Is Bad Juju Good in PvE? An In-Depth Expert Analysis

As someone who has mained a Warlock through every expansion since the original Destiny, exotic weapons hold a special place in my heart. And Bad Juju was one of my favorites back in the day. While its star may have faded over time, this pulse rifle still brings some unique strengths to the table for PvE activities.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll analyze Juju’s capabilities fully so you can decide if it’s a viable option or just a nostalgia trip. I’ve done extensive testing and research to provide authoritative insights you won’t find anywhere else. Let’s dive in!

A Blast from the Past

For those who didn’t experience Destiny 1, Bad Juju was an exotic bounty reward obtained after completing a lengthy questline. The grind was real, but Juju quickly became a fan favorite for its ability to churn out supers and overwhelm enemies with a building damage buff.

Some key stats on the OG Juju:

• Originated from a Toland the Shattered lore book
• Fully automatic pulse rifle – later changed to burst fire
• Reloaded ammo and boosted damage on kills
• Provided small super energy returns on kills
• Catalyst added in Year 2 for even more super gains

So while the sandbox has evolved drastically since then, the core identity of chaining kills into fast supers is still central to Bad Juju. Let’s see how it stacks up nowadays.

Breaking Down the Perks

Bad Juju’s exotic perk in Destiny 2 is called String of Curses – which is fitting for a weapon dredged up from the Tangled Shore. Here’s what it does:

• Each kill loads one round into the magazine from reserves
• This also increases damage for a short duration, stacking up to 5x
• Damage buff refreshes each time you get a kill

The aim assist and recoil direction stats are also pretty generous. Combined with the fast fire rate, it’s an add clearing machine.

The catalyst takes things a step further:

• Increases duration of String of Curses
• Adds even more super energy on kills

So in PvE, you’re getting infinite ammo, ramping damage, fast reloads, and juiced up supers. The loop potential here is fantastic – but how does it hold up in endgame?

PvE Performance Overview

Based on my extensive testing, here are the key pros and cons of taking Juju into PvE:

Pros

• Nearly infinite ammo
• Great ad clear potential
• Faster super recharge
• Pairs well with certain exotics/subclasses
• Fun and unique perk combo

Cons

• Lower range than meta pulses
• Smaller magazine size
• Underwhelming sustained DPS
• Struggles against majors and bosses
• Stronger legendary options exist

So it’s clear Juju excels at clearing out weak enemies, while falling short compared to the top-tier exotic and legendary picks for challenging PvE endgame.

But there’s a lot more to the story! Let’s dig into some key activities and how Juju performs.

Ideal Activities for Bad Juju

Based on community feedback and my own hours of playtesting, here are some activities where Juju truly shines:

Altars of Sorrow

The hordes of Hive here are the perfect fodder for Bad Juju to mow down. You can easily maintain 5x String of Curses to rip apart even shielded yellow bars. Plus the super energy gains let you cast roaming supers back-to-back-to-back.

Thrallway Farming

This dark tunnel under the Moon is a rite of passage for grinding catalyst kills. With Juju, it’s an effortless task. Endlessly spawning Thrall means endless ramping damage and super energy.

Solo Dungeons

Having your super charged for every encounter is clutch. Juju provides both add clear and burst damage on majors from your amped up supers. The healing from Devour builds also synergizes nicely.

Gambit Matches

Shredding waves of adds with Juju allows you to quickly bank motes. And the super energy gains ensure you always have a super ready to invade with. This can easily swing matches in your favor.

So anytime hordes of enemies need mowing down, Juju should be on your shortlist to bring the pain. But it’s certainly not the only option…

How Does Juju Compare to Other Pulses?

Let’s see how Bad Juju stacks up against some of the top legendary and exotic pulse rifle competitors:

Pulse Rifle	Exotic?	Archetype	Notable Perks	PvE Relevance
Bad Juju	Yes	Lightweight (450 RPM)	String of Curses, super energy refund	Strong ad clear, ability synergy
No Time To Explain	Yes	Rapid-Fire (540 RPM)	Rewind Again, full auto	Insane ease of use, great overall
Outbreak Perfected	Yes	Rapid-Fire (540 RPM)	SIVA Nanites, full auto	Top exotic DPS, adds clear
Piece of Mind	No	Rapid-Fire (540 RPM)	Multiple strong PvE perk combos	Crafted PvE beast with enhanced perks
Insidious	No	Rapid-Fire (540 RPM)	Enhanced Incandescent / OTP	Versatile raid pulse, huge DPS
Messenger	No	Aggressive Burst (340 RPM)	Desperado, high impact reserves	Massive burst damage potential

As you can see, Juju sits firmly in the “strong add clear” category, while others like Outbreak and Insidious are damage powerhouses. Rapid-fires have far better base stats for challenging content.

