Bungie has been doing an excellent job when it comes to adding new weapons to endgame activities. Playlist and Seasonal weapons have been great so far, but Nightfall weapons truly stand out, with a few of them now sitting among the best weapons in the game.
In this guide, we’ll cover all Nightfall: The Ordeal weapons released so far (including their PvP and PvE god rolls) and show you how to farm them.
Nightfall Weapon this Week: May 20
This week’s Nightfall weapon is The Slammer (Sword). We cover the most sought-after The Slammer God Rolls here.
 Name: The Slammer | Type: SwordArchetype: Vortex | Ammo:  HeavyElement:  Stasis | Craftable:  NoReleased: Season 23 | Source: Nightfall: The OrdealsRequires: Free-to-Play |
The Insight Terminus
New Nightfall weapons
Bungie released/reissued the following Nightfall weapons with Episode: Heresy:
- Cruel Mercy – Pulse Rifle
- Lotus-Eater – Rocket-Assisted Sidearm
- The Palindrome – Hand Cannon
Episode 3 Rotation
There are several Nightfall-specific weapons in Destiny 2, but only 8 are on rotation right now:
 | Cruel Mercy | Pulse Rifle |  Primary |  Arc | Nightfall: The Ordeals | |
 | Lotus-Eater | Sidearm |  Special |  Void | Nightfall: The Ordeals | |
 | PLUG ONE.1 | Fusion Rifle | Special | Arc | Nightfall: The Ordeals | |
 | Rake Angle | Glaive | Special | Stasis | Nightfall: The Ordeals | |
 | Scintillation | Linear Fusion Rifle | Heavy |  Strand | Nightfall: The Ordeals | Bait and Switch |
 | Shadow Price | Auto Rifle | Primary | Arc | Nightfall: The Ordeals | Voltshot |
 | The Palindrome | Hand Cannon | Primary | Arc | Nightfall: The Ordeals | |
| The Slammer | Sword | Heavy | Stasis | Nightfall: The Ordeals | Bait and Switch |
 | Wild Style | Grenade Launcher | Special |  Solar | Nightfall: The Ordeals | Incandescent,Bait and Switch |
This is the Episode: Heresy calendar covering the entire Nightfall rotation until June 3, 2025:
📅 Nightfall Rotation: Episode 3
| Art | Weapon | Type | Element | Ammo | Rotation | Week # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scintillation | Linear Fusion Rifle | Strand | Heavy | February 4, 2025 | Week 1 |
| Rake Angle | Glaive | Stasis | Special | February 11, 2025 | Week 2 |
| Shadow Price | Auto Rifle | Arc | Primary | February 18, 2025 | Week 3 |
| The Palindrome | Hand Cannon | Arc | Primary | February 25, 2025 | Week 4 |
| PLUG ONE.1 | Fusion Rifle | Arc | Special | March 4, 2025 | Week 5 |
| Lotus-Eater | Sidearm | Void | Special | March 11, 2025 | Week 6 |
| Scintillation | Linear Fusion Rifle | Strand | Heavy | March 18, 2025 | Week 7 |
| Rake Angle | Glaive | Stasis | Special | March 25, 2025 | Week 8 |
| Shadow Price | Auto Rifle | Arc | Primary | April 1, 2025 | Week 9 |
| The Palindrome | Hand Cannon | Arc | Primary | April 8, 2025 | Week 10 |
| PLUG ONE.1 | Fusion Rifle | Arc | Special | April 15, 2025 | Week 11 |
| Lotus-Eater | Sidearm | Void | Special | April 22, 2025 | Week 12 |
| Scintillation | Linear Fusion Rifle | Strand | Heavy | April 29, 2025 | Week 13 |
| Rake Angle | Glaive | Stasis | Special | May 6, 2025 | Week 14 |
| Shadow Price | Auto Rifle | Arc | Primary | May 13, 2025 | Week 15 |
| The Palindrome | Hand Cannon | Arc | Primary | May 20, 2025 | Week 16 |
| PLUG ONE.1 | Fusion Rifle | Arc | Special | May 27, 2025 | Week 17 |
| Lotus-Eater | Sidearm | Void | Special | June 3, 2025 | Week 18 |
Nightfall weapon rotation, Destiny 2
Best Destiny 2 Nightfall weapons
Our Tier list starts with the S Tier weapons and moves down from there and covers both PvE and PvP:
| Item | Weapons | Type | Archetype | Ammo? | Element? | Requirements | In loot pool? | Rank | Source | Available? | Tier Rank | Source ❘ DLC | Final Verdict | Released | Perks | Best of? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warden's Law |  Warden's Law Hand Cannon | Hand Cannon | Heavy Burst | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | Nightfall: The Ordeals |  | ❘ S Excels in: PvE + PvP | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot:  Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Heavy BurstPvE God Roll: Fourth Time's the Charm (also good: Perpetual Motion) + Vorpal Weapon (also good: Frenzy ) PvP God Roll: Moving Target (also good: Discord) + Kill Clip ► While Warden's Law is only known for one thing (absurdly high DPS with the Hunter's Lucky Pants), it does exceptionally well at it. Although it definitely isn't a meta pick outside of that one use case, that alone bursts it above most of the pack; plus, it's an extremely fun and unique gun to use regardless! | Season 22 | Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Heavy BurstPvE God Roll: Fourth Time's the Charm (also good: Perpetual Motion) + Vorpal Weapon (also good: Frenzy ) PvP God Roll: Moving Target (also good: Discord) + Kill Clip | Top-tier |
