With the newest Destiny 2 expansion, Lightfall brings the Witness and the Traveler face-to-shape. The war with the Cabal has escalated, and with a new Disciple threatening the Traveler, Guardians must stand together as they discover the newest Darkness subclass in Destiny 2 and master Strand.

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Along with a new subclass, Destiny 2 players can harness the element of Strand of a multitude of weapons. From sidearms to machine guns, Exotics, and more, Strand can be a lethal addition to many of the weapons across PvE and PvP.

Updated on May 24, 2024, by Jake Fillery: The Final Shape arrives on June 4, and players best prepare for the final fight against the Witness with the best Strand weapons in Destiny 2. With the newest expansion hitting Guardians, seasonal content will be lost, so it's best to get in there and complete these activities to try and get the best weapons found below. These Strand weapons are truly powerful in the right hands and with the best perks, and if players want to aid the Traveler, or just fight in the Crucible, players won't want to miss these choices.

18 Wish-Keeper

Complete Starcrossed From Season of the Wish

It's always nice to grab a new exotic, especially when it uses the newest element of Strand. Wish-Keeper is an almost essential weapon to some Strand builds, as it has the capability of suspending targets with ease based on precision hits and final blows. Not only can it suspend the world, but with Silkbound Slayer, this weapon can be drawn faster, and deals bonus damage to suspended targets, making it a true treat for Grandmaster Nightfalls when enemy suspensions are everything to keep those revives safe.

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Whilst the Wish-Keeper isn't going to blow the competition away in PvP, it is going to be a handy choice for PvE. For a long time, Nightfalls have benefited from the Combat Bows, so with the Wish-Keeper players are going to have a much easier time controlling the situation by dealing with Champions that could cause a wipe to orbit.

17 Relentless

Complete the First Encounter in the Prophecy Dungeon

Brave the Prophecy Dungeon and attempt to get this beauty, as Relentless is a must-have Strand Pulse rifle for a reason. Relentless is great, as the rework to Prophecy's loot pool included the newly designed Strand variant of a classic weapon, providing players with demolishing power thanks to its default stats and a mixture of powerful perk additions.

PvP and PvE players alike are going to want this in their arsenal by the time The Final Shape hits, as so many perks treat players to a grand advantage, accompanied by its accuracy, stability, and high damage. With perks like Headseeker, players can extend their precision damage, and tune Relentless to dish out even more stability and reload speed with the Rapid Hit perk.

16 Circular Logic

Complete Terminal Overload Activities At Zephyr Concourse, Neomuna

Machine Guns definitely deserve some love, and Circular Logic is going to give a few reasons why. Not only can players expect a heavy impact Machine Gun, but paired with the right perks, players are in for an addicting time, with a gun worthy of killing adds alongside the Extra Mag perk to have 388 rounds without the need to reload.

Push this gun to the limit with the best perks, where players can use Envious Assassin and Hatchling to devastate the competition. Whilst this is a must-have Machine Gun choice in PvE, PvP players are better off using something else, since Heavy Ammo isn't exactly the most common find.

15 Different Times

Earned Through Season of the Deep Activities

Different Times leaves a strong impression on players because of its Taken appearance, and the moment players pull the trigger they're going to discover a hard-hitting and fasting shooting pulse rifle that demands attention, and many players are going to want to keep it around for the Crucible season.

Its rapid-fire rate makes for some stunning competition, and with a range of good perks like Adrenaline Junkie and Outlaw, players are going to have a great time in PvP, firing off quick shots to decimate enemies in their crit spots. Even better yet, is for the PvE players, as The Final Shape will bring about an exciting pulse rifle damage buff.

14 Scatter Signal

Complete Season Of The Wish Activities

Scatter Signal quickly became one of the best fusion rifles in Destiny 2, competing even with the likes of Riptide. Offering a great bout of impact and charge time, players can take this into the most challenging of PvE content. From Dungeons, Raids, and Nightfalls, the Scatter Signal utilizes its rapid-fire frame to provide deep ammo reserves and a faster reload once all charges have been expunged.

The Scatter Signal is also a craftable weapon, and players can easily create the perfect god roll. It's a bounty of a weapon that players can easily get during Season of the Wish and find red border variants. It's an incredible fusion rifle that shouldn't be skipped, especially when the most optimal loadout is a special ammo weapon, a primary ammo weapon, and a heavy ammo weapon.

