Destiny 2 Best Linear Fusion Rifles For PVE

Summary

• Episode Heresy brings mods favoring linear fusion rifles, making them a powerful choice in Destiny 2 PvE content.
• Eight linear fusions ranked by power, Elemental Surge impacts, and unique perks add variety to damage rotations.
• Sleeper Simulant and Lorentz Driver are easily accessible and formidable linear fusion rifle options for varied gameplay.

With the new artifact mods in Episode Heresy bringing a handful of mods that benefit linear fusion rifles, combined with the recent Nerfs to power ammo grenade launchers, Destiny 2 is heading back toward a linear fusion rifle meta. There are several powerful linear fusions, and all of them will serve a player well for single target damage output, with a select few being strong contenders for ad-clearing.

This list looks at 9 linear fusions across all three weapon slots, ranking them by just how powerful they are in high-end PvE content. Each weapon will provide the player with a powerful damage option, many of which can be used in fantastic damage rotations. The main deciding factor between all of these will be the elemental surge available in any given activity, and the individual player’s ability to obtain each weapon.

9

Lorentz Driver

Void Special Ammo Linear Fusion Rifle

The first entry on this list is the Lorentz Driver, an exotic Void special ammo linear fusion. While not the strongest DPS weapon, Lorentz Driver thrives on enemy-dense content, able to explode defeated enemies and provide itself a self-activating damage buff. Lorentz Driver is one of two special ammo weapons on this list, setting it apart from its legendary counterparts as it can be combined with most weapons on this list to be used as a damage rotation.

Lorentz Driver is made even more powerful in Episode Heresy thanks to the various Void damage-focused artifact perks, providing an unstoppable tide of purple energy destroying enemies and making others Volatile. The gameplay loop of killing marked targets to obtain a damage bonus is a fun minigame to add a unique spin to any activity.

8

Stormchaser

Arc Adaptive Burst Frame

• Best Roll: Clown Cartridge and Firing Line

Stormchaser is one of the oldest weapons on this list and has managed to hold its own across multiple years of content. As an Adaptive Burst frame, Stormchaser fires a three-round burst for each shot fired, outputting a huge amount of damage within tight damage phases. With Clown Cartridge the magazine is overflowed with a random amount each time the player reloads.

Combined with Firing Line, which provides a 20% damage buff when in proximity of two or more allies, this weapon can thrive in both short and extended damage phases. The only reason Stormchaser is not higher on this list is due to it being power-crept by later entries, despite how well it has aged.

7

Doomed Petitioner

Void Adaptive Burst Frame

• Best Roll: Reconstruction and Precision Instrument

Another Adaptive Burst weapon, this time in Void, Doomed Petitioner is a craftable weapon from the Season of the Wish meaning it is no longer easily obtainable to newer players. With Reconstruction periodically reloading the magazine, and overflowing it, as well as the origin trait refilling the magazine once reaching critical health, this weapon is easy to avoid needing to reload.

Doomed Petitioner also rolls with Precision Instrument, allowing the player to reach up to 30% increased damage with its enhanced form, provided the player can consistently hit precision shots. It is a great option for any build. However, many players who didn’t play during Season of the Wish will simply be unable to utilize its power.

6

The Queenbreaker

Exotic Arc Power Ammo Linear Fusion Rifle

The Queenbreaker had a major rework at the start of Episode Heresy, making its sights able to be toggled by holding reload instead of requiring the player to manually change them in the inventory screen. It also has a catalyst, giving the gun Rewind Rounds, which drastically improves its potential damage output over an extended damage phase. On top of this, the combat sights have been updated to function as an adaptive burst weapon, pumping out huge amounts of single-target damage.

The marksman sights allow the weapon to fire a singular shot that ricochets between enemies, blinding them on hit, which can easily synergize with the Arc perks on the artifact and the abilities of the Arc subclasses, bumping this weapon up from a trash-tier gun into a surprisingly usable option.

5

Euphony

Strand Special Ammo Burst Linear Fusion Rifle

Euphony is a heavily underrated option for damage rotations, made difficult to recommend due to its acquisition method. Euphony is only available as a randomized drop from the final boss of Salvation’s Edge, the game’s hardest raid. Thanks to this, many players won’t ever get to use this weapon. Despite this, Euphony can rival many power weapons in terms of damage output, and due to its position as a special ammo weapon, it can become a part of an incredible damage rotation.

Euphony is best utilized in a Strand Warlock build, focusing on threadlings to buff up the damage output of the gun through its exotic perks. This is further supported by several of the available artifact mods in Episode Heresy, making Euphony a formidable, yet rare damage option.

4

Cataclysmic

Solar Precision Frame

• Best Roll: Fourth Times The Charm and Bait and Switch

Cataclysmic was the undefeated champion of linear fusion rifles for some time, with the roll of Fourth Times The Charm and Bait and Switch offering an immensely powerful damage output, especially when implemented into a well-crafted damage rotation. Despite having fallen from grace since the introduction of the Adaptive Burst archetype, Cataclysmic is still a worthy contender for any loadout.

Fourth Times The Charm consistently refills the magazine, and Bait and Switch provides a 30% damage bonus for simply hitting an enemy with all other equipped weapons, it is hard to beat such easy damage. On top of this, Cataclysmic is both craftable and available as an adept weapon, making it a great choice for any player willing to grind the Vow of the Disciple raid for the red borders or a good roll.

3

Briar’s Contempt

Solar Adaptive Burst Frame

• Best Roll: Reconstruction and Surrounded

Briar’s Contempt is arguably a contender for the top slot. However, it is held back by its situational use case. As an Adaptive Burst, Briar’s Contempt outputs some fantastic damage by default, with Reconstruction consistently refilling and overflowing the magazine to allow for extended damage dealing. The main point of contention for Briar’s Contempt comes from its damage perk options.

Surrounded is easily the best choice for this gun, providing a 47% damage increase when surrounded by three or more enemies. If a player can activate this, Briar’s Contempt is an unbeatable option. However, due to many damage phases not allowing the activation requirements, it is only the top choice in certain activities.

2

Sleeper Simulant

Solar Power Ammo Linear Fusion Rifle

Sleeper Simulant is possibly the easiest recommendation for any player looking for a linear fusion rifle to utilize in Episode Heresy. Available to all players from the exotic kiosk in The Tower, Sleeper Simulant is easily the most accessible option on this list, any player is able to simply grab it from a vendor.

Sleeper Simulant can hit any enemy for unbelievable amounts of damage, taking a long time to charge each shot, but being worth it for any bosses that don’t have super short damage phases. Unlike other options on this list, Sleeper Simulant doesn’t require a full damage rotation to be incredibly potent but will benefit from the use of damage-over-time options to supplement its long charge time.

1

Scintillation

Strand Adaptive Burst Frame

• Best Roll: Rewind Rounds and Bait and Switch

The final entry on this list is Scintillation, a Strand Adaptive Burst linear fusion available from Nightfall strikes and can be obtained as an Adept weapon from Grandmaster Nightfalls. Scintillation rolls with the Veist Stinger and Stunning Recovery origin traits, which can both refill the magazine consistently, either through damage dealt or champion stuns, which Scintillation can self-activate in Episode Heresy thanks to Unstoppable Fusion/Linear Fusion Rifle.

The main perks to look for on this weapon are Rewind Rounds and Bait and Switch, which will further refill the magazine as well as provide an easy-to-activate and powerful damage bonus. Scintillation is also Strand, meaning it is further buffed by the episodic artifact mods, so if a player is able to get a good roll on this gun it is easily the best choice in terms of linear fusion rifles.