Fusion Rifles have become more and more popular in Destiny 2 over the years. These unique charged weapons pack a punch up close, shooting five projectiles at a time. Skilled players commonly use a Fusion Rifle in the Crucible, and some even use the class in The Trials of Osiris.

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Because Fusion Rifles have the potential to deal a massive amount of damage in an instant, they can dominate in PVP. Not all of the Fusion weapons in the game are viable, however. This guide will include all of the top-tier Fusion Rifles in the game and explain the advantages of using each.

Updated on March 4, 2022, by Anastasia Maillot: Season 16 of Destiny 2 has bid farewell to fusion rifles, as Particle Deconstruction is no more. Now, with the season only a few weeks in, the meta seems to be up in the air and everything seems to go. One thing is for certain, however: Void reigns supreme, and this had had a good effect on some of Destiny 2's fusion rifles. Others, however, have fallen entirely out of favor, namely the One Thousand Voices, which has been removed from this ranking. Here are the best fusion rifles in Destiny 2, following the release of The Witch Queen expansion.

Merciless

Destiny 2 Merciless (1)
  • Best suited for PVP.

Though Merciless might be able to dish out impressive damage numbers, it remains now at the bottom of the list due to its Solar element during a Void-heavy season and the worst charge time. That said, no one can deny its gigantic damage output.

What weighs it down is the fact that Merciless is an Exotic weapon. In PVP and PVE, even Legendary weapons will fare better than Merciless, allowing players to leave that Exotic slot for something of better value.

Vex Mythoclast

ROI_Vex_Mythoclast Destiny 2
  • Best suited for PVE.

For controller players, the Vex is a reliable option in PVE. Oddly, it has a large scope, but a very low range. Thankfully, the Vex has an incredible 100 aim assist. Hitting small and moving targets is a breeze with this gun.

The exotic's intrinsic trait allows it to operate as a close-range linear Fusion Rifle as well. The adaptability and forgiveness of the Vex make it an ideal primary in many PVE scenarios. In PVP, it is average at best because of the slow TTK and limited range stat. Moreover, with its recent nerf, Vex is likely to remain at the bottom of players' vaults.

Bastion

destiny 2 Bastion (1)
  • Best suited for PVP.

At one point the Bastion was the best Fusion Rifle in the game. Bungie decided to give the gun a slight nerf by widening the bullet spread. Because of the nerf, the Bastion is more of a close to a mid-range weapon. When charged, the gun fires three rapid bursts of seven bolts.

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Guardians that connect all of their shots deal up to 600 damage, which is enough to take down a super. If two of the three bursts hit a target, that will still be enough to secure a kill. The limited range holds this Fusion Rifle back, but the damage potential up close makes it one of the top options in the game currently. Gamers that have good accuracy will rack up eliminations with this weapon. Though fusion rifles are no longer the meta, Bastion can still be a massive headache in PVP.

Jötunn

how-to-get-jotunn-destiny2 (1)
  • Best suited for PVP, but works in PVE.

This weapon could have been included in either category, but it shines against every type of PVE enemy. The charged shot melts the shields and health bars of bosses, and the volatile launch damages multiple ads with just one shot.

In PVP, pretty much any of the firing modes will one-shot a guardian. Jötunn is basically a launcher disguised as a Fusion Rifle. There is no skill needed to master the weapon, and it is guaranteed to cause a wave of destruction due to how it tracks enemies.

Plug One.1

Destiny-2-Plug-One-God-Roll
  • Best suited for PVP.

A precision frame makes Plug One.1 an accurate and controllable Fusion. It also has an ideal 75 recoil direction, so keeping shots on target will not be challenging. The precision Fusion Rifle has great base stats and a number of top-tier perk options to choose from. Heating Up, Killing Wind, and Under Pressure are all third slot options.

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Heating Up increases the accuracy and stability of the Fusion Rifle for five seconds after every kill. The perk stacks too, with two kills increasing both accuracy and stability by 30. The Kickstart perk pairs well with Heating Up. It gives the user bonus damage and a faster charge time. Those two perks alone provide a ton of impactful buffs.

Main Ingredient

Destiny 2 Main Ingredient Fusion Rifle
  • Best suited for PVP.

