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Sidearms are not the most conventional weapon of choice in Destiny 2. Though they can feel surprisingly nice and lightweight, they tend to fall short against other weapon archetypes in both PVE and PVP. Even though Season of the Haunted added an anti-barrier sidearm artifact mod, sidearms continue to be underused and neglected by the majority of the player base – and for good reason.
Although sidearms remain weak and underwhelming, there are a few choices for daring players to try out if they wish to bring some much-needed variety into stale gameplay. Unsurprisingly, most of the sidearms mentioned on this list are Exotic weapons, but there is one Legendary choice in particular that has risen to a good ranking in Destiny 2's PVP.
Updated on November 9, 2022, by Anastasia Maillot: Sidearms have actually managed to push through into the PVP meta, with Drang ranking as the top weapon pick for Trials of Osiris during Season of the Plunder. Moreover, craftable sidearms like Empirical Evidence have also managed to pierce into the top-tier Trials rankings for the mid-season of season 18, which is surprising and refreshing as much as it can be frustrating for others. With that in mind, this list has been updated with a few additional great sidearms in Destiny 2 that can function in both PVE and PVP, for players who love to spice up their loadouts in-game.
9 Spoiler Alert
- How To Get: Legendary Engrams
Starting off with this humble random world drop from Destiny 2, Spoiler Alert is a Kinetic sidearm that comes with quite a few interesting perks. It's a lightweight frame, mostly suited for PVE purposes, and might not raise brows in most cases, but its fast fire rate is what makes it quite charming to use.
In terms of perks, players can look for Surplus, Killing Wind, or Feeding Frenzy in the first column, depending on their preference. Feeding Frenzy will have greater utility in PVE over the two others that might work better in PVP. In the second column, Swashbuckler, Frenzy, and Demolitionist are all powerful picks that mostly lean toward being strong PVE choices.
8 Forgiveness
- How To Get: Play Trials of Osiris matches or reach the Lighthouse on the Adept week of Forgiveness
One of the Trials weapons in Destiny 2, Forgiveness is an Arc sidearm, which means it could potentially have some nice synergy with Arc builds in PVE. In PVP, it's not the strongest of picks, even though it comes with an Aggressive Frame that allows players to shoot it in bursts of high-impact shots.
The first perk column has two great PVE options: Demolitionist and Subsistence. Well-Rounded can work particularly well with PVP builds that rely on grenade-heavy builds. For the second column, look for perks like Adrenaline Junkie, Vorpal Weapon, or even Rapid Hit for players who feel confident in their aim.
7 Rat King
- How To Get: Buy it from the Monument to Lost Lights, from the Red War Exotics tab
Rat King is one of the oldest Exotics in Destiny 2 and has gained a bit of a meme status over the years. That being said, the community has shown the hidden power of this weapon in PVE in particular time and time again, which proves it does have some utility, though highly niche.
Rat King's quirk is its Intrinsic perk called Rat Pack. This perk buffs the sidearm whenever nearby allies also have Rat King equipped as their weapon, which means a full fireteam of Rat King wielders will power up this weapon quite significantly and reaches its maximum stack of six. Another cool perk is the Vermin perk, which allows players to go invisible for a short duration if they reload after a kill with Rat King. Though it does require resources to be purchased, it's a pretty unique and interesting option that has been adored for a long time by the community.
6 Brigand's Law
- How To Get: Complete Season of the Plunder activities and unlock rewards at Star Chart
This craftable seasonal weapon is an Arc sidearm, and although Brigand's Law may not look like much, it comes with one perk that makes it extremely interesting with Arc 3.0 builds combined: Voltshot. Players will either need to get lucky to get the roll they want, or they can unlock all the patterns to craft it at the Enclave. Crafting it also makes it eligible for Enhanced perks later on.
