Shotguns have always been some of the strongest PVE weapons in the entirety of Destiny 2. This is due to their high damage, ease of use, and strong perk combinations. Yet, there have been a ton of shotguns throughout the game’s history, so it can be difficult to determine which ones you should unlock. So if you’re a new player or just aren’t sure what sniper rifles to nab before Lightfall launches, here are the 10 best shotguns in Destiny 2:
(This list is in no particular order.)
Best PVE Shotguns
1. Tractor Cannon – Destiny 2 Best Shotguns
There aren’t a lot of support weapons in Destiny 2, but the oldest of this tiny archetype is the Tractor Cannon. Upon hitting an enemy with this shotgun, you’ll suppress the target and increase all incoming friendly damage by 30% for the duration of the debuff. This makes it ideal for letting your team quickly burn through tough enemies like mini-bosses or Champions. It’s also an excellent choice for any raid or dungeon boss that you’ll be close to during DPS.
2. Heritage
The shotgun everyone is farming this season, Heritage is a slug shotgun found in the Deep Stone Crypt raid. A slug frame weapon, Heritage has some terrific stats and can roll with some pretty unique perks. This, of course, is the combination of Reconstruction/Recombination. Not only does this allow us to consistently reload our magazine, but boost Heritage’s damage after every elemental final blow. It’s a potent mixture – especially since you can increase Heritage’s damage by 88% if you get all 10 stacks of Recombination. So if you’re going to grind for any shotgun before Lightfall launches, this is the one I recommend hunting down.
3. Wastelander M5
My favorite shotgun, this Dares of Eternity weapon not only looks awesome but packs quite a punch. With a Lightweight Frame, this gun can roll with some terrific perks Subsistence, Pugilist, Trench Barrel, and Vorpal Weapon. Of course, the main draw is that this Kinetic shotgun can also get One-Two Punch. With the introduction of Arc 3.0, this perk has seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to all the melee-focused builds. You can also craft this firearm, which gives you access to enhanced perks making this quite a potent close-range option.
4. Dead Weight – Destiny 2 Best Shotguns
I’ll be honest, Dead Weight is on this list for mostly the same reasons as Wastelander M5. It’s a terrific Rapid-Fire Frame weapon that boasts a bunch of top-tier perks for shotguns. Where things differ is Dead Weight is Arc, which can give it a bit more synergy with Arc builds or just those wanting to run two Special weapons at once. Dead Weight also just looks and sounds awesome, which is the most important aspect of a weapon, right?
5. IKELOS_SG_v1.0.3
Look, a lot of this list is going to sound pretty repetitive since what makes a good PVE shotgun comes down to the stats and perks. For the IKELOS_SG_v1.0.3, this weapon has gone through several changes throughout the year and this is the best iteration so far. Not only does this firearm deal a lot of burst damage, but it can roll with the Incandescent perk. Perfect for Solar builds, this perk makes the IKELOS a mob-clearing machine. Unsurprisingly, it can also be crafted which means you can construct the perfect roll with enhanced perks. If you need a Solar shotgun, make sure to snag the IKELOS_SG_v1.0.3.
6. Legend of Acrius
I can’t believe I’m even writing about the Legend of Acrius being the year of our lord 2023, but here we are. Following a buff to the exotic catalyst at the start of the current season, the Legend of Acrius is capable of putting out a wild amount of damage. This is due to the catalyst giving this firearm the perk Trench Barrel, which drastically increases Acrius’ damage after a melee hit. Given you need to be quite close for this gun to be effective anyway, this change allows players to utterly devastate enemies. Plus, the Legend of Acrius is Arc so it synergizes with all those sweet Arc 3.0 melee builds. Seriously, if you haven’t tried this weapon since the buff I highly recommend dusting it off. Sure, it’s not the best DPS option out there, but it’s so much fun to use.
7. Xenoclast IV – Destiny 2 Best Shotguns
Another shotgun that quickly jumped in popularity thanks to all the melee-centric builds popping up. Xenoclast IV is good for the same reasons that Dead Weight is. The weapon is Arc, it has a deep, useful perk pool, it can roll with One-Two Punch, and it hits quite hard. The only major difference is Xenoclast IV is a Lightweight Frame instead of a Rapid-Fire Frame which makes it perfect for swapping to thanks to the high handling stat. Your only issue will be farming this gun, as it’s a world drop which means there’s no effective way to really farm for it.
8. Without Remorse
A Season of the Hunated weapon, Without Remorse is a solid Solar shotgun that boasts terrific handling, impact, and reload stats. Similar to the IKELOS_SG_v1.0.3, you will be largely using this gun for add control and not straight DPS. Because of this, you’ll want to snag or craft the Threat Detector/Incandescent roll. Alternatively, Without Remorse can roll with Vorpal Weapon or One-Two Punch if you want this gun for killing bosses or Champion-tier enemies.
9. Conditional Finality
The newest exotic shotgun, Conditional Finality is the Root of Nightmares raid exotic. This double-barrel weapon may only have two rounds per magazine, but each of those shots can inflict a deadly status effect on a foe. The first shot is always Stasis and can completely freeze an enemy you hit. Not only is this terrific for killing Champions, but the subsequent shatter damage can take our any nearby foes. Speaking of splash damage, Conditional Finality’s second round is Solar and will ignite the enemy hit turning them into a living bomb. Perfect for decimating hordes of enemies or just doing a bit of burst damage, Conditional Finality is not a gun you should sleep on. It’s terrific for high-level content and can even be a cheeky pick for those going into the Crucible.
10. Gunnora’s Axe – Destiny 2 Best Shotguns
The final entry on this list is a slug shotgun that’s tied to Iron Banner. Unlike Heritage, this gun only has one truly great PVE roll for those looking to use it outside of the Crucible. I recommend snagging an Auto-Loading Holster/Vorpal Weapon roll, as this offers great damage to bosses with minimal downtime spent reloading. That being said, it can roll with Voltshot which can be pretty fun when coupled with Threat Detector or even Surplus. While you don’t need this weapon, it’ll still be nice to have if slug shotguns ever become the best way to kill bosses again.
