Best Machine Guns in Destiny 2: Tier List Ranking

[toc] In spite of recent buffs, machine guns are still going through something of an identity crisis. They are supposed to be a good DPS option against single targets, but they’re still from for that.

Having said that, when it comes to ad clear and dealing with red bar enemies, the best machine guns can easily compete with the best weapons in the game.

This guide covers every Machine gun in Destiny 2, including both Exotic and Legendaries, as well as the best rolls for PVE and PVP.

Destiny 2 Machine Gun Tier list

The Tier list below includes every Exotic and non-sunset legendary machine gun 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
Commemoration	Commemoration	Machine Gun	Adaptive	Heavy	Void	Beyond Light	Yes	S › Best	Deep Stone Crypt Raid		Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE + PvP	Deep Stone Crypt Raid Beyond Light	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Reconstruction + Under Pressure PvP God Roll: Dynamic Sway Reduction + Under Pressure ► Machine guns are popular in PVP because they offer an excellent ammo economy. When used right, one ammo brick can result in 4-5 kills. And Commemoration just so happens to be one of the top machine guns for PVP. It may not have as high base stats as Hammerhead, but it more than makes up for it with great perks. Commemoration has a lot of potential for PVE too. With the right perks, it can outclass most other legendary machine guns for ad clear.	Season 12	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Reconstruction + Under Pressure PvP God Roll: Dynamic Sway Reduction + Under Pressure
Corrective Measure	Corrective Measure	Machine Gun	Adaptive	Heavy	Void	Free-to-Play	Yes	S › Best	Vault of Glass Raid		Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE + PvP	Vault of Glass Raid Free-to-Play	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Rewind Rounds (also good: Subsistence) + One for All (also good: Firefly) ► Whereas Commemoration was made to shine in PVP, Corrective Measure was clearly conceived to shine in PVE. On top of the excellent base stats one should expect from a raid weapon, Corrective Measure also features best-in-class perks. With Rewind Rounds and Firefly, this could be the best ad clear legendary machine gun in the entire game.	Season 14	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Rewind Rounds (also good: Subsistence) + One for All (also good: Firefly)
THE SWARM	THE SWARM	Machine Gun	High-Impact	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	No	S › Best	Nightfall: The Ordeals		Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE	Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact PvE God Roll: Surplus (also good: Outlaw) + One for All (also good: Vorpal Weapon) ► High-Impact machine guns currently suffer from a lack of identity. That said, THE SWARM can still be great for PVE. It packs a strong punch and can roll with perks that not only improve its lethality but also its handling. It has good base stats too and can use the top-tier Adept Big Ones mod, if you have an Adept version of the gun.	Season 13	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact PvE God Roll: Surplus (also good: Outlaw) + One for All (also good: Vorpal Weapon)
Thunderlord	Thunderlord	Machine Gun	Exotic	Heavy	Arc	Forsaken Pack	Yes	A › Strong	Exotic Engram		Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE + PvP	Exotic Engram Forsaken Pack	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "Kills with this weapon generate lightning strikes from above and increase reload speed for a short time." ► Thunderlord is still (arguably) the king of machine guns for ad clear. Its ability to speed up its rate of fire and rain down lightning on enemies is no joke, even in higher-level content. However, Thunderlord receives a lot of flak for being an Exotic that may not be worth your exotic slot, especially when there are legendaries that can almost keep up with it.	Season 4	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "Kills with this weapon generate lightning strikes from above and increase reload speed for a short time."
Archon's Thunder	Archon's Thunder	Machine Gun	High-Impact	Heavy	Solar	Free-to-Play	No	A › Strong	Iron Banner		Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE	Iron Banner Free-to-Play	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact PvE God Roll: Field Prep (also good: Auto-Loading Holster) + Rampage ► Even though machine guns aren't the strongest option right now, those in the High-Impact Archetype (such as THE SWARM or Archon's Thunder) are best. If you're in need of a heavy-duty ad clear, this gun can fill that role well.	Season 14	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact PvE God Roll: Field Prep (also good: Auto-Loading Holster) + Rampage
