#15: Shadow Price (Best for PVE)
See Shadow Price in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QEKwveuh8M
Many Vanguard weapons from the past have cemented sentimental spots in the hearts of Guardians. Shadow Price is arguably one of the most iconic classic weapons to do so in Destiny’s history. Even the weapons model can bring back many good memories from the past.
In Destiny 2, however, it takes some love to get it going. Perks for this archetype are crucial for achieving its full potential. Anything that can increase that time-to-kill ratio, like Swashbuckler, will improve your experience more than keeping the gun at its base damage.
What's great about this weapon is:
- It has access to damage perks that can enhance its viability in combat
- It has an adept version that can increase all its base stats
- Being in the energy slot frees up your kinetic slot for powerful special weapons if you choose
How to obtain: Nightfalls and Grandmaster Nightfalls (No longer obtainable in the current Nightfall loot pool.)
#14: Duty Bound (Best for PVE)
See Duty Bound in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvQHh2tccbw
An auto rifle that likes to get to the point, Duty Bound recently got the Nightfall treatment in Destiny 2. Originally from Taken King, this weapon has come back to us with a slew of untraditional options.
One perk combination that is rare on any kind of weapon is Triple Tap and Fourth Times the Charm. It allows a steady stream of bullets to flow out of this auto rifle just for landing precision shots. Since its perk pool is large, it is difficult to come by the role you would want. But if you find it, it is a fun way to use an auto rifle.
What's great about this weapon is:
- Its single target damage thanks to the previously mentioned role
- It has access to an adept version, increasing all its base stats
- It has optional weapon traits thanks to it being a Nightfall weapon
How to obtain: Nightfalls and Grandmaster Nightfalls for the adept version.
#13: Tommy’s Matchbook (Best for PVE)
See Tommy’s Matchbook in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHq3OOjeaZw
Want to fly close to the sun and see what happens? Then Tommy’s Matchbook is for you. A Tommy gun mixed with a flamethrower can be a deadly combination, even for your own hands.
Continuously firing this weapon will damage you, but it allows you to do increased damage. Being solar also synergizes with some of the best solar subclasses. If you like to see the battlefield burn, double down on that by using this weapon.
What's great about this weapon is:
- Its ad control capabilities thanks to its high damage and large magazine
- It synergizes with solar subclasses thanks to its elemental affinity
- It rewards an aggressive playstyle that players can build around
How to obtain: Exotic kiosk
#12: Sweet Sorrow (Best for PVE and PVP)
See Sweet Sorrow in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OnlRCkVwVQ
Themed off the Cabal’s craftsmanship, Sweet Sorrow can spit out arc rounds while benefiting the user. This weapon has proven to be a versatile option for those looking for a decent primary in the energy slot. Top that off with how accessible this weapon is and you have a viable auto rifle for any situation.
This auto rifle has access to a lot of perks for both PVE and PVP. Now that time has passed, it has proven to be best for PVE due to the current meta, but it can still perform well in PVP. The most popular PVE role is Stats for All and One for All. Crafting this weapon and making those perks enhanced makes it even better.
What's great about this weapon is:
- Its high fire rate and larger magazine size thanks to its archetype
- Being accessible thanks to seasonal umbral engram focusing
- Being a weapon you can craft and grant enhanced perks of your choice
How to obtain: Season of the Risen umbral-focused engrams
#11: Tigerspite (Best for PVE)
See Tigerspite in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ULmSSmfBH8
After venturing into The Dreaming City, Guardians got access to some of the best weapons The Awoken could offer us. Tigerspite is one of them, and it can be deadly in the right hands. Benefiting from some damage perks makes this weapon a fantastic choice for any Guardian looking to represent The Queen of the Awoken.
450 RPM auto rifles have had a bit of a resurgence, but they still need the right perks to compete with the best weapons in the meta. Luckily, Tigerspite has access to some of the best including Swashbuckler and Kill Clip. Combine that with perks like Subsistence and Overflow and you are ready to go.
What's great about this weapon is:
- Being easy to control and use thanks to its archetype
- It has access to good perk combinations that make it viable in most forms of content
- Being present in the kinetic slot, letting you use some of the best energy weapons.
How to obtain: Dreaming City activities
#10: False Promises (Best for PVP and PVE)
See False Promises in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHQ17qY-d44
The Drifter managed to get some of the best auto rifles we have ever seen in recent times. False Promises is a retired Gambit auto rifle that can still see some use with the right perks. If we are so lucky, sometimes Banshee and Xur could grant us a god role again.
