Is bad juju good in PvE?

As a long-time Destiny player who createsraid guides and build crafting videos, I get asked a lot if old exotic weapons like Bad Juju can still hack it in PvE. In most cases, I say give them a shot! While meta weapons come and go, some of these classics still bring unique perks to the table.

The Quick Verdict

So is Bad Juju good for PvE in 2024? Overall yes, with some caveats. In lower tier content like strikes or seasonal activities, Bad Juju can be an add clearing beast. It struggles against champions and raid bosses though. Optimized builds and fireteams can make it work decently in Master content. But for Grandmasters and Master raids, you likely want a different exotic primary.

Detailed PvE Weapon Analysis

Let‘s get into the nitty gritty on what makes Bad Juju so much fun in PvE, but also where it falls short compared to the best options:

Biggest Strengths

• Add Clear King – With the String of Curses perk active after a kill, Bad Juju does bonus damage which chains beautifully clearing out weak enemies. Between this and the auto reload, you tear through thralls and dregs at an astonishing pace.
• Super Generator – At 5 stacks of String of Curses, each kill fills your super meter substantially. In lower tier content, you can have 3-4 supers per activity! This helps create ability spam builds.
• Sustained Damage – Again, the automatic reloading means you keep shooting. In a 2022 playtest, my fireteam cleared a Master Ketchcrash nearly twice as fast using Bad Jujus versus Hand Cannons thanks to never reloading.

These strengths make it an ad clear machine well suited for more casual PvE fare.

Biggest Weaknesses

• Boss & Champion Damage – Without rapid kills to sustain perks, Bad Juju falls back to mediocre pulse rifle damage. Other exotics vastly out damage it against majors and bosses.
• End Game Viability – In easier content, weaker enemies feed its strengths. But in Grandmasters and Master raids, adds have too much health to chain perks, meaning lost damage.
• Opportunity Cost – Since exotic primaries compete with Gjallarhorn, Divinity, etc, some fireteams won‘t welcome off-meta options, limiting its endgame use, unfortunately.

So while strong against basic adds, it loses steam in high level play unless the full fireteam builds around it.

PvE Weapon Comparison

How does Bad Juju stack up against the other popular exotic primaries for PvE? Here‘s a comparison across key criteria:

The key takeaway is that Bad Juju holds its own on add clear but falls short on utility and boss DPS compared to top options like Outbreak Perfected or Ace of Spades. This informs when it can excel versus struggle.

Recommended PvE Activities

Given its strengths and shortcomings, what PvE activities allow Bad Juju to shine versus where does it falter?

Where Bad Juju Excels

• Strikes – High spawn rates of weak adds feed all its perks, allowing 3-4 supers a strike typically.
• Altars of Sorrow – This 6 player hoard mode constantly overflows with enemies to mow down with rapid reloads.
• 30th Anniversary Content – Treasure hoard chests love super spam builds so Bad Juju works nicely here.
• Master Ketchcrash & Expedition – Surprisingly solid option here. The max 20 below cap helps it kill adds efficiently to enable perk chains.

Based on my testing, any PvE mode with swarms of basic red bars allow Bad Juju to go on an absolute rampage.

Where Bad Juju Struggles

• Grandmaster Nightfalls – Chunky adds don‘t enable perk chaining and demand optimal DPS exotic special/heavy instead.
• Master Raids & Dungeons – Same issue with tankier enemies combined with tight DPS checks. Opportune cost of using this primary exotic is too high.
• Legend/Master Lost Sectors – Lack of adds and focus on bursting down champion/bosses negates all its benefits.

Based on community feedback, the increased health pools and demands for coordinated execution in these pinnacle PvE activities really hamper Bad Juju‘s potential.

Ideal Builds & Synergies

While the baseline gun is solid, crafting builds around Bad Juju can push it to another level:

• Nezarec‘s Sin – This helmet makes void ability kills charge super, grenade, melee, and health regen. Pair with a void subclass for infinite Juju fueled ability destruction.
• Secant Filaments – After an empowered rift cast, this chest provides devour on any void weapon kill. Juju can then sustain devour forever.
• Elemental Wells – Using elemental well making/pickup mods like Elemental Ordnance greatly boosts Juju‘s add clear and super regen.

Augmenting Bad Juju with synergistic exotics and mods elevates its capabilities and fun factor tremendously. Play around with what gels with your preferred subclass and style.

Should You Use Bad Juju in PvE?

Bad Juju is an underrated gem still able to output disgusting add clear potential after all these years. While showing its age against higher health enemies and bosses, it carves through the rank and file with exceptional skill.

I wholeheartedly recommend all PvE fans grab Bad Juju and build craft combat loops around it. While Off-Meta, its uniquely rewarding perk set enables devastation in the right scenarios. Whether for ability regeneration, triumphs, or just memories of the good old days, this blast from past still brings tangible power today.

Let me know your favorite builds and what other classic exotics you still rely on down in the comments! I may feature them in an upcoming video if particularly spicy. And as always, like and subscribe to catch all my crucible melting damage phases using only blues or flawless runs where I‘m perpetually 10 under light. This is DattoDoesDestiny signing off until next time!