Fixed Odds	Fixed Odds	Machine Gun	High-Impact	Heavy	Solar	Deluxe Edition	Yes	A › Strong	Duality Dungeon		Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE	Duality Dungeon Deluxe Edition	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact PvP God Roll: Field Prep (also good: Feeding Frenzy) + Incandescent (also good: Rampage) ► With some scattered good picks in the first column and an almost-perfect second column of perks, Fixed Odds is one of the better PvE machine guns in the game. With the recent buff to machine gun damage and unique perks such as Incandescent and Killing Tally, Fixed Odds is a great choice anywhere.	Season 17	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact PvP God Roll: Field Prep (also good: Feeding Frenzy) + Incandescent (also good: Rampage)
Xenophage	Xenophage	Machine Gun	Exotic	Heavy	Solar	Shadowkeep	Yes	A › Strong	Exotic Quest		Strong ❘ A	Exotic Quest Shadowkeep	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "Fires high-powered explosive ammunition. Aiming this weapon increases its effective range and zoom magnification." ► Xenophage has seen many ups and downs. Unnecessary changes turned it into a joke and the weapon remained in that state for a long time. But now that Xenophage was returned to its original state, it's once again an excellent PVE weapon that never disappoints.	Season 8	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "Fires high-powered explosive ammunition. Aiming this weapon increases its effective range and zoom magnification."
Heir Apparent	Heir Apparent	Machine Gun	Exotic	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	No	B › Average	Event: Guardian Games		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE + PvP	Event: Guardian Games Free-to-Play	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "This weapon can be fired only when fully spun up. While at full health, spinning up this weapon protects you with an Arc Shield." ► Heir Apparent became a true menace when it finally received a Catalyst. It was so strong, it was eventually nerfed. Heir Apparent is not what it once was anymore, but it can still shine in casual PvE thanks to its good ad-clearing capabilities and ammo economy.	Season 10	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "This weapon can be fired only when fully spun up. While at full health, spinning up this weapon protects you with an Arc Shield."
Seventh Seraph SAW	Seventh Seraph SAW	Machine Gun	High-Impact	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Xûr		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE	Xûr Free-to-Play	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact PvE God Roll: Field Prep + Vorpal Weapon ► The Seventh Seraph SAW is an excellent option for high-level PVE content. The damage that High-Impact machine guns can deal enemies is nothing to scoff at. The extra reserves from Field Prep and increased major damage from Vorpal Weapon is a perk combination that shouldn't be ignored.	Season 10	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact PvE God Roll: Field Prep + Vorpal Weapon
Avalanche	Avalanche	Machine Gun	Adaptive	Heavy	Solar	Free-to-Play	No	B › Average	Event: Dawning		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE	Event: Dawning Free-to-Play	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Subsistence + Swashbuckler ► Avalanche is one of the weaker 450 rounds per minute machine guns. Its perks aren't any better than its competitor's and it can also 'feel' weak to use. It seems to have an odd spread pattern when firing making it not feel as accurate compared to other 450s or slower firing machine guns.	Season 12	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Subsistence + Swashbuckler
Grand Overture	Grand Overture	Machine Gun	Exotic	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Exotic Kiosk		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "Heavy slug launcher that charges, then fires full auto while the trigger is held. Land hits with the slug launcher to load missiles and then fire to launch all missiles in a single volley." ► Grand Overture is a strong option when compared to other machine guns. For example, it has one of the best DPS outputs for a machine gun right now. However, it can't be considered top-tier as it's lacking when it comes to ad clear, which is what machine guns are used for right now.	Season 16	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Exotic Exotic Perk: "Heavy slug launcher that charges, then fires full auto while the trigger is held. Land hits with the slug launcher to load missiles and then fire to launch all missiles in a single volley."
