Destiny 2: All Exotic Auto Rifle, Ranked

by

Auto Rifles are incredibly enjoyable to use within the game ‘Destiny 2’. With an impressive variety of Exotic Auto Rifles introduced during Season 26’s Episode Heresy, it’s beneficial to examine each one to assess their visual appeal and inherent qualities to determine which Auto Rifle stands out as the best in ‘Destiny 2’.

In Destiny 2, there are more than ten Exotic Auto Rifles, each with its own distinct advantages and characteristics. However, not all of them are up to the task of battling the most formidable threats from the galaxy’s darkness. So, which Auto Rifle reigns supreme in Destiny 2?

11. Cerberus+1

Four Gun Barrels Make for an Inaccurate and Bizarre Weapon

  • How to Get: Purchased from the Monument to Lost Light kiosk in The Tower in the Forsaken tab.
  • Four-Headed Dog: Shoots erratic bullets from all gun barrels at the same time.
  • Spread Shot Package: Aiming this weapon reduces the spread of its projectiles.

If you’ve ever dreamed about simultaneously discharging four Auto Rifles, then Cerberus+1 is just what you need! This weapon stands out for its unusual design – four barrels to fire from – which unfortunately results in poor stability and handling. While looking through the sights helps minimize the scatter of bullets, it’s still exceptionally inaccurate and serves more as a humorous novelty than a serious weapon option.

In simpler terms, the “Exotic Perk” causes players to shoot unpredictable bullets from four gun barrels simultaneously. However, the damage isn’t particularly impressive, not even with the “Catalyst.” The “Cerberus+1” is amusing, but it’s generally not a desirable element in a build during “Grandmaster Nightfalls.

10. Hard Light

Swap Energy Damage Types with Ricochet Fire

  • How to Get: Random chance from Exotic Engrams
  • Volatile Light: Rounds fired from this weapon have reduced damage falloff, overpenetrate targets, and ricochet off hard surfaces. Projectile damage increases after bounce.
  • The Fundamentals: Changes this weapon’s damage type, cycling between Void, Arc, and Solar. Grants this weapon temporarily increased damage when you apply or gain an elemental buff or debuff that matches this weapon’s damage type.

Hard Light being a decent Exotic Auto Rifle isn’t exactly a praiseworthy comment, as many other Exotics boast impressive stats and perks that truly set them apart, often outperforming others in the game. However, Destiny 2 offers an intriguing twist with Hard Light, as it allows you to switch between Void, Arc, and Solar damage types – a feature not commonly found among other weapons. This makes it exceptionally useful for countering a wide range of shields.

The weapon’s damage increases when it switches elements, yet this bonus only activates if an elemental boost or penalty is already in effect. Meanwhile, its other advantages come from reduced damage drop-off and exploding rounds that offer significant force, but it may not be ideal for advanced gameplay builds.

9. Tommy’s Matchbook

Increased Damage with Sustained Fire at the Cost of Being Burned

  • How to Get: Purchased from the Monument to Lost Light kiosk in The Tower in the Shadowkeep tab.
  • Ignition Trigger: Sustained fire with this weapon overheats it, increasing damage but burning the user.
  • Heat Sink: Overheat damage is reduced while not aiming down sights. Stats

Using Tommy’s Matchbook can be a precarious choice, as while it offers beneficial enhancements for Solar loadouts, excessive usage results in self-damage to the user. Prolonged firing of Tommy’s Matchbook will indeed amplify the weapon’s damage output, but keep in mind that this increased firepower comes at the cost of potential harm to the shooter as well.

Using Tommy’s Matchbook with its Ignition Triggers and the Catalyst feature that restores health during continuous firing and Scorch effect, Tommy’s Matchbook can prove challenging for Hunters in both Player versus Player (PvP) and Player versus Environment (PvE). However, due to its high risk nature and lack of overall effectiveness, it may not be the most reliable choice.

8. Sweet Business

A Kinetic Gatling Gun for Annoying Others

  • How to Get: Random chance from Exotic Engrams
  • Payday: Larger magazine. Increased accuracy when firing from the hip. Picking up Special or Heavy ammo immediately reloads this weapon.
  • Business Time: Sustained fire boosts range and rate of fire.

