Best Destiny 2 Gambit weapons: Tier List and Triumphs

Just as Nightfall weapons are extremely sought after, Gambit has also become a reliable source of good weapons. Not all of them are must-haves, but the ones that are, are considered top-tier.

But Gambit weapons are also sought after for another reason: The Dark Age Arsenal triumph, which requires Gambit weapons to earn the Dredgen title. In this guide, we cover all the guns that count as Gambit weapons, but also every exclusive Gambit weapon released so far.

Updated as of Season of Defiance (S20).

The weapons that count as “Gambit weapons”

For some reason, Bungie never updated the Dark Age Arsenal triumph to ensure that every weapon from Gambit counts toward its completion. For that reason, the following list is important, as it only includes the weapons that will allow you to complete that triumph.

The Dark Arsenal: Win a Gambit match with a Gambit weapon equipped in every slot.

These are the weapons that are guaranteed weapons that count towards that triumph, and eventually, the Dredgen seal:

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?
	Malfeasance	Hand Cannon	Exotic	Exotic	Primary	Kinetic	Free-to-Play	Yes	Primary	Kinetic	Average ❘ B	-	Exotic Quest		Free-to-Play	Season 4	Kinetic	No
	Bad Omens	Rocket Launcher	Aggressive	Legendary	Heavy	Void	Free-to-Play	Yes	Heavy	Void	Worst ❘ D	-	World loot pool		Free-to-Play	Season 11	Heavy	No
	Gnawing Hunger	Auto Rifle	Adaptive	Legendary	Primary	Void	Free-to-Play	Yes	Primary	Void	Best ❘ S	PvE + PvP	World loot pool		Free-to-Play	Season 11	Energy	No	Top-tier
	Lonesome	Sidearm	Precision	Legendary	Primary	Kinetic	Free-to-Play	Yes	Primary	Kinetic	Average ❘ B	-	World loot pool		Free-to-Play	Season 11	Kinetic	No
	Night Watch	Scout Rifle	Lightweight	Legendary	Primary	Kinetic	Free-to-Play	Yes	Primary	Kinetic	Best ❘ S	PvE	World loot pool		Free-to-Play	Season 11	Kinetic	No	Top-tier
	Trust	Hand Cannon	Precision	Legendary	Primary	Solar	Free-to-Play	Yes	Primary	Solar	Average ❘ B	PvE + PvP	Playlist: Gambit		Free-to-Play	Season 20	Energy	No		Incandescent
	Trustee	Scout Rifle	Rapid-Fire	Legendary	Primary	Solar	Beyond Light	Yes	Primary	Solar	Strong ❘ A	PvE + PvP	Deep Stone Crypt Raid		Beyond Light	Season 12	Energy	Craftable	Top-tier	Incandescent,Reconstruction

The following, now sunsetted weapons, also count as Gambit weapons:

-	Weapon	Type	Source	Retired	Date	Max Power	--	Alternative
	Bygones	Pulse Rifle	Reckoning	Season 12	November 10, 2020	1060		The Third Axiom

Where can you find these weapons?

The current weapon selection that counts towards that triumph is clearly outdated and doesn’t properly take into account that half of the weapons in the game were retired late last year. If you’re still struggling to get the Dredgen seal, and more precisely, the Dark Age Arsenal triumph, these are easy weapons to obtain:

• Malfeasance: This Exotic can now be purchased at the Monument to Lost Lights (aka, the Exotics Kiosk) in the tower.
• Gnawing Hunger, Lonesome, Night Watch, and Bad Omens: These former Reckoning-specific weapons are now part of the World Pool. The Gunsmith happens to offer a rotating selection of World Pool weapons.
• Trust: Trust can now be directly purchased (focused) from the Drifter.

Does Power Level matter in Gambit?

Keep in mind that Power Levels do not matter against AI combatants. A 1600 and a 1750 Power Level weapon will do equal damage to AI enemies. Power Levels are only important when fighting other Guardians while invading or during an enemy invasion.

Pro tip: You can just equip the Gambit weapons before the end of the match to get the win to count towards the triumph.

