.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
As with the other subclass reworks in Destiny 2, Arc 3.0 was accompanied by the strength of Elemental Well mods, which in turn made all Arc weapons ten times more valuable in the game. However, those who didn't have the time nor the will to prepare for season 18 might now find themselves without a good variety of Arc weapons.
Luckily, Destiny 2 has an absolute abundance of decent Arc weapons. There's something for just about every archetype, so no matter which game mode the player prefers and what their build is, they're bound to find the weapon of their dreams on this list. Here's which Arc weapons are the best in the game right now.
Updated on June 18, 2023, by Anastasia Maillot: Season of the Deep is a strong season for any Arc builds. The artifact is full of fantastic perks that work wonderfully with Arc builds, and paired with them, players can pick among some of the strongest Arc weapons in the game. There's quite a bit of variety as of Lightfall's introduction, but a few options have been phased out in favor of stronger weapons, as well as those that are actually currently available in the game. For those still searching for the ideal Arc weapon to pair with their Arc build, these are some of the best Arc weapons in Destiny 2, in Season of the Deep.
16 Cloudstrike
- How To Get: Empire Hunts on Europa
Cloudstrike has been strong for quite some time now in Destiny 2, even on the PVE sandbox side. It's an Exotic sniper rifle that, upon hit, will spawn a lightning strike on the location of the target enemy and damage those around it. It's absolutely lethal in PVP if enemies are bunched up around a corner, and it's decent in PVE.
Players will have to play higher-difficulty Empire Hunts on Europa to get their hands on it. The drop is random, but if players don't have the weapon, it shouldn't take more than a few tries for the sniper rifle to drop for them, provided they get a good score.
15 Iterative Loop
- How To Get: Neomuna rewards and Lightfall campaign
Fusion rifles are somewhat making a return in PVE, and Iterative Loop shows exactly why. With double Special weapon setups starting to become more and more common, Iterative Loop is a fantastic Arc fusion rifle option due to being able to roll with Lead from Gold and Voltshot.
The hard part about this weapon is actually getting it. It's a random drop on Neomuna and also drops during the Lightfall campaign. It can take a lot of grinding to actually get it, but once players unlock five patterns of it, it's well worth the investment.
14 Found Verdict
- How To Get: Vault of Glass raid
Found Verdict is still good, even a few years after Vault of Glass made its entry into Destiny 2. With old raids now getting Origin Traits, it's likely that it will also receive one in the future and become craftable. For now, the regular version and Timelost versions will do.
Found Verdict is mainly a PVP shotgun, but in PVE, it can do well with Auto-Loading Holster and One-Two Punch for a select few Arc Hunter builds using Assassin's Cowl. For PVP, Slideshot and Opening Shot is the best combination.
13 Centrifuse
- How To Get: Season of the Deep battle pass, after that Monument to Lost Lights
Introduced in Season of the Deep's battle pass, Centrifuse is a simple Arc auto rifle of the Exotic kind. It encourages movement, as sprinting will charge up the weapon, which is perfect for Arc builds due to Amplified's speed boost.
The built-up charge boosts the range and the reload speed of the auto rifle. While a high charge will create Arc explosions when targets are killed, the maximum charge will also blind targets on top of the Arc explosion. It's very similar in principle to the Tarnished Mettle scout rifle found later on this list, but much more PVE-friendly due to the rapid rate of fire.
12 Out Of Bounds
- How To Get: Crucible rewards
Out of Bounds came out during Season of the Plunder and is one of the most promising new Crucible weapons available. It's an Arc SMG like the Ikelos SMG below, but what makes it special is its perk pool that truly stands out with a massive amount of overall great perks and tons of fantastic PVP perks.
Both perk columns have at least four or three desirable perk options, which is huge. For PVE, Golden Tricorn, Demolitionist, Threat Detector, Swashbuckler, and Adrenaline Junkie are all incredible perks to choose from. It's the ideal close-range weapon for any Arc builds that rely on building up ability charge fast and on the fly.
11 Ikelos SMG
- How To Get: Banshee-44 or Xur
Ikelos weapons are craftable in Season 19, and one of the more interesting ones is the Ikelos SMG V1.0.3. This new version of the older iteration can receive Enhanced perks once it's crafted and leveled, which means it becomes even more of a powerhouse.
The really interesting part, however, is that it can now get the go-to PVE Arc perk Voltshot. This makes it incredibly desirable for any Arc 3.0 builds, so best farm it now that it's widely available during the Season of the Seraph by focusing deepsights at the seasonal vendor and Resonant Stem treasure hunts.
10 Trespasser
- How To Get: Witch Queen Exotics from the Exotics kiosk
Season 17 of Destiny 2 brought back the Trespasser, an Arc sidearm with a lot of promise. Though it failed to impress players during Solar 3.0, now that Arc has rolled around it almost feels like a natural choice for any sidearm users out there.
