The hardest enemy you'll face in Destiny 2 is Other Guardians, so what weapons should you bring when you face them?
After the rebalance released alongside Shadowkeep, the Crucible, Destiny 2’s PVP portion, has become a much fun mode to play. The introduction of numerous new weapons in Shadowkeep, Season of Dawn, and Season of Undying have given players lots of variety, however, the greatest changes are largely to previously existing weapons and how they interact with the meta. As such, here’s a list of the best PVP weapons as of the end of the Season of Dawn.
10. The Recluse: Lightweight Frame Submachine Gun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOWolonlDEU (Gameplay video)
While not as dominating as it once was, Lord Shaxx’s arachnid themed gift to you for completing the Season 6 pinnacle challenge still offers a hefty punch in a small package.
Why Recluse is good:
- It offers damage on par with Rampage x3 after only a single kill (provided you can aim for the head.)
- It has well-rounded perks allowing for easy combining with most other builds.
- It is easy to get and doesn’t require any monotonous farming.
Stats:
- Impact: 15
- Range: 54
- Stability: 70
- Handling: 67
- Reload Speed: 35
- Rounds/Min: 900
- Magazine: 36
How to get The Recluse:
- Acquire the quest “From the Mouths of Babes” from Lord Shaxx in the tower
- Complete “The Stuff of Myth” Triumph as listed on the quest (win 30-50 games of Crucible and achieve the rank of Fabled by earning 2100 Glory points in competitive.)
- Return to Lord Shaxx for your reward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aqCF4R7kCg
9. Revoker: Aggressive Frame Sniper Rifle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEKOcZ_fi1k (Gameplay Video)
Another of Lord Shaxx’s gifts for achieving Pinnacle status in seasons past, Revoker is an ideal starting point for those looking to get into sniping and holds up at all points on the skill curve.
Why Revoker is good:
- Like The Recluse, it is relatively easy to get and doesn’t require getting lucky with the perfect drop.
- Its unique perk, “Reversal of Fortune,” returns a round to your magazine after a short delay following a miss, giving you incentive to go for the riskier shots as it won’t burn all your ammo.
- It has solid statistics overall.
Stats:
- Impact: 90
- Range: 98
- Stability: 34
- Handling: 31
- Reload Speed: 37
- Rounds/Min: 72
- Magazine: 3
How to get Revoker:
- Acquire the “In Your Sights” quest from Lord Shaxx.
- Complete the following: get 300 Sniper Rifle kills, 50 Sniper Rifle precision kills, and 3,500 Glory earned.
- Return to Lord Shaxx to get the weapon.
https://youtu.be/gQ08dsIvgFQ?t=57
8. Wardcliff Coil: (Exotic Rocket Launcher)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nFouT0pl38 (Gameplay Video)
A slapped together prototype built by a Guardian being hunted by Fallen, the Wardcliff coil is and likely will forever be one of the best heavy weapons in the Crucible due to its ease of use.
Why Wardcliff Coil is good:
- Using it is dead simple: acquire ammo, point it in the general direction of anything you want to die, and pull the trigger. It fires enough micro rockets to clear a hallway of Guardians easily
- Acquiring its Exotic Catalyst gives its rockets the ability to home in on targets
Stats:
- Blast Radius: 63
- Velocity: 96
- Stability: 60
- Handling: 82
- Reload Speed: 37
- Rounds/Min: 60
- Magazine: 1
How to get it:
- Either find it in an Exotic Engram in the game world, receive it in your weekly Fated Engram, or purchase it from Xur directly when he has it in stock.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slmPyGD4cZM
7. Truth: (Exotic Rocket Launcher)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahHnrJKZwt4 (Gameplay Video)
While stealing Truth before it’s intended recipient could ever find it (Fallen or not) on Drifter’s behalf might not be the most moral choice, it’s impossible to deny how powerful (or annoying, if you’re on the receiving end) Truth can be.
