Best Fusion Rifles in Destiny 2: Tier List for PvP and PvE

Fusion Rifles are a staple of any loadout in Destiny 2. Whether you’ll be tearing it up against other Guardians in the Crucible, or fighting wave after wave of ads in the Root of Nightmares raid, you will find a Fusion Rifle that is just right for the occasion. With that said, there are some clear stand-outs in their class.

This guide covers every Fusion Rifle in Destiny 2, including both Exotic and Legendary Fusions, as well as the best rolls for PvE and PvP.

Updated as of Season of Defiance (S20). See Updates.

Destiny 2 Fusion Rifles Tier List: Top-tier Options

This Tier list features the Top-tier Exotic and Legendary Fusion Rifles in the game and covers both PvE and PvP:

Destiny 2 Fusion Rifles: The complete list

This database includes every viable Fusion currently in the game:

These are the different Tier levels used for our list:

• S Tier – Best: Highest ranking weapons in our Tier List.
• A Tier – Strong: Very strong weapons, but not on the same level as S Tier Choices.
• B Tier – Average: Decent choices that can be lethal in the hands of a skilled player.
• C Tier – Weak: The middle of the pack, somewhat mediocre.
• D Tier – Worst: Lagging behind the competition, these don’t have much to offer.

Best Destiny 2 Fusion Rifles in 2023

Ready to dig deeper into the absolute best Fusions in Destiny 2 right now? These are the cream of the crop, our favorites (for PvE and PvP):

 

5. Vex Mythoclast

Excels in PvE

Defeating targets builds stacks of Overcharge. Swap firing modes when fully Overcharged to charge up and fire more powerful linear fusion shots.
Returning from D1 and more lethal than ever, Vex Mythoclast lives up to its legendary status.

Now that exotic primaries do 40% more damage to red bar enemies, Vex’s Overcharged rounds are a reliable way to help put down beefier targets in end-game content, and the 20% damage buff after a kill will help get there quicker.

Vex is also able to take advantage of any mod or perk that modifies fusions, so for Solar Warlocks running Rain of Fire, this is a must-have weapon. While it might take a while to acquire, once you do, you might never put it down.

Exotic Perk: “This weapon fires a single bolt with each trigger pull. Defeating targets builds stacks of Overcharge. Swap firing modes when fully Overcharged to charge up and fire more powerful linear fusion shots.”

How to get it: Vex Mythoclast can be acquired by completing the Vault of Glass raid.

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?
	Vex Mythoclast	Fusion Rifle	Exotic	Exotic	Primary	Solar	Free-to-Play	Yes	Primary	Solar	Best ❘ S	PvE	Vault of Glass Raid		Free-to-Play	Season 14	Energy	No	Top-tier

 

4. Snorri FR5

Excels in PvP

A fusion to surpass Main Ingredient, Snorri FR5 is a solid, if not difficult to find, PvP weapon.

Introduced in Witch Queen, Snorri FR5 has been making waves thanks to its consistency. Having better base stats than Main Ingredient means that with the god roll, you’re looking at perfect recoil direction and stability. Or, if you prefer a more fast-paced approach, Successful Warm-Up knocks down the charge time to 480 without sacrificing anything else.

If the god roll Main Ingredient alluded you, Snorri is a worthy replacement.

PvP God roll:

• Perk 1: Firmly Planted
• Perk 2: High-Impact Reserves (also good: Successful Warmup)

How to get it: Snorri FR5 can be randomly acquired as end-of-match activities or via the Gunsmith, Legendary engrams, and Prime 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?
	Snorri FR5	Fusion Rifle	Precision	Legendary	Special	Void	Free-to-Play	Yes	Special	Void	Best ❘ S	PvP	World loot pool		Free-to-Play	Season 16	Energy	No	Top-tier

 

3. Merciless

Excels in PvE

Once held back by its exotic perk, Merciless is now worthy of its name.

While it’s no secret fusion rifles can deal some serious damage in PvE, Merciless reigns supreme in this department. Now that it can maintain its higher charge time after a kill, Merciless can hit for High-Impact numbers on a rapid-fire charge time.

Tack on Impetus’ 66% damage buff, and you can see why many players are coming to accept this long neglected fusion into their hearts.

Exotic Perk: “Non-lethal hits make this weapon charge faster. Reloading immediately after a kill increases weapon damage for a short time.”

How to get it: Merciless can be acquired via Exotic engrams or from 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?
	Merciless	Fusion Rifle	Exotic	Exotic	Special	Solar	Free-to-Play	Yes	Special	Solar	Best ❘ S	PvE	Exotic Engram		Free-to-Play	Season 1	Energy	No	Top-tier

 

1. Iterative Loop

Excels in PVE and PVP

Coming from Neomuna, Iterative Loop is as powerful as it is rare, and a worthy addition to the game.

In PvE, Iterative Loop dominates through its prized perk: Voltshot. While Reservoir Burst exists on others, Voltshot synergizes with Arc 3.0, as well as having a less strict activation.

Iterative is also a monster in PvP thanks to the Rapid-Fire TTK buff. With its god roll and impressive stats, Iterative can compete with even the best of shotguns. If you’re looking for a versatile fusion, Iterative is the one for you.

PvP God roll:

• Perk 1: Under Pressure
• Perk 2: Kickstart

PvE God roll:

• Perk 1: Compulsive Reloader
• Perk 2: Voltshot

How to get it: Iterative Loop can be acquired by completing activities in Neomuna.

