Most would agree that Auto Rifles are the most fun weapons to use in Destiny 2 PVE. While there are other weapons that dominate PVP, if you’re looking to have fun and perform well in PVE, there’s no better option than Auto Rifles. Because of that, here are the best PVE Auto Rifles in Destiny 2.
Related: Best Root of Nightmares Weapons in Destiny 2
What Are the Best Destiny 2 PVE Auto Rifles?
There are a plethora of great Exotic and Legendary Auto Rifles in Destiny 2 that make PVE fun and easy. Different Exotic Auto Rifles can work well with different builds for different reasons, but before we jump into the overall best Exotic and Legendary Auto Rifles, you need to know the four different types of Auto Rifles.
- Rapid-Fire Frame (720 RPM) – Fastest fire rate, but lowest damage per bullet. Slightly lower range, but a very popular pick for some of the best Auto Rifles in Destiny 2.
- Adaptive Frame (600 RPM) – Most popular frame since it provides a balance between Rapid Fire Frame’s fire rate and Precision Frame’s accuracy.
- Precision Frame (450 RPM) – High range and recoil control, but low fire rate. Very few Precision Frame Auto Rifles are great.
- High-Impact Frame (360 RPM) – Very high damage per shot, but very high recoil and very low fire rate. There aren’t too many High-Impact Frame Auto Rifles which means this Frame largely gets ignored.
Best Auto Rifles in Destiny 2 PVE, Ranked
With age, Auto Rifles, as well as every other weapon in Destiny 2, get harder to acquire. This list of the best Auto Rifles in Destiny 2 PVE will try to focus on weapons that are still relatively easy to obtain (though there are a few exceptions).
Rufus’s Fury
- Rapid-Fire Frame
- Kinetic
- Strand
Rufus’s Fury is easily the best Legendary Auto Rifle in Destiny 2 right now. The catch is it can be very hard to get since it is only acquired through the Root of Nightmares Raid. However, the silver lining is that it is craftable, so you can make the perfect Rufus’s Fury God Roll if you get enough red borders.
Aside from being a very powerful weapon, Rufus’s Fury has a great perk pool. The two best perks to get to make this the best PVE Auto Rifle are Demolitionist and Adrenaline Junkie since they both reward grenade and weapon kills.
Hatchling is another good option to pair with Demolitionist if you like Threadlings, but another really good God Roll for Rufus’s Fury is Reconstruction and Target Lock since it automatically reloads the weapon as you shoot and deals more damage as you shoot one target.
Quicksilver Storm
- Rocket Tracers
- Grenade Chaser
- Kinetic
- Normal/Strand
One of my personal favorite PVE Auto Rifles is Quicksilver Storm because it has really good range, accuracy, recoil control, and damage. The only downside to Quicksilver Storm is that the only way to get it is to purchase the Lightfall Annual Pass Edition.
Quicksilver Storm has two Exotic Traits. Rocket Tracers shoots a homing micro-rocket after landing multiple hits which is really good, and Grenade Chaser is amazing as you get up to three Grenade Launcher shots as an alternate firing mode.
Quicksilver Storm also has one of the best Catalysts in the game as it makes the weapon Strand and spawns Threadlings when you get a kill with a Quicksilver Storm Grenade Launcher shot. Overall, Quicksilver Storm is really fun to use, if you have it.
Centrifuse
- Overcharge Capacitor
- Regenerative Motion
- Energy
- Arc
Centrifuse is a surprisingly great Auto Rifle introduced in Destiny 2 Season of the Deep. This Exotic Auto Rifle is acquired through the Season of the Deep Season Pass, but if the season has already ended, then you can get it from the Monument of Lost Lights at the Tower.
Centrifuse’s two Exotic Traits are Overcharge Capacitor which builds a charge on running, sliding, and firing which increases your range and reload speed. When the bar is full, final blows create Arc explosions and maximum charge explosions Blind enemies. Regenerative Motion reloads the weapon when sprinting.
The Centrifuse Catalyst allows you to gradually build up the Overcharge Capacitor bar when Amplified. If you love using Arc, just like how I love using the best Arc Warlock build, Centrifuse is a must since it is so fun to play fast with the help of Arc.
Monte Carlo
- Monte Carlo Method
- Markov Chain
- Kinetic
- Normal
Monte Carlo is a unique Exotic Auto Rifle that feels great to use and has amazing perks. I don’t use melee builds much, but if you love to use melee, then Monte Carlo is a must-have Auto Rifle.
Monte Carlo Method is the first Exotic Trait and it reduces your melee cooldown with Monte Carlo damage and has a chance to fully charge your melee with each kill. It also has Markov Chain which increases Monte Carlo’s damage on melee and Monte Carlo kills.
Unfortunately, Monte Carlo doesn’t have a Catalyst, but it is a great weapon on its own. If you want to make a synergized build focused on melee, you have to use Monte Carlo.
Ammit AR2
- Precision Frame
- Energy
- Solar
Ammit AR2 is the best Solar Auto Rifle in Destiny 2 thanks to its impressive perks and excellent feel. Since it’s a Precision Frame, it fires a bit slower but has excellent handling and clear potential.
There are a few options when it comes to the best perks for Ammit AR2, but I suggest going with Dynamic Sway and Incandescent. Incandescent is the best perk to go with for Solar Auto Rifles because it spreads scorch which can trigger ignitions (aka Solar explosions). Dynamic Sway is the perk to pair since it improves your accuracy and stability when holding down the trigger.
There might be a better Solar Auto Rifle in the future, but for now, Ammit AR2 is a great one to get. It is craftable but acquired at random from Legendary Engrams which makes it hard to get.
Krait
- Rapid-Fire Frame
- Kinetic
- Stasis
Krait is the best Stasis Auto Rifle in Destiny 2 and is excellent when paired with or without the Stasis subclass. It’s not an easy weapon to get, but the perks and performance make up for the hunt.
The Krait PVE God Roll is definitely Subsistence and Headstone. Subsistence reloads the magazine after defeating targets and Headstone spawns stasis crystals on precision final blows which can freeze enemies and give you more ability energy.
Krait, like Ammit AR2, is similarly hard to get. You can only get it from Legendary Engrams and it isn’t craftable, so getting a God Roll is tough. This is the best Stasis Auto Rifle, but good luck getting it.
Sweet Sorrow
- Rapid-Fire Frame
- Energy
- Arc
Sweet Sorrow is one of the best Arc Auto Rifles in the game. Though it doesn’t have any Arc perks, the perks Sweet Sorrow does have make it really powerful. The downside is that, while Sweet Sorrow is craftable, it’s really hard to get.
If you manage to get a Sweet Sorrow, the perks you’re gonna want are All for One and One for All. All for One increases weapon handling, reload speed, and range for a moderate duration after hitting three separate targets and One for All grants increased damage for a moderate duration after hitting three separate targets. These perks are made for each other and work great on Sweet Sorrow.
Perpetualis
Last, but not least, is Perpetualis. This weapon is a great Strand Auto Rifle; not as good as Rufus’s Fury, but still great, especially for those that don’t want to grind the Root of Nightmares Raid.
The best Perpetualis PVE God Roll is Zen Moment and Hatchling. Zen Moment lowers your flinch and recoil after dealing damage with Perpetualis and precision final blows create Threadlings. OF course, you can swap out Hatchling with Demolitionist if you dislike Threadlings, but I recommend leaning into the Strand feel and going with Hatchlings here.
You can get Perpetualis from Legendary Engrams. It’s more common to get Perpetualis since it was available in Season of Defiance. Plus, it’s craftable, so secure the red borders and craft your God Roll.
