Combat Bows in Destiny 2 were rarely seen in the wild, with the exception of bow aficionados who couldn’t care less about “the meta.” But thanks in part to excellent Exotics, several buffs, and their ease of use in endgame PvE content, Bows made a strong comeback.
This guide covers every bow in Destiny 2, including both Exotics and Legendaries, as well as the best rolls for PvE and PvP.
Updated as of Season of the Seraph (S19).
Destiny 2 Combat Bows Tier list
This Tier list features every Exotic and Legendary bow in the game. It starts with the S Tier weapons and moves down from there. It also covers both PvE and PvP, with the “Excels in” column clearly identifying in what area each weapon shines:
Name
Weapons
Type
Archetype
Ammo
Element
Requirements
In loot pool?
Rank
Source
Available?
Tier rank
Source ❘ DLC
Final Verdict
Released
Perks
Best of?
Trinity Ghoul
Trinity Ghoul
Combat Bow
Exotic
Primary
Arc
Free-to-Play
Yes
S › Best
Exotic Engram
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvE
Exotic Engram
Free-to-Play
Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Fires an arrow that splits when released. Aiming down sights and fully drawing the bow both decrease the spread. Precision kills grant the next shot chain-lightning capabilities."
► Trinity Ghoul has always been brilliant for ad-clear, and that doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. Despite the more ability-focused meta we have right now, Trinity Ghoul is still a top contender for ad-clear in all PvE content.
Season 4
Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Fires an arrow that splits when released. Aiming down sights and fully drawing the bow both decrease the spread. Precision kills grant the next shot chain-lightning capabilities."
Top-tier
Wish-Ender
Wish-Ender
Combat Bow
Exotic
Primary
Kinetic
Forsaken Pack
Yes
S › Best
Exotic Quest
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvE
Exotic Quest
Forsaken Pack
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "While aiming down sights with a fully-drawn bow, enemies behind walls are highlighted. Piercing arrowheads damage the target on entry and exit. One-shot can over-penetrate multiple targets."
► Wish-Ender has never been this strong, nor popular. With the newfound intrinsic ability to deal with Anti Barrier Champions with ease, even in Master and Grandmaster levels, and the fact that it effectively hits 3 times per arrow due to its piercing perk, Wish-Ender is currently a monster in PvE.
Season 4
Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "While aiming down sights with a fully-drawn bow, enemies behind walls are highlighted. Piercing arrowheads damage the target on entry and exit. One-shot can over-penetrate multiple targets."
Top-tier
Under Your Skin
Under Your Skin
Combat Bow
Precision
Primary
Void
Deluxe Edition
Yes
S › Best
PsiOps Battlegrounds
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvE
PsiOps Battlegrounds
Deluxe Edition
Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Successful Warm-up(also good: Explosive Head)
► Allowing you to reduce your draw time to unprecedented levels, Under Your Skin is an easy S-Tier pick. Both Archer's Tempo and Successful Warm-up won't reduce impact (damage per arrow), meaning you can keep doing the same damage while drawing arrows at the speed of light.
Season 16
Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Successful Warm-up(also good: Explosive Head)
Top-tier
Strident Whistle
Strident Whistle
Combat Bow
Precision
Primary
Solar
Free-to-Play
Yes
S › Best
Vanguard Focusing
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvE
Vanguard Focusing
Free-to-Play
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Incandescent(also good: Successful Warm-up)
► Bow players have been waiting long for the next Solar bow, and Strident Whistle doesn't disappoint. With new S-Tier perks like Successful Warm-up and Incandescent alongside old but reliable ones like Archer's Tempo and Explosive Head, this bow can fit any role you need.
Season 17
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Incandescent(also good: Successful Warm-up)
Top-tier
Hierarchy of Needs
Hierarchy of Needs
Combat Bow
Exotic
Primary
Solar
Deluxe Edition
Yes
S › Best
Spire of the Watcher Dungeon
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvE
Spire of the Watcher Dungeon
Deluxe Edition
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Precision hits and final blows build Guidance Ring energy. Arrows fired through a Guidance Ring release seeking projectiles, which do more damage based on distance traveled."