13 Lethal Abundance

Complete Iron Banner Matches Or Use Engrams From Lord Saladin

Lord Saladin always returns to the Tower with a new set of weapons, and more often than not, they're a doozy. Lethal Abundance comes as a new Strand auto rifle, and it's definitely worth the rank ups necessary to get it. The weapon is one of the more slow firing auto rifles, but that is only due to the fact that it kicks hard and makes enemies flinch, especially when it comes to other Guardians in the Crucible.

The weapon is good in PvE thanks to the fact it can handle Overload champions with the right Seasonal Artifact in Season of the Wish, but its high-impact frame really helps it shine in PvP. With a base range of 80, players can easily take out their enemies, regardless of whether they using a scout rifle.

12 Fang Of Ir Yut

Random Drop From The Crota's End Raid

For PvE users, the Fang of Ir Yut is definitely going to feel good. It's a great weapon for the extending Strand arsenal, and it has a few unique perks that other weapons lack. Players can use Sword Logic, which creates bonus damage for the weapon upon final blows. This stacking perk makes it a great choice for players in both PvE and PvP.

Whilst it may be a solid choice for PvE, the lack of use for scout rifles during Season of the Wish may see the scout rifles sit in the backseat. However, they can be quite the burden to other players in PvP thanks to their magazine size and the fact they can fire full auto with deeper ammo reserves.

11 Pressurized Precision

Complete Iron Banner Matches Or Use Engrams From Lord Saladin

Introduced through Lord Saladin's Iron Banner competition in Season 21, the Pressurized Precision Fusion Rifle quickly became one of the best out there. This Strand Fusion Rifle packs quite a punch thanks to its high impact. The adaptive frame gives way for the weapon to have a reliable and sturdy grip, even if that comes at the cost of a high charge time.

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If players can find the right weapon perks for the Pressurized Precision, then they are quickly on their way to finding the best Fusion Rifle in Destiny 2. The weapon certainly benefits from a rapid burst of damage in PvE, but it truly shines in PvP, where players can easily one-shot close-quarter Guardians if they have the aim for it.

10 Taraxippos

Complete Activities In The Guardian Games 2023

Thanks to 2023's Guardian Games, players were gifted with one of the best scout rifles in Destiny 2, and one of the first Strand Scout Rifles. Taraxippos was essentially a Strand version of the beloved Hung Jury SR4, and anyone who participated in the Guardian Games could claim one, and find easy god rolls thanks to the plethora of rewards of obtaining such a weapon.

With the right perks, Taraxippos can be a true beast on the battlefield for PvE and PvP players. Perks like Explosive Payload and Dragonfly will help to make sure ads and Guardians alike will explode with fury when shot, and the accurate and consistent headshot damage will make this a weapon to remember for the Strand types.

9 The Navigator

Random Drop From Beating Simmumah Ur-Nokru In The Ghosts Of The Deep Dungeon

Another Strand Exotic was introduced to players in Season 21’s Season of the Deep for Destiny 2. Players could find themselves unlocking the power of the deep after sabotaging Xivu Arath’s attempt to resurrect Oryx, the Taken King. The Navigator is a rare drop from the final encounter in the Ghosts of the Deep Dungeon. However, attempts to claim The Navigator was made easier thanks to a now patched cheese involving the final boss.

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Nevertheless, those lucky enough o be blessed with great RNG would have gotten their hands on The Navigator, and were able to wield it for friends and against foes. The Navigator’s true power comes from its Protective Weave perk, in which players that fire the weapon at any will grant both their Guardian ally and themselves with Woven Mail. Woven Mail is an added layer of protection for Guardians, and it can be a great assist for those who enjoy the range and beam energy of one of the best Trace Rifles, all whilst providing their team and themselves with some armor.

Even without the Protective Weak Intrinsic Trait, the range, stability, handling, reload speed, and aim assistance make it an easy pick for a Strand Trace Rifle, and the rounds per minute will have players unleashing Strand fury against their enemies.

8 Round Robin

Random Loot From Neomuna

Exploring Neomuna and completing events on the Neptune city could grant players Round Robin, a fairly decent Strand Hand Cannon that harbors an extremely high Impact stat.

With the appropriate rolls, Round Robin can be a decent enough option for PvP and PvE. However, the slow Rounds per Minute and Recoil make Handcannons somewhat obsolete when compared to other weapons. Maybe it’s worth hanging onto for the next Destiny 2 season in case of a future buff.