In its first column, perks like Threat Detector, Feeding Frenzy, and Pugilist are all excellent choices and will shine in PVE mostly. For the second column, Voltshot is a brilliant, nearly must-have choice. Other great options for the second column include Demolitionist, Surrounded, and Swashbuckler. Brigand's Law comes with an Origin Trait called Right Hook, which allows any melee damage dealt to boost its range and precision, making it a match made in heaven with melee-oriented Arc 3.0 PVE builds.
5 Trespasser
- How To Get: Season 17 seasonal pass reward
The Trespasser is one of the weapons that have made a comeback from the original Destiny. Players can unlock the weapon from the seasonal pass of Season of the Haunted, after which it will most likely be added to the Monument to Lost Lights.
The Trespasser is an Arc sidearm that creates even more powerful Arc bursts when reloading after a kill. In terms of combat aesthetic, it almost seems like a sidearm version of Riskrunner, and could potentially become a decent option with Arc 3.0 rolling out in season 18. For now, however, it shines above some of the classic, Legendary sidearms thanks to its niche Arc effects, which could be interesting in some PVE scenarios with Arc burn.
4 Devil's Ruin
- How To Get: Monument to Lost Lights
This Exotic sidearm can only be purchased from the Exotic kiosk located in the Tower. The Devil's Ruin is not a sidearm players should scoff at, as it has seen some minor use in PVP over the last year of Destiny 2. That said, it's a niche weapon that actually has the power to stun Unstoppable Champions.
Devil's Ruin has a laser-firing mode, as well as the ability to fire individual shots. This can make for some interesting gameplay, especially for players who enjoy a bit of trace rifle-inspired combat, as the laser shot out almost seems to mimic a long-range trace rifle. Its main downside is its long charge time, but even then, some might be able to look past that. PVP mains in particular should give this a shot.
3 Cryosthesia 77K
- How To Get: Monument to Lost Lights
Another Exotic, Cryosthesia 77k was introduced in the Beyond Light era of Destiny 2 and is perfect for any Stasis archetype build. It's essentially a freeze gun because once players score a final blow with this sidearm, they can swap to an alternate firing mode that releases a powerful charged shot.
This charged shot, which has almost the same appearance as a Stasis grenade, will actually freeze and slow down enemies, which is insanely powerful, especially in the Crucible. For players who love Stasis gameplay and are looking for a cool, unique weapon to add to the bunch, Cryosthesia 77k is definitely a solid option, if they can deal with the slight charge time and score kills to activate its alternate firing mode.
2 Forerunner
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- How To Get: Complete the Exotic quest Magnum Opus from Xur
Forerunner is another Exotic sidearm, one that was added into the game with the 30th Anniversary Update for Destiny 2 and is a slight nod to Bungie's Halo franchise. The Forerunner is a really unique and interesting weapon, mainly because of its fantastic long-range scope, but also because it requires Special ammo.
It has seen most of its use in the Crucible, and though it has been nerfed as of late, it continues to be a powerful choice for players who genuinely enjoy sidearm gameplay. It doesn't have any flashy perks like the Cryosthesia 77k, but its ability to fire full auto and its Pace Yourself perk can make this the ideal weapon of choice for those who are curious about sidearms but typically play with long-range weapons in the Crucible.
1 Drang
- How To Get: Crown of Sorrow in the H.E.L.M. and Opulent chests, craftable
The Drang Solar sidearm in Destiny 2 has returned from previous seasons and is now a craftable weapon as of season 17, along with Austringer and Beloved. It's a Solar sidearm, meaning it will pair well with most Solar builds if players are looking to try a sidearm over a pulse rifle or SMG. Thanks to some of the Enhanced Perks it can get, the Drang can actually become quite the powerhouse in the hands of a good PVP player. In PVE, it remains extremely niche.
Players who plan on getting the Drang and crafting it will have to unlock its Patterns first. After leveling it up to level 16, they can choose between Enhanced perks like Disruption Break, Rampage, Well-Rounded, and Incandescent, with Incandescent being quite powerful in season 17.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia.