Most players in Destiny 2 should know by now that their loadout is pertinent to success in the Crucible. Although every weapon loadout is situational depending on the game mode, map, and team synergy - there are a few weapons that shine above the rest and ultimately become meta.
With a new expansion comes new balance tweaks, which allows for a more diverse pool of weapons to choose from. We're trying to refrain from including certain "god-roll" weapons in favor of curated rolls or exotic weapons for this list as well. Though this isn't a definitive list, these weapons could prove to be deadly in the right hands. Eyes up, Guardians, these are the 10 best weapons for Crucible in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep.
10 Eriana's Vow
Eriana's Vow is one of many new exotic weapons in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. You can acquire the gun by purchasing the new expansion, tabbing over to the Season rewards, and unlocking it through the season pass.
Eriana's Vow is a hybrid Hand Cannon/Sniper Rifle that utilizes special ammo. It's particularly deadly in Crucible because the handling is quick like a Hand Cannon, but packs the punch of a Sniper Rifle. What's even more interesting is when a player aims down the sights, the lack of sniper glint (the visual indication that a player is aiming with a Sniper Rifle) means that watching long sightlines is less conspicuous than a traditional Sniper Rifle.
The trait "Death at First Glance" also deals bonus damage with the first shot, making it a good weapon for anyone with a sharp aim.
9 Crimson
Crimson is an Exotic Hand Cannon that packs a 3 round burst similar to Pulse Rifles. The "Cruel Remedy"Â trait grants health to the wielder for every kill, and every precision kill refills the magazine.
Crimson also received a pretty healthy buff in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. Previously, the gun would deal 13.76/24.75 base/precision damage. In the game's current state, the gun deals 19/30.5 damage, making it a healthy contender in the current meta.
Equipping Crimson with its catalyst makes it even deadlier, adding a bit of range to a gun that is otherwise a mid to close range weapon.
8 Sunshot
Sunshot is another Exotic Hand Cannon that received a buff in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. The gun now holds 12 shots instead of 8, which was one of the lowest magazine sizes for the Hand Cannon archetype.
The gun's intrinsic perk, "Sunburn" fires explosive rounds. Explosive rounds are different in that they deal a bit of area-of-effect damage and don't suffer from damage falloff due to range. And speaking of range, the Sunshot catalyst adds a bit of range and stability, making it a solid choice for any loadout. The gun's trait, "Sun Blast"Â makes targets explode with Solar energy on death.
It's a nice fireworks show with Sunshot in your holster.
7 Tractor Cannon
Tractor Cannon is an Exotic Shotgun that sits in the heavy weapon slot. The intrinsic perk, "Repulsor Force" pushes enemies similar to Lucio's boop in Overwatch. The force of the blast can cause enemies to take extra damage if they hit walls or obstacles, making it appear like a rather silly gun to use in the Crucible.
What makes this weapon particularly useful is that it will suppress enemies so they can't use abilities for a short duration. This means that Tractor Cannon can effectively stop any enemy Guardian's super ability. Although super ability armor was nerfed in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, stopping a player dead in their tracks can be a game-changer for any Crucible match.
6 Ace of Spades
Even though this Exotic Hand Cannon has been on the receiving end of many nerfs - there's a good reason for it. It's a fantastic Hand Cannon that harkens back to the original Destiny.
It's a powerful, jack of all trades weapon that boasts an intrinsic perk called "Memento Mori" where reloading after a kill gives 6 bullets that deal extra damage. Aiming down the sights also keeps radar up, allowing for a more preemptive style of play. The trait is "Firefly," which increases reload speed and causes enemies to explode for every precision kill.
Although not as dominant as before, Ace of Spades is still a solid choice for any loadout.
5 The Last Word
The Last Word is an Exotic Hand Cannon that originated from Destiny 1 and found its way back to Destiny 2 during the Black Armory as part of the Forsaken Annual Pass.
The Last Word's intrinsic perk, "Fan Fire" allows the user to fire quickly and reload quicker with each successive shot. It's paired with the trait "Hip-Fire Grip" that increases accuracy and handling when firing from the hip. The Last Word is exceptional at close to mid-range, shutting down the "apeing" (Shotgun rushing) playstyle as long as you don't let them close the distance.
Wielding The Last Word also makes you feel like a real space cowboy.
4 The Huckleberry
The Huckleberry is an Exotic Submachine Gun that hasn't seen much play in any previous meta. With the recent nerfs to the "Rampage" perk not affecting The Huckleberry, this gun could prove to be quite the contender in the Crucible.
The Huckleberry boasts the fastest rpm of any gun in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep at 750 rpm. The intrinsic perk, "Ride the Bull" gradually increases the rate of fire and recoil when holding down the trigger. Kills with The Huckleberry also reloads 15 bullets into the magazine.
With The Huckleberry's catalyst, the gun is fully reloaded for every kill, making it a very solid choice for close-quarter encounters.
3 Jötunn
Jötunn is an Exotic Fusion Rifle introduced during the Black Armory expansion. Unlike other Fusion Rifles, Jötunn's intrinsic perk "Charge Shot" tracks enemies and explodes on contact - dealing significant area-of-effect damage to the victim.
It's extremely useful when dealing with enemies that like to group, and the tracking ability means that aiming is not a requirement. The amount of damage it dishes out is useful when dealing with enemy super abilities.
With the recent changes in Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, Jötunn is easier to obtain as it is now a separate exotic quest from Ada-1. Plus, it fits on your arm like Megaman's Buster Cannon.
2 The Recluse
The Recluse is Destiny 2's Season 6 pinnacle weapon. It's a legendary Submachine Gun that boasts a high stability stat for its archetype, making the recoil pattern more manageable than most Submachine Guns.
The trait for The Recluse is "Master of Arms," where kills with any weapon increase the damage output of The Recluse. It's a solid choice for any mid to close-range battle where you need to swap weapons to pinch out a few more frags quickly. However, the steps to acquire The Recluse can take a long time seeing as one of the requirements is reaching the rank of Fabled in the Competitive playlist, similar to the Luna's Howl Hand Cannon.
1 Luna's Howl
It's hard to mention anything about the Crucible without talking about Luna's Howl.
Luna's Howl was Season 4's Crucible pinnacle weapon. There have been a few nerfs to the gun in order to maintain balance within the Crucible but despite those nerfs, Luna's Howl is still an extremely potent weapon and worth obtaining if you're skilled enough in the Competitive playlist.
Luna's Howl has a unique trait called "Magnificent Howl" in which landing two precision shots increases the range and damage of the next shot, effectively allowing the gun to 3-tap any unsuspecting Guardian in the Crucible. If you're a fan of the Hand Cannon archetype, this gun is still worth getting despite the nerfs.