Destiny 2: PVE Weapon Tier List
Looking for the best PVE weapons? You’ve come to the right place.
Our Destiny 2 PVE tier list is organized according to S/A/B/C tiers and the Kinetic, Energy, and Heavy categories.
If you want to learn more about our methodology for selecting the best PVE weapons, it’s at the bottom of the article below the commentary.
We also have lists for pure PVP and combined PVE + PVP so check those out as well!
Destiny 2 Tier List for PVE
- S-tier
- Kinetic
- Arbalest
- Osteo Striga
- Witherhoard
- Burden
- Energy
- Divinity
- Riskrunner
- Trinity Ghoul
- Heavy
- Gjallajorn
- 1k Voices
- Kinetic
- A-tier
- Kinetic
- Huckleberry
- No Time to Explain
- Dead Man’s Tale
- Agers Scepter
- Monte Carlo
- Outbreak Perfected
- Eriana’s Vow
- Energy
- Tarrabah
- Lorentz Driver
- Dead Messenger
- Telesto
- Sunshot
- Heavy
- Deathbringer
- Parasite
- The Lament
- Thunderlord
- Sleeper Simulant
- Whisper of the Worm
- Xenophage
- Anarchy
- Kinetic
- B-tier
- Kinetic
- Ace of Spades
- Rat King
- Hawkmoon
- Lumina
- Malfeasance
- Bad Juju
- Crimson
- Travelers Chosen
- Bastion
- Energy
- Polaris Lance
- Ticuu’s Divination
- Ruinous Effigy
- Symmetry
- Hard Light
- Tommy’s Matchbook
- Merciless
- Cloudstrike
- The Fourth Horseman
- Vex Mythoclast
- Le Monarque
- Wavesplitter
- Heavy
- Wardcliff Coil
- Leviathan’s Breath
- Tractor Cannon
- Eyes of Tomorrow
- Kinetic
- C-tier
- Kinetic
- The Jade Rabbit
- Sweet Business
- Cerberus+1
- Crosethia 77k
- The Last Word
- Vigilance Wing
- The Chaperone
- Wish-Ender
- Forerunner
- Fighting Lion
- Thorn
- MIDA
- Sturm
- Energy
- Borealis
- Coldheart
- Prometheus Lens
- Graviton Lance
- Sky Burner’s Oath
- Duality
- Lord of Wolves
- Jötunn
- Heavy
- Truth
- Black Talon
- Two Tailed Fox
- Salvation’s Grip
- The Prospector
- D.A.R.C.I.
- Worldine Zero
- The Queenbreaker
- Heir Apparent
- Legend of Acrius
- The Colony
- Kinetic
PVP Weapon Commentary
S-tier Kinetic
Arbalest
Currently a must-use among the best PVE weapons in end game activity as it destroys barriers and shields as well as provides disruption break for added damage.
Osteo Striga
This thing shreds red bar enemies, and even deals good damage to mid tier targets.
Witherhoard
Fantastic for groups of enemies and for damaging mid health targets.
Burden
Currently the best DPS option. Only downside is having to be precise, but Divinity negates that downside by increasing crit hit box.
S-tier Energy
Divinity
Basically a must-use for a group to use during boss DPS for the crit spot and damage, easily making it one of the best PVE weapons.
Riskrunner
When used in the right activity with heavy arc damage this thing shreds and keeps you alive very easily.
Trinity Ghoul
The chain lightning is nice for killing many low health targets.
S-tier Heavy
Gjallajorn
On its own it deals great damage, but it makes the rocket launchers of others amazing, and allows them to use Izanagi’s burden with a mini-Gjallarhorn.
1k Voices
Very good damage option that is very easy to use. Can also be used to clear out lesser health enemies well.
A-tier Kinetic
Huckleberry
So close to S tier as it can ramp damage very well for ad clear.
No Time to Explain
With the arc buddy this can be a good ad clear option.
Dead Man’s Tale
Good option and with vorpal weapon can deal some respectable single target damage.
Agers Scepter
Real good option for ad clear, not quite enough for S tier.
Monte Carlo
Really nice to pair with new void abilities in void 3.0 system.
Outbreak Perfected
Perk is good for ad clear and can do a sneaky amount of damage to higher health targets.
Eriana’s Vow
Would be S tier, but Arbalest happened and took its spot.
A-tier Energy
Tarrabah
The perk is much easier to proc now in PvE and does fantastic damage for an SMG if the perk is active and really good ad clear.
Lorentz Driver
The pull makes it solid for ad clear.
Dead Messenger
Good for single target damage and ad clear with the wave from the exotic perk.
Telesto
Pretty solid damage and is worth the delay and can swap to other weapons while waiting for the damage.
Sunshot
Chaining explosions makes it a pretty good ad clear option.
A-tier Heavy
Deathbringer
Solid damage option, not enough to be top tier.
Parasite
Very good burst damage, but can’t sustain it leaving it in A.
The Lament
Great utility for barrier shields. Issue is that the damage output for single target isn’t top notch.
Thunderlord
Great ad clear option due to exotic perk.
Sleeper Simulant
Good damage option, not the best though. ad clear is poor.
Whisper of the Worm
Was once the king, but not the top DPS option and is limited by ammo.
Xenophage
Best Vault of Glass Oracle killing weapon and pairs nicely on Titans with Actium War Rig.