► Hierarchy of Needs is very unique, and it also happens to be excellent at boss damage. It actually beats Outbreak Perfected and Touch of Malice for the top spot in Primary DPS, making it a staple backup weapon. It does a shedload of damage and still has all the bonuses of being a bow.
Season 19
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Precision hits and final blows build Guidance Ring energy. Arrows fired through a Guidance Ring release seeking projectiles, which do more damage based on distance traveled."
Top-tier
Le Monarque
Le Monarque
Combat Bow
Exotic
Primary
Void
Forsaken Pack
Yes
S › Best
Exotic Kiosk
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvP
Exotic Kiosk
Forsaken Pack
Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Arrows fired quickly after a full draw become poison arrows. Precision hits with poison arrows spread poison to nearby enemies."
► Le Monarque is a ridiculously oppressive pick in PvP as it can be combined with a Hand Cannon to deliver blindingly fast combo kills with relative ease. It also comes with intrinsic Overload Arrows, which, combined with its poison effect, are highly effective against Overload Champions. This makes Le Monarque an incredible pick for PvE too.
Season 5
Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Arrows fired quickly after a full draw become poison arrows. Precision hits with poison arrows spread poison to nearby enemies."
Top-tier
Point of the Stag
Point of the Stag
Combat Bow
Precision
Primary
Arc
Free-to-Play
Yes
A › Strong
Exotic Kiosk
Strong
❘ A
Excels in: PvE + PvP
Exotic Kiosk
Free-to-Play
Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvEvP Fixed Roll: Archer's Tempo + Vorpal Weapon
► With a fast draw time, Archer's Tempo, and Vorpal Weapon (which is excellent against Supers), Point of the Stag is up there with the best of the Legendary Bows.
► Many Bow users love the Biting Winds. It has some brilliant perks for both PvE and PvP like Swashbuckler, Rapid Hit, Moving Target, Killing Wind, and more, making it a fan-favorite pick.
PvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Demolisionist (also good: Frenzy ) PvP God Roll: Archers Tempo + Harmony
► Wolftone Draw is able to roll with a number of good perks, making it a solid option everywhere in the game. With options like Harmony allowing some crazy combos in PvP, Wolftone is a really nice choice.
Season 15
Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision
PvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Demolisionist (also good: Frenzy ) PvP God Roll: Archers Tempo + Harmony
► Accrued Redemption is a solid bow, it can roll with Archer's Tempo and Explosive Head making it an excellent pick in PvE to quickly stagger targets at any distance.
Exotic Perk: "Fires a massive heavy bolt that staggers unshielded combatants. When fully drawn, the bolt knocks combatants back."
► Leviathan's Breath is an interesting option these days. In certain scenarios, such as the Insight Terminus Nightfall, it can actually be a solid pick, especially with its catalyst.
Season 8
Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Fires a massive heavy bolt that staggers unshielded combatants. When fully drawn, the bolt knocks combatants back."
Top-tier
Ticuu's Divination
Ticuu's Divination
Combat Bow
Exotic
Primary
Solar
Beyond Light
Yes
A › Strong
Exotic Kiosk
Strong
❘ A
Excels in: PvE
Exotic Kiosk
Beyond Light
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Hipfiring this weapon fires multiple tracking projectiles. Targets marked explode upon death, or when struck again. Arrows fired while aiming down sights cause Sacred Flames to instantly detonate."
► Ticcu's Divination may require more work than Trinity Ghoul but it is nonetheless an excellent weapon capable of easily disposing of ads but also dealing serious damage to majors in PVE.
Season 13
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Hipfiring this weapon fires multiple tracking projectiles. Targets marked explode upon death, or when struck again. Arrows fired while aiming down sights cause Sacred Flames to instantly detonate."
PvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Successful Warm-Up (also good: Explosive Head)
► Able to roll with all the best PvE perks possible, Fel Taradiddle is potentially the best Lightweight bow in the entire game. Just try it with Archer's Tempo and Successful Warm-Up and you won't believe its speed.
PvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Successful Warm-Up (also good: Explosive Head)
Top-tier
Verglas Curve
Verglas Curve
Combat Bow
Exotic
Primary
Stasis
Season 20
Yes
A › Strong
Season Pass
Strong
❘ A
Excels in: PvE
Season Pass
Season 20
Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Final blows with this weapon grant Stasis arrows. Your next hip-fire shot will fire all of them in a single volley. Stasis arrows freeze targets on contact and create Stasis crystals when affecting the environment."
► Considered the Stasis Trinity Ghoul, Verglas Curve is not far from the S tier category. With its 'Hail Barrage' perk, you can chain the generation of Stasis Crystals back to back. Getting kills with the Stasis Crystals loads more Stasis Crystals back to the bow.
Season 20
Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Exotic Perk: "Final blows with this weapon grant Stasis arrows. Your next hip-fire shot will fire all of them in a single volley. Stasis arrows freeze targets on contact and create Stasis crystals when affecting the environment."
PvEvP God Roll:Rapid Hit + Kill Clip(also good: Successful Warm-Up)
► Whistler's Whim is truly unique. It is the first bow to ever roll with Kill Clip, and with a damage buff, such as Radiant, for example, it can actually one-shot enemies in PvP. However, this takes a bit of setup. Whistler's Whim is unfortunately a Lightweight bow, but it still feels great to use.
PvE God Roll:Rampage + Archer's Tempo (also good: Explosive Head)
► Arsenic Bite is a decent bow, it can roll with some good perks like Rampage and Archer's Tempo, but it suffers from its poor archetype, inherently doing less damage than Precision bows.
► Tripwire Canary doesn't exactly bring anything new to the table, it has some new perks but they don't realy provide anything to the weapon. That being said, it can roll with some classic solid perks making it a decent pick regardless.
PvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Swashbuckler(also good: Demolitionist)
Tyranny of Heaven
Tyranny of Heaven
Combat Bow
Lightweight
Primary
Solar
Forsaken Pack
Yes
C › Weak
Last Wish Raid
Weak
❘ C
Last Wish Raid
Forsaken Pack
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Lightweight
PvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Explosive Head
► There isn't much going on for Tyranny of Heaven. It has poor base stats and a severely limited perk selection. It also happens to be one of the hardest bows to obtain, as it's locked behind the Last Wish raid.
Season 4
Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Lightweight
► Imperial Needle is decent, but it lacks a potent damage perk to truly excel. Frenzy is good and Impulse Magnifier is fun, but other Lightweight bows have superior perks.
This section not only covers the top combat bows currently in the game, it also tells you where you can find them. And while most of the sources below are self-explanatory, this guide covers every weapon source in Destiny 2. If still in doubt, you can always leave a comment below or ask away on our Discord server.
Overall, these are our Top 5 favorite bows for PvE and PvP.
5. Under Your Skin
Excels in PVE
Under Your Skin was the first bow to drop with the popular perk combo, Archer’s Tempo and Successful Warm-Up. These two perks literally turn you into Legolas and let you take down enemy after enemy with high-damage shots.
The best part about Bows in higher-level content is that they offer high single-shot damage (when compared to other primary weapons). But the downside has always been their limited “kills per minute.” With this perk combo, you retain that high burst shot damage while gaining immense draw speed and efficiency.
What makes this bow special, though, is its Origin Trait. Land Tank grants damage resistance, with each stack providing +10 resilience and 5% damage resistance. Given that you can stack this buff very easily to x3, you shouldn’t be surprised to see this bow makes its way into our Top 5.
How to get it: Under Your Skin can be acquired by completing PsiOps Battlegrounds and focusing Umbral engrams.
Art
Weapon
Type
Archetype
Rarity
Ammo
Element
Requirements
In loot pool?
Ammo?
Element?
Tier
Excels
Source
Craftable?
