 Thralls running at your face.
Most players make the mistake of trying to build this like a PvP gun. Don't do that. For PvE, the Braytech Werewolf god roll needs to be about two things: ammo economy and area-of-effect damage.
Rewind Rounds is the sleeper hit here. Since it’s a precision frame, you’re likely hitting headshots anyway. Rewind Rounds keeps the magazine topped off so you aren't stuck in a reload animation while an Ogre is charging you. Combine that with Kinetic Tremors in the fourth column.
Kinetic Tremors on an auto rifle is basically a cheat code.
You shoot a beefy Major a few times, and boom—a shockwave emits that stuns everything nearby. It turns a single-target primary weapon into a crowd-control machine. If you aren't a fan of Tremors, Onslaught is your next best bet. It increases your fire rate as you get kills, which makes the gun feel like a mini-machine gun by the time you're halfway through a wave of enemies.
Why You Shouldn't Sleep on the Stats
The base stats on this thing are actually higher than its cousin, the Horror Story. It has a base recoil direction of 74. That’s pretty vertical. You don't need to waste your mod slot on a Counterbalance Stock.
Instead, throw on a Targeting Adjuster for PvP or a Minor Spec for PvE.
Keep in mind that since this weapon is Kinetic, it deals 10% more damage to unshielded targets compared to elemental weapons. In a world where everyone is obsessed with their shiny Solar or Void builds, that raw Kinetic thumping power is still incredibly relevant for high-level Nightfalls.
Is it actually "Meta"?
Is it going to replace a perfectly rolled Khvostov? Probably not. The exotic perks on that thing are just too spicy. But for a Legendary slot? It’s easily top-tier. It frees up your exotic slot for something like Dragon's Breath or a heavy linear fusion rifle while still giving you a primary that doesn't feel like a pea-shooter.
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The main limitation is the grind. You can only get this during the Festival of the Lost. If you miss that window, you're stuck waiting another year or hoping Xur brings a decent roll (and he usually doesn't).
If the event is live, focus those Eerie Engrams. It's worth the candy.
Next Steps for Your Loadout
Check your vault for any Eerie Engrams you haven't focused yet at Eva Levante. If you've already landed a roll with Zen Moment and Kill Clip, take it into a Control match to feel out the range falloff—you'll likely find it out-duels most Pulse Rifles if you keep your spacing right. For the PvE crowd, try pairing a Kinetic Tremors roll with a Kinetic Surge mod on your leg armor to see just how quickly those shockwaves can melt a yellow-bar knight.