Destiny 2 brought new weapon archetypes for players to experiment with. Submachine Guns, Grenade Launchers, and Linear Fusion Rifles were all new additions to keep the sandbox interesting. Linear's existed indirectly in the original Destiny with Queenbreaker and Sleeper Simulant, but they never existed as a proper archetype.
These weapons act as Sniper Rifles with a delay before firing, making them well-suited for holding down lanes in PvP or fighting tougher enemies in PvE content. While weaker than many Heavy weapons, they fill a unique niche that most Heavies can't. Here are the best Linear Fusion Rifles in Destiny 2.
Updated September 2nd, 2022, by Charles Burgar: Season of the Plunder introduced two powerful Linear Fusion Rifles into Destiny 2, both of which have carved their own niches into the PvE meta. Sailspy Pitchglass and Taipan-4FR stand alongside the likes of Cataclysmic and Reed's Regret as some of the best LFRs you can use currently. We've updated this list to include both weapons, replacing some older Linear Fusion Rifles that are no longer worth using.
10/10 The Queenbreaker
How to obtain: Exotic Engrams found through Xur or world drops.
Notorious for making Gambit a nightmare for a short timespan, The Queenbreaker Exotic Linear Fusion Rifle packs a serious punch with a short charge time.
Unlike most exotics, Queenbreaker has perk options to choose from. Players can choose between a long-range option with more damage and a slower charge, or Queenbreaker can swap to a faster charge time for medium-range encounters. It instantly kills most majors and Guardians on either mode, and its blinding effect is great for disabling tougher enemy's special attacks such as the Taken Captain's orb throw. There are better options for PvE, but this weapon is surprisingly good in Gambit.
Recommended Traits
- Column One: Marksman Sights
- Column Two: Quickdraw
9/10 Tarantula
How to obtain: Legendary world Engrams.
Tarantula is arguably a generic Linear Fusion Rifle, yet its refreshed perk pool in Season of the Chosen has made it a solid Heavy weapon for PvE and PvP.
Field Prep and Kill Clip make for a solid combo in PvE as a major and boss-slaying weapon. Get a single kill on a red bar, then annihilate a tough opponent's HP with a few well-placed shots. For PvP, Moving Target and Snapshot Sights make for a forgiving Heavy weapon that can land headshots with ease.
Recommended Traits
- Column One: Field Prep (PvE), Moving Target (PvP)
- Column Two: Kill Clip (PvE), Rampage, Snapshot Sights (PvP)
8/10 Sleeper Simulant
How to obtain: Purchased from the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower. Costs 1 Exotic Cipher, 125,000 Glimmer, 200 Baryon Bough, and 1 Ascendant Shard.
Sleeper Simulant has become much more powerful after its Catalyst became more accessible. It hits hard, charges surprisingly quick considering its damage output, and it's incredibly easy to use.
Masterworking this gun allows you to carry extra ammo and charge shots much faster, two things Sleeper needed. The increased charge time results in a weapon that can take out majors and most bosses without much issue. And against Guardians, Sleeper is typically overkill. All you need is one shot. It's surprisingly easy to land headshots with Sleeper as well, helping you shut down Supers.
7/10 Sailspy Pitchglass
How to obtain: Season of the Plunder activities.
If you're looking for a good Arc Linear Fusion Rifle but don't care for Stormchaser, give Sailspy Pitchglass a try. This Arc LFR can be obtained from most Season of the Plunder activities and can roll with some fantastic perk combinations.
Clown Cartridge and Frenzy is arguably the best roll on this gun, drastically buffing its stats in combat while allowing the magazine to overflow on reload. Firing seven to eight shots without reloading is nothing short of incredible for boss DPS. If you don't like Clown Cartridge, Rapid Hit can also roll on this weapon. Arc LFRs don't get much better than this.
Recommended Traits
- Column One: Clown Cartridge, Rapid Hit
- Column Two: Frenzy, Focused Fury
6/10 Lorentz Driver
How to obtain: Purchased from the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower. Costs 1 Exotic Cipher, 100,000 Glimmer, 150 Glacial Starwort, and 1 Ascendant Shard.
Do you love Arbalest but wish it was better at add-clear? Look no further than Lorentz Driver, Season 15's Exotic Season Pass weapon. This weapon is similar to Arbalest, residing in the Energy slot and utilizing Special ammo to snipe targets. Unlike Arbalest, Lorentz Driver has two absurdly strong perks.
Lagrangian Sight, Lorentz Driver's Exotic perk, gives you wallhacks periodically. If you kill the marked target, you get a telemetry stack. Should you grab three stacks of telemetry, your weapon deals 50% bonus damage for 30 seconds. This allows Lorentz to annihilate majors in PvE and one-tap Guardians to the body in PvP. And since the duration of this effect is so long, it's quite easy to keep this effect going once it's active.
If a one-tapping weapon with absurd aim assist still doesn't have you sold, precision kills will spawn a black hole, pulling targets towards the enemy you just killed. This gives it add-clearing potential as well and can seriously throw off opponents in the Crucible. Masterworking this weapon removes the precision requirement while you have three telemetry stacks, arguably making this one of Destiny 2's strongest Special weapons for PvP. It's a great PvE Special as well, but it doesn't quite beat Arbalest.
5/10 Stormchaser
How to obtain: Duality dungeon.