This weapon, known as Sweet Business, is ideal for those who enjoy causing trouble, serving as a tool designed for giants. Despite its low potency, it has an exceptionally high rate of fire that can escalate to extreme levels with continued use. It’s a gun that carries 150 bullets in a single magazine, delivering the power and fury of a minigun, all within the grasp of a single Guardian who thrives on chaos.

The Sweet Business isn’t top-notch, but it’s enjoyable. It’s like carrying a big ammo magazine, and to make things even better, Titans equipped with Actium War Rig can almost infinitely replenish their ammunition before reloading. This setup is entertaining, particularly in player versus player encounters, but it lacks substantial protection and bonuses in the endgame.

7. Centrifuse

Movement and Damage Builds Blinding Charges

  • How to Get: Purchased from the Monument to Lost Light kiosk in The Tower in the Lightfall tab.
  • Overcharge Capacitor: Sprinting, sliding, and firing this weapon builds a temporary electrostatic charge, increasing range and reload speed. Final blows with high charge cause explosions, and maximum charge explosions blind targets.
  • Regenerative Motion: Sprinting gradually reloads this weapon.

Centrifuse isn’t the most dominant Arc Auto Rifle in the game, and it hasn’t been at the top of the tier list since its introduction. Although it comes with the Exotic perk Regenerative Motion, which lets players restore bullets by sprinting, this tactic becomes less effective when players can seek cover to reload instead. Additionally, the weapon’s impact and reload speed are relatively low compared to other high-performing rifles that offer exceptional handling.

Centrifuse is primarily utilized for generating an electrostatic charge, which allows it to fire bullets that can both explode and momentarily disable enemies. This feature helps control the battlefield by inflicting debuffs, but keep in mind that its shooting speed is relatively slower compared to other weapons.

6. SUROS Regime

Bonus Damage and Healing Chance for the Last Few Bullets

  • How to Get: Random chance from Exotic Engrams
  • SUROS Legacy: The bottom half of each magazine deals bonus damage and has a chance to return health on kill.
  • Spinning Up: Holding down the trigger increases rate of fire.

The SUROS Regime gun carries approximately 27 rounds per magazine. In its lower half, the last 13 shots inflict increased damage. Moreover, each enemy killed with those bottom bullets can potentially restore health for you. Essentially, this weapon allows you to leech health from enemies, but it may not be powerful enough against larger opponents.

The recoil is balanced, its stability and reload speed are impressive, and the Catalyst offers additional stat boosts plus a higher probability of gaining health upon killing enemies. Essentially, it’s an effective weapon for clearing ads while also offering enjoyable health bonuses to players.

5. Necrochasm

Create Explosions That Refill the Magazine

  • How to Get: Random reward for defeating Crota in the Crota’s End Raid
  • Cursebringer: Precision final blows with this weapon trigger a Cursed Thrall explosion and increase reload speed for a short time. Final blows with Cursed Thrall explosions refill the magazine.
  • Desperation: Reloading after a precision final blow or a final blow with a Cursed Thrall explosion increases your rate of fire and improves stability and aim assist. Stats

The Necrochasm is an exceptional Auto Rifle reserved for top-tier or particularly fortunate Raid participants who delve into Crota’s End. It serves as a coveted prize for those daring enough to engage in Raid content with six guardians. Yet, even those unwilling to take on such challenges can appreciate the weapon’s impressive performance in PvE combat.

With Necrochasm, players can precisely trigger Cursed Thrall explosions, effectively granting it the continuous benefit of the Firefly perk. What’s more, these explosions refill the magazine, and when used in conjunction with the catalyst, the weapon’s damage, range, handling, and reload speed are enhanced after hitting three targets, transforming Necrochasm into an exceptional weapon for both precision and control fire.

