Destiny 2 might not let players get as crazy with its weapons as other looter shooters, such as Borderlands 3, but it still has a fun meta. The game’s best weapons and armor are often those that let players do outrageous amounts of damage or provide undeniably good perks. Why these pieces of equipment are so popular is an easy question to answer: they are the best feature the Destiny 2 has to offer. This is not to say that the game is empty without them, but they provide such a fun experience for players that they become must-haves.
The perks of these overpowered items have made certain weapons and class builds almost mandatory in Destiny 2, like how Gjallarhorn was in the original game. The upside that a lot of these weapons and builds have compared to the top tier items from the first Destiny is diversity. While the original Destiny had some unique weapons, the change in gunplay, armor mods, and overall player experience allows a lot of these weapons to shine in both PVE and PVP activities. Weapons like Felwinter’s Lie may need a nerf in PVP, but it is the quality of these weapons that lets them shine.
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Exotic weapons are some of the clearest examples of how the more power that players can wield the more fun they will probably have. Witherhoard is a versatile grenade launcher that has a strong presence in both PVE and PVP gameplay. The massive area of effect damage and the area it covers makes it vital for map control and forcing enemies into bottlenecks in the Crucible. For PVE activities, the grenade launcher can soak stationary bosses and majors in damage while other weapons are used to chip away at their health.
Similarly, the rocket launcher Eyes of Tomorrow, which was introduced with Beyond Light, unleashes a beastly amount of damage on hordes of enemies and individual bosses. The six tracking rockets that the weapon fires make players feel like they wield an immense amount of power. Weapons like these that allow Guardians to clear groups of enemies at rapid paces are thrilling to use and provide a rewarding experience.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the weapons that can deal tremendous damage but might not clear out waves of mobs in a quick and orderly manner. The Lament and Izanagi’s Burden are great weapons to deal tremendous amounts of burst damage with. In Season of the Chosen, they both became go-to options thanks to anti-barrier and overload mods for sniper rifles and swords.
While Season 14 of Destiny 2 will likely change, these mods the addition of another stasis damage exotic creates new ways for players to wield power. The ability to freeze opponents and stop them in their tracks can be just as valuable as massive damage and fast wave clears. The weapon perks and armor mods focused on stasis are not yet as prevalent as others, but it has become another source of immense power since the launch of Beyond Light.
Weapons in Destiny 2 are just the tip of the iceberg. The combinations of subclass abilities and armor have also resulted in incredible character builds for hard PVE activities that allow for dynamite gameplay against bosses and enemy hordes alike. Some of the most prime examples right now are the Thundercrash Titan, Chaos Reach Warlock, And Celestial Night Hawk Hunter builds. All these subclasses deal immense damage to just about any enemy the player encounters.
Both the Thundercrash and Chaos Reach builds are arc element subclasses that grant Guardians immense power through arc damage. Thundercrash specializes in a giant burst of damage that is elevated by the exotic chest armor Cuirass of the Falling Star. Chaos Reach delivers a mix of sustained and burst damage but shines when paired with the Warlock class’s Geomag Stabilizer boots. Both classes when paired with their key pieces of exotic armor have become heavily requested in PVE activities to help handle Champions, Majors, and Ultras.
The Celestial Nighthawk helmet for Hunters deviates from the arc class and makes their solar Golden Gun ability similarly as lethal as Thundercrash and Chaos Reach. The high-risk high reward build condenses the multiple shots of Golden Gun into just one Light imbued bullet. This can result in some painful whiffs but also delivers destructive damage when paired with buffs from other sources. Though it might not be in as high demand as other subclasses it still provides a quick and effective way to dispose of higher rank enemies and burst damage for Grandmaster Nightfall Strikes.
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Much of the current meta is offense-oriented but sometimes the best strategy requires a strong defense and passive abilities. This is where the Titan’s Banner Shield void subclasses come into play. This super allows Titans to provide a protective barrier between their team and incoming damage. If the user is also wearing the Ursa Furiosa gauntlets, the ability becomes something that can be used almost constantly in a consecutive manner. This could be incredibly useful in the new six-person matchmade mode coming in Season of the Splicer.
The exotic gauntlets create more orbs of power for teammates to pick up and use their supers while also replenishing the user’s super energy. This technique has become heavily used in the Grandmaster Proving Grounds strike. With tight communication, fireteams can keep some of the most powerful abilities in the game in a continuous rotation while also being protected from large amounts of damage.
Some players may see all of this and think of nerfs. It can be tempting to complain about balancing especially when it comes to competitive PVP gameplay in Destiny 2, but the heart of what makes the game so fun must not be lost. A weapon or class nerf because it can be difficult to play against in PVP should not always be the answer nor should it be what sways the balance of the meta.
Future updates to the game whether they be introducing new weapons, bringing over exotics from Destiny, or changing subclasses, should consider buffs to lower-tier areas instead of nerfs to higher-tier ones. There are a lot of games on the market that prioritize competitive PVP gameplay, but Destiny’s looter shooter mechanics and PVE playlists are where the experience as a Guardian tends to be the most rewarding.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.