| The Slammer | The Slammer Sword | Sword | Vortex | Heavy | Stasis | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: VortexPvE God Roll: Eager Edge + Cold Steel ► The Slammer is one of the best Vortex Frame Swords currently available. The mere presence of Cold Steel and Eager Edge makes it incredibly unique but also one of the best utility-based Swords in the game. | Season 23 | Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: VortexPvE God Roll: Eager Edge + Cold Steel | Top-tier |
| Scintillation | Scintillation Linear Fusion Rifle | Linear Fusion Rifle | Adaptive | Heavy | Strand | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Strand | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Roll: Rewind Rounds (also good: Envious Assassin) + Bait and Switch (also good: Surrounded) ► In PvE, Scintillation is one of the best linear fusion rifles out there. Despite the current meta favoring rocket launchers and heavy grenade launchers, the top LFRs continue to hold their ground. Scintillation is an easy addition to those options. | The Final Shape | Slot: Strand | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Roll: Rewind Rounds (also good: Envious Assassin) + Bait and Switch (also good: Surrounded) | Top-tier |
| Rake Angle | Rake Angle Glaive | Glaive | Aggressive | Special | Stasis | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Special | Archetype: AggressivePvE God Roll: Replenishing Aegis + Chill Clip or Close to Melee ► One of the best glaives currently available, Rake Angle is an outstanding choice for those looking to dip their toes into the weapon type. Of course, glaives are still yet to see a season where they're meta, but giving this one a try isn't a bad idea. | Episode 2 | Slot: Stasis | Ammo: Special | Archetype: AggressivePvE God Roll: Replenishing Aegis + Chill Clip or Close to Melee | Top-tier |
| Lotus-Eater | Lotus-Eater Sidearm | Sidearm | Rocket-Assisted | Special | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Void | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Rocket-AssistedPvE God Roll: Repulsor Brace (also good: Feeding Frenzy or Reconstruction) + Destabilizing Rounds ► Overall, Lotus-Eater is a monster inside of PvE thanks to the current state of Rocket Sidearms, as well as the buffs to Destabilizing Rounds. In PvP, it won’t make many waves due to Rocket Sidearms not being as strong there. | Episode 3 | Slot: Void | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Rocket-AssistedPvE God Roll: Repulsor Brace (also good: Feeding Frenzy or Reconstruction) + Destabilizing Rounds | Top-tier |
| Horror's Least |  Horror's Least Pulse Rifle | Pulse Rifle | Rapid-Fire | Primary | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ S Excels in: PvP | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Rapid-FirePvP God Roll: Perpetual Motion (also good: Heating Up) + Kill Clip ► Able to dominate in the Crucible at mid-range, Horror's Least is one of the best pulse rifles in the game. With great stats, an Adept variant, and a well-rounded perk pool, this weapon is a beast and worth grinding if you're a pulse rifle fan. | Season 17 | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Rapid-FirePvP God Roll: Perpetual Motion (also good: Heating Up) + Kill Clip | Top-tier |
| Uzume RR4 |  Uzume RR4 Sniper Rifle | Sniper Rifle | Adaptive | Special | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ A Excels in: PvE + PvP | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Solar | Ammo: Special | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Roll: Triple Tap + High-Impact Reserves (also good: Vorpal Weapon) PvP God Roll: Snapshot Sights + Vorpal Weapon (also good: Explosive Payload) ► Uzume RR4 has always been an underrated pick for both PvE and PvP. While some options outclass it in various scenarios, there's no questioning Uzume's versatility and overall strength. If you're searching for a well-rounded option that won't do you wrong, Uzume RR4 may be worth farming. | Season 14 | Slot: Solar | Ammo: Special | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Roll: Triple Tap + High-Impact Reserves (also good: Vorpal Weapon) PvP God Roll: Snapshot Sights + Vorpal Weapon (also good: Explosive Payload) | Top-tier |