Requires
Released
Slot
Can be Crafted?
Best of?
Top Perk?
Under Your Skin
Combat Bow
Precision
Legendary
Primary
Void
Deluxe Edition
Yes
Primary
Void
Best
❘ S
PvE
PsiOps Battlegrounds
Deluxe Edition
Season 16
Energy
Craftable
Top-tier
4. Le Monarque
Best PVP Bow in Destiny 2
Exotic Perk: “Arrows fired quickly after a full draw become poison arrows. Precision hits with poison arrows spread poison to nearby enemies.”
Le Monarque might be one of the most annoying weapons to play against in PvP. Damage over Time (DoT) is very difficult to play against as it keeps you behind cover and stops your guardian from recovering, regardless of your Recovery stat. When you pair this with a 151-damage headshot, you knock any enemy to the brink of death by simply hitting them in the head with an infinite ammo weapon.
Le Monarque truly is a very oppressive pick; however, it does require a certain playstyle to truly be effective, and you will easily be outdueled if you don’t use Le Monarque “right”. Target prioritization is key with this bow.
In PvE, it does solid work for ad clear and intrinsically stuns Overload Champs, making it a solid pick for any Nightfall with Overloads.
Exotic Perk: “While aiming down sights with a fully-drawn bow, enemies behind walls are highlighted. Piercing arrowheads damage the target on entry and exit. One-shot can over-penetrate multiple targets.”
You can say Wish-Ender is like a “budget Arbalest”. It takes care of Barrier Champions with ease, and while it doesn’t grant that Disruption Break damage buff, it does have infinite ammo, and it also grants a ton of Super energy due to its ‘Broadhead’ perk, which hits targets three times, granting 3x Super energy per hit.
Wish-Ender is also a little more versatile than Arbalest. It can deal with lower-tier enemies much more efficiently and it also isn’t too demanding when it comes to precision hits, as the Broadhead perk isn’t affected by whether you hit a headshot or not.
Despite Arbalest’s obvious strengths, you should absolutely not sleep on Wish-Ender if you want to mix things up or want to try a different strategy for high-difficulty Nightfall runs.
How to get it: Wish-Ender can be acquired by completing an Exotic quest.
Art
Weapon
Type
Archetype
Rarity
Ammo
Element
Requirements
In loot pool?
Ammo?
Element?
Tier
Excels
Source
Craftable?
Requires
Released
Slot
Can be Crafted?
Best of?
Top Perk?
Wish-Ender
Combat Bow
Exotic
Exotic
Primary
Kinetic
Forsaken Pack
Yes
Primary
Kinetic
Best
❘ S
PvE
Exotic Quest
Forsaken Pack
Season 4
Kinetic
No
Top-tier
2. Hierarchy of Needs
Excels in PVE
Exotic Perk: “Precision hits and final blows build Guidance Ring energy. Arrows fired through a Guidance Ring release seeking projectiles, which do more damage based on distance traveled.”
Hierarchy of Needs is a standout weapon. It is unique, fun, and, most importantly, strong. It is top of the pile in Primary weapon DPS, which might seem irrelevant given that certain Heavy weapons like Rocket Launchers and Linear Fusion Rifles deal so much damage; however, in a situation where you run out of Heavy Ammo and don’t have a good Special weapon for DPS, a solid backup DPS option in your Primary weapon can work wonders.
In my team’s Day 1 clear of Vow of the Disciple, we all made sure to have options like Outbreak Perfected on hand, just in case (and we did, in fact, use Outbreak’s DPS). However, I will now be looking at Hierarchy of Needs to fill that backup option slot as it beats out Outbreak and Touch of Malice, should you satisfy the conditions of being a medium distance away from the boss to allow the ‘Appolonic Tangent’ perk to come into full effect.
Hierarchy of Needs is an excellent weapon at what it does and only falls slightly short due to Primary weapon DPS being very niche.
Exotic Perk: “Fires an arrow that splits when released. Aiming down sights and fully drawing the bow both decrease the spread. Precision kills grant the next shot chain-lightning capabilities.”
