Destiny 2 lives up to its reputation as a looter shooter by giving players plenty of shiny new guns to use and armies of enemies to use them on. With a major yearly expansion and four seasons each year, players have plenty of new weapons in stock every few months. While not all of those weapons will be among the best, some can stand out from the competition due to their element, archetype, or perk combinations.
The seasonal model is one of the core parts of the Destiny 2 content schedule, and some of the flashiest weapons released each season are bound to be locked behind the seasonal paywall. Players can still enjoy some shiny new pieces of gear and weaponry if they don’t opt into the season, however, whether it’s due to some activities being free-to-play or just from specific weapons being world drops.
Here are the best non-seasonal weapons released throughout The Witch Queen. These weapons aren’t tied to the seasonal paywall, meaning players can enjoy them without buying the respective season. Some guns, however, require the purchase of The Witch Queen or from the Duality dungeon, included in the Dungeon Pack.
Best non-seasonal weapons released in Season of the Risen and The Witch Queen
The Enigma
Glaives were one of the most unique additions with The Witch Queen, and The Enigma is a perfect introduction to the weapon type. This craftable glaive has a slew of good perks and is available for all players after finishing The Witch Queen‘s introductory mission, so guardians all over the world can quickly add this one to their collections and take it for a spin. And odds are they won’t be disappointed.
Funnelweb
Related: Funnelweb god roll and best perks in Destiny 2
Veteran Destiny 2 players who mourned the sunsetting of The Recluse found its spiritual successor in Funnelweb. This 900rpm VEIST SMG took center stage with The Witch Queen by being a powerful Void SMG in the season of Void 3.0, and its add-clear capacities didn’t hinder its case. With perks like Perpetual Motion and Subsistence paired with Adrenaline Junkie and Frenzy, there are plenty of reasons to bring a Funnelweb to most activities. Funnelweb is also a world drop—meaning it’s not terribly hard to stumble upon them, but you can’t target-farm it effectively.
Osteo Striga
Osteo Striga is a tremendous add clear weapon thanks to its capacity to spread deadly poison over an area and even overflow its magazine. Though it may feel slightly odd at first due to its projectile velocity (and slow reloads, if you don’t have its catalyst), the Striga can easily carve out a spot as a Kinetic Exotic even in high-end activities, such as Master-level raids and dungeons. Its Pattern is available after completing The Witch Queen‘s campaign, so rush through Savathûn’s Throne World and get this one as a reward.
Cataclysmic
In a DPS meta that favors linear fusion rifles and Elemental Wells, Cataclysmic’s addition in Vow of the Disciple opened up a great DPS option for activities with sturdier targets. Whether you’re using a Solar subclass with Font of Might or just want to take an LFR to an activity with a Solar burn, Cataclysmic is bound to earn your Heavy slot. It also has virtually no competition being a Solar Heavy LFR, which makes it even more coveted—especially with perks like Fourth Time’s the Charm or Clown Cartridge paired with (the now-buffed) Bait and Switch or Focused Fury.
Best non-seasonal weapons released in Season of the Haunted
Stormchaser
One of the DPS gods in Destiny 2, Stormchaser regularly features around the top of DPS calculations, and for good reason. This linear fusion rifle from the Duality dungeon boasts an Aggressive Frame, meaning it fires three high-impact bolts instead of a single shot. With the possibility of rolling Auto-Loading Holster and Firing Line, Stormchaser can also synergize perfectly with Izanagi’s Burden, allowing you to swap out to the high-damaging sniper rifle and have your Stormchaser fully loaded by the time you swap back. Add in damage buffs and an Arc burn and you have yourself a monster in your hands.
Unforgiven
If you’re looking for all-out aggression and a smorgasbord of damage boosts, Unforgiven is one of the best choices you can find. The Duality SMG can roll Demolitionist and Feeding Frenzy alongside either Adrenaline Junkie, Rampage, Frenzy, or Golden Tricorn, with Dragonfly also on the table. Demolitionist synergizes particularly well with both Adrenaline Junkie (and with Golden Tricorn if you’re running a matching Void subclass). Unforgiven faces Funnelweb’s heavy competition, but with the right perks, there’s no going wrong with this SMG. Keep in mind it may have some bad reload times if you don’t have its origin trait active, though.
CALUS Mini-Tool
Much like Funnelweb, CALUS Mini-Tool benefitted from being one of the few Solar SMGs in the game and from launching in the same season as Solar 3.0. But those are hardly the only reasons it shines: this reissued SMG brings the new Incandescent perk, which helps its (already good) crowd control capabilities. CALUS Mini-Tool drops from the Derelict Leviathan, and even though it released alongside Season of the Haunted, it’s available for free for all players. Those who own the season can guarantee a Deepsight drop of it every week, however.
Drang (Baroque)
Like the CALUS Mini-Tool, Drang (Baroque) is one of the reissued Menagerie weapons that launched alongside the Derelict Leviathan in Season of the Haunted. Not only does Drang (Baroque) give you a good reason to run a sidearm, but you can also slot in Incandescent alongside Rampage or Wellspring for a good bit of add clear in PvE, and PvP players can go with Moving Target/Eye of the Storm whenever the meta or their playstyle favors sidearms.
Best non-seasonal weapons released in Season of Plunder
Taipan-4FR
The Fourth Horseman of LFR DPS, Taipan-4FR rounds out the then-missing heavy-hitting Void LFR category and gave players a reason to dismantle any Threaded Needles they may have left over from last year. Like Cataclysmic and Stormchaser, Taipan-4fr is high on the DPS charts, and its ease of acquisition and stellar perk pool tear down its barrier of entry. Triple Tap paired with the VEIST Stinger origin trait makes it so you can fire your entire reserves without being interrupted if the RNG favors you, and perks like Firing Line, Frenzy, and Focused Fury grant you damage boosts for all activities. Taipan is a world drop, but its Pattern is obtained from one of the quests in the Enclave.
