The Best Sidearms For PvP In Destiny 2

Sidearms have become a more popular weapon archetype in Destiny 2’s Crucible. Their short TTK values at close range make them the ideal Primary for players that dislike Shotguns, Fusion Rifles, or SMGs in general. If you don’t mind using a double Primary loadout, or if you prefer to fight enemies up close, then a Sidearm is the perfect weapon for you.

Today, we will be looking at some of Destiny 2’s best Sidearms for PvP, ranging from forgotten seasonal weapons to some of the game’s strongest Exotic offerings. Read on to learn how you can dominate the Crucible with these excellent Sidearms that range from Legendary Primaries to Exotic Special weapons.

Updated February 27, 2025, by Charles Burgar: The new Division Sidearm in Episode: Heresy is a fantastic option for Crucible players who enjoy fighting up close and personal. We’ve updated this list to include Heresy’s latest Sidearm, showcasing some of the weapon’s best perk combinations that make it stand out.

10

Lonesome

How to obtain: Occasionally sold by Xur and Banshee-44.

If you are fortunate enough to have a spare copy of Lonesome in your Vault, you might want to take it out for a spin. Precision Frame Sidearms are incredibly strong in the current sandbox, downing an opponent in 0.7s with three headshots and one body shot. But unlike most SIdearms, Lonesome can roll with the absurdly strong combination of Zen Moment

and Kill Clip.

Each shot will activate Zen Moment, greatly reducing this weapon’s visual recoil while buffing your flinch resistance. Landing a kill and immediately reloading will then proc Kill Clip, reducing the gun’s TTK to an absurd 0.47s. Few enemies can react to a weapon that kills this quickly, and it’s easy to maintain in a 6v6 lobby.

If you don’t own a spare Lonesome but want a strong Precision Sidearm, keep an eye out for Boudica-C. Banshee sells this item whenever his stock features Hakke weapons. It’s also obtainable through Legend and Master Lost Sectors. It can’t get Kill Clip, but it can roll with Multikill Clip.

Recommended Traits

• Column One: Zen Moment
• Column Two: Kill Clip

9

Traveler’s Chosen

How to obtain: Purchased from the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower.

If you love spamming abilities, then you’ll want to get your hands on Traveler’s Chosen

. This Adaptive Frame Sidearm builds up stacks of Gathering Light with every kill, increasing the gun’s base stats. At any time, you may hold the reload key to convert these stacks into ability energy. It only takes a few kills to fully recharge your abilities with Traveler’s Chosen, making it an S-tier weapon for buildcrafting and ability-centric builds.

8

Mykel’s Reverence

How to obtain: Root of Nightmares raid.

Mykel’s Reverence is a mutated 450 RPM Sidearm that deals Strand damage. Since this weapon drops from the Root of Nightmares raid, this weapon is craftable and can use enhanced perks. Most players will aim to craft Unrelenting and Paracasual Affinity. This combination lets you play quite aggressively and rewards you for landing quick multikills.

Unrelenting will restore a chunk of HP for landing a double kill, and Paracasual Affinity will increase your weapon damage by 20% after landing a Darkness kill (Strand or Stasis, including the weapon). If you prefer more neutral game buffs, Elemental Capacitor and Tap the Trigger is also an S-tier combination for 3v3 playlists.

Recommended Traits

• Column One: Unrelenting, Elemental Capacitor, Perfect Float
• Column Two: Paracasual Affinity, Tap the Trigger, Swashbuckler

7

Division

How to obtain: Episode: Heresy content.

Heavy Burst Sidearms are incredibly strong in the hands of a good player, and the Division is no exception. Tons of consistency and lethality perks can roll on this Sidearm to help out less experienced Sidearm mains, notably Hip-Fire Grip in the first column for easy hipfire headshots. If you prefer to ADS, then you can’t go wrong with Encore or To the Pain.

The second column is stacked with good options, including some classics like Kill Clip and Eye of the Storm. However, the real standout here is Sword Logic, dropping this weapon’s TTK to a rapid 0.47s after a kill for the next 8.5 seconds. It’s an amazing perk to pair with a Sidearm like this, provided you can land that initial kill.

Recommended Traits

• Column One: Hip-Fire Grip, To the Pain, Encore
• Column Two: Sword Logic, Offhand Strike, Eye of the Storm

6

Rat King

How to obtain: Purchased from the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower.

Rat King

is an absolute powerhouse in the hands of a skilled player. This 300 RPM Sidearm makes its wielder invisible after a reload kill, allowing any class in the game to access the Void Invisibility keyword. Land a quick kill, reload to go invisible, then reposition before you strike again. It’s a devastating combo for Nightstalker Hunters especially.

