The Best Arc Weapons In Destiny 2

Key Takeaways

• The Final Shape brought heavy changes to weapon archetypes in Destiny 2, and that has affected the selection of good Arc weapons, too.
• Weapons like Thunderlord and Subjunctive have emerged as solid weapons for any PVE players to have in their vault.
• Heavy weapons like Grand Overture and Bitter/Sweet offer players valuable DPS tools in specific scenarios.

Destiny 2’s weapon sandbox is constantly evolving, and with Prismatic now out with The Final Shape expansion and the first Episode: Echoes, there have been a ton of changes to some of the core archetypes in the game. Wave frames took a big hit prior to the release of the newest expansion, but rocket sidearms have risen in popularity, with The Call and Indebted Kindness (and soon Aberrant Action) dominating in PVE.

With these massive changes in mind, the ranking of the game’s best Arc weapons (whether Legendary or Exotic) had shifted a little bit. Some archetypes have been phased out due to being less than ideal, and others have risen to take their spot. Here’s what Arc weapons every Destiny 2 player needs to have readied up in their vault.

Updated on November 19, 2024, by Anastasia Maillot: The game has seen a surge of good Arc weapons since The Final Shape came out, but only a handful continue to really stick out from the rest. The top position is still firmly maintained by Indebted Kindness, but that might change once the Iron Banner Stasis rocket sidearm launches. With Episode Revenant, there’s also a new heavy grenade launcher that has caught the eyes of many guardians due to its incredible combo of Envious Arsenal and Bait and Switch.

10 Grand Overture

A Unique Exotic DPS Option That Shouldn’t Be Neglected

• Buy it from the Monument to Lost Lights, Witch Queen Exotics tab.

If there’s anything that the Vesper’s Host dungeon showed in Episode Revenant’s first Act, it’s that some of the game’s more niche Exotics will always come in handy at crucial times. Grand Overture is a machine gun unlike anything else. Its primary fire is a slow-moving slug projectile, and each hit charges up its volley attack, which can be loaded to deal huge amounts of damage in a big burst. This was especially helpful against a boss like the Corrupted Puppeteer.

While its use is definitely limited, it’s highly recommended to have this one in the vault for those times when nothing else seems to stick in terms of DPS against a boss. Better yet, hits against keypads in Deep Stone Crypt and Vesper’s Host also count towards the big volley, so it’s possible to charge it up, then rally, and regain all the lost ammo back.

9 Song Of Ir Yut

A Powerful Legendary Machine Gun To Rival The Seventh Seraph Saw

• God Roll: Reconstruction & Sword Logic

Before Crota’s End was reintroduced, The Seventh Seraph Saw was one of the finest Arc machine guns in the game, at least on the Legendary side in PVE. And while it’s still certainly good and deserves an honorable mention, Song of Ir Yut just feels a little superior due to its Adaptive Frame. It’s far less sluggish to use and still does a very good job at clearing out groups of enemies.

Not only that, but it also comes with Reconstruction, which is a must-have perk if Auto-Loading Holster isn’t available. No one wants to be stuck reloading heavy weapons—machine guns the least. Sword Logic provides a nice damage buff as the second perk as long as players are scoring final blows.

8 Subjunctive

The Twin To The Ikelos SMG

• God Roll: Threat Detector & Voltshot

The Ikelos SMG is a favorite among many PVE players, but Subjunctive is perfect for those who just couldn’t quite get behind the Aggressive Frame SMG’s high recoil. Subjunctive has a Lightweight Frame, so for some, the mere feel of it is simply superior, even if it doesn’t hit as hard as its other Arc twin.

Subjunctive made a comeback during Season of the Wish and can still be earned and crafted from the Starcrossed Exotic mission. Those who want to run Voltshot on it will likely need to pair it with Threat Detector for a faster reload. Subsistence would be a close second, but doesn’t pair well with Voltshot, which requires players to reload to proc.

7 Thunderlord

A DPS Strategy Worth Exploring

• An Exotic weapon available from Exotic engrams.

Thunderlord might not be a Legendary option, but if players can get their hands on it, it’s worth grinding out the Catalyst for it, too. This machine gun has seen some use in a few niche DPS rotations in PVE throughout the years, and it’s still something a lot of players go back to. It also has an intrinsic anti-Overload perk, so those who like to run Grandmaster Nightfalls may want this in their arsenal for its versatility.

Continuously dealing damage with this weapon will generate lightning strikes on the target. Moreover, it’s fantastic against tankier targets because it gains a faster fire rate and accuracy while focused on one enemy.

