Destiny 2 has seen a rework to its subclasses throughout The Witch Queen and its subsequent seasons. These changes have highly encouraged monochromatic builds, loadouts that focus on using a single element. With Solar 3.0 being so powerful currently, now is the perfect time to find a good Solar weapon.

Related: Destiny 2: Every Solar Fragment, Ranked From Worst To Best

Recently released Solar weapons can roll with Incandescent, a Solar variant of Dragonfly that Scorches targets. It's likely Solar weapons will see further Solar-exclusive perks in future seasons. But for now, these weapons serve as some of the most unique and powerful Solar weapons you can use in Destiny 2.

This list focuses on PvE content. Entries are in no particular order.

10/10 Strident Whistle

How to obtain: Vanguard Ops playlist.

Bows always have a place in endgame PvE content. GM Nightfalls and other Master-tier content encourage you to stay at a distance, something Strident Whistle does better than most. Besides dealing great damage, this Bow is a powerhouse for clearing out hordes of enemies.

That's mainly due to Incandescent, a Solar variant of Dragonfly that inflicts Scorch on kill. This explosion is quite large and, with enough kills, can trigger an Ignite. One Ignite is enough to clear an entire wave of enemies and seriously hurt a Champion. If you're looking for a more consistent Solar Bow, Archer's Tempo and Explosive Head work great in all endgame content.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Archer's Tempo
  • Column Two: Incandescent, Explosive Head

9/10 Drang (Baroque)

How to obtain: Open Opulent Chests aboard the Derelict Leviathan.

Drang's opulent version has returned in Season of the Haunted, complete with a new suite of perks. The default Drang didn't even need random rolls; the weapon was just a fantastic pick. This variant contains some incredible perk combinations that Sidearm mains will appreciate, and it is an absolute monster in PvE with the right roll.

Arguably the best part of Drang is the Incandescent perk, inflicting Scorch to nearby targets when you kill someone. The Scorch effect itself isn't great, yet landing a few kills in quick succession can easily cause an Ignite. It's a powerhouse for PvE mobbing, and its excellent base stats make it a great weapon for shutting down Shotgun rushers in the Crucible. Drang can also roll with Disruption Break, a fantastic perk against Solar shields and Barrier Champions.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Disruption Break
  • Column Two: Incandescent, Swashbuckler

8/10 The Lament

How to obtain: "Lost Lament" quest.

What could be better than a hard-hitting Sword? What about a chainsword? The Lament is an Exotic Sword ripped straight out of the Warhammer 40K universe, ripping through your enemies with its chainsaw blade and absurdly high base damage.

Related: Destiny 2: The Best Titan Builds For PvP And PvE

Compared to Legendary Swords, Lament can break Barrier Champion shields, deal absurd damage with its light and heavy attack combo, and even heal you. It won't dominate the Crucible Heavy meta, but this weapon has become a staple for close-range boss DPS.

7/10 Explosive Personality

How to obtain: PsiOps Battlegrounds and focused Umbral Engrams.

Explosive Personality is a Wave Frame Grenade Launcher that packs a serious punch. Each shot from this GL releases a fissure of Solar energy, killing most enemies in its path. Majors and Guardians are left seriously injured. That alone is great, yet it's this weapon's perk pool that truly makes it shine.

Disruption Break can roll on Explosive Personality, a first for Wave Frames. Breaking someone's shield will cause them to take 50% more Kinetic damage from all sources, allowing you to hotswap to your Kinetic weapon to dish out some absurd damage. The weapon is incredibly easy to use, hits hard, and is a nightmare to fight against in the Crucible.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Auto-Loading Holster
  • Column Two: Disruption Break

6/10 Tarrabah

How to obtain: Purchased from the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower. Costs 1 Exotic Cipher, 150,000 Glimmer, 240 Spoils of Conquest, and 2 Ascendant Shards.

At face value, Tarrabah looks average at best. It has a mediocre stat package, small magazine, and requires Spoils of Conquest to purchase. That seems outrageous, yet there's one thing that makes Tarrabah worthy of its raid Exotic status: Ravenous Beast.