Stormchaser is one of the strongest DPS weapons in Destiny 2 and miles above the likes of Sleeper Simulant. It has some tough competition in the Heavy slot, competing with the likes of Cataclysmic and Reed's Regret. While its recent charge rate nerf significantly hurt Stormchaser's overall DPS, it's still a beast of a Linear Fusion Rifle and arguably the best Arc LFR in the game.
Unlike every other Linear Fusion Rifle in Destiny 2, Stormchaser fires in three-round bursts, each shot releasing three energy shots. A single burst from this gun deals 42% more damage than Reed's Regret or any other Legendary LFR, but this comes at the cost of a noticeable delay between each shot. Pair these high-damage bursts with Firing Line, and you have yourself a damage monster. And if you can find a way to use Font of Might, and Radiant on Stormchaser, this gun can stand alongside meta Heavy weapons for Master raids and GM Nightfalls.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Clown Cartridge, Rapid Hit
- Column Two: Firing Line (PvE), Frenzy, Vorpal Weapon
4/10 Cataclysmic
How to obtain: Vow of the Disciple raid.
Vow of the Disciple brought with it a new Linear Fusion Rifle, and its perk combinations are nothing short of incredible. Fourth Time's the Charm and any damage perk—High-Impact Reserves, Bait and Switch, Focused Fury, and Clown Cartridge—allows Cataclysmic to output an immense amount of total damage, more than Reed's Regret. However, that comes at the cost of ease of use. Since Cataclysmic isn't a Stasis weapon, you'll need to rely on other Well-generating mods to benefit from Font of Might. And with how troublesome Bait and Switch can be to trigger, Cataclysmic can range from top DPS to subpar based on your skill and the fight in question.
As for more casual content, Cataclysmic has some interesting perks. Successful Warm-Up is a solid choice if you're attempting to kill multiple majors or Champions with this weapon. For PvP, Surplus and Box Breathing isn't a terrible option, but you'd be better off using another Heavy weapon or something like Lorentz Driver.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Fourth Time's the Charm
- Column Two: Bait and Switch, Focused Fury, High-Impact Reserves
3/10 Taipan-4FR
How to obtain: Legendary Engrams; craftable after completing a short quest from The Enclave.
Destiny 2's first craftable Void LFR is nothing short of a beast. Upon completing a rather short quest from The Enclave's crafting station, you'll be able to create a Taipan with the exact roll you desire. That alone makes Taipan a top-tier LFR on this list, but this weapon's perk combinations make it a contender with current PvE giants.
Triple Tap and Firing Line can roll on this weapon, much like its Stasis cousin. Tapian also comes with Veist Stringer, giving you a chance to automatically reload the magazine from reserves when you hit someone. This gives Tapian the potential for absurdly high sustained DPS that rivals the likes of Reed's Regret and Cataclysmic. Best of all, it's craftable and tied to an easy quest. Everyone can make a god roll Tapian if they have a few hours to spare.
Recommended Traits
- Column One: Triple Tap, Field Prep
- Column Two: Firing Line, Frenzy
2/10 Reed's Regret
How to obtain: Trials of Osiris matches and Engrams
Reed's Regret is currently the only Linear Fusion Rifle in Destiny 2 that deals Stasis damage. While that doesn't inherently mean anything, it allows this weapon to obtain the Headstone perk and make use of Stasis Elemental Wells. So, is Reed's Regret any good?
It is, but not because of the Headstone perk. Creating a Stasis crystal on a precision kill isn't useful in PvE or PvP for a Power weapon, much less one that has limited ammo. However, Reed's Regret can roll with Triple Tap and Firing Line, a devastating perk combination that lets this weapon output some absurd damage. Better yet, the Veist Stinger Origin Trait allows this weapon to fully reload its magazine when it procs, allowing you to deal some absurd sustained DPS against raid bosses. Pair that with Supreme Wellmaker and Font of Might, and you have yourself one of the best DPS Heavy weapons in Destiny 2.
If you care about PvP, this weapon can also roll with Surplus and Vorpal Weapon to fix the weapon's low base stats. Best of all, this weapon comes with Veist Stinger and Alacrity, the former being an S-tier Origin Trait. If you're looking for a good Legendary Heavy weapon, look no further.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Triple Tap (PvE), Surplus (PvP)
- Column Two: Vorpal Weapon, Firing Line (PvE)
1/10 Arbalest
How to obtain: Exotic Engrams found through Xur or world drops.
Arbalest got an immense buff in the Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack, turning this weapon into one of the strongest, most versatile Special weapons in Destiny 2. This weapon now has intrinsic Anti-Barrier Rounds, allowing Arbalest to break Barrier Champion shields in Legend, Master, and Grandmaster content. It handles shields better than Eriana's Vow as well, breaking shields in Master-tier content with a single shot.
Each shot also deals increased damage to elemental shields, even if Match Game is active. Whenever you break a shield—whether elemental or Barrier—the target will take 50% increased Kinetic damage for a few seconds thanks to Disruption Break. And since Arbalest is a Kinetic weapon, it deals substantially more damage to these targets. It also has an Exotic Catalyst that gives the weapon Genesis, refilling your magazine upon breaking a combatant's shield.
If it wasn't clear, Arbalest is the ultimate Special weapon for endgame content in Destiny 2. It counters Barrier Champions with a single shot, breaks every type of shield when Match Game is active, deals excellent damage to majors from safety, and it can even be used as a solid DPS weapon against Champions thanks to Genesis. You're not going to find a better PvE utility weapon than this. For PvP, Arbalest is quite easy to use and can land headshots with ease, although Lorentz Driver is a far stronger option for the Crucible.