The Trespasser shoots in small bursts. Reload after killing a target, and the next Arc burst will be much greater. When the Unrepentant perk is active, Trespasser will reload automatically and carry on this buff. Sadly, Trespasser still isn't the strongest choice when it comes to sidearms, even when sidearms have shown incredible progress in the last few seasons.
9 Delicate Tomb
- How To Get: Witch Queen Exotics in the Exotic kiosk
Season 18's early season pass unlock is the Delicate Tomb fusion rifle. Initially, this fusion didn't gain much popularity due to its unique, horizontal cone-like firing pattern when shot from the hip. That said, it's that very firing pattern that makes it amazing for Arc builds and shooting several targets at a time.
This weapon is perfect for Arc 3.0 due to its intrinsic ability to create Ionic Traces on final blows and overcharge itself when these Ionic Traces are picked up. It's not just ideal for fusion rifle lovers but for every Arc enthusiast.
8 Trinity Ghoul
- How To Get: Exotic engrams
Bows are not a go-to for most players, but if there's one bow to make an exception for, then it's definitely Trinity Ghoul. This Exotic Arc bow has decent synergy with Arc 3.0, with the ability to create a chain lightning effect when players hit precision shots on enemies.
While it does need the right fragments and aspects to do the most, it's one of those Exotics that is worth picking up for any Arc singe content. In particular, it will shine in Grandmaster Nightfalls that require a ton of ad-clearing and that come with that bonus damage to any Arc weapons and abilities.
7 Tarnished Mettle
- How To Get: Banshee-44 or Xur
Tarnished Mettle is no longer readily available for players, but it does occasionally appear in the inventory of Banshee-44, and possibly Xur. Players should keep an eye out for it if they don't have access to the Spire of the Watcher dungeon, which features the Long Arm scout rifle—also Arc.
Tarnished Mettle is the most accessible Arc scout rifle, and the best part is that it can roll with the new seasonal perk, Voltshot. Voltshot allows players to jolt a target when reloading after a kill, which pairs brilliantly with most Arc 3.0 builds.
6 Riskrunner
- How To Get: Exotic quest for New Lights
Riskrunner is a fan-favorite Arc SMG, and this is the best season to bring it back. Sadly, SMGs don't have any champion mods this season, but for activities like Master Ketchcrash, it can be fantastic thanks to the Arc shield it can provide when players take incoming Arc damage.
The Superconductor perk is also amazing as it creates chain lightning that pairs well with the Arc 3.0 abilities, aspects, and fragments. Plus, it's an SMG that favors close-range combat, so it's perfect for this season.
5 Forbearance
- How To Get: Vow of the Disciple raid
One of the best fragments is the Spark of Beacons Arc fragment, which pairs well with any Arc Special weapons. Forbearance is without a doubt one of the best picks when it comes to special weapons, as it's a Legendary that doesn't take up an Exotic spot.
Make sure to craft a Forbearance and level it up to get the Enhanced Perk. Players can look for perks like Ambitious Assassin and Chain Reaction for the best possible version.
4 Thunderlord
- How To Get: Exotic engrams
Thunderlord is back with a blast this season, as it now has an intrinsic anti-Overload perk to it. Moreover, machine guns deal extra damage against rank-and-file enemies as well as bosses, so it will do decently against some mid-tier PVE enemies.
Shots with Thunderlord generate lightning strikes, and with its newly introduced catalyst, it becomes an even greater force to be reckoned with, as lightning strikes will reload the gun from its existing reserves.
3 Stormchaser
- How To Get: Duality dungeon
Linear fusion rifles may not be the best anymore for endgame in Destiny 2, but they are still incredibly powerful in Destiny 2. For that reason alone, Stormchaser remains at the top and shares the DPS king spot with Cataclysmic.
Stormchaser can be acquired from the Duality dungeon and works best with perks like Vorpal Weapon or Firing Line. Better yet, pair it with Arc surges on an Arc subclass, and it becomes one of the best DPS weapons available.
2 Grand Overture
- How To Get: Witch Queen Exotics tab in the Exotic kiosk
Grand Overture is an Arc machine gun that is performing extremely well. It's even more interesting now that machine guns have been significantly buffed and Destiny 2 has shifted more towards a rocket launcher and machine gun meta.
Grand Overture received a 50% damage buff this season, which means its missiles will do even more damage than before. It's a gigantic buff to an Exotic that has gone under everyone's radar and was fairly useless when it was first released. Buy it now at the Witch Queen Exotics tab while it shows promise.
1 The Hothead
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
- How To Get: Nightfall rewards
Rocket launchers are the hardest meta as of Season of the Deep. Those who have yet to craft an Apex Predator rocket launcher can still rely on The Hothead, which can now also be focused for a non-adept version over at Zavala in the Tower.
The ideal perk combination is Explosive Light and Auto-Loading Holster for the most amount of DPS. When combined with triple Arc surges and an Izanagi's Burden, this rocket launcher has some of the best damage performance in Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.