Destiny 2 being a looter shooter means players have plenty of weapons to chase—over 150 of them from Year Five alone. The Witch Queen added dozens of strong weapons to the pool, whether because they had good stats, terrific perk combinations, or excelled at their roles (and usually due to a mix of both).
With Lightfall fast approaching, though, players may farm and craft some of the best weapons added this year. The new campaign could be difficult, and the drop sources for some weapons are changing (or being removed) when Lightfall drops. Here are some of the best weapons you should farm or craft in Lightfall, whether you’re looking for strong guns to bring to the arsenal or just want to narrow down the final Patterns before the loot tables change.
Best weapons you should craft before Lightfall in Destiny 2
We’ve selected the best craftable weapons that can excel at their roles or fill up a specific need. The source for some of these weapons won’t change with Lightfall (like Vow of the Disciple or Dares guns, for instance), but seasonal weapons will see a shift in how to acquire their Patterns after that content is vaulted. The weapons are listed in no specific order.
IKELOS SMG, CALUS Mini-Tool
- Sources: Warmind Nodes and Season of the Seraph focusing; Derelict Leviathan and Season of the Haunted focusing
Two of the most powerful SMGs in the game have been reissued in The Witch Queen. In addition to their usual firepower, they also have access to the Light 3.0-tuned Voltshot and Incandescent. Don’t think you need elemental synergy to use them, though: these SMGs are deadly enough in their own right, even if you’re not running a matching subclass, which makes them excellent guns to have in your arsenal. The vaulting of Year Five seasonal content means it will likely be much harder to acquire their Patterns after Lightfall, too, which makes crafting them even more urgent.
Pardon Our Dust
- Source: Dares of Eternity
Pardon Our Dust isn’t going away since it’s tied to Dares of Eternity, but there’s plenty of reason to craft it before Lightfall. It’s an amazing breech-loading grenade launcher that has access to both Spike and Blinding grenades (with High-Velocity in the mix), and Blinding Grenades can be helpful when trying out difficult content or soloing the Lightfall campaign on Legend. It also has access to amazing perks, such as Auto-Loading Holster or Ambitious Assassin in column three and Vorpal Weapon, Demolitionist, Pugilist, Rampage, and Adrenaline Junkie in column four.
Forbearance, Explosive Personality
- Sources: Vow of the Disciple (Forbearance), Season of the Risen (Explosive Personality)
If you’re looking for less blinding and more boom, you can lean on the hefty firepower and add-clear capabilities of Wave-Frame grenade launchers. Vow of the Disciple’s Forbearance can bring Ambitious Assassin with Chain Reaction, while Season of the Risen’s Explosive Personality has access to Auto-Loading Holster with a suite of damage/utility perks. Keep them in your inventory when you want to blow up a small mob of enemies, and odds are you won’t be disappointed.
Deliverance
- Source: Vow of the Disciple
While Riptide is the hottest commodity in fusion rifles ahead of Lightfall, Deliverance is a good alternative if you’re looking for a craftable fusion rifle with Chill Clip to take with you. Slowing an Overload Champion will stun them, and shattering an Unstoppable Champion will also stun them. A fusion rifle with Chill Clip can potentially do both, which makes them some of the best weapons to farm before Lightfall.
Between Deliverance and Riptide, the Vow of the Disciple fusion rifle deals more damage but takes longer to charge (780ms, as opposed to Riptide’s 500ms). This charge time difference is palpable when using Chill Clip since you want to freeze enemies more quickly, but with the sheer volume of perks in Riptide, Deliverance might be the simplest way to ensure you have a fusion rifle with Chill Clip. Besides, Demolitionist/Chill Clip is by no means a bad roll for your Deliverance.
Palmyra-B
- Source: World drops
The nerfs to linear fusion rifles could give way to a rocket launcher-centric meta in Lightfall. Even if that’s not the case, Palmyra-B hits hard enough to make it worth considering whenever you’re in need of a rocket launcher, and it’s also accessible enough that you can easily have its Pattern unlocked. Pair Auto-Loading Holster or Impulse Amplifier with your damage perk of choice and you’ll need little else from this rocket.
Osteo Striga, Revision Zero
- Sources: The Witch Queen campaign (Striga), Season of the Seraph (Revision Zero)
These two Exotics are available through the Enclave, and there are plenty of reasons why players should have both in their arsenal. Osteo Striga is an add-clear beast, spreading poison and overfilling its magazine by getting kills. This weapon can clear rooms easily, especially with the 40-percent buff against red-bar enemies that stems from Exotic Primaries.
