Energy weapons in Destiny 2 can be a strong aspect of your loadout. Use this article to figure out what you should boost to 305 Power.
Today we are looking at Energy Weapons in Destiny 2. Most players will try to balance long range engagements and up close and personal fights in their loadout, so I have covered a good range of options for your Energy weapons slot.
Energy weapons are easier to get to 305 Power than Kinetic, simply because the Arc, Void and Solar mods are so common. Let’s take a look at some of the stronger picks for this weapon type.
The Number
Why It’s Good
The Number is, hands down, one of the best Assault Rifles in the game. The fire rate of 450 RPM gives it a solid time to kill and the Precision Frame perk leads to very manageable recoil. You can option between an Extended Mag for more bullets but a slower reload, or Ricochet Rounds for increased range. Pair the latter with the High Impact Reserves perk, granting more damage to round out the end of a magazine and you have a vicious Assault Rifle for PvP. This is a constant friend to me in the Crucible and I probably have more kills racked up with this gun than any other when it comes to fighting my fellow Guardians.
How to Get It
The Number is a reward from Future War Cult during Faction Rallies, so it can be hard to get. Uriel’s Gift is a solid substitute, and may even appeal to some players more. It’s very similar to the Number with regard to stats, but has a different perk roll that may suit your playstyle more. Uriel’s Gift will drop from Cryptarch Engrams or can be gotten as a drop from Failsafe on Nessus.
The Risk Runner
Why It’s Good
Very few weapons come close to the Risk Runner for sheer room clearing potential. An Exotic SMG, this weapon really takes off when you are taking Arc damage. Put yourself at risk for big rewards, as you will find yourself dealing more damage and taking less from Arc sources. The Superconductor perk results in chained Arc damage moving between your enemies, shredding their health bars. Something interesting also happens to your magazine, as it will never run dry while you are taking Arc damage. Few weapons manage this SMG’s ability to absolutely shred enemies.
How to Get It
The Risk Runner can be picked up from Asher on IO late in the campaign, or will drop randomly from an Exotic Engram if you have already passed this portion of the game.
Last Hope
Why It’s Good
I didn’t expect to fall in love with a Sidearm in Destiny 2, but I want you all to know that my love for the Last Hope is powerful and true. I tend to break this out when aggressive run and gunners need to be dealt with in the Crucible, or when I want to melt things in the Raid. Boasting three round bursts, great Stability, and very manageable recoil, I have found it great at getting me out of sticky situations against other Guardians. Few people seem to expect the amount of damage this thing can dish out quickly if you are on target.
How to Get It
Asher Mir on IO is your best bet for getting this weapon. Farm those tokens and hand them in for packages until this drops. It can also drop from Gunsmith tokens, but that seems to happen far less often due to his larger stock.
Manannan SR4
Why It’s Good
I normally run Kinetic Scout Rifles, but when I need to change things up and have to go with an Energy slot Scout instead, the Manannan SR4 is my go to gun. This Scout boasts Lightweight frame for great handling and a movement speed buff, Alloy Magazine for quick reloads when running empty and Steady Rounds for greatly increased stability. The reason I love it is the Explosive Payload, which creates and area-of-effect explosion on impact. This will absolutely decimate shields and is a strong choice on the Nightfall with the Prism modifier.
How to Get It
The Manannan SR4 is a Banshee-44 specific weapon, so hand in those weapon parts to the Gunsmith and hope the RNG rolls your way. It may also drop from Legendary Engrams that drop from enemies, but this seems to occur very rarely.
Annual Skate
Why It’s Good
The Annual Skate is the only non Exotic energy weapon Hand Cannon I care about. Low recoil, good impact, and solid damage output all make it a contender. What really makes it stand out is the Outlaw perk, which greatly reduces reload time after a precision kill. This buffed reload is blindly fast, meaning your time spent shooting this weapon can be almost nonstop. It also gets a slight ammo advantage over Hand Cannons in the Kinetic slot.
How to Get It
The Annual Skate can drop from Gunsmith packages, and has a small chance to drop from Engrams opened by the Cryptarch.
Sunshot
Why It’s Good
Sunshot is a fine name for a Hand Cannon the sets things on fire, but they should have called this gun Funshot. Why? It looks fun, sounds fun, is fun to use, and injects a healthy dose of molten fun into the face of your enemies. An Exotic Hand Cannon that packs a powerful punch, it fires explosive rounds and marks enemies that it hits. The Chambered Compensator perk increases stability, controls the recoil, and slightly decreases the handling speed. Accurized Rounds improve the range and Textured Grip offers increased handling. This gun is just fun as hell, and wipes out mobs in PvE activities. I would suggest at least experimenting with it in the Crucible. Getting hit by it is a terrifying experience, so you might as well be on the fun end of that. Seriously, of all the Energy weapons in Destiny 2, this is the most fun.
How to Get It
Like the Risk Runner, this is an option your will get from Asher Mir during the campaign. It will also drop from Exotic Engrams.
Hardlight
Why It’s Good
The Hardlight is an Exotic Auto Rifle with a twist. As an Energy weapon it can do elemental damage, but one of the main traits of this gun is that you can switch between Arc, Solar and Void at will. This makes it uniquely useful during the Nightfall with an active Prism modifier, and a perfect weapon to tear through enemy shield, regardless of what type they are. The weapon also boasts a 600 RPM rate of fire, making it one of the faster firing Auto Rifles in the game.
How to Get It
The Hardlight can drop from Exotic Engrams.
Be sure to check out my top picks for Kinetic and Power weapons as well, and if you need any help with other aspects of Destiny 2 then check out our Guide Hub.
Published: Oct 16, 2017 11:48 am