Anarchy
Not the same damage output as before due to nerfs but still a solid option due to being able to apply damage and swapping.
B-tier Kinetic
Ace of Spades
Firefly and Outlaw gives it a good feel for clearing red bars, but this can be accomplished by legendary options.
Rat King
The entire team needs to dedicate to this to make it work. Even then it’s not a top option.
Hawkmoon
The perk can deal a lot of damage, but it is better served for PvP.
Lumina
Good for healing, but other sources provide better forms.
Malfeasance
Good damage for taken, outside of that has minimal purpose.
Bad Juju
Good for building super energy and has built in rampage lite.
Crimson
The healing aspect is quite nice, but isn’t good enough to justify constant use.
Travelers Chosen
Can get some use if your build is based around melee and/or grenades.
Bastion
Can deal a sneaky amount of damage to mid tier enemies, but isn’t a good option for ad clear and doesn’t do enough damage to justify for end game.
B-tier Energy
Polaris Lance
The perk allows for pretty good DPS to mid health targets.
Ticuu’s Divination
Can be a good option for ad clear, overshadowed by Trinity Ghoul.
Ruinous Effigy
The orb spawn is pretty good in PvE.
Symmetry
With the use of the perk can be pretty good at clearing ads.
Hard Light
The ability to swap for shields in activities with Match Game gives this gun merit.
Tommy’s Matchbook
Pretty solid for ad clear with the fire rate. Other options outshine it.
Merciless
Can deal pretty good damage to a single target, there are better options.
Cloudstrike
Can get a lot of ad kills but is really lacking in damage.
The Fourth Horseman
Can deal some solid burst, there are better options for that role though.
Vex Mythoclast
Pretty good for ad clear, otherwise not too much going on for it with the seasonal perks not pertaining to fusion rifles.
Le Monarque
Has some merit for damage to red bars, otherwise doesn’t have much. purpose
Wavesplitter
Decent for ad clear only thing keeping it in B is Void 3.0 synergy.
B-tier Heavy
Wardcliff Coil
Can deal good burst damage, but other options do it just as well and can sustain better compared to others among the best PVE weapons.
Leviathan’s Breath
Doesn’t deal enough damage to be worthwhile as a top DPS option but can handle ads fairly well.
Tractor Cannon
Good for suppression and increasing team damage, Divinity just does it better.
Eyes of Tomorrow
Can deal good damage, and be used to clear a lot of mid health options. Damage isn’t as good as other options.
C-tier Kinetic
The Jade Rabbit
The perk promotes not hitting headshots and the gun is not good for clearing ads.
Sweet Business
Simply not worth using, not good for any purpose.
Cerberus+1
Serves no role in PvE.
Crosethia 77k
Serves no role, not worth exotic usage.
The Last Word
Solely a PvP gun.
Vigilance Wing
Not good for high health targets, nor are there any damage/reload perks for red bar enemies.
The Chaperone
This gun is for PvP.
Wish-Ender
Too slow of a fire rate to have any use.
Forerunner
PvP gun.
Fighting Lion
There are much better options for damage and clearing in the kinetic slot for grenade launchers.
Thorn
The magazine is too small and reload speed too slow to justify using. the perk helps with the reload speed but it isn’t enough to get it in a good spot.
MIDA
Doesn’t do anything special in terms of damage nor ad clear.
Sturm
Doesn’t have anything going for it in terms of damage nor reload.
C-tier Energy
Borealis
The shield changing is better performed by Hard Light due to ammo type.
Coldheart
Taken over by divinity.
Prometheus Lens
Serves no role in PvE.
Graviton Lance
Doesn’t do anything well.
Sky Burner’s Oath
The alternate fire doesn’t have a large enough AoE to make it worth using.
Duality
PvP gun.
Lord of Wolves
Doesn’t do enough damage to justify use.
Jötunn
The AoE isn’t enough for ad clear and legendary fusion rifles perform much better DPS.
C-tier Heavy
Truth
This is a PvP weapon.
Black Talon
The projectile attack does very little damage to higher health targets, not justifying heavy slot usage.
Two Tailed Fox
There are far better rocket options.
Salvation’s Grip
If it just exploded rather than froze it would be improved.
The Prospector
The damage isn’t worth it for single targets and it is not good for ad clear due to the perk.
D.A.R.C.I.
Whisper and Izanagi are much better snipers for damage.
Worldine Zero
Only use is for movement, outside of that it isn’t good.
The Queenbreaker
Doesn’t clear ads well nor deals good damage it leaving it at the bottom.
Heir Apparent
Only unique role is defensive which can be achieved through many alternative means in PvE.
Legend of Acrius
The damage isn’t worth it in the current state of the game.
The Colony
Damage and ad clear are lacking.
Methodology
This is an exotic tier list, which as you know only one can be equipped. The tier list itself is heavily dependent on the power of legendary weapons and the seasonal mods and activities.
Here’s our criteria for each tier of the best PVE weapons:
- S- Tier: Always good and worthy of the name exotic because of something unique they bring to the table
- A Tier: Great and only potentially game-breaking in specific situations
- B- Tier: Only good when certain conditions have been fulfilled. Hard to justify an exotic slot for them
- C-Tier: Impractical weapons that are for funsies or niche nice cases. Hard to justify an exotic slot, especially with better ones there that are easy to obtain and completely outclass them.
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