Part of what makes Destiny so unique from other first-person shooters is the space magic players can wield. Players can go from firing typical weapons to unleashing a beam of electric energy at foes or spawning an impenetrable shield that absorbs enemy fire.
The power fantasy Destinyprovides is hard to find elsewhere, but that doesn't mean the game's balance is perfect. Plenty of Supers in Destiny 2 have received one too many nerfs or have dominated the sandbox for multiple seasons. Ranging from Light to Dark Subclass Supers, here are all of Destiny 2's Supers ranked from worst to best.
Updated on June 8th, 2022, by Charles Burgar: Solar 3.0 gave players some new options for buffing their Solar Supers. Burning Maul, Blade Barrage, and Well of Radiance all saw some major balance changes. We've updated this list to reflect this season's changes and rewrote a few entries to better explain why they deserve their ranking.
23/23 Nova Bomb: Vortex
One of Destiny's most iconic Supers is Nova Bomb. It's flashy without locking players into a roaming state, is easy to use, and deals reasonable damage for how quickly Voidwalkers can obtain their Super.
Unfortunately, that's all Nova Bomb has going for it in Destiny 2. In the original Destiny, players could alter Nova Bomb to travel much faster or split into multiple projectiles. Destiny 2's Nova Bomb lacks that versatility, making it a one-and-done damage Super that doesn't even do that much damage when compared to its competition. Nova Bomb is by no means bad. It just doesn't have anything unique mechanically that sets it apart from other top-tier Supers. Vortex's persistent AoE effect is mediocre at best in PvE and easy to avoid in the Crucible. Just use Cataclysm instead.
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22/23 Stormtrance
Stormtrance saw a large buff in Season of the Lost in the form of Stormdancer's Brace and Landfall—although the Bungie 30th Anniversary Patch did reign in Landfalls somewhat. The former now give Super energy when you land Stormtrance kills. The latter was buffed so much that it can one-shot most Supers without much issue.
The Super itself is lackluster, dealing pitiful damage and lacking good movement speed. Top Tree's Ionic Blink helps, but Bottom Tree's Landfall opener is a much more appealing option for all game types. It's a solid PvE Super for add-clearing, yet the only use for this Super inside the Crucible is Landfall, an effect tied to one subclass tree.
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21/23 Fists Of Havoc
Fists of Havoc is a fantastic PvP Super due to its versatility. It won't beat a Daybreak Warlock in terms of mobility, but it can shoulder-charge at will and dodge incoming fire before landing a lethal slam.
For PvE, Fists of Havoc is a mediocre Super that is solid at clearing out adds, although it struggles to kill majors and bosses. It won't beat Thundercrash or Sentinel Shield for endgame PvE content, but fans of Top and Bottom Tree Striker can make it work.
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20/23 Golden Gun: Marksman
Golden Gun didn't see many changes in Solar 3.0, which is a shame. Marksman gives you three bullets that can land headshots, dealing high damage per shot. This is great inside the Crucible for shutting down Supers, yet Marksman Golden Gun seriously struggles to find a place in PvE.
The main issue is damage output. Marksman Golden Gun deals low total damage compared to Blade Barrage, Thundercrash, Burning Maul, and even a Warlock that's spamming Fusion Grenades. Exotics don't help much either, with Nighthawk nerfing your total damage while Star-Eater Scales require a considerable amount of setup. If you want to get some easy kills in PvP, this is a solid roaming Super. But if you're someone who wants to pump out some great DPS in PvE, run Blade Barrage instead.
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19/23 Shadowshot: Deadfall
Shadowshot needs little introduction for most Destiny players. This Super forces targets to take increased damage and share damage amongst each other. For PvE, Shadowshot is a solid crowd control Super that helps your allies get their Supers faster.
If Shadowshot is so good in PvE, why is it so low on this list? Simply put, Shadowshot is the worst PvP Super in Destiny 2. It makes you a sitting duck during its cast animation if you have no momentum, takes a few seconds to prime, and it takes another second after tethering to take someone out of their Super. You cannot use this Super as a reaction to an enemy's Super; you will die 99% of the time.
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18/23 Glacial Quake
Glacial Quake quickly became the punching bag of balance patches post-Beyond Light. What was once arguably the most overpowered Super in Destiny 2 history has been repeatedly nerfed, arguably too much. This Super is used for two things:
- Generating cover, allowing Stasis allies to activate certain Fragments.
- Applying pressure onto enemy Guardians.
For PvE, this Super is subpar. In PvP, it requires your team to play to Glacial Quake's strengths. It's a solid Super for anchoring or applying pressure inside the Crucible, yet you could make the same argument for most Supers. Stasis itself still remains a powerful element and is the sole reason Glacial Quake isn't ranked at the very bottom.