Reckoning guns also count as Gambit weapons

Destiny 2 Gambit weapons: Exclusive Drops

All Gambit weapons come with the following Origin Trait:

-	Trait	Source	Activation | Effects	Specs	Source Type	Released
	Run and Gun	Playlist: Gambit	Rapidly defeating targets with this weapon grants bonus sprint speed. Guardians, powerful combatants, and high-value targets grant this bonus quicker.	-	Activity	The Witch Queen

Our Tier list 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 where 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?
Bottom Dollar	Bottom Dollar	Hand Cannon	Aggressive	Primary	Void	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Playlist: Gambit		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE + PvP	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Aggressive PvE God Roll: Outlaw + Rampage PvP God Roll: Kiling Wind + Opening Shot ► If 120 RPM Hand Cannons ever make a comeback, keep your eyes on Bottom Dollar. While its frame makes it feel sluggish in the current sandbox, a slight buff is all Bottom Dollar needs to regain its status as an S-Tier weapon.	Season 13	Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Aggressive PvE God Roll: Outlaw + Rampage PvP God Roll: Kiling Wind + Opening Shot
Borrowed Time	Borrowed Time	Submachine Gun	Aggressive	Primary	Solar	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Playlist: Gambit		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE + PvP	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Aggressive PvE God Roll: Overflow (also good: Feeding Frenzy) + Rampage (also good: Adrenaline Junkie) PvP God Roll: Rangefinder + Demolitionist ► Borrowed Time continues to be a powerful SMG that excels in most areas of the game. However, with new weapons being added all the time, it has been hard for this older choice to stay relevant.	Season 14	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Aggressive PvE God Roll: Overflow (also good: Feeding Frenzy) + Rampage (also good: Adrenaline Junkie) PvP God Roll: Rangefinder + Demolitionist
Servant Leader	Servant Leader	Scout Rifle	Rapid-Fire	Primary	Kinetic	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Playlist: Gambit		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE + PvP	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Rapid-Fire PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit (also good: Subsistence) + Rampage PvP God Roll: Surplus (also good: Rapid Hit) + Kill Clip ► Servant Leader is a decent option. It comes with plenty of solid perks, but it doesn't feel as good as some of the other options in the game, making it quite a middle-of-the-road pick.	Season 15	Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Rapid-Fire PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit (also good: Subsistence) + Rampage PvP God Roll: Surplus (also good: Rapid Hit) + Kill Clip
Albruna-D	Albruna-D	Sniper Rifle	Aggressive	Special	Arc	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Playlist: Gambit		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE + PvP	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Aggressive PvE God Rolls: Triple Tap (also good: Field Prep) + Firing Line (also good: High-Impact Reserves) PvP God Rolls: Moving Target + Snapshot Sights ► Albruna-D does have solid perks but lacks anything specific to help it stand out among the rest. Unless you're already playing Gambit for something else, searching for a good roll of this sniper simply isn't worth it.	Season 19	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Aggressive PvE God Rolls: Triple Tap (also good: Field Prep) + Firing Line (also good: High-Impact Reserves) PvP God Rolls: Moving Target + Snapshot Sights
Trust	Trust	Hand Cannon	Precision	Primary	Solar	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Playlist: Gambit		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE + PvP	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit + Incandescent (also good: Adrenaline Junkie) PvP God Roll: Opening Shot + Eye of the Storm (also good: Rangefinder) ► A small portion of the community stands by Trust, and understandably so. Its perk pool is nothing to scoff at, containing some outstanding choices for both PvE and The Crucible. That said, its fatal flaw is the frame it resides in: Precision. 180RPM Hand Cannons have never been good and need a significant buff to see more playtime.	Season 20	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Precision PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit + Incandescent (also good: Adrenaline Junkie) PvP God Roll: Opening Shot + Eye of the Storm (also good: Rangefinder)
