Our Destiny 2 Raid Weapons Tier List ranks and breakthroughs the best available guns you should obtain from raids for PVE.
This top 10 list will comprise all currently obtainable legendary raid weapons based on their usage across all levels of PVE, comparability to other weapons in its class, and unique weapons or perk combination. The weapons in this list were carefully selected to be great additions to any guardians arsenal and should be acquired for any beginner, intermediate, or serious PVE player.
What’s The Best PVE Raid Weapon in Destiny 2?
The best PVE Raid Weapon in Destiny 2 is the Forbearance. With high damage, ease of use, fantastic add clear potential, and easy to obtain your perfect roll, the weapon is definitely the best choice for all players alike. This weapon not only provides one of the best add clears in the game, allowing players to run double special loadouts without worrying about dying to swarms of low-health enemies.
The following list presents the top 10 best Destiny 2 Raid Weapons ranked for PvE and Raids (Last updated May 14th, 2023, Season 20):
- Forbearance – Wave Frame Grenade Launcher
- Succession – Aggressive Sniper Rifle
- Submission – Lightweight Submachine Gun
- Acasia’s Dejection – Adaptive Trace Rifle
- Rufus’s Fury – Rapid-fire Auto Rifle
- Commemoration – Adaptive Machine Gun
- Cataclysmic – Precision Linear Fusion Rifle
- Fatebringer – Adaptive Hand Cannon
- Trustee – Rapid-Fire Scout Rifle
- Accrued Redemption – Precision Combat Bow
Read on for more details about each weapon’s pros, cons, best rolls, how to obtain it and how to utilize it to its full potential.
10. Accrued Redemption
- Obtainable: Garden of Salvation Raid, Moon
- Archetype: Precision Combat Bow
- Energy: Kinetic
- Craftable: No
Bows have always been solid in Destiny 2 since their introduction in Forsaken pairing solid damage and accuracy with great ease of use. They are notorious for being great as an anti-overload weapon and strong in end game PVE, filling a similar role of a scout rifle. Not only does Accrued Redemption have good perk choices but it has a smaller than normal perk pool giving you the best opportunity to get the roll you want.
Unfortunately bows, like Accrued Redemption, can feel weaker in lower end PVE content due to their slower fire rate leaving you vulnerable to getting swamped by enemies. They also require a more passive playstyle to avoid getting surrounded with no way out. Given these negatives, they are only primarily used for end game content and therefore rank further down on the list.
Related: Accrued Redemption God Roll Guide
9. Trustee
- Obtainable: Deep Stone Crypt, Europa
- Archetype: Rapid-Fire Scout Rifle
- Energy: Solar
- Craftable: Yes
Scouts are notorious weapons for end game content used heavily in Grandmaster Nightfalls for their long range damage giving you the ability to keep you and your fireteam out of danger. With a recent loot refresh and the ability to craft the weapon, Trustee should be considered as a mainstay for anyone’s arsenal.
Scout, like bows, can feel underwhelming in lower end content due to their intended usage of staying back and doing damage from long range. Their damage paired with lower health enemies means you are often spending more time moving forward to the next section of enemies than you are killing them, making activities feel sluggish.
Related: Trustee God Roll Guide
8. Fatebringer
- Obtainable: Vault of Glass, Legends Tab
- Archetype: Adaptive Hand Cannon
- Energy: Kinetic
- Craftable: Yes
Hand Cannons have been an iconic since Destiny 1 launched. They have always performed well regardless of content in the game and some of the more enjoyable weapons to us. Fatebringer packs a massive punch, has very fun perks, and is a great as anti-champion weapon. Hand Cannons across the game have also recently gotten a few buffs making them even stronger in the current meta.
Hand Cannons can sometimes feel underperforming versus other primary weapons in PVE due to their lower fire rate and less add clear. While their damage is good and they can have strong perks they are only usable in early PVE content but thrive in late game PVE content. These factors reduce the usage of a weapon outside of its intended usage in game and hurt its ranking.
Related: Fatebringer God Roll Guide
7. Cataclysmic
- Obtainable: Vow of Disciple, Throne World
- Archetype: Precision Linear Fusion Rifle
- Energy: Solar
- Craftable: Yes
Linear Fusion Rifles have always had strong boss damage with good ammo economy when compared to other heavy weapon damage options. Their ability to deal damage from incredibly long range while being super easy to use have allowed them to become a staple for boss damage phases. With strong ammo regen perks and good damage perks Cataclysmic is sure to perform well.
Unfortunately, Linear Fusion Rifles have recently received a series of nerfs to reduce their effective overall boss damage while other heavies have received some much needed buffs. This has caused them to fall out of the top meta choice for damage and why such a powerful weapon is low on the list.
Related: Cataclysmic God Roll Guide
6. Commemoration
- Obtainable: Deep Stone Crypt, Europa
- Archetype: Adaptive Machine Gun
- Energy: Void
- Craftable: Yes
Machine Guns have recently gotten some buffs and other meta options have gotten a few nerfs which have allowed Machine Guns to fill their role of great add clear, solid boss damage, and great ammo economy even better. Commemoration, like other Deep Stone Crypt weapons, recently got a loot refresh giving it even more versatility and damage options for different usage scenarios.