6 Forbearance

Strong Despite The Nerfs

• God Roll (Onslaught): Demolitionist & Chain Reaction
• God Roll (Vow of the Disciple): Ambitious Assassin & One For All

Wave frames were hit with some nerfs beginning of The Final Shape, and Forbearance was one of the biggest victims. That being said, it’s still an excellent weapon that can be acquired from two different activities: Onslaught or Vow of the Disciple. The Onslaught version comes with a few new perks like Demolitionist which might be nice for grenade-oriented builds, and also a unique Origin Trait called Indomitably, which grants the player either melee or grenade energy on final blows depending on their subclass (Darkness or Light subclass).

The Vow of the Disciple Origin Trait is Souldrinker (reloading heals the player based on the number of kills), which really isn’t as good here due to Ambitious Assassin overflowing the magazine and spacing out reloads. If possible, players should definitely try to snag the Onslaught version, which can also roll with Ambitious Assassin and One for All, if that’s their preference.

5 Ikelos SMG

The Iconic Submachine Gun That Few Can Rival

• God Roll: Threat Detector & Voltshot

The one and only Ikelos SMG is iconic for a very good reason. While it does have a high recoil due to its Aggressive Frame, it’s extremely hard-hitting for an SMG and comes with an excellent selection of perks. This is a weapon that most players, regardless of preference, will want in their arsenal, even in an era where SMGs are seeing slightly less use in harder content.

Threat Detector wins over Feeding Frenzy here as the first perk, and the second one is definitely Voltshot, which is one of the nicest Arc weapon perks in the game right now. Jolt brings in a ton of utility in more difficult content, so having that on hand even outside of the Arc subclass is brilliant. Ikelos SMG can be acquired from the Operation: Seraph Shield Exotic mission along with Season of the Seraph weapons, and other Ikelos weapons.

4 Non-Denouement

A Legendary Trinity Ghoul From Salvation’s Edge

• God Roll: Dragonfly & Voltshot

Bows are perhaps not the first archetype players might reach for, but the new Arc combat bow from Salvation’s Edge is something truly special. Its combination of Dragonfly and Voltshot gives it the potential to be a nice Legendary version of Trinity Ghoul, which traditionally has been excellent at clearing out ads. Voltshot on a bow is particularly fantastic because every arrow nocked and fired counts as a reload, which means every arrow will jolt a target.

Its Origin Trait Collective Purpose is also handy, as it grants bows a faster charge when allies are in close proximity. It’s not the ultimate Origin Trait out there, but it’s a cool bonus to have regardless. To get it, players will need to hop into the new Salvation’s Edge raid.

3 Crux Termination IV

Legendary Rocket That Packs A Massive DPS Punch

• God Roll: Slideshot & Surrounded

One of the best parts about Destiny 2’s sandbox and its Legendary world drops is that every now and then, Bungie will quietly add in a weapon that turns out to be far better than expected. Such is the case for Crux Termination IV, an Arc rocket launcher that—when used correctly—can contend in damage with all the other rocket launchers in the game.

Using it correctly, though, is key. A successful damage sequence would involve players sliding around to reload the weapon, while also being surrounded by three or more enemies. This fulfills the two requirements for any good heavy DPS: a reload perk, as well as a damage perk. And with Surrounded granting one of the highest damage buffs in the game at 40% for impact damage and 35% for explosive damage, it’s clear this weapon is amazing despite requiring a bit of fiddling around to get it to work.

2 Bitter/Sweet

One Of The Strongest Arc Grenade Launchers In The Game

• God Roll: Envious Arsenal & Bait and Switch

Introduced in Episode Revenant, this Arc heavy grenade launcher was thought to be the best in the game, coming to top Edge Transit due to its incredible damage perk, Envious Arsenal. However, as soon as the Vesper’s Host dungeon loot table dropped, it was clear it would have to contend heavily with Stasis heavy grenade launcher, VS Chill Inhibitor.

For those who can’t access the dungeon or farm it, this is still a very powerful DPS option, given that grenade launchers continue to be a go-to in endgame PVE. To farm it, it’s still an annoying process of playing a ton of Onslaught (the new, Revenant version) since it can’t be crafted.

1 Indebted Kindness

The Best Gun (And Archetype) In The Game

• God Roll: Beacon Rounds/Lead from Gold & Voltshot

Rocket sidearms have taken the game’s meta by storm. Indebted Kindness has seen record usage for months now and for a very good reason. It hits very hard, even in difficult content, and it has fantastic ammo reserves. Not just that, its best perks elevate it to the next level.

The first perk slot is divided between Beacon Rounds and Lead from Gold. Either one of these is a good choice and is more up to preference if anything. But the second perk, Voltshot, is what the player will really want to focus on getting, as every reload will then apply jolt on the next target. The best part is that this weapon splashes damage on enemies in a group, so it’s not just a single-target murder machine. To get it, farming the first boss of Warlord’s Ruin is the best way.