Why Truth is good:
- While outmatched by Wardcliff Coil at close range, it can reach out and lock onto enemies much farther away
- Will delete supers and peeking snipers even over cover if aimed correctly.
- Much easier to acquire a lock than normal legendary rocket launchers with the tracking perk.
Stats:
- Blast Radius: 100
- Velocity: 52
- Stability: 70
- Handling: 69
- Reload Speed: 54
- Rounds/Min: 15
- Magazine:1
How to get it:
- Complete a run of the Menagerie
- Talk to Petra Venj in the Dreaming City
- Complete an Ascendant Challenge
- Find four map fragments.
- Decode the map fragments by completing three Dreaming City Patrols, killing enemies of Nessus and Tangled Shore, then complete three Nightfall Strikes with a handicap
- Find hidden collectibles in the Warden of Nothing strike
- Kill the boss while ascendant and find a hidden chest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrdJQUjftLg
6. Dustrock Blues: (Precision Frame Shotgun)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxO0OG7x7rI (Gameplay Video)
On its surface, it’s nothing special, just the shotgun of a Corsair bounty hunter, but due to its ease of farming and position in the kinetic slot, this weapon isn’t to be underestimated.
Why Dust Rock Blues is good:
- Has exceptional range, letting you sprint into most engagements and come out on top against most primary weapons.
- It is easily farmable due to the introduction of the Menagerie.
- Its position in the kinetic slot lets it be combined with energy weapons.
Stats:
- Impact: 70
- Range: 69
- Stability: 51
- Handling: 41
- Reload Speed: 47
- Rounds Per Minute: 65
- Magazine: 5
How to get it:
- In your fully upgraded Menagerie Chalice (see here how to acquire and upgrade your own https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGwyuUfMQhQ) put a Rune of Wealth in the top slot, any blue rune in the left slow, and any green rune in the right slot.
- Complete a run of the Menagerie to receive your weapon.
- Farm until you have one with the perks you want.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6G3C_VuzSQ
5. Mindbender’s Ambition: (Aggressive Frame Shotgun)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBU95EC5-Eo (gameplay video)
A relic of an unholy abomination of Hive and Fallen magic, Mindbender's Ambition is similarly terrifying to come up against on the field. Its lethal combination of possible perks and range make it a go-to for top-level shotgun users.
Why Mindbender’s Ambition is good:
- It can be farmed easily whenever The Hollowed Lair Nightfall is up on the weekly rotation.
- Like Dustrock Blues, it has an extremely long-range to kill in one hit.
- It is the only shotgun of its type that can roll with Quickdraw as a perk, giving it the ability to be pulled out and used at a moment's notice.
Stats:
- Impact: 80
- Range: 36
- Stability: 36
- Handling: 38
- Reload Speed: 45
- Rounds Per Minute: 55
- Magazine: 5
How to get it:
- Just farm The Hollowed Lair whenever it’s available as a Nightfall option. Higher scores give you a greater chance of getting one as a drop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0CaBSV2F_8 (video on how to get it)
4. Randy’s Throwing Knife: (Rapid Fire Frame Scout Rifle)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMQ58ADFYV0 (gameplay video)
While its previous owner was not exactly the sharpest (throwing knife) this Pinnacle scout rifle, awarded to you by Lord Shaxx is lethal, especially after scout rifles were buffed across the board in Shadowkeep.
Why Randy’s Throwing Knife is good:
- It has the all-important but difficult to quantify “feel” of an exceptional weapon, with headshots coming naturally.
- Simple to get, though the quest does take some time.
- It’s long-range and can be combo’d with shotguns or The Recluse.
