Weapon perks are an integral part of the Destiny 2 experience. But perks can be complex. Some perks can be excellent for PvE but simultaneously stink for PvP, whereas some other perks might be excellent for specific weapon types but mediocre elsewhere.
In this guide, we cover every damage perk in the game and help you figure out which ones are the best suited for your needs (PvE, PvP, endgame, casual, etc).
Updated as of Episode 1: Echoes.
Most Popular Damage Perks
Popular Non-Damage Perks
Damage Perks Chart
These are the most popular Damage perks currently in the game:
- | Weapon Perk | PvE Damage increase | PvP Damage increase | Duration | Activation | Effects | Type | Weapons | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Killing Tally | 1 Stack: 10% 2 Stack: 20% 3 Stack: 30% | - | Kills Increases weapon damage until the weapon is stowed or reloaded | General | Various | Season 17 | |
![]() | Bait and Switch | 35% | 10s | Activates when dealing damage with all your weapons. | General | Various | Season 16 | |
![]() | Focused Fury | 20% | 11s | Activates after scoring 50% of magazine as precision hits. | General | Various | Season 16 | |
![]() | Blunt Execution Rounds | 500% | 100% | 10s | Activates when damaging nearby combatants with melee abilities. +100 Handling bonus | General | Various | 30th Anniversary |
![]() | Golden Tricorn | 10% on weapon kill 50% w/ matching grenade/melee kill | 7.5% on weapon kill 45% w/ matching grenade/melee kill | 7s - 10s | Activates on weapon kill, then requires grenade or melee kills of the same damage type. | General | Various | 30th Anniversary |
![]() | One for All | 35% | 10s | Hitting three separate targets. | General | Various | ||
![]() | Multikill Clip | 1 Stack: 17% 2 Stack: 33% 3 Stack: 50% | 5s | Reloading after kills. Automatically refreshes on Reload. | General | Various | ||
![]() | Kill Clip | 33% precision hits 30% body hits | 5s | Reloading within 3.8s after a kill. | General | Various | ||
![]() | Adrenaline Junkie | 1 Stack: 6.6% 2 Stack: 13.2% 3 Stack: 20% 4 Stack: 26.6% 5 Stack: 33.3% | 4.5s | Gains 1 stack per weapon kill, gains all 5 stacks with a grenade kill. | General | Various | ||
![]() | Swashbuckler | 1 Stack: 6.6% 2 Stack: 13.2% 3 Stack: 20% 4 Stack: 26.6% 5 Stack: 33.3% | 4.5s | Gains 1 stack per weapon kill, gains all 5 stacks with a melee kill. | General | Various | ||
![]() | Surrounded | 30% 40% w/ Spec mod | - | Activates when three or more enemies are within 8 meters. PS: Lower increase on Swords. | General | Various | ||
![]() | Rampage | 1 Stack: 10% 2 Stack: 21% 3 Stack: 33% | 3.5s 4.5s w/ Spec mod | Activates and refreshes on kills. | General | Various | ||
![]() | Frenzy | 15% | - | Being in combat for 12 seconds. +50 Handling and Reload | General | Various | ||
![]() | Explosive Payload / Head | 15% on body shots | ← PVE only | - | Projectiles create an area-of-effect detonation on impact. | General | Various | |
![]() | Timed Payload | 16% on body shots | ← PVE only | - | Projectiles attached to enemies explode after a short delay. | General | Various | |
![]() | Harmony | 20% | 7s | Ready weapon within 3s after a kill with another weapon. +15 Handling | General | Various | Season 15 | |
![]() | Disruption Break | 50% | 5.5s | Breaking an enemy's shield makes them take 50% more Kinetic damage. Works on Barrier champions. | General | Various | ||
![]() | Vorpal Weapon | 20% Primaries 15% Specials 10% Heavies | 20% Primaries 10% Specials 5% Heavies | - | Works against Minibosses, Champions, Bosses, and Vehicles in PVE. Works against Guardians in their supers in PVP. | General | Various | |
![]() | Adagio | 20-27% as per on weapon type | 5s | Getting a kill decreases rate of fire while increasing damage. 15% to 20% slower rate of fire, based on weapon type | General | Various | ||
![]() | Box Breathing | 31-37% Snipers | - | Aiming this weapon for 1.5s without firing grants bonus precision damage. Bonus Range and Accuracy | General | Various | ||
![]() | Firing Line | 20-21.5% as per weapon type | ← PVE only | - | Activates when close to two allies. | General | Various | |
![]() | High Impact Reserves | 12.1% to 25.6% | 3% to 6% | - | Rounds at the end of the magazine deal increasingly more damage (starting at 50% of magazine). | General | Various | |
![]() | Headseeker | 8% | - | Body shot increases precision damage for a short time. | General | Various | ||
![]() | Armor-Piercing Rounds | 5% To shields | ← PVE only | - | Shoot at enemies with shields (works on Barrier Champions). | General | Various |
📌A lot of this data comes from the excellent Destiny 2 Damage Buffs/Debuffs guide.
