Destiny 2: Best Fusion Rifles, Ranked

Summary

• Vex Mythoclast has unique auto rifle fusion that can switch to linear fusion for more firepower.
• The Eremite is a top solar fusion rifle with high damage potential for tankier enemies.
• Telesto and VS Gravitic Arrest are solid fusion rifles for both ad-clearing and boss damage.

Fusion rifles have occupied a constantly shifting role within the Destiny 2 PvE meta over the years, going in and out of popular favor largely thanks to the available artifact mods in any given Season/Episode. Thanks to the Episode Heresy artifact being largely focused on fusion rifles, with Particle Reconstruction giving them a huge boost in power, many players are looking for the best possible choice for any given situation.

This list looks at the top 10 options for use in endgame PvE content, ranked depending on their individual killing potential both in and outside the current episode. Each of these weapons has a unique drawing factor that makes them a great choice for a player to incorporate into a build, yet not all of them will see as much play after Particle Reconstruction goes away.

10

Vex Mythoclast

The Baby Of An Auto Rifle And Fusion Rifle

• Exotic Primary Ammo
• Solar

Vex Mythoclast, the raid exotic for the Vault of Glass raid, is a wholly unique offering. While being a fusion rifle, Vex Mythoclast fires like an auto rifle, shooting individual bolts in a fully automatic stream. Its exotic trait allows it to build up charge when getting kills, allowing the player to hold reload to turn the weapon into a linear fusion rifle for a handful of shots.

While Vex Mythoclast is not the most powerful fusion rifle, it is the only primary ammo one, meaning it has infinite ammo and can very easily activate Particle Reconstruction. On top of this, the linear fusion rifle mode does respectable damage for a primary ammo weapon and is able to be incorporated into any good damage rotation.

9

The Eremite

High Damage, Slow Charge Time

• Best Roll: Envious Assassin and Reservoir Burst
• Solar

The Eremite is the first of many special ammo options and is the best legendary solar option for those looking for a fusion rifle. The Eremite is a high-impact frame, meaning it has a longer charge time than any other frame, but also does the greatest base damage, making this weapon great for dealing with tankier enemies.

In terms of perks, The Eremite is craftable, so can get enhanced perks, and the clear best roll on this weapon is Envious Assassin and Reservoir Burst. As long as a player gets consistent kills with other weapons, The Eremite will always have a huge magazine, and every shot over the standard maximum will deal increased damage thanks to Reservoir Burst.

8

Scatter Signal

Decent For Damage, Not The Best For Much Else

• Best Roll: Overflow and Controlled Burst
• Strand

Another craftable weapon, Scatter Signal is a fantastic rapid-fire frame option and is especially potent during Episode Heresy thanks to the Strand perks on the episodic artifact. While newer players may struggle to find this gun, thanks to its original launch being back in Season of the Wish, any players who do have this crafting pattern have access to a fantastic weapon to deal with higher-health enemies.

With Overflow and Controlled Burst the Scatter Signal can output a huge amount of damage very quickly, able to serve a player well as both a general use weapon as well as a boss damage option. While there are some Strand synergy options, the roll of Overflow and Controlled Burst is an all-around powerhouse that will slot well into any build.

7

One Thousand Voices

Fire A High Powered Beam Of Death

One Thousand Voices is the only heavy-ammo fusion rifle in the game, yet it doesn’t exactly feel like a fusion rifle. While it does have a charge time, when fired this weapon unleashes a long-lasting laser that paints any surface it hits before the painted area explodes into Solar scorch.

This weapon is best used in a Solar build that can buff its ability to scorch and ignite, however, it can produce a huge amount of damage in any build. The only thing holding this weapon back is its painfully slow charge and the fact a player can quite easily kill themselves with its explosion.

6

Telesto

Every Destiny Player’s Worst Nightmare

All Destiny veterans will be terrified to see Telesto mentioned, thanks to the weapon’s infamy as a game-breaking bug in the form of a fusion rifle. The main function of Telesto is its ability to leave small explosive orbs on anything it hits, which do delayed damage and can also function as proximity mines if left on a surface.