Being retired, getting the best role currently relies on vendors selling the one you’re looking for. Luckily, it has great options for both PVE and PVP. PVP roles frequently use perks like Rampage, Eye of the Storm, Killing Wind, and Dynamic Sway Reduction, while PVE roles use Feeding Frenzy, Subsistence, Swashbuckler, and Unrelenting.
What's great about this weapon is:
- It has high damage at the cost of a slower fire rate
- It has access to great perks for all kinds of activities
- Being in the kinetic slot, allows it to be paired with some of the best energy weapons
How to obtain: Banshee-44 and Xur
#9: SUROS Regime (Best for PVP)
See SUROS Regime in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfeLjklzDEU
SUROS Regime is a timeless classic weapon to so many veteran Guardians. Providing two different playstyles means not every single player will use this weapon the same. Pick the playstyle that best suits you and you will find success with this weapon.
The two options are either Spinning Up or Dual-Speed Receiver. Spinning Up increases its fire rate the longer you fire it, while Dual-Speed Receiver lowers the fire rate while you aim down sights. Combine those options with its exotic perk that allows the chance to regen your health along with the bottom half of the magazine doing increased damage, making it worthy of the iconic status.
What's great about this weapon is:
- Its optional playstyles thanks to its optional firing modes
- Its high damage and decent healing capabilities thanks to its exotic perk
- Being a kinetic weapon that can be paired well with the best energy weapons
How to obtain: Exotic engrams and rare world drops
#8: Seventh Seraph Carbine (Best for PVP and PVE)
See Seventh Seraph Carbine in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k9usweJ8x4&t=180s
Like its other Seventh Seraph counterparts, the carbine adaptation keeps its tactical nature intact. Reminiscent of the Hakke weapons, these Seventh Seraph weapons skip the niceties and stay ready for combat.
This weapon has a simple game plan for both PVP and PVE. For PVP, perks like Rangefinder, Moving Target, and Slideshot would be your best options. For PVE, going to things like Vorpal Weapon, Swashbuckler, or Fourth Times the Charm proves formattable.
What's great about this weapon is:
- It has a simple playstyle that does not require an intense amount of game knowledge to use
- It has a small, focused perk pool that makes finding the role you want easier
- Being present in the kinetic slot and allowing players to pair it with other energy weapons
How to obtain: Banshee-44 and Xur
#7: Gnawing Hunger (Best for PVP and PVE)
See Gnawing Hunger in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ9VWELAhIo
Gnawing Hunger was saved from being lost in the Destiny Content Vault, but is instead here to stay. It is one of the best adaptive frame auto rifles players can choose. Obtaining it is not easy, but it is still achievable.
Smaller perk pools are sometimes watered down with perks that cannot compare with the best options. However, this weapon has no bad options on paper. Its second perk slot alone has access to perks like Swashbuckler, Multikill Clip, and Rampage, with the first having Subsistence, Zen Moment, and Auto-Loading Holster just to name a few.
What's great about this weapon is:
- It has a contained perk pool with some of the best options in the game
- Being in a well-rounded archetype that is easy to use
- It has a void affinity that allows it to synergize with void subclass builds
How to obtain: Xur
#6: Herod-C (best for PVP)
See Herod-C in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkHcV5qJKB4
With The Drifter taking a liking to the Hakke foundry, it birthed one of the best stasis auto rifles available. Herod-C is a precise and versatile auto rifle in the kinetic slot with a stasis element, giving it access to stasis perks. No one knows how The Drifter snags such great weapons, and it may be better not to ask.
Being a Hakke auto rifle, it adopts the high-impact archetype. A strong auto rifle archetype combined with some of the best perks available in the game makes it a deadly option. Due to it being a Gambit reward, you can also focus Gambit engrams to ensure you can farm it to get the role you want.
What's great about this weapon is:
- It has high damage at the cost of a lower fire rate thanks to the archetype
- It has access to some of the best perks in the game (Frenzy, Moving Target, Dynamic Sway Reduction, Heating Up, Subsistence, etc.)
- It has a stasis affinity that can allow for stasis subclass synergy
How to obtain: Gambit rewards and Gambit engrams
#5: The Summoner (Best for PVP)
See The Summoner in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH1UDV6ijZQ
Echoing a meta-defining weapon from Destiny 1, The Summoner is an auto rifle obtained from The Trials of Osiris. Due to the nature of how you obtain it, it has access to things only found in these symbols of perseverance, making them powerful once you are the only member left in your fireteam.
