Let me dumb it down. Your class has an elemental type and when any enemy in crucible or pve uses a weapon with that same element there is a damage buff for them. The year one weapons are to weak to notice a difference. As for the zalo that's another story and does deal great damage in ideal conditions. I'm not talking void shields and etc cause that's a pve thing but your character has a shield always that matches their element. We don't see it but you as the character see it which is that bar on the top of your screen.