Specific perks chart: Damage perks
Whereas the table above covers general damage perks that can be found on a variety of weapon types, this table covers only the specific damage perks that can only roll on select weapon types:
- | Weapon Perk | PvE Damage increase | PvP Damage increase | Duration | Activation | Effects | Type | Weapons | Released |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Unstoppable Force | 30% | 4s | Gain projectile damage upon blocking damage with your Glaive Shield. | Specific | Glaives | Season 16 | |
![]() | Explosive Light | 25% | - | Picking up an Orb of Power increases the next projectile's blast radius and damage. | Specific | Rocket Launchers | Season 15 | |
![]() | Lasting Impression | 20% | - | Rockets attach on impact and detonate after a delay, increasing blast radius and damage. | Specific | Rocket Launchers | ||
![]() | Cluster Bomb | 24% Max | - | Rockets spawn 8 cluster bombs upon detonation. | Specific | Rocket Launchers | ||
![]() | One-Two Punch | 200% | ← PVE only | - | Hitting an enemy with every pellet in a shot increases melee damage. | Specific | Shotguns | |
![]() | Trench Barrel | 50% | ← PVE only | 5s or 3 shots | After a melee, weapon gains increased damage. Bonus Handling and Reload | Specific | Shotguns | |
![]() | Full Court | 25% Max distance | - | Increases detonation damage as the projectile travels further before exploding. | Specific | Grenade Launchers | ||
![]() | Spike Grenades | 50% to Impact only | - | Direct hits do increased damage. Bonus Stability | Specific | Grenade Launchers | ||
![]() | Kickstart | 20% | - | Sprint for a short duration. Bonus Charge Time | Specific | Fusion Rifles | ||
![]() | Reservoir Burst | 25% | - | When the battery is full, weapon deals additional damage and causes killed enemies to explode. | Specific | Fusion Rifles | ||
![]() | Desperado | Rate of fire increased 30% | 6s | After Reloading within 6 seconds of a Precision Kill, the delay after shooting is reduced by 30% for 6 seconds. Can be refreshed. | Specific | Pulse Rifles | ||
![]() | Incandescent | 30 scorch | - | Kills apply scorch to nearby enemies. Killing Powerful enemies and Players increases the range to 8 meters. | Specific | Various | Season 17 | |
![]() | Voltshot | Jolts targets | 7s | Reloading after a Kill applies Jolt on the next hit. Chain lightning will release to enemies near it. | Specific | Various | Season 17 | |
![]() | Kinetic Tremors | Sustained damage emits a shockwave that damages any nearby targets. | - | Scoring multiple hits against a single target emits 3 damaging shockwaves from its location at the time of activation. | Specific | Various | ||
![]() | Destabilizing Rounds | Final blows cause nearby targets to become volatile. | - | Weapon Kills apply Volatile to other enemies in a 6.5-meter radius around the target. | Specific | Various | ||
![]() | Repulsor Brace | Grants a 45 HP Void Overshield | 8s | On Weapon Kill against an enemy affected by a Void Debuff. | Specific | Various |
A piece of the puzzle
Having the right perks will make the difference between a great gun and a mediocre one. But weapons and perks are only a piece of the puzzle. In order to tackle the most challenging content Destiny 2 has to offer, you’ll need more than just a god-rolled weapon. You’ll also need a powerful build and a good usage of the different buffs and debuffs at your disposal. These are covered in separate guides:
Your turn
Hopefully, deciding what weapon rolls you should keep should be much easier than before. Do keep in mind that these tables only cover damage perks, which means only half of the picture is shown (nearly all weapons can only offer one damage perk per roll, with the other perk reserved to non-damage perks such as reload perks).
For a much more comprehensive look into these and all the other types of perks, Court’s Damage Buffs/Debuffs is a must.
So, what are your favorite perks? Let us know in the comments below!
Interesting perspective on the percs; some of them are not as powerful as I thought they were, others more so.
Full Court description is incorrect.
Damage increases with time(!) spent in air, maxes out after a little more than 1 second.
Believe the exact time needed was 1.125s or 1.225s but don’t quote me on that.
It doesn’t matter too much but it does make lower projectile velocity more desirable to increase the number of encounters where it’s a viable contender as a damage perk.