[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Auto Rifles and How To Get Them

Updated:

24 Sep 2020

Auto Rifles are the classic assault rifle present in all FPSMMOs. I would argue auto rifles are one of the biggest reasons Destiny took off-, as theyshowcase the industry-leading shooting mechanics and gunplay feel unique to Destiny and Bungie. They’re a strong endgame choice for any level of player and certainly will be in any meta.

Top 5 Auto Rifles for PvE

5. The Ringing Nail

First, this gun looks awesome. It’s also very easy to acquire and its base stats are stunning. Plus, since it’s legendary, you can equip mods and turn this into a Major destroyer or relegate yourself to add control.

Weapon Stats

Best-in-class base Range
Low Impct
Great Stability

Why this Weapon is Great:

Easy to acquire, can roll very desirable perks
Looks awesome
Legendary, so you can equip another Exotic

Get it from the Forges!

See The Ringing Nail in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYHtm9KISLo

4. Breakneck

This is THE best legendary PvE weapon in the game. It’s extremely difficult to acquire but the synergy in its perks is top-of-the line. Bungie nerfed this gunand made it more consistent and powerful in the process.

Weapon Stats

Best-in-class Range
Average Impact
Huge Magazine, Stellar Aim Assist

Why this Weapon is Great:

More hits=more damage
Aim Assist, shreds Majors and adds
Legendary, so you can equip another Exotic

Get it from a (long) Gambit Quest!

See Breakneck in action: https:// https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYHtm9KISLo

3. Hard Light

About a week ago, this would have been a dead first. However, it’s been nerfed in PvE to a point where it’s definitely top 5 but it’s not number one. It’s a solid choice, however, for endgame content where shield types matter. If you’re playing on PC, it’s still probably the best AR. If you’re on console, keep reading.

Weapon Stats

Theoretically infinite range
Poor impact
Huge Magazine, great reload speed

Why this Weapon is Great:

Change energy type on the fly
If you can control the recoil, you can do a ton of damage from range + around corners.
The best weapon for Hive encounters where you’re clearing trash mobs

Get it from Exotic world drops or Xur!

See Hard Light in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZotqBslGVAI

2. Suros Regime

This gun has been around since Destiny 1, and it’s almost as dominant now as it was then. The biggest downside of this gun is it doesn’t have the original white color scheme, because that was SO cool.

Weapon Stats

Great Range
Devastating Impact, Handling
Mediocre magazine

Why this Weapon is Great:

It’s modular- pick the fast RoF for PvP, the slow one for PvE
Insane aim assist and the gun rewards precision kills handily
The more you shoot, the more damage you do

Get it from Exotic world drops or Xur!

See Suros Regime in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZotqBslGVAI

1. Monte Carlo

This one might be an unpopular choice for first, but I stand behind it. Monte Carlo, especially for Titans and Warlocks who have consequential melee attacks (sorry, Hunters), creates an amazing synergy where kills reward melee energy. This is competent rifle for endgame activities and leveling alike, and should be in every Guardian’s arsenal. It also looks great.

Weapon Stats

Great Range
Devastating Impact, Handling
Mediocre magazine

Why this Weapon is Great:

Absolutely amazing melee synergy
Insane aim assist and the gun rewards precision kills handily

Get it from Exotic Drops or Xur!

See Monte Carlo in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gzNrhhFacs

Best Auto Rifles for PvP

There’s a lot of overlap- but some newcomers as well. But in PvP, you HAVE to run at least one Auto Rifle, especially in sweaty lobbies. The TTK on Hard Light/Monte Carlo/Breakneck is light-years faster than any other weapon archetype. Further, the current PvP meta rewards accuracy and a lot of the following guns combine accuracy and take advantage of the RoF rewards in the current meta.

5. Misfit

Honestly, the only reason this wasn’t on the PvP list was because Breakneck is a better version of Misfit. However, Breakneck’s perk is basically useless in PvP, where kills are far sparser than PvE. Hence, Misfit combines the good from Breakneck with a configuration better suited for PvP.

Weapon Stats

Great Range
Best-in-Class Stability
Stellar Magazine

Why this Weapon is Great:

Easy to acquire/farm, can roll reload/damage perk sets
Average aim assist, archetype defying stability and a massive magazine make this perfect for sweaty PvP entanglements
Good all-rounder weapon, great for CQC or larger game modes like Control

Get it from Gambit!

See Misfit in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4t7KRfnwi4

4. Cerebrus+1

Honestly, I didn’t think much of this gun until I got my hands on it. First, the name is dope- Cerebrus, the dog with 3 heads, plus 1 barrel (so 4). But apart from that, in PvE where I used it first, it was hot trash. I was shuffling guns across characters when I went into a Crucible match with it equipped and quickly realized it shreds. It’s been described as a Shotgun, and that’s the perfect description.

Weapon Stats

In 1 word- average. Look at the stats above- they’re all at like maybe 25?

Why this Weapon is Great:

The 3 different barrels guarantee one shot will either crit or you’ll get 4 body shots per trigger pull
This can tie or win battles against sliding shotgun users
Perfect for Titans or invisibility using Hunters

Get Cerebrus +1 from Exotic drops!

See Cerebrus+1 in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIrsf_fAqRo