Stats:
- Impact: 45
- Range: 31
- Stability: 45
- Handling: 28
- Reload Speed: 35
- Rounds Per Minute: 260
- Magazine: 17
How to get it:
- Acquire the “Field of View” quest from Lord Shaxx
- Achieve the following: enemies defeated and medals:14000, glory earned:2100, [scout rifle] final blows:450
- Return to Lord Shaxx and retrieve the weapon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETL-_X0Y8_E
3. Bygones: (Adaptive Frame Pulse Rifle)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=13&v=6m-l613JqNw&feature=emb_title (gameplay)
One of the weapons you acquire by playing everyone’s favorite creepy uncle’s pyramid scheme, Bygones is by far the best Gambit weapon for PVP (the only one, in fact, from the original bunch as Spare Rations only was added in Season of the Drifter.) High handling and an even higher rate of fire give this weapon a crisp feeling and high lethality.
Why Bygones is good:
- The high amount of rounds fired by its four round combined with its high rate of fire give it an extremely forgiving TTK
- Kill Clip will give you an even faster TTK that competes with hand cannons at close range.
Stats:
- Impact: 29
- Range: 53
- Stability: 60
- Handling: 60
- Reload Speed: 33
- Rounds/Min: 390
- Magazine: 47
How to get it:
- Unfortunately, the only way to farm for Bygones is to play Gambit/Gambit Prime until you get a roll you like. ADA-1 also sometimes has bounties you can complete which will reward it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sKe5Ij9qX4 (How to get it)
2. Erentil FR4: (High Impact Fusion Rifle)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS-jCuEX1hA (gameplay)
A mysterious Fusion Rifle produced by Omolon with the tagline “Bring on the sunrise,” The Erentil is a sleeper hit, giving you the lethality and ease of use of a shotgun at hand cannon ranges. While the charge time takes some getting used to, it's well worth it for the utility.
Why Erentil FR4 is good:
- Easily farmable in the Menagerie.
- Amazing for shutting down shotguns before they can get in range of you.
- It has a wide variety of options that are competitive and can be tuned to your tastes.
Stats:
- Impact: 90
- Range: 62
- Stability: 30
- Handling: 38
- Reload Speed: 28
- Charge Time: 820
- Magazine: 5
How to get it:
- In your fully upgraded Menagerie Chalice, put a Rune of Excess in the top slot, any blue rune in the left slot, and any green rune in the right slot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W9Y9u-st64
1. The Last Word: (Exotic Hand Cannon)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sEl6Xqhbx4 (gameplay)
The legendary Hunter Shin Malphur’s gift to your guardian, the Last Word is as capable of putting down your foes in the Crucible as it was putting down rogue light-bearers in the hands of its previous owner. Combining the best of a submachine gun and a hand cannon, The Last Word is perfect to combine with sniper rifles to give you a deadly touch at any range.
Why Last Word is good:
- Despite its seemingly low range, the high rate of fire and power of each individual shot gives you the ability to challenge enemy guardians out to a surprising distance
- The high rate of fire also lets you fire up close and personal and come out on top where other hand cannons would fail.
- Its overall combined utility due to these factors and its ease of use set it apart from all other primary weapons in the Crucible.
Stats:
- Impact:78
- Range: 42
- Stability: 46
- Handling: 46
- Reload Speed: 82
- Rounds/Min: 225
- Magazine: 8
How to get it:
- Talk to Drifter in the Tower and pick up the quest “The Draw.”
- Kill Hive with Solar damage, collect 75 Hive Tablets, then kill three Hive bosses.
- Defeat Guardians in the Crucible
- Complete “The Damnation” on Titan
- Kill 15 Wanted enemies in Lost Sectors, get 25 'revenge' medals in the Crucible, kill50 Hive with precision damage and complete three Witches' Ritual Heroic Public Events
- Complete mission The Conversation in the Tangled Shore
- Go back to Drifter in the tower to get the weapon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsrQMkbfS9s
Some other Articles you may enjoy:
- https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/top-7-destiny-2-best-fusion-rifle-2020-edition
- https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/destiny-2-best-class-destiny-2-class-tier-list
- https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/best-wow-addons-bfa