| Silicon Neuroma |  Silicon Neuroma Sniper Rifle | Sniper Rifle | Aggressive | Special | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ A Excels in: PvE + PvP | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Special | Archetype: AggressivePvE God Roll: Triple Tap + Firing Line PvP God Roll: Snapshot Sights + Opening Shot ► Silicon Neuroma falls into the large pool of snipers that are great at face value but are desperately awaiting a buff to help them out. Its strong perk pool for both PvE and PvP makes it an easy choice for any 72 RPM sniper enthusiast, but the weapon probably won't become mainstream without a significant shift in the meta. | Season 16 | Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Special | Archetype: AggressivePvE God Roll: Triple Tap + Firing Line PvP God Roll: Snapshot Sights + Opening Shot | Top-tier |
| Wendigo GL3 |  Wendigo GL3 Grenade Launcher | Grenade Launcher | Adaptive | Heavy | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ A Excels in: PvE + PvP | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Rolls: Auto-Loading Holster (also good: Field Prep) + Explosive Light (also good: Cascade Point) ► Wendigo GL3's old curated roll is still available, and with spike grenades, it's actually better than its original incarnation for PvE. Try out Cascade Point for a different spin on DPS. For PvP, Grenade Launchers are top-tier, and the Wendigo GL3 is no exception. Impulse Amplifier + Rangefinder allows for a projectile speed of 58m/s, making securing kills remarkably easy with this weapon. | Season 19 | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Rolls: Auto-Loading Holster (also good: Field Prep) + Explosive Light (also good: Cascade Point) | Top-tier |
| Cruel Mercy | Cruel Mercy Pulse Rifle | Pulse Rifle | Heavy Burst | Primary | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ A Excels in: PvE + PvP | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Heavy BurstPvE God Roll: Dragonfly (also good: Keep Away) + Frenzy (also good: Rolling Storm) PvP God Roll: Lone Wolf or Keep Away + Desperado or Headseeker ► Cruel Mercy has a lot going for it and definitely excels past a lot of its pulse rifle competition. If pulse rifles ever fully enter the meta, this is definitely one to look out for. | Episode 3 | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: Heavy BurstPvE God Roll: Dragonfly (also good: Keep Away) + Frenzy (also good: Rolling Storm) PvP God Roll: Lone Wolf or Keep Away + Desperado or Headseeker | Top-tier |
| Pre Astyanax IV |  Pre Astyanax IV Combat Bow | Combat Bow | Precision | Primary | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: PrecisionPvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Successful Warm-Up (also good: Explosive Head) ► With its roll of Archer's Tempo and Successful Warm-Up, Pre Astynax is essentitally the new Hush. But if a 540 draw time isn't for you, it's got a swathe of perks that are sure to perform very well in any content. | Season 22 | Slot: Solar | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: PrecisionPvE God Roll: Archer's Tempo + Successful Warm-Up (also good: Explosive Head) | Top-tier |
| Wild Style | Wild Style Grenade Launcher | Grenade Launcher | Double Fire | Special | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Solar | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Double FirePvE God Roll: Reconstruction or Envious Assassin + Incandescent or Vorpal Weapon ► Wild Style's perk pool got a facelift with TFS, and its now a solid option for your energy slot. Reconstruction lets you fire and forget, and Vorpal, as well as Bait and Switch, allows it to fit right into a damage rotation. | Season 23 | Slot: Solar | Ammo: Special | Archetype: Double FirePvE God Roll: Reconstruction or Envious Assassin + Incandescent or Vorpal Weapon | Top-tier |
| Shadow Price | Shadow Price Auto Rifle | Auto Rifle | Precision | Primary | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: PrecisionPvP God Roll: Attrition Orbs (also good: Stats for All) + Voltshot (also good: One for All) ► Auto rifles as a whole just aren't in a great spot right now, but Shadow Price does its best to excel (at least when used in tandem with an Arc build). | The Final Shape | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: PrecisionPvP God Roll: Attrition Orbs (also good: Stats for All) + Voltshot (also good: One for All) | Top-tier |