Revision Zero, on the other hand, is a decent option with built-in Anti-Barrier (though it loses to Wish-Ender). More importantly, the way players can acquire and upgrade Revision Zero is changing with Lightfall, so you might as well get this weapon and its four catalysts before the expansion lands just to be on the safe side. Either way, having
Retrofit Escapade, Commemoration
- Sources: Season of the Seraph (Retrofit), Deep Stone Crypt (Commemoration)
With the nerf to linear fusion rifles in Lightfall and the buff to machine guns’ damage and reserves, these two could get more room to shine. Retrofit Escapade’s Fourth Time’s The Charm/Target Lock combination is already deadly enough without help, and Commemoration’s Fourth Time’s The Charm or Reconstruction paired with Firing Line or Killing Tally can help it stand out.
Taipan-4FR
- Source: World drop, Enclave quest
Although it will take some time for the meta to settle after the upcoming nerfs to linear fusion rifles, the Taipan-4FR can still be a solid weapon. While it won’t be as miraculous as it is in The Witch Queen‘s sandbox, strong combinations like Triple Tap/Firing Line can still warrant the Taipan a slot in guardians’ loadouts—even if it doesn’t hit hard like in its heyday.
Best weapons you should farm before Lightfall
These weapons can’t be crafted, so players will need to rely on RNG for some good rolls on them. Most of the guns on this list will likely stay accessible after Lightfall since they relate to specific content like dungeons and core playlists. World drop weapons, however, run the risk of having a different, more difficult acquisition process once Lightfall lands.
Riptide, Aurvandil FR6
- Source: Crucible (Riptide), World drop (Aurvandil)
Riptide and Aurvandil are in the same weapon class, but they feel completely different. They’re strong in their own right, but the upcoming Champion changes in Lightfall (which also brought Deliverance into the mix) make Chill Clip an even more sought-after perk. Riptide fires much more quickly than Aurvandil (500ms vs. 960), but it’s a ritual weapon. This means it can roll 12 perks on each column, decreasing your chances of getting your roll. While Riptide is the more popular option, Aurvandil can roll Subsistence or Reconstruction paired with Chill Clip, which lends itself to tremendous amounts of freezing. If you can’t get a Riptide or a Deliverance (or if you just prefer High-Impact fusions), the Aurvandil is a great choice.
Funnelweb, Prolonged Engagement, Out of Bounds
- Sources: World Drop (Funnelweb), Vanguard (Prolonged Engagement), Crucible (Out of Bounds)
SMGs continue to reign for add-clear, and The Witch Queen brought three new options. Funnelweb has been a tried-and-true classic since the expansion launched, while Out of Bounds made waves when it landed in Season of Plunder and Prolonged Engagement launched in Season of the Seraph. They’re all 900rpm SMGs, which quickly rose to prominence after Funnelweb, so there’s no dearth of options when it comes to that archetype. The downside is that Prolonged Engagement and Out of Bounds are ritual weapons, so they have a stacked perk pool. If you do get the roll you want, though, you’re more than set.
Veles-X
- Source: Season of the Seraph ritual weapon
Void pulse rifles have been lacking in number since Beyond Light‘s sunsetting, but Veles-X grants players a fresh new addition to the pool. Sure, it doesn’t get Desperado like Gambit’s Yesteryear, but all players can enjoy Tunnel Vision paired with Kill Clip or Golden Tricorn, and Void builds in particular will get great mileage out of Repulsor Brace/Golden Tricorn. The upside is, you don’t even need to farm for a good roll, since Veles-X is a ritual weapon.
Lingering Dread
- Source: Duality
This Stasis breech-loading grenade launcher brings some unique tricks up its sleeve, most notably for rolling Chill Clip. If you’re lucky, you can land on Blinding or Spike Grenades with Auto-Loading Holster or Ambitious Assassin to go with Chill Clip (and the upcoming Champion changes), and its potential makes Lingering Dread a tremendous option.
Wendigo GL3
- Source: Nightfalls
This classic grenade launcher has returned with a classic combination and new perks. While it can still roll with the Auto-Loading Holster/Explosive Light combination that made its reputation, this grenade launcher also brings Cascade Point to the mix, which helps increase its damage. With the nerf to linear fusions and a bump to Heavy grenade launchers, it might be worth having a spare Wendigo GL3 on your back pocket before Lightfall in case the balance changes can make grenade launchers relevant.