Recurrent Impact	Recurrent Impact	Machine Gun	Rapid-Fire	Heavy	Stasis	Deluxe Edition	Yes	B › Average	PsiOps Battlegrounds		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE	PsiOps Battlegrounds Deluxe Edition	Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Rapid-Fire PvE God Roll: Subsistence (also good: Perpetual Motion) + One for All (also good: Headstone) ► Recurrent Impact edges slightly higher than its Rapid-Fire competition as it comes with the origin trait 'Land Tank' which makes you tankier with each kill. This, along with Subsistence can make you an ad clearing, tanky teammate that can mow through enemies.	Season 16	Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Rapid-Fire PvE God Roll: Subsistence (also good: Perpetual Motion) + One for All (also good: Headstone)
Chain of Command	Chain of Command	Machine Gun	Adaptive	Heavy	Stasis	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Exotic Kiosk		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive Static Roll: Adrenaline Junkie + Demolitionist ► Chain of Command is a "jack of all trades, master of none" weapon. From complimenting a grenade-centric build with Adrenaline Junkie + Demolitionist to focusing on elemental shields with Osmosis or Adaptive Munitions, this machine gun can fit any role you need. That said, if you have a good Corrective Measure or THE SWARM, there's no reason to use this instead.	Season 17	Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive Static Roll: Adrenaline Junkie + Demolitionist
Thermal Erosion	Thermal Erosion	Machine Gun	Rapid-Fire	Heavy	Solar	Beyond Light	Yes	C › Weak	Empire Hunts		Weak ❘ C	Empire Hunts Beyond Light	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Rapid-Fire PvE God Roll: Field Prep + Wellspring (also good: Demolitionist) ► Thermal Erosion manages to slightly outclass some of its Rapid-Fire competition as it can roll with a few stronger perks that are better suited for 'build-crafting', such as Wellspring or Demolitionist. However, in harder content, it will struggle to match the harder-hitting archetypes.	Season 12	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Rapid-Fire PvE God Roll: Field Prep + Wellspring (also good: Demolitionist)
A Fine Memorial	A Fine Memorial	Machine Gun	Adaptive	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	Yes	C › Weak	Moon		Weak ❘ C	Moon Free-to-Play	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Subsistence + Demolitionist ► A Fine Memorial can roll with a few decent perks, however, it has to face tough competition, such as Commemoration and Corrective Measure. For that reason alone, it is hard to recommend it as a top choice	Season 14	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Subsistence + Demolitionist
Shattered Cipher	Shattered Cipher	Machine Gun	Rapid-Fire	Heavy	Void	Free-to-Play	No	D › Worst	Unobtainable		Worst ❘ D	Unobtainable Free-to-Play	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Rapid-Fire PvE God Roll: Field Prep + Rampage ► Shattered Cipher comes with a decent number of interesting perks, however, they all simply aren't exceptional, especially on a Rapid-Fire frame like Shattered Cipher. Field Prep is a must-have for the extra ammo it brings, but overall you will be better off using another option.	Season 14	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Rapid-Fire PvE God Roll: Field Prep + Rampage
Planck's Stride	Planck's Stride	Machine Gun	Rapid-Fire	Heavy	Arc	Season 18	Yes	Ongoing	Seasonal activity		Ongoing...	Seasonal activity Season 18	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Rapid-Fire ► Still too early to tell, review ongoing...	Season 18	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Rapid-Fire
Qullim’s Terminus	Qullim’s Terminus	Machine Gun	High-Impact	Heavy	Stasis	Free-to-Play	Yes	Ongoing	King's Fall Raid		Ongoing...	King's Fall Raid Free-to-Play	Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact ► Still too early to tell, review ongoing...	Season 18	Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact
Retrofit Escapade	Retrofit Escapade	Machine Gun	Rapid-Fire	Heavy	Void	Season 19	Yes	Ongoing	Seasonal activity		Ongoing...	Seasonal activity Season 19	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Rapid-Fire God Rolls: To be confirmed... ► Still too early to tell, review ongoing...	Season 19	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Rapid-Fire God Rolls: To be confirmed...
Unwavering Duty	Unwavering Duty	Machine Gun	Adaptive	Heavy	Solar	The Witch Queen	Yes	Ongoing	Trials of Osiris		Ongoing...	Trials of Osiris The Witch Queen	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive God Rolls: To be confirmed... ► Still too early to tell, review ongoing...	Season 19	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive God Rolls: To be confirmed...
Terminus Horizon	Terminus Horizon	Machine Gun	High-Impact	Heavy	Arc	Deluxe Edition	Yes	Ongoing	Spire of the Watcher Dungeon		Ongoing...	Spire of the Watcher Dungeon Deluxe Edition	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact God Rolls: To be confirmed... ► Still too early to tell, review ongoing...	Season 19	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact God Rolls: To be confirmed...

