Destiny 2 The arc factor is about speed and lightning. Subclasses with this element move fast, slash, and use their bodies as the ultimate weapon. And now that Arc 3.0 is out, getting the right gun can greatly improve your damage output or the Crucible’s utility in PvE.
Arc weapons also have great synergy with Arc 3.0. Arc Legendaries can trigger certain fragments and roll them into Voltshot, the most powerful variant of Kill Clip to date. Players looking to get the most out of Arc 3.0 should keep an eye out for these 10 Arc weapons.
Updated by Charles Burgar on 16 April 2023: Lightfall and Season of Defiance added great arc weapons for Guardians to chase, some of which can be rolled into fan-favorite boltshot perks. We’ve updated this list to include this season’s Iterative Loop Fusion Rifle, and added Thunderlord to reflect the recent Exotic Catalyst and major Machine Gun buffs. Some items have also been adjusted to reflect acquisition changes that occurred with the release of Lightfall.
This list focuses on PvE content. Items are not in any particular order.
10 half truth
How to obtain: Xur’s treasure house.
As a sword, Half-Truths are average at best. Sola’s Scar, Razor’s Edge, and even Bequest are better for damage. So why is Half-Truth on this list? You can roll with Eager Edge, a perk that bounces your character forward the first time you swing the sword. Similar to Movement Exotics, this perk is fantastic for jumping puzzles and general content speedruns. Half-Truths’ utility is a must for any Guardian.
Recommended characteristics:
-
Column 1:
The tireless sword, Thresh -
Column 2:
eager edge
9 trespasser
How to obtain: I bought it from the tower’s Exotic Kiosk.
The Trespasser is a sidearm recreated from the original Destiny. This 3-round burst sidearm supercharges after a kill, doubling rounds on the next volley. Killing an enemy with a volley automatically reloads the weapon, allowing you to fire 6 shots with the pull of the singer trigger.
Like Trinity Ghoul and Riskrunner, Trespasser is amazing at taking out prey enemies in PvE. A single explosion kills the red bar for all PvE content, and powerful rounds deal serious damage to majors. Pair this with a damage buff like Radiant or Arc Weapon Surge and you’ll have a devastating primary weapon that can take on some of the most powerful rank and file enemies in Destiny 2.
8 risk runner
How to obtain: Complete “Spark of Hope”.
I don’t need to explain how good Riskrunner is. All Guardians get a Riskrunner from the New Light tutorial. For those who haven’t played Riskrunner recently, this SMG fires bolts of lightning that connect nearby targets while Arc Conductor is active.
Taking electrical damage overcharges the weapon for a few seconds, reducing incoming electrical damage while Riskrunner fires chain lightning bolts. Even during this time, the gun does not need to be reloaded, allowing it to fire massive amounts of lightning-infused lead at the enemy. If you want to try Pocket Stormtrance Super, Riskrunner is here to help.
7 repeat loop
How to obtain: too active.
As far as Fusion Rifles go, Iterative Loop is one of the best guns you can find in the Special slot. Almost every activity has a roll. PvE players have an excellent collection of ad slayer perks at their disposal, and PvP players will enjoy tons of consistency perks that make this rapid-fire fusion competitive with other specials.
For PvE, the clear winner is Forced reloader with Voltshot. Enjoy killing an enemy, instantly reloading your weapon, then Jolting it with your next blast. A single shot can take out an entire mob or deal serious damage to a champion. In PvP, repeat loops have many consistency options. Low Voltage and Elemental Capacitors Suitable for normal gameplay. For a more aggressive playstyle Killing Wind paired with Adagio or Kickstart You can do serious things. Best of all, this gun can be crafted if you can get enough red rim variants from Neomuna Engrams and Heroic Patrols.
Recommended characteristics:
-
Column 1:
Forced Reload, Under Pressure (PvP), Killing Wind -
Column 2:
Boltshot, Elemental Capacitor (PvP), Adagio
6 theology
How to obtain: Complete the quest that drops after defeating the hidden Minotaur in Lunar Battlegrounds.
