There are a lot of guns in Destiny 2, which can make for a rather overwhelming experience when you’re just starting out. From rocket launchers that release homing missiles to laser beams that freeze enemies, there are a lot of ways to deal death. This can make Destiny 2 a bit confusing, as weapons are constantly getting buffed or nerfed throughout the year. So if you are just starting out or need a refresher, here’s what you need to know about the three main weapon slots in Destiny 2: Primary, Energy, and Heavy.
Primary Weapons
As the name suggests, Primary weapons are the workhorses of Destiny 2. These are the firearms that will serve as your destructive backbone, allowing you to kill most rank-and-file enemies. Unlike Special or Heavy guns, Primary weapons have unlimited ammo in their reserves in exchange for dealing the least amount of damage among all the weapon types. There are seven different weapon types, each with its own pros, cons, and archetypes. These are Scout Rifles, Submachine Guns, Hand Cannons, Pulse Rifles, Bows, Auto Rifles, and Sidearms. If you prefer to battle up close, I recommend trying Submachine Guns, Sidearms, or Auto Rifles. Some solid (and popular) mid-range options are Pulse Rifles and Hand Cannons, while Scout Rifles and Bows offer the best range for Primary weapons.
Which one you decide to use is entirely your call. While there are meta choices, there’s rarely a scenario where using a specific Primary weapon is detrimental to your fireteam. Additionally, Primary weapons can go in both the Kinetic and Energy slot. If they are in the former, then they have either no elemental affinity or are tied to Stasis, while the latter is solely for Void, Arc, and Solar. It’s considered good practice by many long-time players to have one of each element in every weapon archetype. This is because the seasonal Champion mods are typically tied to Primary weapons, and you’ll want them to also be elemental to deal with enemy shields. If you’re starting out, you won’t need to worry about this right now, but it’s something to keep in mind as you put more time into Destiny 2 and reach the endgame.
Special Weapons
Special weapons are, well, specialty guns that are used to either complement your specific playstyle or the type of encounter you are in. There are five distinct types of Energy weapons and they are marked by having a light green square in the bottom right corner of the weapon icon when equipped. These weapons are Sniper Rifles, Shotguns, Fusion Rifles, Trace Rifles, and Grenade Launchers. There are also some exotic weapons that are classified as Special despite being either in Primary or Heavy weapon archetypes. However, these are rare cases and won’t make up the bulk of Special weapons you’ll come across.
What Special weapon you want to use entirely depends on your build or what type of activity you’re on. Specific weapons like Shotguns typically synergize better with the Titan class, while Hunters often excel with ranged, precision firearms like Sniper Rifles. This doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t use other Special weapons with those classes. In fact, it’s typically good practice to have a solid collection of Special weapons in every archetype since Destiny 2’s meta shifts often. You’ll often use Special weapons to deal additional damage to bosses, Champions, or Major-tier enemies.
Heavy Weapons
Heavy weapons are found in the bottom slot in your inventory on the left and act as your highest damage dealing firearms. Primarily used to either wipe out entire waves of enemies or hurt bosses, Heavy weapons act as your main way to kill a single target. These weapons are Rocket Launchers, Machine Guns, Grenade Launchers, Linear Fusion Rifles, and Swords. All Heavy weapons — with the exception of Machine Guns — are solid boss-slaying weapons. However, due to the sheer stopping power, ammo for Heavy weapons is a little scarcer — especially if you aren’t rocking ammo-finding mods. Because of this, you will want to save your Heavy weapons to deal with troublesome foes or quickly deal a lot of burst damage to a single target.
These weapons are marked with a purple square in the bottom right corner of their inventory icon. Any ammo bricks will be colored purple. Additionally, you may come across crates of ammo that offer full heavy ammo if you interact with them. This is a little rarer and usually tied to certain activities or story moments, so don’t ever rely on this as a way to constantly refill. Given the importance of Heavy weapons in Destiny 2, I strongly recommend running Scavenger or Ammo Finder mods for the specific type of Heavy weapon you are using. For example, if I am using my Reed’s Regret Linear Fusion Rifle, I will want Linear Fusion Rifle Scavenger and Linear Fusion Rifle Ammo Finder to ensure I can locate and get more ammo for this gun. This won’t be necessary when you just start out. However, these mods are critical for endgame content since you will be facing down a ton of tough foes.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the many weapons in Destiny 2. If you’re just starting out, don’t worry about finding a perfect gun or using the “best” option. What’s important is experimenting and trying as many different guns as possible until you find one that you enjoy using and best suits your playstyle!
