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Destiny 2: Into the Lighthas brought back 12 fan-favorite weapons to the sandbox through the new Onslaught game mode. Make Lord Shaxx proud, and he’ll reward you with some of the strongest weapons that have ever graced the Destiny franchise. Blast Furnace, Midnight Coup, the Stranger’s Rifle, and many more have been brought back with glorious perk combinations.
Today, we’ll be analyzing all 12 weapons brought back in this update and covering their best combinations, both for PvE and PvP. Each section goes in-depth explaining why each perk combination is worth your attention, so feel free to use the table of contents above to jump to any specific weapons you’re interested in.
Blast Furnace
The infamous “dad rifle” from Black Armory has finally returned. It’s the same four-round Pulse Rifle that everyone remembers, but it’s been updated with a new suite of perks and barrel options in place of scopes—every roll comes with the Rasmussen ISA optic by default. While a lot has changed since Forsaken, Blast Furnace remains a competitive pick in today’s sandbox. Mostly.
In PvE, Blast Furnace holds no punches.Kinetic TremorsandOne for Allis one of the best perk combinations we’ve ever seen on a Pulse Rifle. Land three bursts to release a series of Kinetic shockwaves that deal great damage. Hit three targets, and you’ll proc One for All’s major damage bonus. This will further buff Kinetic Tremor’s damage, making this gun a powerful workhorse for casual and Legend-tier content.
Enemies hit by Kinetic Tremors can proc One for All.
Crucible is where Blast Furnace might struggle. It has a fantastic base range of 79, capable of hitting enemies from 40+ meters with some investment. That makes it perfect for dueling Auto Rifles and Hand Cannons at longer distances, yet the weapon’s eight crit requirement to achieve a 0.73s TTK might prove difficult in today’s sandbox.Zen MomentorHeadseekeris going to be mandatory to keep your aim true at such distances. Even then, a Scout Rifle with Box Breathing can eat your lunch.
You can make this weapon slightly better withKill Clipin the second column, yet this only drops the TTK to 0.67s, the same as an unbuffed High-Impact Pulse Rifle. That’s why we recommend you go forRapid Hitinstead. Paired with either first-column perk, you should have a solid dueling weapon for longer distances. For mid-range duels, you’re better off using Messenger or the new Elsie’s Rifle.
Zen Moment OR Headseeker
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Edge Transit
Edge Transit plagued everyone’s inventories in the Forsaken era of Destiny 2. It’s been brought back with Into the Light, and it has gotten the largest glow-up out of every weapon in this update. Edge Transit went from being the worst Heavy GL in the game to being the strongest GL, tied with Cataphract GL3.
Unlike Cataphract, you don’t need to play Trials of Osiris to get your hands on this gun.Envious AssassinandBait and Switchare what you’ll want. This overflows the weapon’s magazine up to 18 grenades. Buff each grenade with Bait and Switch, and you have a fantastic weapon for burst DPS. If you need a good Heavy weapon for solo content or dislike Rocket Launchers, Edge Transit is worth farming for.
Don’t Farm For Holofoil
Some players have speculated that a holofoil variant with Envious Assassin + Cascade Point in the first column will outperform most Heavy weapons in PvE. Bungie is aware of this and plans to nerf this combination in a future patch (source).
As a result, we do not recommend farming for this specific perk combination. Envious is all you need in the first column.
Augmented Drum, Mini Frags, or Spike Grenades
Bait and Switch
Elsie’s Rifle
Elsie’s Rifle is powercreep, the gun. This 340 RPM Pulse Rifle hasthe same stat package asNo Time to Explain, including the absurd base handling and reload speed stats. But unlike No Time to Explain, Elsie’s Rifle has random rolls, deals Void damage, and doesn’t take your Exotic slot. Right off the bat, this gun is S-tier due to its absurd stats. It’s the Igneous Hammer of Pulse Rifles.
To get PvE out of the way, it’s OK.Feeding FrenzyandDesperate Measuresis a solid workhorse combination, but Pulse Rifles are seldom used in difficult content due to their low base damage. If you need to kill adds in Master or GM difficulties, you’re using an Exotic Primary, SMG, or Hand Cannon; Pulses don’t do the trick. With that said, Desperate Measures is an easy-to-proc 30% damage buff that requires minimal maintenance. For general content, it’s a solid pick.
If you’re farming this gun, you’re a PvP player, and it’s in the Crucible where this gun really shines.Zen MomentandHeadseekermight be the strongest perk combination you can get on a 340 Pulse Rifle. Landing just a few rounds will remove all visual recoil, make you nigh-immune to flinch, and buff your aim assist. It even makes the optimal TTK more lenient through Headseeker’s precision damage buff.
Calling this gun amazing is an understatement. It’s an Exotic disguised as a Legendary. There isn’t a single Pulse Rifle that’s better at dueling than this, not even Messenger. If you love Pulse Rifles, this is a must-own.