But what really makes Rat King strong is its Catalyst, adding HP restoration to its Exotic perk. Now when you go invisible, you’ll also immediately begin HP regeneration, allowing you to win 1v2 and 1v3 scenarios much more consistently. Pair this with some Hunter invisibility Exotics, and you’ll dominate the competition.

5

Forerunner

How to obtain: Magnum Opus quest.

The Halo: CE Magnum is back in Destiny 2 in the form of Forerunner, a 200 RPM Sidearm that uses Special ammo. It has the same three-tap optimal TTK of 0.6s that made it iconic in Halo, and it’s undeniably powerful inside of Destiny 2’s sandbox. Careful aim allows you to dome opponents from virtually any distance with ease.

Arguably the best aspect of Forerunner is its ammo economy. This weapon spawns with 8 shots, which allows for two kills with some leniency. If you’re skilled with the gun, you can use the two spare bullets to finish off opponents or help teamshot in a 3v3 playlist like Trials. This new sandbox has given Forerunner much more to breathe, and it’s become an excellent pick as a result.

4

Drang (Baroque)

How to obtain: Presage Exotic mission, craftable at the Enclave.

The classic Drang pistol from Destiny 2’s first year has received a gilded upgrade from Emperor Calus during Season of Opulence, which has since been moved to the Presage Exotic mission. This weapon features the same excellent base stats as standard Drang, but it is fully craftable and has a fantastic perk pool to draw from.

Arguably the best dueling roll for this gun is Eye of the Storm and Zen Moment. Shots from this weapon become pinpoint accurate while your HP is low, and Zen Moment more or less removes incoming flinch at max stacks. This makes Drang a headshot magnet and makes its optimal TTK of 0.6s fairly easy to hit, even on Mouse and Keyboard.

Recommended Traits

• Column One: Eye of the Storm
• Column Two: Zen Moment

3

Cryosthesia 77K

How to obtain: Purchased from the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower.

Depending on who you ask, Cryosthesia 77K

is regarded as a mediocre Sidearm or the most frustrating weapon to face in PvP. After the March sandbox update in Season of the Wish, it falls much closer to the latter category. This Stasis Sidearm is part of the excellent Precision Frame archetype, the same as Lonesome. This gives it a breezy 0.67s TTK if you can land four headshots.

Once you land that single kill, you can overcharge Cryosthesia’s next shot with a Stasis rounds that freezes targets in a small blast radius, effectively turning this gun into a hitscan Coldsnap Grenade

. You can throw on Whisper of Rending

for easy kills, use Exotics like One-Eyed Mask

for constant overshields, or use a whole manner of Stasis Aspects and Fragments to push this weapon into OP territory.

The weapon itself isn’t absurdly powerful from neutral, but once you get that first kill, you become a nightmare to deal with. It’s an S-tier pick in Rumble, a great option for slayers in 6v6 playlists, and can even be used in Trials of Osiris with the right playstyle.

2

Devil’s Ruin

How to obtain: Purchased from the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower.

Devil’s Ruin

isn’t a Sidearm. It’s a Trace Rifle masquerading as a pistol. This weapon has an alt-fire mechanic that unloads the entire magazine with a brief hitscan laser, similar to how Trace Rifles work. This can obliterate enemy Guardians in a fraction of a second, and it’s fairly easy to aim. It’s become a go-to pick in most 3v3 playlists, and for good reason. It’s effectively a Special weapon that doesn’t need Special ammo.

1

Heliocentric QSC

How to obtain: Potential world drop; farmable in Legendary Lost sectors.

A little world drop that could has quickly become the most sought-after Sidearm in the Crucible. Heliocentric QSC is a Lightweight Sidearm that can roll with the absurdly powerful combination of Heal Clip and Kill Clip. Heal Clip grants x2 Cure to yourself and x1 Cure to nearby allies whenever you perform a reload kill. In other words, every kill restores 60 HP.

That alone is amazing, but this gun also comes with Kill Clip, increasing your damage by 25% for a short duration upon performing a reload kill. This drops Heliocentric’s TTK down to a quick 0.5s with some forgiveness against T7 Resilience Guardians and under. It also comes with the Nadir Focus origin trait, increasing its accuracy and range with sustained fire.

You take all of these elements together, and you have a Sidearm that heals you, has pinpoint accuracy, and kills targets in half a second. It’s arguably the most consistent Sidearm in the current PvP Sidearm, arguably tied with Drang. Keep your eyes peeled for a good roll of this gun while decrypting Engrams or farming Legendary Lost Sectors.

Recommended Traits

• Column One: Heal Clip
• Column Two: Kill Clip