| The Palindrome | The Palindrome Hand Cannon | Hand Cannon | Adaptive | Primary | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: AdaptivePvP God Roll: Explosive Payload (also good: Elemental Capacitor) + Magnificent Howl (also good: Opening Shot) ► Even with its new element, The Palindrome fails to compete with top dogs like Sunshot and Zaouli’s Bane. Regardless, the weapon offers a solid selection of perks that allow it to excel, especially for those wanting an Arc option. | Episode 3 | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: AdaptivePvP God Roll: Explosive Payload (also good: Elemental Capacitor) + Magnificent Howl (also good: Opening Shot) | Top-tier |
| BrayTech Osprey |  BrayTech Osprey Rocket Launcher | Rocket Launcher | High-Impact | Heavy | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ B Excels in: PvE + PvP | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-ImpactPvE God Roll: Envious Assassin (also good: Auto-Loading Holster) + Lasting Impression PvP God Roll: Cluster Bomb + Chain Reaction ► The original Braytech Osprey was mediocre, and the reissued version follows this trend. While it does have a handful of perks that make other rockets top-tier, Osprey is almost entirely outclassed by top options like Apex Predator and Cold Comfort. | Season 21 | Slot: Void | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-ImpactPvE God Roll: Envious Assassin (also good: Auto-Loading Holster) + Lasting Impression PvP God Roll: Cluster Bomb + Chain Reaction | |
| PLUG ONE.1 | PLUG ONE.1 Fusion Rifle | Fusion Rifle | Precision | Special | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: PrecisionPvE God Roll: Reconstruction + Reservoir Burst (also good: Controlled Burst) ► Now rolling with Reconstruction, PLUG ONE.1 is a rather strong fusion rifle, for its frame at least. While Rapid-Fires will continue to dominate, having a double mag size with Reservoir Burst is a match made in heaven. | Season 14 | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: PrecisionPvE God Roll: Reconstruction + Reservoir Burst (also good: Controlled Burst) | |
| Duty Bound |  Duty Bound Auto Rifle | Auto Rifle | Adaptive | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Roll: Stats for All + One for All ► Duty Bound is a decent all-around weapon. It comes with solid perks and can be used effectively pretty much anywhere in the game. 600 RPM Auto Rifles have always had a decent spot in PvE, and Duty Bound does not break this trend. | Season 16 | Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Roll: Stats for All + One for All | |
| The Militia's Birthright |  The Militia's Birthright Grenade Launcher | Grenade Launcher | Lightweight | Special | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Special | Archetype: LightweightGod Rolls: Ambitious Assassin (also good: Slideways) + Auto-Loading Holster ► With slightly better perks than its original version, the reprisal of Militia's Birthright hasn't made it any more enticing than the several other Kinetic GL's out there. Nice to have, but not worth farming for. | Season 18 | Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Special | Archetype: LightweightGod Rolls: Ambitious Assassin (also good: Slideways) + Auto-Loading Holster | |
| Loaded Question |  Loaded Question Fusion Rifle | Fusion Rifle | High-Impact | Special | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: High-ImpactPvE God Roll: Envious Assassin (also good: Overflow) + Controlled Burst (also good: Reservoir Burst) ► A reprised Pinnacle reward, Loaded Question's return has been well received. Not only does it keep Reservoir Burst, but the inclusion of Overflow and Envious means higher uptime for the perk, letting it perform quite well in higher-end content. | Season 21 | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: High-ImpactPvE God Roll: Envious Assassin (also good: Overflow) + Controlled Burst (also good: Reservoir Burst) | |
| Undercurrent |  Undercurrent Grenade Launcher | Grenade Launcher | Wave | Special | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: WavePvE God Roll: Demolitionist (also good: Field Prep) + Voltshot ► If you lack The Witch Queen DLC or just can't find a raid group, Undercurrent is your best replacement for Forebearance. While not as strong, it can surely compete thanks to Voltshot being as powerful as it is. | Season 23 | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Special | Archetype: WavePvE God Roll: Demolitionist (also good: Field Prep) + Voltshot | |