Falling Guillotine
Dark-Drinker’s Legendary cousin has received a makeover with Into the Light. Falling Guillotine is the first Vortex Frame we ever received in Destiny 2, and it dominated the Arrivals meta with its excellent burst damage. Vortex Frames has seen some major nerfs since then, and unfortunately for Falling Guillotine, not even its stacked perk package is enough to make this weapon a true meta contender.
Vorpal Weaponrolls in the first column for this weapon, giving it a small 10% damage bonus against bosses. It’s not much, but it can be stacked withSurroundedfor another 35% bonus—increased to 42% when enhanced, which will be possible come Final Shape.Bait and Switchis also an option if you don’t like Surrounded.
Surrounded is weaker on Swords than other weapon archetypes, offering 5% less damage.
The main issue with Falling Guillotine isn’t the weapon itself, but rather the archetype. Vortex Frames just aren’t good.Bequest has better DPS, is more ammo efficient, and is fully craftable. Lament deals roughly the same damage, heals you, and breaks Champion shields. Even The Slammer offers better utility through Eager Edge and Chill Clip. Falling Guillotine isn’t worth farming fornow, but if this archetype ever gets a buff, you’ll want a god roll tucked away in your Vault.
Forbearance
There’s some debate over Forbearance getting reissued in this update. The original version fromVow of the Discipleis still an S-tier Special weapon, and the removal of its Souldrinker origin trait arguably makes it weaker. What some players fail to realize is that the reissue does two things:
The role this Forbearance serves is different.Demolitionist can roll in the first column, and this gun’s origin trait grants ability energy on kills—grenade energy for Light subclasses, and melee energy for Dark subclasses. Both effects stack, so Light subclasses can get a whopping 15% grenade energy from each kill. That’s invaluable to New Lights and dumb fun for veteran players.
you’re able to still useChain Reactionin the second column to obliterate red bars, but now those kills are generating ability energy. And if you want to double down on ability spam, you can getWellspringin the second column. It won’t sustain your HP like before, but this new version of Forbearance is perfect for ability spam builds.
This new version of Forbearance can also roll with Disruption Break in the first column, perfect for PvP players who love hotswap/blint loadouts.
Hammerheard
It’s been nearly five years since Hammerhead first graced the Destiny 2 sandbox, and not one Machine Gun has gotten close to reaching this weapon’s ease of use. Hammerhead has an absolutely cracked stat package, featuring a whopping90 aim assistand 60 in nearly every other stat. Calling this gun a headshot magnet is a vast understatement.
Crucible players don’t really need perks on this weapon. Give it some range, and you’ll be able to land headshots from the Hellmouth to Twilight Gap.Under OverandTap the Triggerlet you ignore overshields in the process and remove all bloom while feathering the trigger. If you grab a Heavy brick, it’s over for the enemy team.
Hammerhead got some serious love for PvE players. It’s the first LMG to roll withRampageandOnslaught, the infamous perk combination that Breakneck had back in Forsaken. That combination is so strong that it’s completely overkill and somewhat inefficient. We actually recommendRewind RoundsandKilling Tallyfor most. You’ll have a constant 30% damage buff and seldom need to reload.
Hung Jury SR4
Someone at Bungie must love Hung Jury because this is thefourthtime it’s been reissued. Hung Jury SR4 is a run-of-the-mill 180 Scout Rifle with a solid perk pool. If you farmed for a roll withRapid HitandBox Breathingin the past, there’s no need to farm for this gun. If you missed it, well, it has a golden ornament now. This is a safe skip for most PvP players unless you love Box Breathing Scouts, in which case you already own this gun.
PvE players sadly can’t get a roll withShoot To Loot+ Kinetic Tremors on this version of Hung Jury—they both roll in the same column now.Kinetic TremorsandOne for Allis as good as you’ll get. It’s a great workhorse weapon when both perks are active, but there are other weapons that accomplish this better. Midnight Coup and Blast Furnace are generally better and have the exact same perk combination.
Explosive Payload doesnotproc Kinetic Tremors faster. It’s best to pair Kinetic Tremors with One for All.
Eye of the Storm OR Rapid Hit
Zen Moment OR Kill Clip
Luna’s Howl
Luna’s Howl is similar to Rose in that it has a unique intrinsic.This is a 140RPM Hand Cannon with the intrinsic properties of a 180, giving this weapon minimal vertical recoil and +25 Airborne Effectiveness that isn’t shown on the stat page. This makes Luna’s Howl a fantastic weapon for dueling, provided you can land your headshots.
Strangely,Magnificent Howl was reworked into an inverse version ofHawkmoon.Precision kills will load empowered rounds into your next magazine, providing a 50% damage boost. Land precision kills with those bullets, and you’ll be refunded a stack of Magnificent Howl, allowing you to chain this buff indefinitely if you may keep landing headshots. Pair this withSubsistence, and you have a shockingly powerful PvE Hand Cannon.
Crucible players will likely avoid Magnificent Howl entirely. It does allow for crisp two taps when the perk’s up, but getting the perk active in the first place can prove challenging since you forgo a consistency perk likeOpening Shot.Generally, 140s are best used for 1v1 duels, not kill chaining. On that front, Luna’s Howl is solid withSlideshotandPrecision Instrument.It won’t redefine the meta, but Luna’s Howl still packs a mean punch in the hands of a good player.