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?
	Iterative Loop	Fusion Rifle	Rapid-Fire	Legendary	Special	Arc	Lightfall	Yes	Special	Arc	Best ❘ S	PvE + PvP	Neomuna		Lightfall	Season 20	Energy	Craftable	Top-tier

 

1. Riptide

Excels in PvE

A Crucible drop, Riptide is a PvE powerhouse that’s never been easier to acquire.

In Lightfall, Bungie made a major overhaul to combating champions, with Stasis coming out on top thanks to freeze no longer resetting the stun. As a result, what was once seen as a liability in Chill Clip is now the king of verb-based stunning and a must-have for any Champion-containing content.

Not only this, but reduced costs to focus engrams at Shaxx means that it is cheaper for people to get their roll, and the resetting system means you could end up with a multi-perk drop! Hop into Crucible and snag your roll today!

PvE God roll:

• Perk 1: Auto-Loading Holster
• Perk 2: Chill Clip

How to get it: Riptide can be acquired via Engram Focusing or completing Crucible Playlist activities.

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?
	Riptide	Fusion Rifle	Rapid-Fire	Legendary	Special	Stasis	Free-to-Play	Yes	Special	Stasis	Best ❘ S	PvE	Playlist: Crucible		Free-to-Play	Season 17	Kinetic	No	Top-tier

Fusion Rifles and the PvP Meta: TTK

We covered in detail the Fusions that are considered top-tier (and should be farmed) and the ones that can be safely ignored. But how do they compare to other Special weapons in PvP?

Remember that when it comes to PvP, TTK is perhaps the most important factor. As you know, the lower the TTK, the faster you can kill your opponent. We have a TTK guide/chart that includes TTK figures, but that mostly applies to Primary weapons, not Specials.

Suffice it to say: When it comes to PvP, top Fusions can dominate a Crucible lobby. The many nerfs and buffs in the game are slowly changing the PvP meta and Fusions appear to be clear winners.

Fusion Rifles and the PvE Meta: DPS

How do Fusions compare to other Special weapons in PvE?

Weapon Type	Rank	Tier	Trend	Role ❘ Current State	Category
Shotguns	A › Strong	Strong ❘ A	-	► Shotguns overall are pretty good right now. There are a good number of Pellet and Slug shotguns that can be used in most content, and shotguns are also an integral part of many melee builds thanks to the shotgun-exclusive '1-2 Punch' perk. However, their severe lack of range makes them a risky pick for high-level content. ► Best Archetype: Pinpoint Slug - Example: Heritage	PVE Specials
Grenade Launchers	S › Best	Best ❘ S	-	► Grenade Launchers are brilliant right now. They are versatile and are arguably the best pick in almost all areas. They can have excellent add control through Blinding Grenades or the Wave Frame archetype, and they can also deal good boss damage in a 'hotswap' build with Spike Grenades. Simply put, having a strong arsenal of Grenade Launchers is something you should definitely prioritize if you're looking to get into high-level content. ► All Breach Grenade Launchers share the same archetype	PVE Specials
Sniper Rifles	C › Weak	Weak ❘ C		► Sniper Rifles are not in a great place right now. They are completely outclassed by Linear Fusion Rifles in terms of DPS and are also lacking at ad clear/major killing by Shotguns and Grenade Launchers. Snipers are also quite difficult to use as they are precision-based weapons. They can be used as a backup DPS weapon if you don't have access to an Arbalest, for example, but right now, they are too niche to recomment. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive (140 RPM) - Example: Succession	PVE Specials
Fusion Rifles	A › Strong	Strong ❘ A		► Fusion Rifles are pretty good right now. They have slightly more range than Shotguns, making them a safer pick in high-level content, however, they lack a top-tier perk such as '1-2 Punch' to rise to S-tier status. Still, they remain a consistent pick for mid to high-level content. ► Best Archetype: Rapid-Fire (500ms Charge Time) - Example: Cartesian Coordinate	PVE Specials
Glaives	B › Average	Average ❘ B	-	► Glaives require a bit of getting used to, but when you do, they can grant you crazy levels of damage resistance. However, they are quite a risky pick, especially if you haven't learned how to master them first. Glaives are also one-dimensional. There is basically no reason to use their melee attack, which is unfortunate as that is probably the most fun part of the Glaives. ► All Glaives share the same archetype	PVE Specials
Linear Fusion Rifles	S › Best	Best ❘ S		► There are only two Linear Fusion Rifles that use Special ammo, but when one of them is arguably the strongest weapon in the game, they have to be ranked S tier. Arbalest is an absolute must-have if you want to take endgame content seriously. Lorentz Driver is an okay option, but Arbalest is completely overpowered and is an excellent pick for whatever content you throw at it.	PVE Specials
Trace Rifles	B › Average	Average ❘ B	-	► Trace Rifles are a strange pick. Legendary Trace Rifles are a very niche pick right now, but Exotic trace Rifles are all pretty good. Wavesplitter can do well with certain builds, and Divinity is always a good pick, even despite the nerfs.	PVE Specials

Keep in mind that when it comes to PvE, DPS is one of the most important factors. As you know, the higher the DPS, the more damage you can deal to a Boss or Major. This D2 DPS chart includes the DPS numbers for every weapon in Destiny 2.

When it comes to actual DPS, Fusions are well-placed, and offer the benefit of having longer ranges that shotguns:

Endgame content

For the record, while Fusion rifles can hold their own in most PvE content, they aren’t the top choice for Master and Grandmaster content. For the most difficult activities, you want a longer-range option that allows you to easily peek shoot.

Your turn

You now know everything there is to know about Fusion rifles in Destiny 2, whether that is for PVP or PVE content.