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.

More Destiny 2 Tier lists:

	Auto Rifles	Primary
	Combat Bows	Primary
	Fusion Rifles	Special
	Glaives	Special
	Grenade Launchers	Special Heavy
	Hand Cannon	Primary
	Linear Fusion Rifle	Heavy
	Machine Guns	Heavy
	Pulse Rifle	Primary
	Rocket Launcher	Heavy
	Scout Rifle	Primary
	Shotgun	Special
	Submachine Guns	Primary
	Swords	Heavy
	Trace Rifles	Special

Best Destiny 2 Machine Guns in 2022

This section not only covers the top Machine guns currently in the game, but it also tells you where you can find them. This guide covers every weapon source in Destiny 2 and most of the sources below are self-explanatory, but in doubt, you can always leave a comment below or ask away on our Discord server.

Overall, these are our Top 10 favorite machine guns for PVE and PVP.

10. Avalanche

 Excels in PVE

Avalanche is one of the weaker 450rpm machine guns compared to some of its competitors which appear further up the rankings. Avalanche is simply outpaced and outmatched in terms of stats, feel, and perks when compared to other options. One thing Avalanche does have going for it though is its broad selection of strong perks. Options such as Subsistence, Swashbuckler, Vorpal Weapon or Killing Wind are all strong picks that can elevate Avalanche a decent amount.

Furthermore, Avalanche is an Adaptive Frame machine gun which means it actually isn’t too bad of a pick in the Crucible. Machine guns have always been strong in PvP with their blindingly fast time-to-kill and massive flinch they provide. This, on top of being relatively easy to control, makes Avalanche an (albeit weaker) option in most places in the game.

PVE God roll:

• Perk 1: Subsistence
• Perk 2: Swashbuckler

How to get it: Avalanche can only be acquired during the Dawning event (usually in December-January).

Art	Weapon	Type	Archetype	Rarity	Ammo	Element	Requirements	In loot pool?	Ammo?	Element?	Tier	Excels	Source	Craftable?	Requires	Released	Slot	Can be Crafted?
	Avalanche	Machine Gun	Adaptive	Legendary	Heavy	Solar	Free-to-Play	No	Heavy	Solar	Average ❘ B	PvE	Event: Dawning		Free-to-Play	Season 12	Heavy	No

9. Recurrent Impact

 Excels in PVE

Recurrent Impact is a Rapid-Fire frame machine gun. This, for a lot of players, can be an instant turn-off as the decreased damage and stability aren’t fully compensated for by the increased rate of fire. However, Recurrent Impact is a seasonal weapon that comes with the Origin Trait known as Land Tank.

Land Tank is incredibly strong and even rivals the new raid Origin Trait that drops on all raid weapons from Vow of the Disciple. Simply, Land Tank makes you stronger with kills which, obviously, you are going to be getting a lot of with a machine gun. At 3 stacks of the Land Tank buff, you gain around a 15% damage reduction which, when stacked with some other damage reduction options, can slowly turn you into a literal land tank.

Recurrent Impact also comes with the added bonus of being craftable. This makes it a lot easier to chase the god roll and also allows you to craft the weapon with enhanced perks which objectively makes it stronger than its Rapid-Fire competition.

PVE God roll:

• Perk 1: Subsistence (also good: Perpetual Motion)
• Perk 2: One for All (also good: Headstone)

How to get it: Recurrent Impact can be acquired by completing Seasonal activities 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?
	Recurrent Impact	Machine Gun	Rapid-Fire	Legendary	Heavy	Stasis	Deluxe Edition	Yes	Heavy	Stasis	Average ❘ B	PvE	PsiOps Battlegrounds		Deluxe Edition	Season 16	Heavy	Craftable

8. Grand Overture

 Excels in PVE

The new Exotic from this Season’s pass, Grand Overture, lands in 8th place in our rankings because it may pack a strong punch, but it can suffer from ammo problems and fails to have strong ad clear capabilities.

One thing that cannot be denied with Grand Overture, however, is the fun factor. Building up missiles and then being able to unload a barrage of them is a really fun and actually quite powerful option. Grand Overture is in a weird spot as it doesn’t do too well at ad clear but it doesn’t do better than other options at dealing big damage to a single target. It is sort of a ‘jack of all trades, master of none option. The barrage can be launched at adds to clear out a full wave of enemies or it can be fired at a beefier target, however, there are simply stronger options out there.

Overall, Grand Overture is a versatile option but struggles to really shine as it simply isn’t the best in any area of the game.

Exotic Perk: “Heavy slug launcher that charges, then fires full auto while the trigger is held. Land hits with the slug launcher to load missiles and then fire to launch all missiles in a single volley.”

How to get it: Grand Overture can be acquired from the Season Pass (either the paid or free track).