Crowd Pleaser	Crowd Pleaser	Grenade Launcher	Adaptive	Heavy	Void	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Playlist: Gambit		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Threat Detector (also good: Killing Wind) + Quickdraw ► Crowd Pleaser is a decent option for PvP. It isn't as popular as some of its competition due to its vast perk pool, making it hard to get the god roll. However, Crowd Pleaser comes with good perks such as Quickdraw, Killing Wind, and Threat Detector, which are all decent choices for PvP.	Season 12	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Threat Detector (also good: Killing Wind) + Quickdraw
Laser Painter	Laser Painter	Linear Fusion Rifle	Precision	Heavy	Strand	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Playlist: Gambit		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Strand | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Precision PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit + Focused Fury ► Currently, the primary appeal to most Strand weapons is Hatchling. However, with a linear fusion rifle like Laser Painter, you're realistically going to get no use out of a perk that requires kills. Because of that, Laser Painter is only average despite some passable damage perks.	Season 21	Slot: Strand | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: Precision PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit + Focused Fury
Herod-C	Herod-C	Auto Rifle	High-Impact	Primary	Stasis	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Playlist: Gambit		Average ❘ B Excels in: PvP	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: High-Impact PvP God Roll: Perpetual Motion (also good: Dynamic Sway Reduction) + Moving Target (also good: Tap the Trigger) ► With its subpar perks and lacking archetype, Herod-C doesn't have too much going for it. Its giant perk pool also doesn't help either... It can be used as a niche counter to Citan's Ramparts, thanks to its Hakke origin trait, which deals extra damage to barricades in PvP.	Season 16	Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: High-Impact PvP God Roll: Perpetual Motion (also good: Dynamic Sway Reduction) + Moving Target (also good: Tap the Trigger)
Trinary System	Trinary System	Fusion Rifle	Adaptive	Special	Solar	Free-to-Play	Yes	B › Average	Playlist: Gambit		Average ❘ B	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Auto-Loading Holster (also good: Feeding Frenzy) + High-Impact Reserves (also good: Swashbuckler) ► An Adaptive frame that can get the same god roll as Main Ingredient, Trinary System is one of few Adaptive fusions seen in PvP, and can also be an orange-bar shredder in PvE. However, with the introduction of Royal Executioner, it is hard to recommend farming for this.	Season 13	Slot: Solar | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Auto-Loading Holster (also good: Feeding Frenzy) + High-Impact Reserves (also good: Swashbuckler)
Yesteryear	Yesteryear	Pulse Rifle	Adaptive	Primary	Void	Free-to-Play	Yes	C › Weak	Playlist: Gambit		Weak ❘ C	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Outlaw + Golden Tricorn ► While Yesteryear boasts some alright traits, its perk pool is too bloated to be worth farming for. Obtaining Veles-X is way more straightforward, and its perks complement Void 3.0 nicely compared to Yesteryear's.	Season 18	Slot: Void | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Adaptive PvE God Roll: Outlaw + Golden Tricorn
Dead Weight	Dead Weight	Shotgun	Rapid-Fire	Special	Arc	Free-to-Play	Yes	D › Worst	Playlist: Gambit		Worst ❘ D	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Rapid-Fire PvP God Roll: Subsistence + Frenzy (also good: Demolitionist) ► One of the absolute worst options within its archetype; do not waste your time farming one of these...	Season 17	Slot: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Rapid-Fire PvP God Roll: Subsistence + Frenzy (also good: Demolitionist)
Qua Xaphan V	Qua Xaphan V	Machine Gun	High-Impact	Heavy	Void	Free-to-Play	Yes	-	Playlist: Gambit		-	Playlist: Gambit Free-to-Play	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact	Season 22	Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-Impact

These are the different Tier levels used for this tier list:

• S Tier – Best: Highest ranking weapon types.
• A Tier – Strong: Very strong weapon types, 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.

The Last Word

Keep in mind that these can only drop from Gambit match completions randomly. For some reason, earning ranks and Gambit-specific engrams cannot reward the Gambit-exclusive weapons, only match completions:

You now know everything there is to know about Gambit weapons. Whether you’re going for the Dredgen seal and need to know what Bungie means by “Gambit weapons” or whether you’re aiming to farm Gambit-exclusive weapons, these 2 lists have you covered.

Are you currently chasing any of these weapons? Let us know in the comments below.

Latest changes made to this guide

Things change fast in Destiny 2, especially when a new Season or Expansion launches. For that reason, this post will be updated at least once per season. With the release of Season of the Haunted (Season 17), more weapons have been added to the tier list.