Destiny 2 best PvE weapons for raids, dungeons & Lost Sectors (Season of the Deep)

The best PvE weapons in Destiny 2 will lay waste to hordes of enemies like no other. Destiny 2 has a massive arsenal of weapons, which are needed for the wide variety of enemies in the game.

Keeping you safe (and your enemies dead) in Lost Sectors, dungeons, and raids, knowing which guns ensure the best chance of survival is paramount, so here are the top PvE weapons in Destiny 2 heading towards the end of Season of the Deep.

Best Kinetic weapons for PvE in Destiny 2

The Kinetic slot in your loadout is a bit of a misnomer now, as it also contains all of your primary Stasis and Strand weapons. Some will be your main weapon, some will be your off-hand, and some will have very niche but powerful uses.

Here are our picks for the best Kinetic weapons for Destiny 2 PvE, as well as how to get them. Bear in mind, this does not mean they are the best in every situation, but owning all of these will have you well-equipped for just about anything.

Weapon	How to get
Outbreak Perfected	Exotic Kiosk in the Tower
Witherhoard	Exotic Kiosk in the Tower
Arbalest	Shaw Han quest in Cosmodrome (Another Last City)
Sweet Business	Exotic Kiosk in the Tower
Fatebringer	Vault of Glass raid
Quicksilver Storm	Exotic Kiosk in the Tower

Outbreak Perfected

The quintessential primary weapon. Pulse rifles are almost always high in the PvE meta, but regardless of their place in the current game, Outbreak Perfected is always top-tier. It does great damage and is highly accurate, and the SIVA exotic perk creates projectiles on headshot kills that seek out other enemies.

These things combined make Outbreak amazing for single targets, as well as clearing out groups of enemies. It might be a bold statement, but it feels pretty safe to say that this is the best PvE exotic in Destiny 2.

Witherhoard

A lot of folks run with their primary weapon in the Energy slot, freeing up the Kinetic slot for something a bit different. Witherhoard makes regular appearances in this slot, as it is just so useful in PvE.

This grenade launcher creates a radius within which enemies take damage over time. There is rarely a time when Witherhoard isn’t extremely useful, so if you ever have a good primary weapon in your Energy slot, you should strongly consider pairing it with Witherhoard.

Arbalest

Another powerful backup weapon, the Arbalest is an excellent weapon for boss damage in Destiny 2. It is a linear fusion rifle, which are typically Heavy weapons. While it might not pack the punch of its heavy brethren, it packs an awful lot more punch than any other Kinetic weapon.

Arbalest is amazing in Legend Lost Sectors. It is naturally anti-barrier, but in general it is just great for melting Champions. Bring an Arbalest into anything where you will be facing a lot of tougher enemies, and watch them disappear.

Sweet Business

We must have stepped through a portal to 2017, because Sweet Business is in the Destiny 2 meta again. Many exotic weapons have received buffs in recent months, and few have gotten a bigger boost than Sweet Business.

The latest change has given the weapon occasional explosive rounds. One shot in every 20 fired will explode, becoming slightly less frequent as the weapon’s fire rate increases. Auto Rifles have seen some significant improvements coming into Season of the Deep, putting Sweet Business in the best position it has been in years.

Fatebringer

You really can’t be without a decent hand cannon in Destiny 2, and there are few better weapons for PvE than Fatebringer. This classic drops from the Vault of Glass, and the most dedicated among you might even snag the more powerful Timelost version.

Fatebringer is a great all-around weapon – rarely is it ever a poor choice to equip one. If you can get some powerful perks like Firefly or Rewind Rounds, all the better.

Quicksilver Storm

The original Strand weapon, this Auto Rifle was a pre-order bonus for purchasing Lightfall and the season pass. Now it can be acquired from the exotic weapon kiosk, giving this goodness to all players. Strand has been a powerful factor in Destiny 2 since Lightfall, and will only continue to be so in Season of the Deep.

whether you are using a Strand subclass, or another subclass like Arc or Void that can benefit from a Strand weapon, Quicksilver Storm will carry you through a lot of encounters. Recent balance changes have made the weapon exceedingly powerful, making this a must-have for every Guardian.