This trait is called Alacrity: gain increased stability, handling, and target acquisition once you are the last standing member of your fireteam. This trait allows you to spec into perks that can increase and other stats. Notable perks include Rampage, Elemental Capacitor, Moving Target, and Rangefinder.
What's great about this weapon is:
- It performs well in PVP activities thanks to its unique weapon trait
- It has access to an adept version that increases all its base stats
- Being in the energy slot, allows you to pair it with kinetic special weapons
How to obtain: Trials of Osiris rewards (must go flawless for the adept version.)
#4: Chroma Rush (Best for PVP and PVE)
See Chroma Rush in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s92DDAxOJTY
One of the most unique-looking auto rifles, Chroma Rush is beloved by many thanks to its archetype and how its perk pool enhances it. 720 RPM auto rifles are usually pushed aside in the current meta, but this one is still hanging on due to how good it feels to use.
What makes this weapon appealing is that its perk combinations and archetype make it so one role can work amazingly in both PVE and PVP. You do not have to find separate roles for each piece of content. The ones that can achieve this use perks like Heating Up, Feeding Frenzy, Subsistence, Kill Clip, and Rampage.
What's great about this weapon is:
- It has a larger magazine size and a faster fire rate thanks to its archetype
- Being benefitted from its perk pool so well to the point where only one role will be sufficient for all pieces of content
- Being present in the kinetic slot, allows you to pair it with some of the best energy weapons
How to obtain: Xur
#3: Monte Carlo (Best for PVE)
See Monte Carlo in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnt8UF6WgnI
Monte Carlo’s presentation is loved by many Guardians. This weapon favors those who prefer to have a melee build, staying true to the nature of its bayonet. Fun fact, a rumored rework may finally allow players to use this weapon’s bayonet. Fingers crossed.
This exotic auto rifle prioritizes melee abilities. Damage dealt by this weapon grants you melee ability energy and kills with it have a chance to recharge it entirely. High-end PVE content demands that a player can perform at their best with their builds, so having a weapon that does the job for you is a profitable decision.
What's great about this weapon is:
- It grants consistent ability uptime thanks to its exotic perk
- Being flexible enough to work in almost all builds
- Being an easy-to-use weapon thanks to its archetype
How to obtain: Exotic engrams and rare world drops
#2: Quicksilver Storm (Best for PVP and PVE)
See Quicksilver Storm in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TGf2K9O94o
Being our glimpse into the Lightfall expansion, Quicksilver Storm is a recent addition to our Guardian’s arsenal. Having a maxed-out stability stat makes this an option for someone looking for a weapon that is easy to use. On top of that, who does not like having access to a grenade launcher?
Sustained fire from this weapon sends out micro missiles that can lead to high DPS. After landing several of those missiles, these grenade-like rounds can be loaded into the weapon and fired like an under-barrel grenade launcher. It provides a unique playstyle while being a simple weapon that can be efficient in the right hands.
What's great about this weapon is:
- Its ease of use thanks to its high stats and its archetype
- It has above-average damage per second thanks to the micro missiles
- It provides an alternate firing mode that can help with single target damage or small groups of ads
How to obtain: Pre-order the Lightfall collector’s edition (which will be available to all once the Lightfall expansion releases on February 28.)
#1: Ammit AR2 (Best for PVP and PVE)
See Ammit AR2 in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaF5JizwNJ4
This little Omolon auto rifle has taken Guardian aback, especially if you tend to use solar subclasses. Its perk combinations are some of the best along with access to the Omolon origin trait, which increases reload speed and stability for the top half of the weapon’s magazine. You can also craft this weapon with only two deep sight drops to obtain the weapon pattern.
A standout perk on this weapon is Incandescent, which has been every single solar subclass user’s favorite word. Having targets explode once you kill them is one thing but having access to the enhanced version is the real game changer. Tie that with other great perks in the first slot such as Triple Tap and Dynamic Sway Reduction and you have the current best auto rifle in the game.
What's great about this weapon is:
- Being overly accessible thanks to it being obtainable from world drops
- Being able to craft this weapon easily thanks to it only requiring two deep sight drops for the pattern
- It has access to great perk combinations for both PVP and PVE
How to obtain: Legendary engrams and world drops.
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