A famous choice for many players in PVP, Main Ingredient gets its popularity from being a precision frame fusion rifle. And that's really what any player would want from a fusion: precision, and low recoil that makes it easy to control the spread of the pellets.

The new meta and age of Void haven't significantly reduced the effectiveness of Main Ingredient, so PVP players who adore this weapon can still easily make it work regardless of meta changes.

Cartesian Coordinate

Destiny 2 Cartesian Coordinate (1)
  • Best suited for PVE.

The Cartesian Coordinate is a rapid-fire frame Fusion Rifle that has the chance to roll with the Vorpal Weapon perk in the fourth column. This perk increases damage against bosses and vehicles, which is incredible in Raids and other PVE events.

The 15 percent damage buff may not seem like much, but it makes a world of difference against an enemy with a large health pool. Another thing to note is that this is the only rapid-fire frame Fusion that rolls with Vorpal Weapon. Cartesian Coordinate is an average fusion to have, but as of season 16, it absolutely requires the Vorpal Weapon perk to compete with some of the Void fusions out there.

Likely Suspect

Destiny 2 Likely Suspect Fusion Rifle
  • Best suited for PVE.

One of the first craftable fusion rifles players will see in The Witch Queen expansion, Likely Suspect almost makes players regret that the era of Particle Deconstruction is over. The weapon's effectiveness deeply depends on the perks chosen, but overall, its rapid-fire frame makes it a solid replacement for the Cartesian Coordinate.

Some perks to look out for would be Liquid Coils and the new Successful Warm-Up, which makes Likely Suspect an absolutely lethal PVE secondary for any guardian out there.

Glacioclasm

Destiny-2-Glacioclasm (1)
  • Best suited for PVE, on occasion for PVP.

The Glacioclasm Fusion Rifle has some of the best base stats in the game. This high-impact Fusion Rifle has an incredibly high 67 range with a very good base stability of 36. Unlike the Fusions above, this weapon has a high zoom value, giving it more versatility and range. With the right perks, Glacioclasm is one of the most dominant weapons in the game.

Mainly, the Reservoir Burst perk is brilliant as it ups the damage for the next shot when the gun's battery is full, creating a small explosion. It also earns bonus points for being Void and playing well into Void builds in season 16.

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In the third perk column, Killing Wind and Slideshot are options. Another viable column three perk is Under Pressure. When a clip is below half, accuracy increases by 25-50 percent. With all of these beneficial attributes, it is evident that Glacioclasm is a solid choice in the class.

Telesto

Destiny 2 Telesto (1)
  • Suited for both PVP and PVE.

Telesto is probably the most broken Fusion Rifle in Destiny 2. Time and time again, Telesto has made waves in the community. It was a very good gun in Destiny 2, but the glitches and bugs that constantly accompany it make it insane. It has been the best gun in the game about 20 times.

From infinite ammo to invisibility, the number of times Telesto has created game-breaking bugs is hard to count. In retrospect, Bungie had to be messing with the player base. Every guardian should have this gun in their rotation to be ready for the next ridiculously overpowered glitch. Also, it fares pretty well on its own.

Null Composure

Destiny 2 Null Composure Fusion Rifle
  • Best suited for PVE.

Good old Null Composure isn't going anywhere this season despite the departure of Particle Deconstruction. As a brilliant Void fusion rifle and Reservoir Burst, it's a perfect addition to the arsenal of any guardian looking to make an explosive Void build.

Its rapid-fire frame makes it a good choice for PVE in particular, but in PVP it will lack a bit of precision due to the spread of the bullets. The spread is fantastic for ad-clearing in PVE, however.

Snorri FR5

Destiny 2 Snorri FR5 Fusion Rifle
  • Best suited for PVP.

Snorri FR5 is one of the newest fusion rifles added with season 16, and it's showing a lot of promise. Not only is it highly accessible as a Legendary drop, but it also comes with some interesting perks that can turn it into a beastly PVP weapon worthy of respect.

Snorri is a precision-frame fusion rifle, meaning it's easy to land all the pellets on a target. Its Void element makes it a wonderful addition to any Void 3.0 builds as well, and though it has a long charge time, it can easily duel against staples like the Main Ingredient.

Destiny 2 was released on September 6, 2017, and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Google Stadia.

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