Divinity is the usability king of group content. This tracking rifle fires an arc beam that weakens the target by 15%, identical to Void’s Weaken keyword. Also creates an arc bubble around the target, converting all damage to precision damage. Weapons with crit perks work with Divinity, so you don’t have to think about raids and GM Nightfall. It doesn’t kill enemies on its own, but it does a lot of damage to fireteams.
5 Thunderlord
How to obtain: Drops from Exotic Engrams.
After receiving several seasons’ worth of machine gun buffs and phenomenal catalysts, the Thunderlord is now the mighty heavy weapon of Destiny. This weapon fires high-damage bullets that cause lightning on kill or sustained hits, which fire faster the longer you hold down the trigger. At full strength, the Thunderlord is effectively a 900 RPM machine gun that fires storm grenades.
For PvE, Thunderlord is a jack of all trades. If you own Catalyst, it’s great for clearing add, killing champions, and damaging raid bosses. For Crucible, Thunderlord is still useful, but not as strong as other meta heavy choices. If you can get past the Thunderlord’s limited ammo stockpile, you’ll be amazed at how versatile this machine gun is.
4 patience
How to obtain: Disciple’s Oath Raid (Career and Rulk meeting).
Do you like explosions? Do you like explosions that create more explosions? Then tolerance is something you might want to farm. The Patience acquired in the Pledge of Disciples raid is a pulse frame grenade launcher that emits a pulse of electrical energy with each shot.
More importantly, patience can roll with ambitious assassins and chain reactions. Killing with an electrical pulse causes the target to explode, causing a chain reaction of explosions. Along with the Ambitious Assassin’s 2-round mag, you’ll have one of the best extra removal special weapons in Destiny 2.
Recommended characteristics:
-
Column 1:
aspiring assassin -
Column 2:
chain reaction
three the hothead
How to obtain: Sunset reward (weekly rotation).
Rocket Launchers have been hitting the meta since Gjallarhorn returned. Legendary Rockets is now the pinnacle of burst DPS for endgame PvE content, including The Hothead. This weapon is one of the best rocket launchers for mobs and boss DPS in Destiny 2.
While solid base stats are important, Hothead’s real power comes from his perks. The Demolitionist and Clown Cartridge can roll this gun at the same time, resulting in outrageous damage values. Shoot rockets, throw grenades, shoot rockets, reload, shoot two rockets. Hothead lets you fire a full stock of rockets in seconds, tying it with Royal Chase as the best legendary rocket launcher in the game.
Recommended characteristics:
-
Column 1:
Demolition experts, site preparation -
Column 2:
clown cartridge
2 IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3
How to obtain: Seraph Season Activities.
The meta-defining IKELOS SMG is back for the third time in its Destiny 2 lifespan. This time around, it’s back with its own Origins trait and arguably the strongest perk pool we’ve ever seen on an SMG. IKELOS SMG can make the most of: bolt shot, injects Jolt into the bullet when reloading the kill. No matter how strong this SMG is, Jolt procs will do outrageous damage in any content.
It’s mostly recommended to use Voltshot with the reload perk. threat detector Because Feeding Frenzy doesn’t trigger on Jolt kills. That can be considered. shoot booty If your build has an ammo finder. If you don’t like Voltshot you can also use: environment When enhanced through crafting, it provides a massive 47% damage buff. Barely worse than the Golden Tricorn. PvP players can also turn this weapon into a headshot magnet. Dynamic Shake Reduction and distance meter. Simply put, the IKELOS SMG is an S-grade basic that everyone should own.
Recommended characteristics:
-
Column 1:
Threat detector, gunplay, dynamic sway reduction (PvP) -
Column 2:
Boltshot, Siege, Rangefinder (PvP)
One Trinity Ghoul
How to obtain: Exotic engrams.
If you need to clear a room full of enemies with a single arrow shot, Trinity Ghoul is all you need. This exotic bow fires three arrows instead of one, all spread wide with ADS. More importantly, if you kill with Trinity Ghoul or have Catalyst, every Arc kill supercharges your next arrow with Arc lightning.
This Exotic perk is why Trinity Ghoul is an extra kill powerhouse in PvE. Arc Lightning will one-shot a red bar from any activity and will charge your arrows with arc energy when a Catalyst is placed. No base game in Destiny 2 can pull off an add-on as quickly as Trinity Ghoul, and Riskrunner is no different.