Trinity Ghoul has long been the king of bows and is considered the best weapon in the game for ad clear, especially with its catalyst. It holds up in every single piece of content in the game, from Grandmaster Nightfalls to Day 1 Raids, and will hard carry your team in clearing waves upon waves of ads.
The 40% damage buff against minor enemies it received with The Witch Queen massively helped it a lot, as it could never consistently keep its perk rolling in the most challenging pieces of content. But now, it only stops running when there are no more enemies left to kill. It is a weapon so strong at what it does that it arguably becomes worse with more people using it.
Trinity Ghoul just manages to snag the top spot for its more general use of monstrous add clear over the more niche use of Hierarchy of Needs.
How to get it: Trinity Ghoul can be acquired via Exotic engrams or Xûr.
Art
Weapon
Type
Archetype
Rarity
Ammo
Element
Requirements
In loot pool?
Ammo?
Element?
Tier
Excels
Source
Craftable?
Requires
Released
Slot
Can be Crafted?
Best of?
Top Perk?
Trinity Ghoul
Combat Bow
Exotic
Exotic
Primary
Arc
Free-to-Play
Yes
Primary
Arc
Best
❘ S
PvE
Exotic Engram
Free-to-Play
Season 4
Energy
No
Top-tier
Bows in PvP: Lethality
When it comes to PVP, bows are a niche choice. They are certainly not “meta”, and many other weapon types can get the job done with more ease. But bows still have a place, as long as you lean into their strengths and adapt your playstyle accordingly.
With the right playstyle (i.e. combine a bow with an easy-to-swap weapon for cleanup kills), several bows can be viable. But let’s be clear, Le Monarque is the only bow that can truly excel in high-stakes PVP.
Bows in PvE: DPS and basics
DPS is important for PvE because the higher the DPS, the more damage you can deal to a Boss or Major.
This DPS chart includes the DPS numbers for every weapon in Destiny 2. When it comes to actual DPS, bows can deal decent damage, taking into account they can be effective at nearly infinite ranges:
-
Weapon Type
Archetype
Average DPS
Burst DPS
Total Damage
Specs
---
Best in Class
Change?
Ammo
Combat Bow
Exotic
-->
18,152
466,763
With Catalyst
Leviathan's Breath
Buffed
Heavy
Combat Bow
Lightweight
-->
3,265
229,704
640 ms Draw time
Arsenic Bite-4b
Same
Primary
Combat Bow
Precision
-->
3,215
252,221
680 ms Draw time
Under Your Skin
Same
Primary
Combat Bow
Exotic
-->
3,969
357,225
-
Le Monarque
Same
Primary
Combat Bow
Exotic
-->
4,137
391,952
vs. non-Taken
Wish-Ender
Same
Primary
Mastering Bows in Destiny 2
If you’re truly interested in mastering combat bows in Destiny 2, there are a few key principles you need to understand. These all come from the excellent Dummies Guide to Bows on Reddit user Mwray:
Top stat for Bows
The most important stat for Bows is their Draw Time:
For Precision Bows, Reload is the next most impactful stat.
For Lightweight Bows, Accuracy is the second most impactful, followed by Reload.
Unlike Charge Time, which negatively affects a weapon’s Impact, Draw Time does NOT affect the Impact stat. Because of this, faster Draw Time = better DPS.
Precision Bows have higher impact and much higher accuracy compared to Lightweight Bows and are able to achieve 576 Draw Time with Elastic String and a Draw Time MasterWork.
Unlike other weapons, Bows rely heavily on Strings and/or Masterwork to reduce Draw Time. To give it some perspective, imagine an Iron Grip or Extended Magazine Steady Hand vs. a Steady Hand and with Outlaw proc’d. Most people are running around with the equivalent of Extended Magazine on their Bow.
