Auto rifles are finally getting some love in Destiny 2, at least in terms of getting serious buffs. For the longest time, auto rifles existed in this weird space in Destiny. There’s no reason to use them for most activities other than for dealing with Overload Champions. They aren’t seen as competitive enough in PvP. Besides, SMGs shred them anyway so why bother?
Recently, Bungie announced that auto rifles will be getting a massive PvE buff very soon. The change involves a sizeable 25% increase in damage output. And it will be applied when the mid-season patch rolls around. Will this be enough to make Guardians use auto rifles more? We’re not sure yet. We’ll have to wait and see what shakes out after the patch goes live.
Best Auto Rifles for the second half of Destiny 2 Season 20
Here are the best auto rifles we think you should watch out for in the near future. Starting with some choice Exotic picks and then some recommended Legendary god rolls.
Cerberus+1
We’re starting this list with one of the most underrated auto rifles no one’s talking about. The Cerberus+1 fires from four barrels at one. The weapon was inconsistent at best against targets smaller than a Fallen Captain. Well, I decided to take this gun out for a spin in both PvP and PvE, and for some reason, the weapon’s the most consistent than it’s ever been. I’m not sure if the shotgun changes played a part or not but it feels good to use now. When the buffs go live, this is probably the first gun I’m going to test out.
Sweet Business
This may seem to be a LOL pick but I assure you, the Sweet Business has been ripping things up in the Crucible lately. There’s something about the suppressive nature of the gun that appeals to a certain kind of player. That, and hearing the gun revving up does stir the soul somewhat. In theory, this weapon should shred in PvE once the patch goes live but that’s what we all thought too at one point before we unanimously chucked it into our vaults.
Suros Regime
The Suros Regime has always been a solid option. Its intrinsic trait allows the weapon to deal bonus damage when you reach the bottom half of the magazine and has a chance to return health on kill. This could potentially see a lot of play in Grandmaster Nightfalls with a Kinetic Surge equipped.
And those are the Exotics I have for this list. I know I’m leaving out notable ones like Quicksilver Storm but that’s a pre-order bonus for right now. There’s also Monte Carlo and Tommy Matchbook. Just cause they’re not on the list, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try them out. I just happen to like these Exotics, and that’s why they’re on the list.
Now, let’s go over the Legendaries and some potential god rolls you should be watching out for.
Sweet Sorrow
Recommended PvE God Roll: Stats for All + One for All
Sweet Sorrow is a 720 RPM arc auto rifle with some serious stopping power. For a gun like this, it’s very easy to activate Stats for All and One for All against a group of ads. The best part is, you don’t really need them as the gun does a pretty good job regardless of the perks attached.
Unfortunately, you can’t get the gun anymore (at least for this season). So, if you have something like it in your vault, that’s all the more reason to dust it off.
Duty Bound
The best reason to bring out Duty Bound is to make use of its Origin Trait, Stunning Recovery. It is highly effective against Overload Champions. But alas, much like the Sweet Sorrow, the Duty Bound has been removed from the Nightfall loot pool. The only way to get it now is to focus it as legacy gear.
Personally, I would like to try out a Triple Tap + Fourth Time’s the Charm roll. Until then, the Origin Trait is going to have to carry it.
Ammit AR 2
Recommended PvE God Roll: Ambitious Assassin + Incandescent
Hands down, this has got to be the best Solar AR Legendary I’ve used in recent memory. The combination of Ambitious Assassin and Incandescent against groups of ads practically ensures that you have 80 bullets in the magazine per reload. Plus, I really like causing Solar ignitions left and right.
The Ammit AR2 was actually a small introductory quest to weapon crafting. So chances are you already have the weapon pattern. So what are you waiting for? It’s not going to farm kills by itself.
Seventh Seraph Carbine
Recommended PvE God Roll: Reconstruction + Target Lock
The Seventh Seraph Carbine has been in Destiny 2 for a very long time. This reprieved version came with the Spire of the Watcher dungeon. Last season, it was an exclusive dungeon drop. This season, it is a very nice world-drop weapon.
Reconstruction slowly loads bullets into your magazine until you have twice the number of bullets. Pair that with Target Lock which increases damage the longer you shoot at a target and you have a gun that can potentially shoot longer and hurts more for every bullet that lands.
Lodbrok-C
Recommended PvE God Roll: Fourth Time’s the Charm + Target Lock
Another weapon that benefits greatly from Target Lock, the Lodbrok-C has been my go-to auto rifle in most PvP content. When it comes to PvE content, that mostly depends on the player. Some Guardians like Demolitionist with their Target Lock as it instantly reloads your weapon when you use your grenade ability. But I like Fourth Time’s the Charm more. For one, I don’t like having to depend on my grenade to do something. Secondly, I just like to focus fire on the crit spot. To each their own. But get a roll with Target Lock. You might just like it.
Dark Decider
Recommended PvE God Roll: Voltshot
I’m recommending Dark Decider over Krait for the reason that Dark Decider can have a roll with Voltshot and Iron Banner is back in town. If you’ve been playing for a while, chances are you already have a good roll sitting in your vault.
When it comes to Voltshot, you don’t really need anything else to make it a god roll. Anything that gives better reload speed is nice but everything in front of you would already be reduced to dust by the time you reload. The gun also is a rapid-fire frame so reloading is never going to be an issue most of the time.
Perpetualis
Recommended PvE God Roll: Keep Away + Hatchling
And lastly, we have the new kids on the block. Realistically, it would be Rufus’s Fury on this list. But as someone who doesn’t have the pattern, I can’t really comment on a recommended roll. Instead, I chose to go for the seasonal weapon that everyone should have a copy of in their vaults by now, the Perpetualis.
Keep Away is recognized as a top-tier perk in Season 20. Pair that with Hatchling and you have something that spawns minions as long as there are ads on the field. With +25% damage, I can’t wait to see how many more Threadlings this weapon can produce at once.
And that’s our list of potentially the best auto rifles for the second half of Destiny 2 Season 20. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the sandbox is going to be more fun with the hail of bullets that’s on the way. Have fun out there, Guardians.
Check out this video from YouTuber KackisHD where he tells us his picks for which auto rifles could be meta in the near future.