Art	Weapon	Type	Archetype	Rarity	Ammo	Element	Requirements	In loot pool?	Ammo?	Element?	Tier	Excels	Source	Craftable?	Requires	Released	Slot	Can be Crafted?
	Grand Overture	Machine Gun	Exotic	Exotic	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Arc	Average ❘ B	PvE	Exotic Kiosk		Free-to-Play	Season 16	Heavy	No

7. Heir Apparent

Excels in PVE and PVP

Heir Apparent used to be the absolute bane of the Crucible. The arc shield was ridiculously tanky and the amount of ammo you received allowed you to just mow through everyone. Nowadays, Heir Apparent isn’t as oppressive in the meta, however, it still shines as a strong pick in both PvE and PvP areas of the game.

Heir Apparent has an absolute ton of ammo both in the magazine but also in reserves allowing you to just lay on the trigger and stomp through enemies. Because of the higher reserves it also manages to hold up in higher-level content too. Another advantage that Heir Apparent has is the Arc Shield it provides when spun up. The shield can definitely help you survive, especially when receiving Arc damage.

The main downsides to Heir Apparent are that it takes up your exotic slot which is a common downside to Exotic machine guns and that it requires you to ‘spin up’ the gun before you can even begin to fire it which can be fatal if you are stuck spinning up the gun while enemies are firing at you.

Exotic Perk: “This weapon can be fired only when fully spun up. While at full health, spinning up this weapon protects you with an Arc Shield.”

How to get it: Heir Apparent can only be acquired during the Guardian Games event (usually in April-May).

Art	Weapon	Type	Archetype	Rarity	Ammo	Element	Requirements	In loot pool?	Ammo?	Element?	Tier	Excels	Source	Craftable?	Requires	Released	Slot	Can be Crafted?
	Heir Apparent	Machine Gun	Exotic	Exotic	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	No	Heavy	Arc	Average ❘ B	PvE + PvP	Event: Guardian Games		Free-to-Play	Season 10	Heavy	No

6. Archon’s Thunder

 Excels in PVE

Archon’s Thunder is the machine gun from the Iron Banner. It is the worst out of the High-Impact frames, however, this in no way means that it is a bad option as High-Impact frames really pack a punch in high-level content such as Master raids or Grandmaster Nightfalls.

Archon’s Thunder can also double down on the higher impact with a damage perk such as Rampage to really be able to deal some noticeable damage to beefier enemies in harder content. Field Prep is also excellent on Archon’s Thunder as it increases the maximum reserves that the gun can hold which is excellent for content where you simply need more ammo as enemies just have higher health pools.

Overall, despite being the weakest of the 360rpm machine guns, Archon’s Thunder is still a very strong choice in most parts of the game.

PVE God roll:

• Perk 1: Field Prep (also good: Auto-Loading Holster)
• Perk 2: Rampage

How to get it: Archon’s Thunder can be acquired by completing Iron Banner matches and turning in Iron Banner tokens.

Art	Weapon	Type	Archetype	Rarity	Ammo	Element	Requirements	In loot pool?	Ammo?	Element?	Tier	Excels	Source	Craftable?	Requires	Released	Slot	Can be Crafted?
	Archon's Thunder	Machine Gun	High-Impact	Legendary	Heavy	Solar	Free-to-Play	No	Heavy	Solar	Strong ❘ A	PvE	Iron Banner		Free-to-Play	Season 14	Heavy	No

5. Seventh Seraph SAW

 Excels in PVE

The Seventh Seraph SAW is a very strong option. Not only can it create Warmind Cells, which can provide some nice utility effects despite the nerfs that Warmind Cells have seen, but it is also a High-Impact frame meaning it is able to output more damage and therefore more killing potential in all difficulties in PvE content.

As with many other machine guns, Field Prep is a brilliant choice for the Seventh Seraph LMG as machine guns can really burn through ammo meaning that extra few bullets can really make a difference.

Seventh Seraph SAW can also roll with a couple other of interesting perks in the first perk slot such as Clown Cartridge or Auto-Loading Holster which both provide some very nice utility to the weapon by either extending the magazine or making sure your gun is always ready to go. In the second slot, the gun can roll with two noticeably strong options, those being Vorpal Weapon and Firing Line. Both increase damage by 15% and 20% respectively and can help the LMG out when it comes to Elite (yellow-bar) enemies.