Endgame content
Bows (Precision bows in particular) excel in endgame content such as Nightfall: The Ordeals, Legend Lost Sectors, and Dungeons, as they can 1-2 hit kill red bars without damage perks active, compared to other primaries that can take entire magazines for a single kill.
Finally, for content with an elemental singe active, such as Legend Lost Sectors, Lightweights can be used to great effect with perks like Explosive Head and Rampage.
How do you get your first bow in Destiny 2?
Getting your first bow in Destiny 2 used to be a pain. You had to either cross your fingers that a bow would randomly drop one day or complete a specific quest that is part of the Forsaken paid expansion.
Right now, you can get your very first bow in just a few clicks. All you need to do is:
Head over to your Collections tab
Go to Weapons
Go to Combat Bows
Acquire the Holless-IV, the only rare bow (blue icon) available
That will get you up and running while you find a better bow, such as one of the top-tier Exotic bows covered in the next section.
Destiny 2 Bows: Are they Meta?
We’ve talked about the best bows for PVE and PVP already, but how do they compare, in general, with other primary weapon types? In other words: Are bows good in Destiny 2?
The current Primary weapons Meta for PvE
Weapon Type
Rank
Tier
Trend
Role ❘ Current State
Category
Submachine Guns
S › Best
Best
❘ S
-
► SMGs are doing very well right now. They have good DPS to tear through ads and beefier orange bar enemies, but also come with excellent perks. There are a plethora of good SMGs you can go for right now, like Funnelweb, Unforgiven, Every Waking Moment, or Extraordinary Rendition, the choice is completely yours. They may struggle slightly in super high-end content, but they are still definitely usable.
► Best Archetype: Aggressive (750 RPM) - Example: Unforgiven
PVE Primaries
Auto Rifles
B › Average
Average
❘ B
► Auto Rifles currently feel like a worse version of SMGs. They have a bit more range, but outside of the absolute top-shelf content such as Grandmaster Nightfalls, range isn't too much of a factor. And if you are actively tackling difficult content, Auto Rifles aren't exactly the best pick either, making Autos a decent, but outclassed option right now.
► Best Archetype: Adaptive (600 RPM) - Example: Gnawing Hunger
PVE Primaries
Sidearms
B › Average
Average
❘ B
► Aside from a few select sidearms with certain perks, there really isn't much of a reason to use Sidearms. They have slightly higher damage numbers than SMGs, but typically come with significantly less range. Outside of top-tier weapons like a god-roll Brigand's Law or High Albedo, there is no real reason to run a sidearm.
► Best Archetype: Adaptive (491 RPM) - Example: High Albedo
PVE Primaries
Hand Cannons
B › Average
Average
❘ B
-
► While Hand Cannons routinely dominate the PvP meta, they are often outclassed by weapon types that can either offer better DPS or better range. There are a couple of solid options, such as Fatebringer or Zaouli's Bane, but putting those aside, you'll be better off using something else.
► Best Archetype: Adaptive (140 RPM) - Example: Fatebringer
PVE Primaries
Pulse Rifles
S › Best
Best
❘ S
► Pulse Rifles are in a great place right now. They offer good range and pretty decent damage, allowing you to take down some beefier targets nicely. There are also some excellent pulses in the game right now, like Insidious, Sacred Provenance, or New Purpose. Unfortunately, High-Impact and Aggressive frames are the only archetypes worth your time, as the others rely on Exotic Perks or god rolls to compete.
► Best Archetype: Aggressive (450 RPM) - Example: Insidious
PVE Primaries
Scout Rifles
S › Best
Best
❘ S
► Scout Rifles have come a long way. They are a solid and consistent option for anyone that prefers a safer and slower playstyle. They also shine in high-level content due to their excellent range. The best part about Scout Rifles, however, is their versatility across archetypes. Basically, every type of Scout Rifle is viable and can be used anywhere in the game.
► Best Archetype: Aggressive (72 RPM) - Example: Tarnished Mettle
PVE Primaries
Combat Bows
A › Strong
Strong
❘ A
► Bows are a high-damage, high-range option for players who prefer to keep their distance. The main issue with bows is that they are slow at clearing ads (outside of Trinity Ghoul). and when you have to deal with ads up close, bows can massively struggle. However, their solid range and excellent damage make them a strong option.