Telesto benefits from both the fusion rifle and the Void elemental perks from the episodic artifact, easily tearing through enemies while also dealing consistently high boss damage. Coupled with its new catalyst functionality, creating a storm of Telesto orbs upon activating its exotic trait, Telesto has cemented itself as a very solid ad-clearing option.

5

VS Gravitic Arrest

Perfect For Any Void Build

• Best Roll: Demolitionist or Repulsor Brace and Withering Gaze or Chain Reaction
• Void

VS Gravitic Arrest, in a similar fashion to Telesto, benefits from being both a fusion rifle and doing Void damage, making it a must-have for the duration of Episode Heresy. Obtained from the Vesper’s Host dungeon, VS Gravitic Arrest rolls with the Bray Legacy origin trait, which allows it to consistently refund ability energy, making it a great general-use weapon.

On top of this, VS Gravitic Arrest can also roll Demolitionist, further lending itself to being included in an ability-heavy build. The roll that makes this weapon stand out, however, is Repulsor Brace and Withering Gaze, allowing a player to not only keep themself alive with an overshield but also consistently debuff enemies with the Void weaken ability.

4

Merciless

Unbeatable Special Ammo Damage

• Exotic Special Ammo
• Solar

Merciless has been a damage powerhouse since its introduction back in the Red War era of Destiny 2, and thanks to Particle Reconstruction in Episode Heresy, it has shot back to popularity once again. Merciless’ exotic trait allows it to constantly ramp up its charge speed so long as all bolts hit an enemy but don’t kill it.

This simply means that sitting in place and shooting at a boss over, and over, and over can dump an unreasonable amount of damage into a boss with just one special weapon. While it doesn’t have the neutral game power of some other options on this list, the overwhelming power of this weapon’s DPS capabilities makes it a must-have for all Destiny 2 players.

3

Plug One.1

The Multitool Of The Fusion Rifle World

• Best Roll: Reconstruction or Feeding Frenzy and Controlled Burst or Voltshot
• Arc

Plug One.1 is the only option on this list able to be obtained as an Adept weapon, giving it access to Adept weapon mods. It is also the only Arc fusion rifle present on this list, standing well above its elemental kin thanks to the rolls it has available to it. While Episode Heresy gives power bumps to both fusion rifles and Arc weapons and allows fusion rifles to stun champions, Plug One.1 can do all of this of its own accord.

Thanks to the presence of Voltshot in the fourth column, Plug One.1 has latent champion stunning abilities, as well as the capacity to clear a room with ease. If a player prefers a more standard damage set-up, Reconstruction and Controlled Burst allow Plug One.1 to function as a competitive damage option. However, to get the most out of its potential, Feeding Frenzy and Voltshot are the way to go.

2

Bastion

The Only Kinetic Fusion Rifle In The Game

• Exotic Special Ammo
• Kinetic

Many Destiny 2 players had completely forgotten about Bastion before its buff at the start of Episode Heresy. Thanks to both that and Particle Reconstruction, Bastion has stepped back into the spotlight as the only Kinetic damage fusion rifle and a weapon that tears through higher-health targets and champions alike.

While the days of Bastion running the Crucible are long gone, it has been taking the PvE world by storm and is an easy-to-acquire champion stunning option available to all players. With built-in champion-stopping power, Bastion is lined up to be a powerhouse of endgame PvE loadouts for a long time after Episode Heresy has ended.

1

Riptide

The King Of Champion Stopping Power

• Best Roll: Auto-Loading Holster or Lead From Gold and Chill Clip
• Stasis

The final entry on this list is Riptide, the top dog of the legendary champion stunning horde. Thanks to Chill Clip, Riptide can stun both overload and unstoppable champions without any artifact perks, with Auto-Loading Holster and Lead From Gold providing a consistent refund of ammo.

Whether a player is new or old, Riptide is an easy-to-acquire option to instantly power up a build. The only downsides to Riptide are the fact it comes from playing PvP, and the fact that each perk column has 12 options available, meaning finding the perfect roll can be a frustrating experience.