PVE God roll:

• Perk 1: Field Prep
• Perk 2: Vorpal Weapon

How to get it: Seventh Seraph SAW can be randomly acquired as end-of-match activities or via Legendary 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?
	Seventh Seraph SAW	Machine Gun	High-Impact	Legendary	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Arc	Average ❘ B	PvE	Xûr		Free-to-Play	Season 10	Heavy	No

4. Thunderlord

Excels in PVE and PVP

Thunderlord still reigns strong in the machine gun weapon type as its lightning-quick ability to clear ads with its lightning bolts from the sky is near second to none (it is also super cool which nets it bonus points). It is still the unarguable king of machine guns when it comes to heavy weapons and with its increasing fire rate, as you hold the trigger down, it becomes good for mounting damage on yellow bar enemy.

Unfortunately, Thunderlord comes with the common downside of being exotic which in itself sounds ironic, but by being an exotic weapon, it restricts you into running legendaries in your other slots which can be replaced by other valuable exotics.

Thunderlord also receives some flak for not doing its job of being the add clearing king that much better than some of its competition and while this partly rings true, Thunderlord should not be scoffed at and if machine guns ever receive a noticeable buff, Thunderlord should be one of the first things you turn to.

Exotic Perk: “Kills with this weapon generate lightning strikes from above and increase reload speed for a short time.”

How to get it: Thunderlord 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?
	Thunderlord	Machine Gun	Exotic	Exotic	Heavy	Arc	Forsaken Pack	Yes	Heavy	Arc	Strong ❘ A	PvE + PvP	Exotic Engram		Forsaken Pack	Season 4	Heavy	No

3. Commemoration

Excels in PVE and PVP

The Commemoration is an incredibly powerful option. The Deep Stone Crypt machine gun can roll with perks that are unique to the Deep Stone Crypt raid, and some of these perks are amazing.

One perk that is undeniably insane on Commemoration is Reconstruction. This perk, while not firing, reloads itself by 10% of its total magazine every 4 seconds, this perk can even allow you to have a magazine size double the base amount. With a magazine perk such as Extended Mag, you can see up to 146 bullets in your magazine at once if you let Reconstruction fully load up your machine gun which is incredible. However, to fully see the potential of Commemoration, you are going to want a damage perk such as Rampage or even a perk to help with add clear like Dragonfly. Both of these perks (especially Rampage) when combined with Reconstruction can reign havoc practically everywhere in the game.

Commemoration is also one of the stronger options in PvP too, with an open scope, you can easily see a lot of what is in front of you. This, combined with the fact that it is an Adaptive frame, allows it to lay down some damage and net you free, easy kills in the Crucible.

PVE God roll:

• Perk 1: Reconstruction
• Perk 2: Under Pressure (also good: Rampage)

PVP God roll:

• Perk 1: Dynamic Sway Reduction
• Perk 2: Under Pressure

How to get it: Commemoration can be acquired by completing the Deep Stone Crypt raid.

Art	Weapon	Type	Archetype	Rarity	Ammo	Element	Requirements	In loot pool?	Ammo?	Element?	Tier	Excels	Source	Craftable?	Requires	Released	Slot	Can be Crafted?
	Commemoration	Machine Gun	Adaptive	Legendary	Heavy	Void	Beyond Light	Yes	Heavy	Void	Best ❘ S	PvE + PvP	Deep Stone Crypt Raid		Beyond Light	Season 12	Heavy	Craftable

2. Corrective Measure

 Excels in PVE

Corrective Measure, the Vault of Glass machine gun, is the best Adaptive frame machine gun in the game right now. It can roll with terrific perks, feels incredible, has an easy-to-use scope, and also comes with a ‘Timelost’ version of the weapon. The Corrective Measure can roll with the Vault of Glass specific perk called Rewind Rounds which is an incredibly powerful option that refills the magazine from reserves based on the number of hits in the magazine. This allows you to lay on the trigger and deal incredible damage, especially with a perk such as One For All or another Vault of Glass exclusive perk (somewhat), Firefly. Both of these perks can help with add clear and allow you to take the Corrective Measure to another level.

As mentioned earlier, Corrective Measure has a ‘Timelost’ variant which is essentially just an Adept version of the gun that can only be obtained through the completion of Master Vault of Glass when Atheon is dropping Timelost loot.

Unfortunately, the Timelost Corrective Measure doesn’t roll with Rewind Rounds, but it does roll with the next best thing which is Subsistence. The best part about Timelost Corrective Measure though is that you don’t have to grind out a specific drop, it comes with a curated drop. Timelost loot can also equip ‘Adept’ Mods such as Adept Big Ones which is a powerful option when it comes to Machine Guns as it can give it that little bump needed against Elite enemies.

