The Top 5 Legendary Rocket Launchers in Destiny 2
Rocket Launchers are a top DPS option in Destiny 2 at the moment.
They are easy to use, get a huge buff from Gjallarhorn, and dish out great damage.
This article looks at the top Rocket Launchers currently in the game, how to get them, and the best perks and rolls to look for.
For each Rocket in our top 5, click on the weapon’s name to see the full version of their build.
Destiny 2’s latest expansion, The Final Shape includes a brand new subclass, Prismatic. Dive into our meta builds for Prismatic Titan, Prismatic Warlock, and Prismatic Hunter.
5 – Bump in the Night
The perk Chill Clip is able to apply shatter damage to a boss, and this Rocket has the best perk pairing for Chill Clip. It is recommended only 1 player in the group uses a Rocket with Chill Clip since there are diminishing returns to the perk and an excess of Chill Clip launchers pale in comparison to the higher-ranked Rockets on the list.
Recommended Perks
Chill Clip is a must-have in the 4th column if that was not clear from the previous section. The best perk to pair in the 3rd column is Field Prep. This gives excess ammo and increases reload speed greatly when crouched.
This lets you get off more rockets quicker. The other potential perk in that column is Auto-Loading Holster to utilize a secondary weapon while the Rocket passively reloads.
How to Get Bump in the Night
Xur and Banshee still sell this weapon, and Deepsight Harmonizers can be used on it if you did not get a craftable version when this weapon came out.
4 – Royal Entry
The weapon has access to Clown Cartridge, giving 2 shots in the magazine on a reload. This allows for half the reloads during a damage phase, increasing overall uptime greatly. It isn’t higher on the list because it is a Precision Frame archetype which lowers its damage per rocket and these weapons come with a slower base reload speed.
Recommended Perks
Clown Cartridge in the 4th column is why this rocket is on this list, so use it. Field Prep pairs perfectly with Clown Cartridge as this perk combo requires a reload, and Field Prep increases the reload speed when crouched. Auto-Loading Holster is a good perk for Rockets, but is not recommended as it does not activate Clown Cartridge.
How to Get Royal Entry
Focused Decoding at Zavala for 1 Vanguard Engram, 25 Legendary Shards, and 5,000 Glimmer.
3 – The Hothead
The former de facto top Rocket in the game is now at #3. Although there are now 2 Rockets ahead of The Hothead, it is still a fantastic Rocket Launcher that is a great option for DPS. There are so many combinations that this Rocket can roll, allowing it to fit a plethora of playstyles.
Recommended Perks
Similar to Royal Entry the top combination is Field Prep and Clown Cartridge. In the 4th Column Explosive Light is a great perk for a boost to damage; unfortunately this does not give a damage boost to Wolfpack Rounds from Gjallarhorn.
Explosive Light opens up options in the 3rd column. Auto-Loading Holster and Demolitionist can be used with Explosive Light for alternative means of reloading. It is important to note that neither of those perks work with Clown Cartridge, so if you are using Clown Cartridge, pair it with Field Prep.
How to Get The Hothead
Legacy Gear Decoding at Zavala for 2 Vanguard Engrams, 25 Legendary Shards, and 10,000 Glimmer. The Adept version can be acquired when it is in the nightfall rotation. As of writing in Season of the Deep, The Hothead Adept is not in the rotation.
2 – Apex Predator
Apex is a very very close #2 on this list. Apex and the #1 Rocket are in a tier of their own due to access to the perk Bait and Switch. Not only is this the largest damage buff a Rocket Launcher can receive at 35%, but it also buffs the damage from Wolfpack Rounds. The main difference between Apex and the #1 Rocket lies in the 3rd column and the Origin Trait.
Recommended Perks
For the reasons mentioned in the previous section, Bait and Switch is the top option in the 4th column. Explosive Light is a potential alternative, but Bait and Switch is a clearly superior option. The most consistent and reliable perk in the 3rd column is Reconstruction. It essentially works the same as Auto-Loading Holster, but gives two rockets in the magazine.
This pairs very well with Bait and Switch because when you are utilizing your other two weapons to activate the damage perk, Reconstruction will be reloading the Rocket in the background. Slideways is a very unique 3rd column option that is rewarding, but quite difficult to use.
Its downsides are that it has a cooldown to how often the slide-reload can be activated, and your teammates will most likely hate you for sliding in front of them as they are shooting Rockets. Demolitionist is in this column as well to pair with builds that can get multiple grenades off during a damage phase.
How to Get Apex Predator
Last Wish Raid (Any Encounter).
1 – Cold Comfort
Just like Apex Predator, Cold Comfort has access to Bait and Switch, the best damage perk for Rockets as it buffs the Rocket and Wolfpack Rounds by 35%. What puts Cold Comfort ahead of Apex is its 3rd Column perk in Envious Assassin and its Origin Trait in Restoration Ritual.
Envious Assassin allows you to store 3 shots in the magazine going into a damage phase and Restoration Ritual stores an auto reload after getting a revive or finisher. This lets you start off a damage phase with shooting 4 shots straight.
Recommended Perks
The previous section more or less gave away the best perks to get. Bait and Switch for the damage bonus, and Envious Assassin for storing up shots at the start of a damage phase. After the initial burst of 4 shots there are no weapon-specific means of reloading, but between how much initial DPS this roll has and the weapon having a 62 base Reload Speed this Rocket keeps up the best DPS of all the Rockets in the game
How to Get Cold Comfort
Ghosts of the Deep Dungeon (Any Encounter).
Outro
Rockets are still a top option in the DPS meta, and having a well-rolled Rocket Launcher is necessary for keeping up with new bosses that have higher and higher health pools. Look for any of these options to start putting out top damage numbers in your group.
Head to our Destiny 2 site for more builds to pair with these Rockets to maximize damage output as well as more articles ranking the top options of weapon types.