Opening Shot OR Precision Instrument
Midnight Coup
Emperor Calus' prized Hand Cannon has never been better. While it was changed from a 150 RPM Hand Cannon to a 140, Bungie gave it a fairly substantial stat increase and a phenomenal perk pool. PvE players should absolutely farm forFireflyandOne for All.A single precision kill will proc multiple effects:
Powerful is an understatement. This gun is effectivelyAce of Spadesin Legendary form, at least in PvE. If you dislike One for All, you can also get Fatebringer’s chase roll ofExplosive Payload and Frenzy.
Crucible players might be disappointed by the lack of Slideshot and Eye of the Storm on this gun, but you can make Midnight Coup work withExplosive Payloadand Zen Moment.Throw on some targeting mods, and you can hit 100 aim assist on this gun. It lacks the range of meta 140s, but few guns will land headshots quite as easily as Midnight Coup.
The Mountaintop
Bungie reworked Mountaintop in this update to haveintrinsic Micro-Missile and Danger Close.Mountaintop’s projectiles fire in a straight line instead of an arc, making it a pocket Rocket Launcher. you’re able to also rocket jump with this weapon for some fun movement tech.Its damage was nerfed in PvPand is incapable of landing one-hit kills under any circumstances.For PvP, we simply don’t recommend using this weapon. Period.
PvE is a different story. Mountaintop is the new king of swap DPS.Auto-Loading Holstercan be paired withRecombinationto create the strongest Special weapon for burst DPS rotations. Fire your Primary, swap to Mountaintop, fire a rocket that deals 100% more damage, then use your Heavy to proc Bait and Switch. It’s great for deleting majors, Champions, and damaging bosses. There’s not much else you could ask from a Special weapon.
N/A
Recombination Vs. FrenzyOn Mountaintop
Recombination isalwaysbetter than Frenzy,no exceptions. At max stacks, it provides a 100% damage bonus for your next shot. Frenzy offers a 15% bonus.
You would need to fire seven Frenzy shots to exceed the DPS of a Recombination roll. If you’re using the gun for swap DPS (which you should), then you’d have to make atleasteight swaps to overtake a Recombination roll. Virtually no boss fight in D2 lasts long enough for you to squeeze that many rotations in. And if such a fight existed, you wouldn’t be using a burst DPS loadout at all.Everyone would run Whisper of the Wormor Leviathan’s Breath instead.
For sustained DPS, it’s a fool’s errand comparing the two. Breech GLs are the absolute worst archetype for sustained DPS due to their frequent reloads; you’re better off using any other category of Special weapon.
The Recluse
The Recluse has lost its bite with this rendition, but it’s not the weapon’s fault.Master of Arms was guttedfrom its original version. Previously, this weapon gave a 50% precision damage buff and over 200% extra body shot damage, making your body shots deal as much damage as critical hits. This was absurdly overpowered, so Bungie nerfed it to a flat 21% buff. It was then nerfed a second time, reducing the damage bonus to 15%.
If you want a decent workhorse weapon, then you wantSubsistence and Frenzyinstead. This will give you a 15% damage bonus that also maxes your reload and handling stats. For tougher content,Repulsor Bracewith eitherDestabilizing RoundsorDesperate Measuresis ideal. The former will give youconstant Void Overshields, while the latter will buff your weapon damage by 30%.
As for the Crucible, Recluse has been powercrept by 750s and other 900s.Dynamic Sway Reductioncan be paired withMaster of Armsfor a low 0.6s TTK after you land a kill, or you can useTarget Lockto make its optimal TTK easier to hit. It’s not a bad option, but it struggles to outmatch the likes of Immortal, Unending Tempest, and Shayura’s Wrath.
Master of Arms OR Tap the Trigger
Succession
Succession is still a popular Sniper Rifle in today’s sandbox, so its inclusion in the Brave arsenal was questionable. But after we’ve played with this weapon, this reissue is easily the best version of Succession. For PvE,ReconstructionandRecombinationis still the king of burst DPS if you need a good Sniper Rifle.
However, the real spice of this reissue comes fromDiscordandRedirection.Killing a target with any other weapon will proc Discord, refunding ammo for Succession when you land kills. This will then build stacks of Redirection, granting a whopping 100% damage bonus against tougher enemies. Once you proc Discord, you can effectively use this weapon like a Primary weapon for a few seconds.
As for PvP, it’s still a monstrous 72 RPM Sniper Rifle.Moving TargetandSnapshot Sightsremains a good combination here, but don’t sleep on Discord in the first column either. Just like in PvE, if you land a kill with your Primary, you can potentially chain back-to-back precision kills with this weapon. And thanks to the great base stats on this gun, you aren’t missing much by forgoing a consistency perk.
Discord OR Reconstruction
Redirection OR Recombination
Moving Target OR Discord