PVE God roll:

• Perk 1: Rewind Rounds (also good: Subsistence)
• Perk 2: One for All (also good: Firefly)

How to get it: Corrective Measure can be acquired by completing the first, third or fifth encounter of 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?
	Corrective Measure	Machine Gun	Adaptive	Legendary	Heavy	Void	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Void	Best ❘ S	PvE + PvP	Vault of Glass Raid		Free-to-Play	Season 14	Heavy	No

1. THE SWARM

Best PVE Machine gun in Destiny 2

The Swarm is the perfect machine gun for high-level content. It ticks every box, it has good perks, it is a High-Impact Frame, it has good base stats and it even has an Adept variant, previously obtainable (and potentially obtainable in the future) in Grandmaster Nightfalls. High-Impact Frames are already able to output higher damage than the rest of the competition, but when you are able to add on perks that not only increase damage (on top of the additional damage from Adept Big Ones) but also get perks that improve the feel of the gun such as Surplus, Bottomless Grief or even Outlaw, you can begin to see why The Swarm is such a favorable option.

Even if you aren’t able to snag the adept form of the gun, it is still an incredible option due to its base stats, general feel, and incredible perk selection as in each column there are at least 3 perks that are powerful choices. Simply put, The Swarm outpaces the competition due to its superior frame, excellent perk pool, and Adept variant.

PVE God roll:

• Perk 1: Surplus (also good: Outlaw)
• Perk 2: One for All (also good: Vorpal Weapon)

How to get it: THE SWARM can be acquired by completing Nightfall: The Ordeals (the highest difficulties have increased drop rates).

Art	Weapon	Type	Archetype	Rarity	Ammo	Element	Requirements	In loot pool?	Ammo?	Element?	Tier	Excels	Source	Craftable?	Requires	Released	Slot	Can be Crafted?
	THE SWARM	Machine Gun	High-Impact	Legendary	Heavy	Arc	Free-to-Play	No	Heavy	Arc	Best ❘ S	PvE	Nightfall: The Ordeals		Free-to-Play	Season 13	Heavy	No

Machine Guns in PVP: Lethality & TTK

TTK is particularly important in PVP, because the lowest the TTK, the faster you can kill your opponent. You can read all about it in our TTK guide below.

This TTK guide includes the TTKs for every primary weapon in Destiny 2. This means you won’t find machines guns on there, but trust me when I tell you machine guns have blazing fast TTKs. Plus, they offer generous amounts of ammo when picking up a Heavy brick in the Crucible, allowing you to dispose of 2 or 3 enemies with ease if you are careful.

That can’t be said of almost every other Heavy weapon type in the game. Granted, a rocket launcher could grant you a triple kill, but that will be a rare occurrence. That alone makes machine guns a strong pick, especially in 6v6 modes where chaining kills comes easier.

Machine guns in PVE: Ad clearing

DPS is important for PVE, because the higher the DPS, the more damage you can deal to a Boss or Major.

But before we look into damage numbers and ease of use (two of the most important factors to take into account in PVE), we need to be clear about the role machine guns are supposed to fill. According to Bungie, these are the different roles for Heavy weapons:

Based on that, when using a machine gun, you’re looking for an ad clear or single target damage weapon. The ad clear part of the equation is clearly achieved, as machine guns excel at ad clearing. Unfortunately, that can’t be said for single target damage.

This DPS chart includes the DPS numbers for every weapon in Destiny 2. When it comes to actual DPS, machine guns still leave a lot to be desired:

Destiny 2 Machine guns: Are they Meta?

We already covered the best machine guns for PVE and PVP, but how do they compare, in general, with other Heavy weapon types? In other words:

Are machine guns good in Destiny 2?

The current Meta for PVE

So, are machine guns good in Destiny 2 PVE? This table summarizes how the several Heavy weapon types rank against each other in PVE:

Weapon Type	Rank	Tier	Trend	Role ❘ Current State	Category
Swords	B › Average	Average ❘ B		► Main roles: Add Clear & Single Target damage (i.e. Boss damage). ► Swords have fallen slightly out of the meta since the days of Falling Guillotine, however, they are still a solid pick. Swords like The Lament and Heartshadow are both solid options for slaying majors and dealing good boss damage. They are unfortunately very risky, though, and when Linear Fusion Rifles deal the incredible amount of damage they do right now, it is difficult to recommend Swords. ► Best Archetype: Exotics - Example: The Lament	PVE Heavies
Rocket Launchers	A › Strong	Strong ❘ A	-	► Main role: Burst Damage (Secondary role: Add Clear) ► Rocket Launchers are solid options. They deal good burst damage and are effective for killing high-health targets like Majors quickly. Their ammo economy is poor, unfortunately, meaning that you will need to be conservative with how you use your rockets. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive (20 RPM) - Example: The Hothead	PVE Heavies
Linear Fusion Rifles	S › Best	Best ❘ S		► Main role: Single Target damage (Secondary role: Burst Damage) ► Linear Fusion Rifles are the cream of the crop. They can deal very high damage consistently. They have solid DPS and incredible total damage, making them amazing for Raids and other high-level pieces of content. There are also plenty of strong options right now, including the Taipan-4FR or Cataclysmic, which both come with excellent perks and have good damage. ► Best Archetype: Precision (533 RPM) - Example: Reed's Regret	PVE Heavies
Machine Guns	B › Average	Average ❘ B	-	► Main role: Add Clear ► Machine Guns are a different kind of Power weapon. Instead of focusing on boss damage (outside of Xenophage), Machine Guns focus on ad clear. And they are excellent at ad clear, especially Thunderlord; however, given that abilities and primary weapons are excellent at add clear, Machine Guns are currently mediocre options for your Heavy slot. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive (140 RPM) - Example:	PVE Heavies
Grenade Launchers	D › Worst	Worst ❘ D		► Main role: Add Clear (Secondary role: Single Target Damage). ► Grenade Launchers are in a very sad state right now. Outside of maybe Typhon GL5, Heavy Grenade Launchers are in a terrible spot. They do not have great boss damage and also do not have good add clear, making them very, very pointless in all content. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive (120 RPM) - Example: Typhon GL5	PVE Heavies
Exotic Sniper Rifles	C › Weak	Weak ❘ C	-	► Main role: Single Target damage ► Exotic Snipers are very niche. They are far from the top of the meta right now as they are simply harder to use and in many ways inferior to Linear Fusion Rifles. ► Best Archetype: Aggressive (72 RPM) - Example: Whisper of the Worm	PVE Heavies

The current Meta for PVP

What about PVP? This table summarizes how they rank against each other in PVP:

Weapon Type	Rank	Tier	Trend	Role ❘ Current State	Category
Rocket Launchers	S › Best	Best ❘ S	-	► Rocket Launchers remain a staple in many players' loadouts. They can provide high-range one-shot kills, and can also do AoE damage which can potentially allow you to clear teams if they are close enough together. ► Best Archetype: Precision (15 RPM) - Example: Gjallarhorn	PVP Heavies
Machine Guns	A › Strong	Strong ❘ A	-	► Machine Guns are still an incredible option for Control as they can provide many kills. However, they do require multiple shots to kill which can lead to you potentially being Sniped or peak-shot by a Primary Weapon. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive (450 RPM) - Example: Corrective Measure	PVP Heavies
Grenade Launchers	S › Best	Best ❘ S		► Heavy Grenade Launchers are an incredible option for those who are confident in landing their direct hits. They can functionally serve as a Rocket Launcher, but instead of coming with only a single shot, Grenade Launchers can bring 3, which, of course, means more potential kills. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive (120 RPM) - Example: Memory Interdict	PVP Heavies
Swords	C › Weak	Weak ❘ C	-	► Swords are perhaps the most fun option (especially with Eager Edge), however, they are too inconsistent to warrant any competitive use. Furthermore, benefitting from third-person view is no longer possible without Heavy ammo, making the only niche usage swords had now redundant. ► Best Archetype: Adaptive/Lightweight- Examples: Half-Truths/Quickfang	PVP Heavies
Linear Fusion Rifles	C › Weak	Weak ❘ C		Linear fusion rifles are in the middle of an identity crisis. They are stronger than sniper rifles and have more aim assistance, but they still require Heavy ammo and a headshot to one-shot an enemy. On top of that, they also have a charge time to take into account. Compared to a sniper rifle that fires immediately and only uses Special ammo, Linear Fusion rifles make little sense for the Crucible. In PVP, you want a Heavy weapon that can either easily down several guardians or guarantee a kill in a high-stakes match. It isn't impossible to do with a linear fusion rifle, but other weapon types can accomplish that more easily.	PVP Heavies

Your turn

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