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17/23 Nova Bomb: Cataclysm
Nova Bomb might not be a top-tier Super, but it gets the job done. It's a solid AoE ability that can clear out majors in high-end content, deal good boss damage in casual PvE content, and it can shut down Supers in PvP.
We have two reasons for ranking Cataclysm higher than Vortex:
- Its tracking is fantastic in PvP.
- The bomblets can get easy cleanups.
The total damage might not be as good as Vortex in PvE, but the ease of use and bomblets make the add-clearing and PvP potential for this Super far surpass Vortex.
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16/23 Nova Warp
Nova Warp is finally in a good spot. Recent buffs were substantial, assisting Nova Warp's mobility and overall duration. It still isn't the best for killing majors or bosses in PvE content, but Nova Warp is now a rather powerful PvP Super in the right hands. It moves extremely fast when used properly, can teleport repeatedly, and deals solid damage with each pulse. Nova Warp is far from top-tier, but it isn't bottom of the barrel like it used to be.
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15/23 Chaos Reach
Chaos Reach is a good Super for shutting down an enemy Super, unsuspecting Guardians, or tough minibosses in PvE. The issue is that Chaos Reach's damage is terrible in PvE without Geomag Stabilizers, and this Super is tied to a mediocre subclass tree by today's standards.
This ability to cancel it makes it incredibly strong in PvP if players run Super energy perks on their armor. When paired with Charged with Light mods, Chaos Reach also acts as a damage-boosting Super for your entire fireteam that you can cast a few times per match. But just remember that you're a stationary target while in this Super, and you'll need to run Geomags to get anything out of Chaos Reach in PvE.
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14/23 Arc Staff
Arc Staff is a highly underutilized Super in Destiny 2. This Super has everything: great damage, solid damage reduction while active, good mobility, and can even deflect enemy projectiles when players use Middle Tree Arcstrider. Its main weakness is that Arc Staff is a melee Super. PvE bosses can stomp you, and enemy Guardians can shut you down if they have the right weapon.
On the plus side, Arc Staff is one of the hardest-hitting melee Supers in the game. When Raiden Flux is equipped, this becomes one of the highest damaging Supers in the game that lasts for an absurdly long time. It also serves as a tool for countering Supers while the Raiju's Harness Exotic is equipped, so long as you're running Middle Tree Arcstrider. Arc Staff does a little bit of everything.
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13/23 Golden Gun: Deadshot
Deadshot Golden Gun is a surprisingly good Super inside the Crucible. With Knock 'Em Down and the right Fragments, you can wipe an entire team multiple times before the Super expires. It struggles against other Supers and enemies at further distances, yet the killing potential of this Super more than makes up for it.
In PvE, Deadshot is tough to recommend. You need to use certain Fragments to take advantage of Deadshot fully, it recharges more slowly than Blade Barrage, and it deals virtually no single-target DPS since it can't land headshots. Blade Barrage triumphs over Deadshot in PvE, but don't ignore this Super in the Crucible.
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12/23 Daybreak
Daybreak stands as a stronger mobility tool than a proper Super. It deals subpar damage when compared to other Supers, and it isn't particularly great at clearing out enemy groups. The rework to Dawn Chorus significantly hurt Daybreak's viability in PvE as a DPS Super, so most Dawnblades are better off using Well of Radiance instead.
Crucible players can chain a few kills with this Super thanks to its solid damage and blast radius. Most players use this Super as a means of traversal, utilizing Icarus Dash with Daybreak to move at incredible speeds. It isn't good for shutting down Supers as other Warlock Supers, yet its excellent mobility makes it a solid Super for fighting other Guardians.
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11/23 Hammer Of Sol
Hammer of Sol is a rather strong Super for clearing out hordes of PvE opponents. Sunspots and ignites enhance this Super to help with quickly neutralizing any non-boss threat. Since these hammers can be thrown for quite a distance, Titans can stay safe behind cover while laying down suppressive fire. If you pair this Super with Roaring Flames, you can do a surprising amount of damage in PvE.
These hammers are quite powerful in the Crucible as well. Hammers splinter and deal excellent damage in an area, creating Sunspots in their wake if you use the right Aspect. Paired with Roaring Flames, you can shutdown just about every Super in the game from a safe distance. Hammer of Sol is a powerhouse that is kept in check with its extremely long cooldown and limited movement tools.
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10/23 Spectral Blades
Spectral Blades can dish out a surprising amount of damage in PvE, but this Super truly shines in Crucible.