4. Monte Carlo

Reduce Melee Cooldown with Sustained Damage

  • How to Get: Random chance from Exotic Engrams
  • Monte Carlo Method: Dealing damage with this weapon reduces your melee cooldown and grants a chance to fully charge your melee ability with each kill.
  • Markov Chain: This weapon gains increased damage from melee kills and kills with this weapon. Melee kills grant ammo for this weapon.

For Sunbracer Warlocks and Titans sporting Synthoceps and a Prismatic setup, Monte Carlo is perfect! It allows them to amplify Consecration, turning the battlefield into ruins. Since melee attacks play a crucial role in certain builds, why not enhance their energy for continuous combat? With Monte Carlo, this can become a reality.

As a gamer, I can tell you that the Monte Carlo is a Kinetic Auto Rifle that’s perfect for brawlers like me. It boosts damage from melee kills and gives us more ammo to keep swinging. But

3. Quicksilver Storm

A Competent Auto Rifle with Micro-Rockets and Grenades

  • How to Get: Purchased from the Monument to Lost Light kiosk in The Tower in the Lightfall tab.
  • Rocket Tracers: Landing multiple hits turns your next shot into a homing micro-rocket.
  • Grenade Chaser: Landing multiple rockets loads a grenade. [Reload] to switch into Grenade Launcher mode.

The QuickSilver Storm, since its introduction as a Strand Auto Rifle, has always packed a punch. It’s a reliable Auto Rifle that performs well due to its excellent range, minimal recoil, and high rate of fire. However, it doesn’t deal as much damage as some other options. Yet, it stands out thanks to its ability to shoot micro-rockets consistently, dealing significant bursts of damage to enemy bosses and adversaries in sight.

As players continue to fire rockets, they’ll uncover more power in the weapon as it transforms into a Strand grenade launcher, enabling additional explosive damage. It’s a dependable and potent gun that delivers, but keep in mind that other options are also available.

2. Khvostov 7G-0X

Ricocheting Bullets and Rapid Fire Provides Exceptional Performance

  • How to Get: Complete the related quest found by exploring the Pale Heart (The Final Shape)
  • The Right Choice: Every seventh bullet from this weapon ricochets to nearby targets.
  • Shoot to Loot: Shooting an Orb of Power picks it up. Shooting an ammo brick picks it up and automatically reloads all of your equipped weapons from reserves. Stats

This Khvostov 7G-0X weapon is worthy of a top position, not just because it’s a heartfelt tribute to an iconic weapon, but also due to its remarkable exotic abilities that make it highly effective against both PvE and PvP opponents. Granted, it doesn’t boost the power of other elemental weapons, but since every seventh bullet deals extra damage and bounces off targets and walls, there’s no shortage of damage in crowded areas.

In The Crucible game, the Khvostov 7G-0X stands out for its exceptional performance in eliminating ads and dominating the battlefield. Its plentiful ammo supply, manageable recoil, and swift firing speed turn this weapon into a formidable force in any scenario, making it difficult to part with as an Auto Rifle.

1. Choir of One

Control the Fight with Void-Exploding Bullets

  • How to Get: Complete the Encore Exotic Mission from Episode: Echoes
  • Command Frame: Fires extended-range, heavy-caliber projectiles at a reduced rate of fire. Deals increased precision damage when aiming down sights.
  • Fanatical Lance: Rapid final blows cause targets to explode into a pool of radiolarian fluid. Hip firing launches multiple projectiles at once in a slower moving spread pattern. Projectiles detonate on impact.

The weapon “Choir of One,” originating from the mission “Echoes Exotic,” is adaptable and can be enhanced into an even more potent form through its Catalysts and Intrinsics. A recent boost to its “Destabilizing Rounds” feature now allows players not only to splatter enemies with radiolarian fluid, but also to knock them down with a surge of Void energy, making it seem as if adversaries are insignificant.

Using a Special Ammunition variant of an Automatic Rifle might be a bit tricky due to the requirement for ammo bricks, but it doesn’t prevent the Choir of One from shining as a powerful Auto Rifle capable of obliterating swarms of enemies and dealing massive damage to mini-bosses and other tough adversaries.

Read More

2025-03-22 20:58