Best Energy weapons for PvE in Destiny 2

Next up is the energy slot, arguably the most diverse list of weapons around in Destiny 2. You have a lot of options here, particularly for different situations, so be sure to play around with these weapons.

As with the Kinetics, the following list are some of the standout weapons of the category. Particularly important here is how these weapons fit into your build alongside your subclass.

You will see a lot of mention of Void and Arc going forward, as those builds are particularly strong in Season of the Deep.

Weapon	How to get
Funnelweb	Random world drop
Doom of Chelchis	King’s Fall raid
Graviton Lance	Exotic Kiosk in the Tower
Forbearance	Vow of the Disciple raid
Harsh Language	Random world drop
Cloudstrike	Empire Hunts
BxR Battler	Dares of Eternity
Divinity	Garden of Salvation raid

Funnelweb

A solid SMG of any damage type is going to be useful for putting together builds, but if there is one you need it is the Funnelweb. Void builds have been very strong in recent seasons, and this is especially true for Season of the Deep.

Regardless of your class or build, chances are a workhorse void SMG will fit in nicely. Funnelweb is strong, it’s adaptable, and it can be everything you need from a weapon.

Doom of Chelchis

For another primary weapon with a lot of use, but much more range, Doom of Chelchis is a solid option. The scout rifle comes from the King’s Fall raid, so we can also unlock them for crafting. Not only is this weapon good for certain builds, but it also stands on its own as one of the best Scout Rifles in the game.

Again, riding the wave of powerful Void builds, get yourself a Doom of Chelchis. Having one of these and a Funnelweb will make sure your Void kit is powerful at any range, and in any situation.

Graviton Lance

Another blast from the past, Graviton Lance is seeing a major reprisal in Season of the Deep. The shot pattern has been reworked to make it more akin to Revision Zero.

If you want to commit to a Void build with some hefty Void damage, Graviton Lance is a great way to do it. In the right build, this weapon will go through hordes of enemies like a hot knife through butter.

Forbearance & Harsh Language

For a more powerful option in your Energy slot, Forbearance and Harsh Language are amazing options. They are both wave frame grenade launchers, which send a wave of damage across the ground in a wave.

These kinds of grenade launchers are amazing for taking out many enemies at once. Harsh Language is a world drop, where Forbearance comes from the Vow of the Disciple raid.

Cloudstrike

Cloudstrike sees a huge boost with the changes in Season of the Deep. First of all, sniper rifles across the board have seen buffs, and Cloudstrike has had increases to its DPS and ammo capacity. Furthermore, Season of the Deep has an emphasis on Arc builds in its perks, making this weapon highly synergistic.

The power fantasy of Cloudstrike has always been incredible; a weapon that calls down lightning and has the power to take down even opposing Guardians using their supers with a single, well-placed shot. Cloudstrike has always been fun to use, and in Season of the Deep, it is absolutely top-tier.

BxR Battler

The BxR Battler is a reprisal of the Battle Rifle from Halo. It came to Destiny 2 during the Bungie 30th anniversary event, and pretty quickly became one of the most used weapons in the game.

Not just a novelty, this pulse rifle is one of the best in the game. You can farm Dares of Eternity for better perks, so getting a decent one is not difficult at all.

Divinity

The definition of a functional weapon, Divinity is a weapon that every raid team needs. By itself, Divinity does very little. It is a trace rifle, but rather than doing much damage, it creates a bubble on the enemy it hits. Teammates can shoot that bubble to do critical damage to the enemy.

This makes Divinity a must-have for raid bosses. If you want to be your raid team’s favourite person, bring along a Divinity and make everyone’s life easier.

Best Heavy weapons for PvE in Destiny 2

Now for the big guns. Heavy weapons are often the most fun to discuss and rarely have much use outside of hitting a big thing as hard as you can.

That said, you might be surprised by the variety of ways you can hit big things, so here are some of the best weapon options to round out your PvE arsenal for Destiny 2.