It has the highest damage reduction in the game while the player is invisible, grants wallhacks, has incredible mobility that is second only to Daybreak, and has so much auto-aim that it's hard not to kill someone in this Super. The only issue with Spectral Blades is its cooldown. Unless you slay out, you'll struggle to earn this Super before a game ends. It certainly beats Tether in PvP, but don't expect to get a Super every game if you use Spectral Blades.
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9/23 Burning Maul
Solar 3.0 has buffed Burning Maul in a plethora of ways. It deals more PvE damage, can spawn Sunspots, benefits from Roaring Flames, and can be used alongside Synthoceps or other melee Exotics to dish out some obscene damage. If you build into this Super, your total damage will exceed just about every Super in the game except Blade Barrage with Star-Eater Scales. It's that good. Burning Maul also excels at clearing out adds.
In the Crucible, Burning Maul's biggest issue is its limited mobility. You run slowly, have rather slow attacks, and you don't gain any new movement tools. A player with a Sniper Rifle or something with Vorpal Weapon can easily shut you down. Close the gap, however, and your Burning Maul will decimate just about everything.
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8/23 Silence And Squall
Blending aspects of Blade Barrage and Shadowshot, Silence And Squall is the Revenant Hunter's signature Super. Revenants create a kama that freezes targets before throwing a follow-up kama that detonates Stasis, creating an ice tornado that lingers for a few seconds.
While this Super doesn't have high damage output, it works as an excellent crowd control tool. Squall's ice tornado lasts for over a dozen seconds, chasing down targets while slowing anyone in the immediate vicinity. Silence is also great for setting up Stasis explosions in PvE or stopping a Super in PvP.
Sadly, the long cast time of this Super makes it prone to getting focused in PvP when the animation begins. Even if you can get the Super off, you need to be somewhat precise with the Silence kama due to the radius nerf it received. Silence and Squall might not overtake Shadowshot or Spectral Blades for PvE or PvP, but its versatility and crowd control capabilities make it a great jack of all trades Super for all activities.
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7/23 Sentinel Shield
Sentinel Shield's ability to easily destroy dozens of enemies at range while staying safe having a defensive shield makes it great on its own. But what makes this Super so great is its Weapons of Light buff.
Banner Shield is absurdly strong in endgame PvE content when paired with Ursa Furiosa, generating a copious amount of Orbs of Power with each Super. It also grants allies a 40% damage buff and makes them impervious to all damage and flinch coming from the other side of the shield. Sentinel Shield is a decent Super in PvP too.
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6/23 Shadowshot: Moebius Quiver
Tether has become a solid DPS Super for PvE. The Witch Queen expansion overhauled this Exotic to fire three arrows in a single barrage, capable of firing two barrages before the Super ends. It deals good damage, just shy of what Thundercrash can pull off if you're using Star-Eater Scales or Orpheus Rig.
With that said, this Super does struggle in the Crucible. The delayed activation time of Tether is still an issue for shutting down Supers, although the damage can make up for this if cast at mid-range. It's not as bad as its Deadfall cousin, but Moebius Quiver can feel inconsistent at times when you need to counter a Super.
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5/23 Winter's Wrath
Winter's Wrath is a terrifying Super to face in PvP, although its lack of movement options does limit its usefulness in PvE.
The issue is that Winter's Wrath can't compete with the fast movement of Daybreak, the teleports seen with Stormtrance and Nova Warp, and it isn't a one-and-done Super like Nova Bomb. What it does have in spades is crowd control. Winter's Wrath is a menace in PvE, freezing hordes of enemies before detonating them in a devastating AoE explosion.
In PvP, Winter's Wrath's projectiles seek targets with a degree of aggression that would make Truth proud. If you hear this Super activate in a Crucible game, your best bet is to hide or generate some serious distance between you and the Warlock in question. If you get hit by one of the Super's projectiles, it's game over.
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4/23 Ward Of Dawn
This is a hard Super to rank. Ward of Dawn is mediocre in PvE due to the Weapons of Light nerf in The Witch Queen. The cover it provides is useful in a select few encounters, and the damage buff can be replicated by the Radiant buff found in all Solar subclasses.
With that said, Ward of Dawn is tough to counter in PvP. Since it has such a short cooldown, a good Titan main can get their Ward of Dawn up before everyone else gets their Super. This gives your team a good damage buff, Orbs to fuel their Supers, and you can lock down a part of the map. Need to grab Heavy ammo safely? Use Ward of Dawn. Is the enemy trying to Super you? Use Ward of Dawn. Is a tiebreaker active in Trials? Pop your Ward to win the game.
You force the enemy team to drop everything they're doing to break your bubble, something that requires you to use a Super of your own. Ward of Dawn is absurdly strong in objective modes and can single-handedly swing a game in your team's favor.
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