7 Mykel’s Reverence

Random Drop From Root Of Nightmares Raid

Sidearms are often unloved in Destiny 2 for an unknown reason. Their range may not be the best, but their Stability, Handing, and Rounds Per Minute are usually their effective winners over others. It may even pair with the Warlock best exotic armor.

In Destiny 2 Season 20, Sidearms are perfect for taking out Anti-Barrier shields, so Mykel’s Reverence is a great addition to one’s arsenal when looking for a Sidearm that is not an exotic or energy weapon. However, players will only find it as a potential drop from the second and third encounters of Root of Nightmares.

6 Koraxis’s Distress

Random Drop From Root Of Nightmares Raid

Grenade Launchers are a viable option for DPS in Destiny 2 for both PvE bosses and those Crucible players that need shutting down with a one-shot explosive round. Luckily for them, the Koraxis’s Distress is a fairly decent choice for both.

Despite not being the most optimal weapon for DPS, the fact that Koraxis’s Distress is a Strand weapon means it is rather viable for Strand-specific builds. Players can find Koraxis’s Distress in the first, second, or fourth encounter of Root of Nightmares.

5 Final Warning

Complete The Final Strand Exotic Quest

Final Warning is an exotic Sidearm in Destiny 2 with a unique Intrinsic Trait. This weapon loads bullets ready to be fired when the player holds the trigger, allowing for the Sidearm to fire in a burst with increased stability with bullets that track their targets, unraveling them when killed, a great weapon in one of the best PS5 first-person shooters.

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It’s a fun weapon with a great bout of Aim Assistance thanks to the lock-on ability. Players wondering how to unlock Final Warning in Destiny 2 will need to complete The Final Strand quest, which is obtained after unlocking all Fragments through the spending of 200 Strand Meditations.

4 Perpetualis

Dropped From Season of Defiance Activities

Season of Defiance brings about weapons of the Queensguard, one of them featuring as a strand Auto Rifle with Perpetualis. This Auto Rifle is a good middle ground between other options, thanks to its scope and handling, which makes for a well-balanced weapon of choice.

Players in search of their own Perpetualis will need to play the Defiance Battleground playlist or use their Defiance engrams at the H.E.L.M. to have a chance at a decent roll of perks for the Perpetualis. It’s not a bad choice for warfare, but there are alternatives.

3 Rufus’s Fury

Random Drop From Root Of Nightmares Raid

To obtain Rufus’s Fury, players must embark together on the Root of Nightmares raid. This Legendary Auto Rifle can be a potential reward after completing an encounter. More specifically, the third and fourth encounters, include Zo’Aure, the Explicator of Planets, or Nezarec, the Final God of Pain.

Rufus’s Fury is great for ad-clearing, considering it’s a fast-shooting Auto Rifle with the Rapid-Fire Frame Intrinsic Perk. It also has a fantastic perk pool, with the potential for a God Roll being very high. Rufus’s Fury is great in both PvE and PvE for its Rounds Per Minute and magazine size.

2 Quicksilver Storm

Pre-Order / Purchase The Lightfall DLC

Players who pre-ordered the deluxe edition of Lightfall will obtain the Quicksilver Storm, an Exotic Auto Rifle with the Intrinsic Trait to shoot a homing micro-rocket when landing multiple hits onto a target. However, said micro-rocket has nothing on the power of the Gjallarhorn.

The Stability is great for the Quicksilver Storm, but its real selling point is the Exotic Catalyst. With the Catalyst, Quicksilver Storm becomes a Strand elemental weapon, and final grenade blows will create Tangles. The stellar Rounds Per Minute and promise of Tangles make for a frenzy of rapid-fire, especially after the Auto Rifle buffs.

1 The Immortal

Complete Trials Of Osiris Challenges And Engrams

For active players of Destiny 2 that have ventured into any PvP activity in Season 20, they may have been killed an absurd amount of times by The Immortal. This gun is a violent beast in the Crucible and PvE. Players can thank its rapid Rounds Per Minute, its stellar Range for an SMG, and expert Handling.

The Immortal is locked by playing Trials of Osiris. Players can obtain it in the loot pool, or pick up a guaranteed drop by reaching Rank 10 with Saint-14 before Season 20 ends. The Intrinsic Trait of an Aggressive Frame just makes the weapon even more lethal.

Destiny 2

Platform(s)

PS5 , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , PC , Stadia

Released

August 28, 2017

Developer(s)

Bungie

Genre(s)

FPS