Regulus

At a Glance

The Regulus is a hand cannon with the soul of a sniper rifle. It hits like a magnum, looks like a magnum, and on a clean headshot it triggers one of the strongest single-target multipliers in the entire game. In TU22.1 the meta has cycled through dozens of balance shifts but the Regulus has stayed near the top of the sidearm tier because its talent, Mark of Death, gives it both a damage spike and a chain effect that no other pistol in the game replicates.

If you want a sidearm that earns its slot rather than fills it, this is the answer. It is not a panic button. It is an offensive tool that the build is constructed around when you commit to it.

Last reviewed: 2026-04-25 · TU22.1 · Verified vs in-game

Stats

That headshot multiplier of x2.5 is what makes the math work. A base headshot is 500,000 before any modifier. Once you stack weapon damage, headshot damage from gear, and the talent's +100% CHD window, the Regulus produces numbers that look like rifle hits from a sidearm slot.

Damage shape

The Regulus has a deliberate trigger feel. The 30 RPM cap forces you to commit to each shot. There is no spam pattern that wins. Every round is a decision: was the head visible, was the cover line clean, was the target the right one. When you adapt to the rhythm, the weapon teaches you to shoot more carefully and your numbers go up across the board.

Talent: Mark of Death

The talent reads simple but has layered consequences:

1. A headshot kill triggers a 5-second window during which you gain +100% critical hit damage.
2. The marker transfers from the killed target to the next enemy you damage.
3. The chain continues as long as you keep landing headshot kills before the timer expires.

In practice the loop is: headshot a red, the marker leaps to the next red, you headshot that one with the buff active, the marker moves again, and so on. A skilled Regulus user will chain four to five enemies in a single room before the buff drops, and during that whole window even body shots on the marked target benefit from massive damage scaling because of the +100% CHD.

This is the closest thing to a sustained sniper-pistol identity in the game.

Top Builds

Striker Pistol Carry

• Brand: 4 Sokolov, 2 Petrov
• Chest: Vanguard
• Backpack: Spotter
• Mask, gloves, holster: Striker

A Striker AR for the trash, the Regulus for elites and clean head hitboxes. The pistol absorbs the same brand bonuses as your AR, so headshot kills with the Regulus stack Striker and feed back into the AR loop. This build cleared 8-man Discovery raids comfortably for a long time.

Hunter's Fury Aggressive Push

• Brand: 4 Hunter's Fury, 2 Empress
• Chest: Intimidate
• Backpack: Spotter or Composure
• Watch: Hana-U for crit chase

The Regulus on Hunter's Fury becomes the close-range elite eraser. You break cover, the brand bonuses fire, you headshot a yellow bar, the marker chains, and three or four enemies fold in a four-second blur.

Negotiator's Dilemma Mark Synergy

• Brand: 4 Negotiator's, 2 Hana-U
• Chest: Obliterate
• Backpack: Spotter

This is the meme-tier setup that stacks marker mechanics on top of marker mechanics. Negotiator's marks targets, Spotter pulses, Mark of Death transfers, and the screen lights up with damage numbers from every direction. Less practical than the Striker setup but tremendously fun.

PvE vs PvP

PvE

In PvE the Regulus is a priority-target executioner. Its job is to drop snipers, RPG carriers, and the named yellow bars that dictate the pace of an encounter. The 5-second window is generous enough that an experienced Regulus player chains kills across an entire wave in Countdown.

The weapon scales beautifully into legendary content where headshot damage is required to break high-armor enemies. Many late-game DZ players keep a Regulus in their secondary slot specifically for exposed-head Black Tusk veterans.

PvP

In PvP this is one of the most punishing pistols in the game. A clean headshot will down most builds in two rounds. The marker chain rarely matters in DZ duels but the raw damage profile makes it terrifying. The downside is the slow RPM. A miss is a death sentence because reset is too slow to follow up.

Use it as a punisher when you have a target who is already low. Don't open with it.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Highest x2.5 headshot multiplier in the pistol slot
• Marker chain mechanic is unique to this weapon and has no real substitute
• Synergizes with virtually every brand set that rewards headshots
• Strong PvE and PvP performance for a sidearm

Cons:

• 30 RPM is unforgiving on missed shots
• Six-round magazine forces frequent reloads in extended fights
• Talent value collapses against single isolated targets where chain has nowhere to go
• Demands trigger discipline; spammers will hate it

FAQ

Does the marker chain transfer through walls? The marker has a generous transfer range but it does need a valid line of sight or hitbox path. A target behind solid cover with no exposure won't receive the chain.

Does the +100% CHD apply to body shots on a marked target? Yes. The buff applies to all damage from your weapon during the window, not just headshots. Marked body shots benefit from the increased CHD value.

Is the talent active in Conflict? Yes, with the same mechanics. PvP players use it as a finisher; the chain rarely fires in 4v4 modes because targets aren't usually killed cleanly enough to chain.

Should I recalibrate it? The open core can be tuned to crit chance or weapon damage depending on your build. Headshot damage on the open core is generally the strongest choice because it amplifies the talent's already strong scaling.

Does it work with Lady Death's reload-stacked talent? Different weapon, different talent. Lady Death's premeditation has nothing to do with Mark of Death. They share a slot but you can't run both at once.

Can I two-shot a heavy enemy? Against red bars and most yellow snipers, yes. Against armored heavies with helmets, you usually need two head connections, and the marker carries the buff into the second shot for a clean kill.

Closing

The Regulus has aged into one of those exotics that nobody calls a meta pick anymore but everybody respects when they see it pop up in a kill feed. The sound of that magnum rolling through three sequential headshots is unmistakable. In TU22.1 the weapon still scales, still chains, and still rewards the players who treat each trigger pull like a decision rather than a reflex. If your build can support a precision sidearm, the Regulus is still the standard against which all other pistols in this game are measured. Slot it, learn the rhythm, and watch your kill participation in legendary content climb.