Ryan Kelly
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6 Min read Auto Rifles have been teetering on the cusp of being meta in Lightfall. With the announcement of a 25% PvE damage buff and an upcoming Submachine Gun nerf in PvP, Auto Rifles are poised to be in a good spot moving forward.
We are going to go over the top Auto Rifles to get, what perks to look for, and where to get them. The list is based on a few factors.
The performance and available perks play the most important role in judging these weapons, but availability, ease of acquisition, and the weapon being craftable was also considered when making this list. Sometimes the best ability is availability.
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This Auto checks all the boxes. It has access to great perks, it’s good for PvE, it’s good for PvP, it’s craftable, and it’s obtainable from the most current content of the game.
Root of Nightmares Raid.
The primary recommended perks are Rewind Rounds and Paracausal Affinity.
Good alternatives for those perks are Reconstruction and Target Lock.
In terms of the barrel options it is mostly preference. As for the magazine, Appended Mag is a great option as it increases the base magazine size to allow you to fire longer, and get more value out of Rewind Rounds or Reconstruction. Otherwise looking for a reload boost such as Flared Magwell is what is best to have as an alternative in the magazine slot.
Of all of the weapons on this list, Rufus’s Fury is probably the best for PvP as well. If using the Auto for PvP, Moving Target and Target Lock is a fantastic roll.
Demolitionist is a good alternative for Moving Target. Target Lock is the definitive best perk in the 4th column, but Tap the Trigger will make it easy to hit shots and is a good alternative, especially with the upcoming changes to Target Lock.
High-Caliber Rounds for Range and Flinch or Ricochet Rounds for Range and Stability are good magazine options. Any barrel for Range and or Stability is a good option based on preference.
Rufus’s little brother, Perpetualis also is of the Strand element and has access to some enticing perks.
Part of the Season of Defiance gear set. Can be focused at the HELM.
The 3rd column is lacking, and Keep Away is the best option for some nice stat bonuses when 15 meters or greater away from an enemy.
The 4th column has some solid options headlined by Target Lock. Hatchling is a good alternative for Threadling builds and Demolitionist is a good alternative for grenade builds.
Envious Assassin can be an intriguing option when paired with Cascade Point and another weapon that’ll charge those perks is in use as they both are activated when another weapon is in use. Barrels are mostly preference and the best magazines help with magazine size and/or reload. Tactical Mag is a great option because it helps with magazine size, reload, and stability.
Zen Moment and Eye of the Storm are good perks for PvP, and will make it very easy to land shots in the Crucible. Keep Away is an intriguing option due to the Range boost it gives.
Only one of two Auto Rifles in the game that has access to the Incandescent perk. It is also very easy to craft if the Witch Queen DLC is owned.
Complete the Foundry Resonance quest part of the Witch Queen DLC. Otherwise it drops as a random world drop.
Incandescent is a top perk in the game and is essentially a must have in column 4. Ambitious Assassin is a good option for the 3rd column, and Stats for All is a suitable alternative. Increasing the magazine size with Appended Mag is a good option, especially when paired with Ambitious Assassin to potentially get more kills, and a greater boost from the perk.
If using for PvP, this weapon has access to Dynamic Sway Reduction and Tap the Trigger, which is a very consistent and easy to use roll. Just like the others on the list so far, look for Range and Stability boosting Barrel and Magazine options.
An older weapon from Season 14, Chroma Rush is a rapid-fire auto that has perks to be a good PvE weapon, and potential for a good PvP weapon if auto rifles find themselves in the Crucible limelight once again.
Unfortunately there is not a reliable way of getting this weapon. It is a potential drop from Dares of Eternity which has a large loot pool. Xur or Banshee can sell it, so be on the lookout of their inventory for a good roll of this weapon.
This weapon has access to the classic PvE roll of Subsistence and Rampage. If those perks aren’t on a roll being sold, look for Feeding Frenzy and Adrenaline Junkie as suitable alternatives. Tactical Mag or Appended Mag are good magazine options, and like always the barrel options are preference.
If you’re looking for a PvP roll, Dynamic Sway Reduction and Tap the Trigger are great in combination for being able to control the weapon very well. Pair these perks with Range and Stability boosting Barrel and Magazine options if possible.
Similar to Ammit, this is the only Auto in the game that has access to Voltshot. It is also one of the few Rapid-Fire auto rifles that has access to Rangefinder, a top tier PvP perk.
Iron Banner.
Voltshot is a top tier perk, and is the recommended option for the 4th column. Golden Tricorn is a very underrated perk, and is something to potentially consider especially when using grenade or melee based builds as it will give a 50% damage boost. For the 3rd column
Subsistence is the go-to option. It goes against Voltshot in a way by extending the magazine, when Voltshot requires a reload to activate, but the perk is too good to pass up on. Flared Magwell is preferred for the magazines because of its reload speed buff, which plays right into Voltshot. Appended Mag is a great option if Golden Tricorn is used over Voltshot.
For PvP this weapon doesn’t have the best stats, but it does have access to both Rangefinder and Dynamic Sway Reduction. Both of these perks cover up any deficiencies in stats. Like before, pair with Barrels and Magazines that boost Range and Stability further.
There you have it! There are plenty of honorable mentions that went into consideration for the final few spots. Krait has access to some good perks, and drops from any activity. Gnawing Hunger is a great auto with fantastic perks, but there is no reliable way to get it, and it is dependent on it being sold.
There are few void Auto Rifles in the game like Gnawing Hunger, which makes Reckless Oracle and Age Old Bond honorable mentions as well. These two are more readily available as raid drops, but don’t have top tier perk options.
The top Auto on this list, Rufus’s Fury is really worth getting into Root of Nightmares for. Once a craftable version is obtained, it is a good weapon for all playlists in the game. The new raid is rather beginner friendly, and is quite approachable for those looking for a good auto rifle, but are not avid raiders.
For more recommended perks and more, head to our Destiny 2 builds site!
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