PVE Weapons Tier List – Best PVE Weapons – Destiny 2 – Mobalytics

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
• 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
• 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
• 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

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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