Detailed breakdown of how power levels effect damage output (Destiny)

by CruelLEGACEY , Toronto, Saturday, May 25, 2019, 08:05 (2027 days ago) @ JaXon Bourne

This might be helpful for anyone who is gearing up for the raid:

https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyTheGame/comments/bsnwf7/power_level_delta_misconceptions_and_how_they_can/

It’s worth digging through the comments in the tread, too. Some additional info there.

The TL;DR version:

Each incremental increase in power level effects your damage output. This runs counter to the common misconception that power level only matters in “brackets”. In other words, the jump from 650->651 seems to make just as much difference as the jump from 649->650.

Also worthy of note; the power level of a weapon does effect its damage output, even if your total power level remains the same.
For example, a 680 Better Devils will do more damage than a 650 Better Devils, even if your total power level is 665 in both cases.

However, increasing your overall power level makes a bigger difference to your damage output. So in terms of damage output, you’re better off maxing out your overall power level, even if that means forgoing your highest level primary weapon. For instance, if my highest primary weapon is a 670 Thorn, but my highest Heavy weapon is a 700 Tractor Cannon, I’m generally better off equipping the Tractor Cannon because that will do more to raise my total power level, therefore increasing my damage output across the board. Obviously, that doesn’t account for the unique needs of any given encounter.