| Mindbender's Ambition |  Mindbender's Ambition Shotgun | Shotgun | Aggressive | Special | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ B Excels in: PvP | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Solar | Ammo: Special | Archetype: AggressivePvP God Rolls: Threat Detector + Fragile Focus ► Mindbender's Ambition is a decent all-rounder. It isn't best-in-class anywhere in the game, but it will get the job done provided it has the right rolls, and a good Adept Mod socketed. | Season 18 | Slot: Solar | Ammo: Special | Archetype: AggressivePvP God Rolls: Threat Detector + Fragile Focus | |
| THE SWARM |  THE SWARM Machine Gun | Machine Gun | High-Impact | Heavy | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | C › Weak | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ C | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-ImpactPvE God Roll: Feeding Frenzy + Vorpal Weapon ► With a weak archetype, poor stats, and an uninspiring perk selection, this is a weapon you can safely ignore... | Season 13 | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: High-ImpactPvE God Roll: Feeding Frenzy + Vorpal Weapon | |
| The Comedian |  The Comedian Shotgun | Shotgun | Aggressive | Special | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | C › Weak | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ C | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Void | Ammo: Special | Archetype: AggressivePvE God Roll: Lead From Gold + Vorpal Weapon (also good: Trench Barrel) ► With a weak archetype, poor stats, and an uninspiring perk selection, this is a weapon you can safely ignore... | Season 15 | Slot: Void | Ammo: Special | Archetype: AggressivePvE God Roll: Lead From Gold + Vorpal Weapon (also good: Trench Barrel) | |
| The Hothead |  The Hothead Rocket Launcher | Rocket Launcher | Adaptive | Heavy | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | C › Weak | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ C | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Roll: Auto-Loading Holster (also good: Field Prep) + Lasting Impression (also good: Explosive Light) ► With a weak archetype, poor stats, and an uninspiring perk selection, this is a weapon you can safely ignore... | Season 15 | Slot: Arc | Ammo: Heavy | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Roll: Auto-Loading Holster (also good: Field Prep) + Lasting Impression (also good: Explosive Light) | |
| Buzzard |  Buzzard Sidearm | Sidearm | Adaptive | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | C › Weak | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ C | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: AdaptiveGod Rolls: Fourth Time's the Charm (also good: Overflow) + Kinetic Tremors (also good: Frenzy) ► With a weak archetype, poor stats, and an uninspiring perk selection, this is a weapon you can safely ignore... | Season 20 | Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: AdaptiveGod Rolls: Fourth Time's the Charm (also good: Overflow) + Kinetic Tremors (also good: Frenzy) | |
| D.F.A. |  D.F.A. Hand Cannon | Hand Cannon | Adaptive | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | D › Worst | Nightfall: The Ordeals | | ❘ D | Nightfall: The Ordeals Free-to-Play | Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Roll: Outlaw + Rampage ► One of the absolute worst options within its archetype; do not waste your time farming one of these... | Season 17 | Slot: Kinetic | Ammo: Primary | Archetype: AdaptivePvE God Roll: Outlaw + Rampage |
These are the different Tier levels used for this tier list:
- S Tier – Best: Highest ranking weapons.
- A Tier – Strong: Very strong weapons, but not on the same level as S Tier Choices.
- B Tier – Average: Either decent weapons or weapons that fit a very specific niche/use case.
- C Tier – Weak: Mediocre weapons that are easily outclassed by the competition.
- D Tier – Worst: Weapons that don’t have much to offer and don’t deserve your attention.
How to Farm Nightfall weapons
Farming a Nightfall weapon is as straightforward as it gets: they only drop from Nightfall: The Ordeals completions. But you’ll have to wait until the weapon you want is on rotation before you start farming Nightfalls.
Drop rates
In Destiny 2, the higher the difficulty, the bigger the reward. This applies to Nightfall weapon drops, too. Exact drop rates are unknown, but the higher the difficulty, the higher the chances to earn a Nightfall weapon:
| Difficulty | Recommended Level | Drop rate |
| Advanced | 2015 | Uncommon |
| Expert | 2025 | Common |
| Master | 2030 | Common |
| Grandmaster | 2040 | Common+ |
Nightfall Weapon Focusing
You can also use your earned Nightfall Engrams to focus them into the weapons you’re actively chasing. Just keep in mind that you can’t focus a weapon until you find it in Nightfalls.