Machine Guns, while in a better place within the meta, still aren’t the strongest option for damage in the game. They have versatility to do a lot of things well but don’t excel in any one facet of the game. They are a good, and balanced weapon but can be lack luster when compared to other weapons that scale better in different situations. These issues are what have caused its ranking to be like the weapon, good but not great.
Related: Commemoration God Roll Guide
5. Rufus’s Fury
- Obtainable: Root of Nightmares, Neomuna
- Archetype: Rapid-fire Auto Rifle
- Energy: Strand
- Craftable: Yes
Fifth on our Best Destiny 2 Raid Weapons Ranked: PvE Tier List is Rufus’s Fury. As with most Auto Rifles, are great middle-ground weapons that have farther range than SMGs but usually less damage per second due to slower fire rates. Although auto rifles have gotten recent buffs that put them more in line with Submachine guns, they aren’t quite a replacement but an option should you not want to run other meta picks. However, Rufus’s Fury dropped with an insane perk pool giving fantastic choices for multiple methods of use.
Auto Rifles are strong in their own right but can feel a little lack luster versus Submachine Guns due to their lower damage and fire rate while only giving slightly longer range. Auto Rifles do fill the role of a great add clear weapon but less powerful due to how strong Submachine Guns are. While Rufus’s Fury drops with quite the perk selection, its not strong enough to make the archetype better than middle of our ranks.
Related: Rufus’s Fury God Roll Guide
4. Acasia’s Dejection
- Obtainable: Root of Nightmares, Neomuna
- Archetype: Adaptive Trace Rifle
- Energy: Solar
- Craftable: Yes
Fifth on our Best Destiny 2 Raid Weapons Ranked: PvE Tier List is Acasia’s Dejection. Trace Rifles have always been in a weird place in the Destiny 2 meta, never strong enough to need a nerf but never quite strong enough to replace a lot of other available choices. This has changed recently with a few small buffs and the adding of subclass 3.0 synergy catapulting this archetype into the limelight. Trace Rifles provide some variety in a loadout giving you the option to run double special ammo weapons, a primary ammo weapon with the trace, or ability regen builds without sacrificing anything.
Since Trace Rifles are strong in both damage potential and add clear, the bottom of the list didn’t seem like a place suitable for Acasia’s Dejection. Unfortunately, Trace Rifles, like Machine Guns, do most things well but don’t exceed expectations in any category. However, its strong perk selection, including build synergistic perks, and ease of use boost this trace rifle to the top half of the list.
Related: Acasia’s Dejection God Roll Guide
3. Submission
- Obtainable: Vow of Disciple, Throne World
- Archetype: Lightweight Submachine Gun
- Energy: Kinetic
- Craftable: Yes
Submachine Guns, in general, are in a very strong place in all levels of PVE due to their high damage, fast fire rate, and easy to manage recoil. The Submission launched with some fantastic base stats and a strong PVE perk pool that appeals to all levels of players. Regardless of your needs, there is really no reason to not have a Submachine Gun readily available at all times.
While incredibly strong, Submachine Guns have one major caveat, their range. With one of the shortest ranges in the game, they require a slightly aggressive playstyle requiring you to put yourself closer to dangerous enemies to do the maximum damage. Aggressive playstyles can cause some issues when facing late game content that has enemies capable of killing you insanely fast. Their immense strength but with a risky playstyle gives them a lower rating.
Related: Submission God Roll Guide
2. Succession
- Obtainable: Deep Stone Crypt, Europa
- Archetype: Aggressive Sniper Rifle
- Energy: Kinetic
- Craftable: Yes
Sniper Rifles have also be incredibly strong for long range precision damage potential, allowing safer gameplay while dealing massive damage. Succession is great for solo, three man, or group content as a good damage weapon should you want to pair it with other strong burst heavy weapons. Since special ammo is more abundant than heavy ammo, a powerful sniper is very useful in a lot of situations.
Since Sniper Rifles are incredibly strong in long range damage, they are paired with long range scopes. This can cause some difficulty when dealing with targets rushing your location forcing you to zoom in to guarantee precision hits for maximum damage. Also, since the weapon is intended as single target damage and not add clear it can feel like a weaker special weapon when not in a boss damage phase.
Related: Succession God Roll Guide
1. Forbearance
- Obtainable: Vow of Disciple, Throne World
- Archetype: Wave Frame Grenade Launcher
- Energy: Arc
- Craftable: Yes
Wave Frames are easily the best special weapon for add clear due to their ease of use and wide area of effect damage. However, Forbearance, has a roll not obtainable on others in its archetype, catapulting it above the others. This not only introduced one of the best weapons into the game but also changed the double special meta making it easier to run for even the most beginner player.
Wave Frame Grenade Launchers can destroy waves of adds with a single shot, deal decent boss damage, and has drastically changed the meta of the game. The Forbearance encompasses all of this and is so powerful there is absolutely no reason anyone shouldn’t try to obtain it. Since its craftable as well you don’t have to rely on RNG to obtain your desired roll. If anything, the one negative of this weapon is that you may enjoy it so much you don’t want to complete any activity without it.
Related: Forbearance God Roll Guide
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