Destiny 2 Hard Light: Ricochet Auto Rifle Guide

Hard Light is an exotic auto rifle with two quirks. Rounds overpenetrate targets and ricochet off hard surfaces. Holding reload cycles its damage type between Solar, Arc, and Void. Projectile damage increases after each bounce.

How to get Hard Light

Hard Light is one of the older exotics. It now drops from Exotic Engrams, legendary engrams, and random PvE world drops. Xur also sells it from his weekly exotic pool. There is no quest, so it is purely a drop hunt.

How to play Hard Light

Fight in tight spaces with hard walls. Rounds that bounce deal more damage, so a corner or a metal room turns the weapon into a room clearer. Swap element to match incoming shields: Solar for red shields, Arc for blue, Void for purple. The weapon has reduced damage falloff, so it performs at medium range too.

The Hard Light catalyst

The Hard Light catalyst raises stability by 18, which makes long bursts much easier to control. It drops from strikes against the most challenging opponents, then requires 1,000 kills with the weapon.

Hard Light mistakes around the ricochet

• Firing in open ground. The ricochet is the whole point.
• Ignoring the element swap on Match Game shields.
• Holding the trigger through a full mag at long range.

FAQ

Is Hard Light good in PvP? The ricochet makes it unpredictable in close quarters, but standard auto rifles outgun it at range.

Does the element swap affect damage? It changes the damage type so it matches shields and subclass triggers.

Is it a good first exotic? Yes. It is easy to use and forgiving.

Hard Light checklist, from surfaces to element swaps

• Farm Exotic Engrams or check Xur.
• Fight near hard surfaces.
• Cycle element on reload.
• Farm the catalyst in strikes.

Matching shields without changing guns

The element cycle is the reason Hard Light survives power creep. Most loadouts solve three shield types by carrying three weapons; Hard Light solves them by holding reload, which buys back two inventory slots for perks and a heavy. The cost is that you must recognise the shield colour before the fight starts — swapping mid-engagement costs the burst you needed. Against a mixed-shield wave the cheaper habit is to swap during the reload you were doing anyway rather than as a separate action. Where it falls down is single-target damage: the ricochet bonus needs hard surfaces and a room, and a boss arena rarely gives you either. The weapon perks guide explains what a ricochet shot actually trades away, and the Nightfall guide shows where shield coverage pays.

Related guides

• Xur and exotic ciphers
• Best weapons for beginners
• Exotic weapons overview