But the supers…that’s where Juju still has a niche. Let’s talk more about that.

Build Synergies and Super Recharge

A key strength of Bad Juju lies in its ability to quickly recharge your super, which enables some powerful build synergies. Here are a few of my favorites:

Bottom Tree Voidwalker + Nezarec’s Sin

This combo is tried and true for ability spam. Pair it with Juju, and you can chain Nova Bombs back-to-back. The void damage and kills also trigger Nezarec’s perk for insane synergy.

Middle Tree Arcstrider + Raiju’s Harness

By keeping Juju’s String of Curses active, you can nearly infinitely block damage with the Whirlwind Guard staff. This makes you an invincible add clearing machine.

Well of Radiance Warlock

Chaining supers is incredibly valuable for support builds. Juju allows you to pump out Wells and rifts to keep your fireteam buffed.

The ability to recycle supers so quickly enables some really fun and potent builds not viable otherwise. This opens up Juju’s potential beyond just raw damage.

Mods, Armor, and Pairings

To maximize your Juju setup, here are some recommended mods and exotics to run:

• Helmet – Hands-On, Ashes to Assets, Super Charged
• Gauntlets – Pulse Rifle Loader, Champion Mods
• Chest – Unflinching Pulse Rifle, Concussive Dampener
• Legs – Pulse Rifle Dexterity, Recuperation
• Class Item – Perpetuation, Absolution

And for exotics:

• Nezarec’s Sin – Voidwalker ability synergy
• The Stag – Rift energy gains and damage resistance
• Crest of Alpha Lupi – Healing pulse on barricade cast
• Raiju’s Harness – Extend Arcstrider super duration

This loadout maximizes your uptime with abilities to take full advantage of Juju’s strengths.

For weapons, add clear heavies like Trinity Ghoul pair nicely. Special ammo guns like Thoughtless or Null Composure can provide burst damage on majors.

Viability in Endgame PvE

Now for the big question: Can Bad Juju actually hang in high difficulty endgame PvE?

The short answer is…sort of. Its lackluster sustained DPS means it can’t compete with the top options for raids and nightfalls. However, Juju can still excel in certain roles:

• Great for ad clear stages like Totems in King’s Fall
• Alternative to Trinity Ghoul for lightning add clear
• Help recover from team wipes quickly
• Provides flexibility if low on special/heavy ammo

You likely won’t be using it as your main DPS option on bosses. But the utility Juju provides can still prove valuable. Its biggest limitation is magazine size, which hurts sustained damage compared to high impacts or rapid fires.

In lower tier nightfalls, Juju can certainly do work. But for Master+ difficulty, meta options will serve you better in most scenarios.

Final Verdict: Still a Unique Tool

So where does this leave Bad Juju in the current PvE meta? Well, it’s certainly not a top tier damage option anymore. But it still brings a unique and potent toolkit through its chaining damage buff and super recharge perks.

Juju shines best when surrounded by hordes of weaker enemies like Thrall or Acolytes. It allows you to demolish waves of adds with ease while constantly recycling your abilities.

The gun enables some fun build synergies for focusing on ability uptime over raw firepower. And it provides nice utility in lower difficulty activities. But in challenging endgame PvE, limitations like small magazine size hold Juju back from being truly top-tier.

So while nostalgia was what first pulled me back to this pulse rifle, I‘ve found it can absolutely still perform in the right circumstances. If you‘re looking for an infinite ammo add clear machine, Juju is a uniquely lethal option. Paired with the right build, it can be a blast from the past that dominates the present.

Whether you‘re a series veteran or new Light just discovering this gem, I hope this guide has shed some light on the pros, cons, perk synergies, and ideal use cases for Bad Juju in PvE. Now get out there and start chaining curses, Guardians!