► Best Archetype: Precision - Example: Under Your Skin
PVE Primaries
The current Primary weapons Meta for PvP
Weapon Type
Rank
Tier
Trend
Role ❘ Current State
Category
Hand Cannons
A › Strong
Strong
❘ A
-
► Hand Cannons are in a bit of a strange spot. Many will argue that they are still the best weapons in the game, however, due to the prevalence of Pulse Rifles and especially SMGs, Hand Cannons have slowly been pushed out of many players' main pick. They are still excellent duelling weapons though, and feel amazing to use so they still retain a strong ranking.
► Best Archetype: Adaptive (120 RPM) - Example: Igneous Hammer
PVP Primaries
Pulse Rifles
S › Best
Best
❘ S
-
► Pulse Rifles have seen a resurgence in the past few seasons, with constant buffs to all types of Pulse Rifles. It is hard not to find success with one due to the high-flinch potential of Rapid-Fire Pulses or the lethal time-to-kill of High-Impact Pulses.
► Best Archetype: High-Impact (340 RPM) - Example: The Messenger
PVP Primaries
Sidearms
A › Strong
Strong
❘ A
► Sidearms have lost their place at the top of the meta, but they remain a solid pick, especially for players using a Controller, as they inherently have manageable stability with a rapid time-to-kill. Honestly, the main reason they've lost their place at the top is due to how powerful SMGs are right now.
► Best Archetype: Adaptive (325 RPM) - Example: Forgiveness
PVP Primaries
Auto Rifles
C › Weak
Weak
❘ C
-
► Auto Rifles aren't doing greét right now. They contest a similar range as Hand Cannons, however, they lack the peak shooting potential that Adaptive Hand Cannons bring. They can also be contested at close range by SMGs, making them difficult to use everywhere. However, a good player can still find value in an Auto Rifle as they do provide high flinch and constant damage.
► Best Archetype: Adaptive (600 RPM) - Example: Gnawing Hunger
PVP Primaries
Combat Bows
B › Average
Average
❘ B
-
► Bows are incredibly unique. They have a remarkably slow time to kill, however, this isn't where Bows shine. Hotswap builds with bows can be incredibly potent and don't require much learning either. Bows also provide incredible value when teamshooting opponents. Despite this, Bows on their own are quite mediocre and need something behind them to really shine.
► Scouts have been tuned down to make them less potent in the hands of the average player. However, good scout rifle players will still be able to do pretty well in lobbies, however, they may find themselves outmatched by Pulse Rifles.
► Best Archetype: High-Impact (150 RPM) - Example: Polaris Lance
PVP Primaries
Submachine Guns
S › Best
Best
❘ S
► SMGs have soared in power and will absolutely destroy you if you get within their effective range which, nowadays, feels like it's across the map. This, combined with their incredible ease of use and high potential in skilled hands makes for a very oppressive weapon to face against.
► Best Archetype: Aggressive (750 RPM)- Example: IKELOS_SMG_V1.0.3
PVP Primaries
Before you go…
As you chase some of the best Combat bows in the game, you’ll probably want to farm in parallel a top-tier Special and Power weapon. For example, a top-tier Shotgun and Rocket launcher.
About The Author
Ric Molina
I've been covering gaming since 2012, and some of my work has been featured by large brands, including MSN.com, Forbes, Rock Paper Shotgun, and more. I've been obsessed with Destiny 2 for years now, and I hope to provide new and returning players with the guides and resources I wish I had when I first started.
Arc | Ammo: 
Primary | Archetype: Exotic
Void | Ammo: 
Solar | Ammo: 
Heavy | Archetype: Exotic
staggers unshielded combatants. When fully drawn, the bolt knocks combatants back."
Stasis | Ammo: 
Special
Excels in PVE
Best PVP Bow in Destiny 2
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