Best Machine Guns in Destiny 2: Tier List Ranking

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:

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:

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	Available?	Requires	Released	Slot	Craftable?
	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	Available?	Requires	Released	Slot	Craftable?
	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	Available?	Requires	Released	Slot	Craftable?
	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	Available?	Requires	Released	Slot	Craftable?
	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	Available?	Requires	Released	Slot	Craftable?
	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	Available?	Requires	Released	Slot	Craftable?
	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	Available?	Requires	Released	Slot	Craftable?
	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	Available?	Requires	Released	Slot	Craftable?
	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	No

 

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	Available?	Requires	Released	Slot	Craftable?
	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	Available?	Requires	Released	Slot	Craftable?
	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:

Role	Explanation	Target Weapon types
Add Clear	Clearing weaker enemies faster than you could with a primary ammo weapon. For most content, primaries do the add clear job perfectly well, so this is most useful in high difficulty PvE.	Main: Machine Guns, Grenade Launchers, Swords Secondary: Rocket Launchers
Single Target Damage	Burning down a boss.	Main: Linear Fusion Rifles, Exotic Snipers, Swords Secondary: Grenade Launchers, Machine Guns
Burst Damage	Burning down a champion quickly, or for bosses with multiple damage phases, clearing a phase quickly.	Main: Rocket Launchers Secondary: Linear Fusion Rifles

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:

The current Meta for PVP

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

Your turn

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