Weapon	How to get
Commemoration	Deep Stone Crypt raid
Thunderlord	Random exotic drop, potentially bought from Xur
Grand Overture	Exotic Kiosk in the Tower
Gjallarhorn	Shaw Han quest in Cosmodrome (And Out Fly the Wolves)
Two-Tailed Fox	Random exotic drop, potentially bought from Xur
Legend of Acrius	Exotic Kiosk in the Tower
Taipan 4-Fr	Random world drop
Xenophage	Complete Shadowkeep exotic quest “The Journey”

Commemoration

For the most part, Machine Guns are extremely strong in the PvE meta, and a lot of people are using this weapon in all PvE activities. Commemoration is a reward from the Deep Sight Crypt raid, meaning you can potentially craft one yourself.

Machine Guns are always good, but right now they are really good. Commemoration is the best of the bunch in most scenarios, so you would do well to have one in your Heavy slot at almost all times. It is also a Void weapon, which pairs nicely with the particularly potent Void builds available right now.

Thunderlord

Perhaps the best exotic in PvE right now, Thunderlord is a classic that has been around since the beginning of the original Destiny. This beastly Machine Gun does Arc damage and strikes the enemy with bursts of lightning for extra damage.

With the catalyst, you will basically never need to reload the gun. You can fire hundreds of rounds from this weapon at a raid boss without stopping, making it an exceptional weapon to bring into raids. In Season of the Deep, Arc builds are hugely powerful, making this weapon just even more top-tier than it already was.

Grand Overture

Similarly to the Thunderlord, the Grand Overture is an exotic Arc Machine Gun that can dish out beastly damage. It isn’t generally considered to be on the same level as Thunderlord, but in the right circumstances and in the right hands, Grand Overture can outperform the damage of Thunderlord by a considerable amount.

It all comes down to how well you use the volleys it fires, and how your Arc class is set up. Without the right circumstances Grand Overture isn’t amazing, but you can get ungodly amounts of damage out of Grand Overture when the conditions for it are right.

Gjallarhorn

The other timeless classic from the old days. Gjallarhorn was once the most powerful weapon Destiny had ever seen and remained so for a long time. It has returned finally in Destiny 2, and while it cannot reclaim its place at the top, it certainly is no slouch.

The powerful Wolfpack Rounds of Gjallarhorn are still extremely potent, with the added ability to grant their power to nearby allies also using rocket launchers. A Gally alongside a team of rocket launchers is a top-tier way to make bosses go away.

Two-Tailed Fox

Speaking of rocket launchers that have gotten a glow-up, the Two-Tailed Fox just grew a third tail. This weapon was always quite cool, as it fires two rockets at once.

One rocket does Solar damage, the other rocket does Void damage. The new catalyst for the weapon adds a third rocket that does Arc damage, making this easily one of the most versatile weapons in the game.

Legend of Acrius

Another classic, the Legend of Acrius is a relic from a bygone era. This shotgun in the heavy weapons category may seem dated and silly, but you would be a fool to dismiss it.

Once again, we need to bring the overall context into the situation, and that context is that Arc builds are huge in Season of the Deep. As well as that, Legend of Acrius has had its ammo count and its range increased.

By using Arc buffs like Amplified, Legend of Acrius is a close-range monster that will eat bosses and Champions for breakfast.

Taipan-4Fr

While its time at the top may have come to an end, the Taipan-4Fr is still among the best in the Heavy weapon category of Destiny 2. This linear fusion rifle is everything you would want from its class, it is precise, it hits hard, and it doesn’t make life difficult.

If you are ever unsure of which heavy weapon to bring to a situation, a linear fusion is always a good option and a Taipan is always a great option.

Xenophage

This is an odd one, but certainly an interesting and useful weapon. This Heavy machine gun only carries a handful of bullets and does not fire very quickly. What it does do, is fire massive projectiles that explode on impact.

Xenophage hits like a truck, which is essentially what you want a Heavy weapon to do. There are some specific cases where it is very useful, but for the most part you can really just point this weapon at anything and make it go away.

Those are our picks for the best PvE weapons in Destiny 2 for Season of the Deep. For more on the game, head to our Destiny 2 homepage or check out our Root of Nightmares raid walkthrough.