Focusing costs
The cost to focus an Engram into a Nightfall weapon will vary between standard weapons and adept weapons:
| Cost | Weapon | Adept Weapon |
| Engram | 1 | 3 |
| Glimmer | 20,000 | 50,000 |
| Adept Cipher | 0 | 10 |
Legacy focusing & cost
You can also use your engrams to focus legacy Nightfall weapons, i.e., Nightfall weapons that are not part of this Episode’s rotation.
The cost to focus an Engram into a Legacy Nightfall weapon will vary between previously discovered weapons by the player and new weapons:
| Cost | Weapon | “New” Weapon |
| Engram | 3 | 7 |
| Glimmer | 25,000 | 10,000 |
| Legendary Shards | 25 | 100 |
Adept Nightfall weapons
On top of offering higher drop rates, completing a Nightfall on the Grandmaster difficulty can also reward you with an Adept weapon.
Nightfall Adept weapons are souped-up versions of the standard Nightfall: The Ordeal weapons. They sport a new design, offer better stats (via an improved Masterwork), and can equip powerful Adept mods, which are superior to normal mods.
Unlike Adept Trials weapons, Adept weapons from Nightfalls can only be farmed once the Grandmaster difficulty becomes available, which is during the latter part of a season.
Needless to say, Adept weapons are superior and a major flex (as Grandmaster Nightfalls are not an easy feat for the average player) for hardcore players.
Adept Nightfall Ciphers
When completing Grandmaster Nightfalls, players will also acquire Adept Nightfall Ciphers. The number of Ciphers that players earn depends on whether players qualify for Platinum, Gold, or Silver rewards at the end of the Nightfall:
- Platinum = 2
- Gold = 1
- Silver = 0
Before you go…
Looking for top-tier gear? You should definitely check out these Trials weapons.
About the hothead. It should be minimum A tier. It can roll with explosive light and clown cartridge making it one of if not the best legendary rocket to pair with gally if you are not using izanagi rocket strat. Plus with access to adept big ones this makes running rockets in GM’s worth again due to bonus damage to champions and bosses, just make sure you have a hunter running aeons.
Agreed. Not to mention it gets Auto Loading and even Demo in that first column. A lot of the weapon reviews and grades, on this site, are kinda whack… but the one for Hothead is pretty bad.
he rated at S tier
Subsistence Vorpal on Silicion neuroma doesn’t really seem like the pvp god roll
OK Super app.
Please update. Weapons such as the SWARM are available and on rotation.
I would suggest a change in the perk selection on Hot-Head. First-off, Lasting Impression is considered worse than Explosive Light for several reasons and Field Prep + Clown Cartridge as well as Demolitionist still see use despite the otherwise superior options of Apex Predator and Cold Comfort.
The tiering is also pretty silly. Hot-Head is a significantly stronger drop than anything else in the S tier by a large margin.
How is it that buzzard isnt in the rotation list this season yet it is currently the nightfall weapon drop? Please update ur list.
Duty Bound has a typo. The God Roll is listed as “Frenzy Rampage”.
SWARM is in rotation today not Wardens law
Since when are Vortex frame swords bad?
Their DPS is very poor in comparison to other options, like Lament and Bequest.
If you don’t have either, highly recommend acquiring them – vortex frame damage is abysmal on bosses.
I suggest a re-review of your tier lists and descriptions. Some if not most are completely out of date and some are just completely wrong.
For example the listing for Shadow Price…”weak archetype??”, “poor perk selection?”
The Shadow Price Has been updated with a new perk pool this season, not to mention 450 AR’s are among the strongest archetype for the AR’s…do you actually play this game????
There is a reason we use dates and clearly mention up to what season a guide is applicable. TFS is here and that means we need to update roughly half of our content. As we need day jobs to buy food (creating content for Destiny 2 doesn’t pay much), we do it as fast as humanly possible.
This page needs to be updated now that Palindrome is arc.
I was really excited for the Rake Angle Glaive on March 25th, unfortunately the schedule is off and the Rake Angle Nightfall will be on April 8th. The schedule didn’t include wild style or the Slammer sword.