Doom of Chelchis
King’s Fall weapons have a plethora of incredible combinations, and Doom of Chelchis reigns over them. It allows players to pair some of the most desirable perks for scout rifles with other highly sought-after perks, including the brute Explosive Payload/One For All for two strong damage boosts in tandem with each other. Firefly and Dragonfly are both in the pool and you can roll both combined, making for two explosions on a headshot kill. Frenzy and Focused Fury are also in the menu, and you can even pair Adaptive Munitions with a strong damage-increasing perk for utility. There’s a lot to like about Doom of Chelchis, so you’re bound to have a roll or two of this scout rifle on your vault at all times.
Smite of Merain
The King’s Fall weapons boast a set of incredible, rarely-seen combinations, which make most of its weapons highly coveted. Smite of Merain is no different: it has access to damage-boosting perks in both columns, and you can also pair Demolitionist or Pugilist for some utility. Focused Fury and either Swashbuckler, Adrenaline Junkie, or One For All will give you two hefty damage bonuses, and there’s even Firefly in the second column if you’re looking for more crowd control. Smite of Merain has hefty competition, being a Kinetic pulse rifle, but it also blows its contenders out of the water in most cases.
Zaouli’s Bane
Though Bungie has offered plenty of hand cannons since Beyond Light, few compare to Zaouli’s Bane. This Solar hand cannon has access to the same Explosive Payload/One For All combo as Doom of Chelchis, but that Explosive Payload can also roll alongside Incandescent, Focused Fury, Demolitionist, or even Firefly. There’s a vast list of possibilities when it comes to Zaouli’s Bane—and with one guaranteed Deepsight of your choice from King’s Fall each week, you can always target-farm this and get its Pattern.
Defiance of Yasmin
The Runneth Over origin trait from King’s Fall weapons helps overflow the magazine, and few weapons benefit from it as much as Defiance of Yasmin. The origin trait, however, is the cherry on top of this sniper rifle’s unique perk pool. The threefold synergy between Ensemble, Firing Line, and Runneth Over adds some flavor to this powerful sniper rifle, but solo players can also comfortably find other options in Focused Fury and Vorpal Weapon. Lead From Gold is also a good utility perk to aim for. For PvP, however, Defiance of Yasmin also shines for having access to both Snapshot Sights and Moving Target, doubling down on the benefits from ADSing with this weapon. Snapshot Sights/Opening Shot is also a possibility for the Crucible, which helps you land a headshot and down a guardian with this weapon’s beastly damage.
Best non-seasonal weapons released in Season of the Seraph
IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3
Related: These are the IKELOS SMG god rolls and best perks in Destiny 2
The IKELOS SMG returns with a new version in Season of the Seraph, and it’s bringing in some new tricks. The Season of the Seraph version of the IKELOS SMG (v1.0.3) lacks the classic Subsistence/Demolitionist combo that made its predecessor shine, but it has a new perk in its stead: Voltshot, the Arc-based perk that debuted in Season of Plunder. This makes this deadly SMG even better at handling crowds, but you can also go with Surrounded or Frenzy if you want more damage. There’s a reason players flocked in droves to the Enclave to craft this weapon.
Though owning the season pass makes getting this weapon far easier, the IKELOS SMG is technically separated from the season since it drops from finding Warmind Nodes. Players can also spend Resonate Stems to focus a random IKELOS weapon at the H.E.L.M. Though they may not earn the Pattern (at least not easily), players may still snag some good rolls without diving into the seasonal content.
Veles-X
It’s been a while since we got a ritual weapon that felt as good as Veles-X, and it fits nicely into a slot that has been desperately needing competition. This easy-to-use pulse brings two solid perk combinations: Repulsor Brace or Tunnel Vision and Golden Tricorn or Kill Clip. Void builds will benefit from the first combination, while neutral PvE players and even PvP will find utility in Tunnel Vision and Kill Clip. It’s also a Legendary Void pulse rifle, a weapon type that has had dwindling options since Beyond Light.
Long Arm
Related: How to get Long Arm and its god roll in Destiny 2
Since the release of Dead Man’s Tale, in February 2021, players have been wanting a Legendary variant of the weapon. And the Spire of the Watcher dungeon finally delivered. Long Arm is an Arc Tex Mechanica rifle, bringing in the fantasy only the Old West-inspired manufacturer can deliver. And its perk pool is nothing to sneer at, either. This high-powered scout rifle can work well against targets at longer ranges, with perks such as Explosive Payload for damage and Dragonfly for some extra crowd control. Subsistence is also on the menu, which lets you keep firing for longer periods of time against trash mobs.
Prolonged Engagement
Related: Here are Prolonged Engagement’s god rolls and best perks in Destiny 2
Repeating the success of the Void-based Funnelweb, Bungie brought another 900rpm Veist SMG to the mix—this time with Stasis at its core. The good news is that Prolonged Engagement is a Vanguard weapon, meaning you can get it easily from Vanguard completions. The bad news is that Prolonged Engagement is a Vanguard weapon, meaning it rolls with 12 perks on columns three and four. Landing the perfect roll on it is improbable at best, but at least Prolonged Engagement offers plenty of good options to level the field a bit. You may not get exactly what you want, but even the “good enough” rolls can turn this weapon into a beast.