Dealing or receiving enough damage alllows you to "unleash the beast," as the in-game description puts it. For seven seconds, your gun fires at 900 RPM, deals double damage, has a much faster reload animation, and it even increases your Mobility stat. Damaging and killing targets can extend this effect for far longer in PvE. And yes, the buff works the same way in PvP. All it takes is a couple of gunfights to turn this SMG into a pocket Machine Gun with infinite ammo. If you can afford the Spoils, Tarrabah is absolutely worth getting.

5/10 Staccato-46

How to obtain: Legendary world Engrams.

Staccato-46 came into the Destiny 2 sandbox at the perfect time. It can roll with this season's excellent Incandescent perk, counter Champions thanks to Unstoppable Rounds, and it got a massive buff in PvP with the mid-season changes.

This Scout Rifle is truly special, capable of rolling with either Incandescent or Rampage in the second column. This is the only 180 Scout that can roll with either perk. The former makes Staccato an add-clearing machine with the right build, while the latter allows Staccato to three-tap Guardians in PvP with enough stacks. Pair either combo with Shoot to Loot, and the end result is one of Destiny 2's best Scout Rifles.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Shoot to Loot, Outlaw
  • Column Two: Incandescent, Rampage

4/10 Vex Mythoclast

How to obtain: Vault of Glass raid (Atheon encounter).

The first raid Exotic in Destiny's lifespan was brought forward in Season of the Splicer, complete with a new Linear Fusion Rifle alt-fire. Vex might not be the overpowered monster it was on launch, yet the version we have today is nonetheless a powerhouse and a theorycrafter's dream.

Related: Destiny 2: Top 10 Fusion Rifles, Ranked

Vex's main strength is its weapon family. This weapon is technically a Fusion Rifle, although it mechanically behaves like a 360 RPM Auto Rifle with a slightly faster fire rate. That difference is important to note because Fusion Rifle effects like Quick Charge and the Warlock's Rain of Fire boots work with this gun. As a result, stacking damage with this gun is trivial. Just about every class can stack the weapon's Catalyst buff with Radiant or some other damage increase to melt enemies. If you love creating builds in Destiny 2, the Vex Mythoclast is a weapon worth farming for.

3/10 Cataclysmic

How to obtain: Vow of the Disciple raid (Acquisition and Caretaker encounters).

Cataclysmic is a hard-hitting Linear Fusion Rifle with great perks. Fourth Time's the Charm is a first for an LFR, letting this weapon firing up to ten rounds before reloading. You can pair this with Bait and Switch—a massive damage buff that occurs when damaging a target with all three of your weapons—to deal some amazing DPS numbers in raids and GM Nightfalls. It's also craftable, something no other Linear Fusion Rifle can boast.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Fourth Time's the Charm
  • Column Two: Bait and Switch

2/10 Gjallarhorn

How to obtain: "And Out Fly the Wolves" quest.

Gjallarhorn needs no introduction. It's arguably the most iconic Exotic in the franchise, cheesing bosses in Destiny's original launch all the way to buffing Rocket Launcher DPS in Destiny 2. That's right, Gjallarhorn buffs other Rocket Launchers now.

While the damage of Gjallarhorn isn't the pinnacle of PvE DPS, it acts as a sort of support weapon, granting allied Legendary Rocket Launchers Wolfpack Rounds and vastly improved reload speed. So long as one person in your fireteam is using Gjallarhorn, everyone on your team is using Gjallarhorn. Don't jump into Destiny 2's endgame without this weapon in your inventory.

1/10 CALUS Mini-Tool

How to obtain: Open Opulent Chests aboard the Derelict Leviathan.

Similar to Drang, CALUS Mini-Tool is a reprised version of the MIDA Mini-Tool that has a new perk pool. This version of the Mini-Tool can roll with some incredible perks, notably Incandescent. It works just as well as you'd expect on an SMG, creating multiple Ignites during a gunfight if enemies are packed together.

If you don't like Incandescent, CALUS Mini-Tool has some great alternatives. Surrounded is a great perk for SMGs if you play in their intended range. Disruption Break can be useful in Master-tier content, and PvP players can get some mileage out of Eye of the Storm and Tap the Trigger. There's nothing the CALUS Mini-Tool is bad at.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Unrelenting, Grave Robber, Threat Detector
  • Column Two: Incandescent, Surrounded (PvE), Tap the Trigger (PvP)

Next: Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Complete Guide And Walkthrough