Exotic weapons are the main spice in Destiny 2, but getting them can sometimes be a bit of a hassle. A lot of RNG is involved in the process, and some weapons are even locked behind paywalls or special quests that take a while to complete. Moreover, Exotic weapons are often subject to balance changes, as shown by Bungie's latest TWAB which promises major reworks for season 19 when it comes to weapon archetypes and Exotic weapons.

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Hence, players might sometimes just be better off sticking to Legendary weapons. Luckily, there are a ton of fantastic Legendary weapons in the game that perform significantly better than some of their Exotic counterparts, making them worth the grind. Here are some of the best Legendary weapons in Destiny 2 that can contend with Exotic weapons.

10 Tarnished Mettle

Destiny 2 Tarnished Mettle
  • Source: Season of the Plunder activities like Expedition and Ketchcrash

Since its release in season 18, Tarnished Mettle has climbed to the top of the popularity ranks among players thanks to its incredibly perk pool. This Legendary Arc scout rifle has great synergy with all Arc 3.0 builds, and when paired with its perk Voltshot that jolts targets after reloading after a kill, it can be an amazing primary weapon.

Tarnished Mettle is also quite accessible as it's part of seasonal content and players can even craft their desired roll once they unlock enough Patterns. Voltshot is basically a must-have perk when it comes to Enhanced perks.

9 Palindrome

Destiny-2-Palindrome-God-Roll
  • Source: Nightfall strikes, currently out of rotation

One of the most popular hand cannons in the game, Palindrome is a favorite among the traditional veterans of Destiny 2's PVP. This Void hand cannon feels incredible, even in the hands of a more unskilled player, due to the fantastic stats it gains.

Palindrome's godrolls is Quickdraw and Rangefinder, and due to its uniquely straight recoil pattern it simply feels nice to shoot with. It has fantastic range and can easily contend even with opponents that are using an Exotic hand cannon such as an Ace of Spades or Thorn. Right now, Palindrome is not in Nightfall reward rotation, but it may come back in the future.

8 Fallen Guillotine

Destiny 2 Fallen Guillotine Void Sword
  • Source: Legendary Engram and occasionally Xur and Banshee-44

Swords and especially the Lament are a great start in boss DPS phases, especially early on in a new season when players are often underleveled or the meta hasn't quite solidified yet. Plus, swords can deal a ton of burst damage on targets that have a lot of health.

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For those who don't have the Lament Exotic sword, a budget version that's almost just as good is Fallen Guillotine. This Void sword can be earned usually by trading with Xur when he arrives on Fridays at reset if players are lucky. The Whirlwind Blade perk is what makes this sword such a powerhouse.

7 Calus Mini-Tool

Destiny 2 Calus Mini-Tool Crafted
  • Source: Opulent Chests on the Leviathan

Calus Mini-Tool is a returning weapon, but now that it has become craftable and can receive Enhanced Perks, this Solar SMG has become the favorite of many in PVE. It has excellent synergy with a ton of Solar 3.0 builds, especially with its Enhanced Incandescent perk, which can spread scorch to a large number of enemies.

The difficult part about Calus Mini-Tool is actually getting it, as players will need to open several Opulent Chests for a chance to find one. The best result from this weapon is earned by crafting it, as the Enhanced Incandescent makes a huge difference.

6 Beloved

Destiny 2 Beloved Sniper Rifle Crafted
  • Source: Opulent Chests on the Leviathan

Back to PVP weapons, Beloved rose up the ranks as soon as it returned as an Opulent weapon. The Solar sniper rifle pushed aside most of the other favorites like Adored and 1000 Yard Stare, and can even go head to head with the Exotic sniper rifle Cloudstrike, which takes considerably longer to aim down sights despite its Mortal Polarity intrinsic perk.

Beloved, like the Calus Mini-Tool, must be earned from Opulent Chests. The best way is to unlock five patterns and craft it, with Quickdraw and Snapshot Sights being favorites among the community as Enhanced Perks.

5 Bxr-55 Battler

Destiny 2 BXR-55 Battle Pulse Rifle
  • Source: Dares of Eternity and Xur's Treasure Hoard chest

As of season 18, players can now unlock patterns and craft the weapons that were introduced in Dares of Eternity on the 30th Anniversary. This includes Bxr-55 Battler, which now gains an Origin Perk called Hot Swap, making most of the Dares weapons worth crafting.

This pulse rifle has a unique long-range scope and can work brilliantly in both PVE and PVP due to its massive and overall great perk pool. For PVE, look for Demolitionist and Incandescent, and for PVP, go for Outlaw, Kill Clip and/or Blunt Execution Rounds.

4 The Hothead

destiny 2 hothead rocket launcher
  • Source: Nightfall strikes, currently out of rotation

The Hothead was last available as Nightfall loot back in season 17, so chances are a few players still have it in their Vault. The Arc rocket launcher showed a lot of promise prior to season 18, and with Arc 3.0 out it has become the favorite of many when it comes to boss DPS in regular content.

The Hothead is one rocket launcher that can easily surpass any of the Exotic ones, so long as it comes with Clown Cartridge and Tracking Module, which are its two godroll perks.

3 Forbearance

forbearance wave frame grenade launcher
  • Source: Vow of the Disciple raid

Many of the weapons in Vow of the Disciple are fantastic and powerful, especially when crafted. Forbearance, however, sticks out as one of the strongest ones and can be just as great in ad-clearing as something like Witherhoard (minus the Blight effect on bosses) or the Dead Messenger.

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Forbearance is a waveframe grenade launcher, which makes it easy for players to use. As an Arc grenade launcher, it has solid synergy with any Arc 3.0 builds, and when crafted with the Ambitious Assassin and Chain Reaction Enhanced perks, it easily becomes almost as powerful as an Exotic weapon.

2 Taipan-4FR

Destiny 2 Taipan 4FR
  • Source: Legendary Engrams and Foundry Shaping quest

The Taipan's advantage is that it's a highly accessible linear fusion rifle, in an era where linear fusion rifles are mostly meta for boss DPS. This Void linear fusion rifle can be acquired from Legendary Engrams randomly as of season 18 or through the Foundry Shaping quest for those who have The Witch Queen expansion.

Taipan-4FR feels great to shoot, and it deals quite a bit of damage when paired with the correct Enhanced perks once crafted: Triple Tap or Clown Cartridge paired with Firing Line.

1 Cataclysmic

Destiny 2 Cataclysmic Linear Fusion Rifle
  • Source: Vow of the Disciple raid

Cataclysmic has been among the strongest Legendary weapons for an incredibly long time. In fact, ever since the Solar linear fusion rifle was introduced in Vow of the Disciple, it has been the go-to weapon for most PVE players at endgame level.

Cataclysmic has the potential to do the most damage out of all linear fusion rifles in the game right now, thanks to its Enhanced perks: Bait and Switch and Fourth Time's The Charm. Pair this up with a Solar 3.0 build that uses the Font of Might Elemental Well mod, and boss damage is guaranteed.

Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

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