Ultimate Guide to Lightfall’s Best Shotguns
Each weapon type in any game has its best variations, which are included in a specific meta, and Destiny 2 is no exception. We’ve already done a lot of articles on this topic, like about Sniper, Auto, Pulse, Scout Rifles, Sidearms, and more. Today’s article will keep this trend and delve into Shotguns. So, sit back and discover what’s so special about the best Shotguns in Destiny 2 Lightfall.
Shotgun List
Shotgun Guide
Shotguns are a Special weapon type that is only effective at close range. Those weapons have incredibly high damage, so in PvE, they are helpful in destroying Elites, Champions, and even Bosses. In PvP, Shotguns are in particular demand, as they are able to one-shot a Guardian. There are five archetypes in total:
- Aggressive (55 RPM)
- Pinpoint Slug (65 RPM)
- Precision (65 RPM)
- Lightweight (80 RPM)
- Rapid Fire (140 RPM)
If you are going to take Shotguns for PvE, the Pinpoint Slug Archetype is the best and most obvious choice because of the very powerful and precise shot without bullet spread. In PvP, the must-haves are Aggressive and Precision Shotguns, as they are capable of knocking out your target in a split second.
Best PvE Shotgun
In an old-fashioned way, let’s start our list by analyzing the Best PvE Shotguns in Destiny 2, which can even deal with bosses in any activity.
Conditional Finality
- How To Get It: Root of Nightmares Raid
Conditional Finality burst into the shotgun meta in Destiny 2 quite suddenly, taking a pretty comfortable position. Its only colossal disadvantage is the random drop from Root of Nightmares. While you can enhance this probability through specific triumphs, it is still not guaranteed. If you do manage to obtain it, be prepared for an exhilarating roller coaster ride.
The unique feature of Conditional Finality is the combination of two different elements: Stasis and Solar. Thus, one shot freezes the enemy, and the next barrel ignites them. Moreover, this shotgun stuns Unstoppable Champions, and that’s thanks to its dual effect, which quickly takes them down in a couple of shots. In all aspects, Conditional Finality is the perfect choice for any endgame or high-difficulty solo activity.
The Fourth Horseman
- How To Get It: Monument to Lost Light
The Fourth Horseman is one of the highest damage dealers from all weapons in D2, thanks in large part to its Exotic perk. This weapon shoots full-auto, the rate-of-fire itself is additionally increased, and every successive shot boosts damage. Those three aspects in one fuse lead to an incredibly high DPS (Damage Per Second). Together with the Catalyst, which improves reload speed, The Fourth Horseman is a great choice for taking down high-HP bar enemies and bosses.
Tractor Cannon
- How To Get It: Exotic Engrams
Among all the weapons in this game, the Tractor Cannon is the most unusual and valuable gun to have in the collection. The funny thing is that it cannot be called a shotgun, even in the usual sense. Tractor Cannon shoots a powerful impulse that knocks back combatants, inflicting the highest weakening debuff in the game and making them open to any damage. It is an essential weapon in many DPS Phases and also a very fun gun to play with.
Heritage
- Best Perks: Hammer-forged Rifling, Assault Mag, Reconstruction, Recombination/Focused Fury
- How To Get It: Deep Stone Crypt Raid
Everyone loves Heritage. Regular players love it, pro players love it, and even the developers love it, and this won’t change soon. And yes, don’t be surprised when Heritage appears on every Destiny 2 Shotguns Tier List.
It’s a great slug shotgun that is relatively easy to farm in Deep Stone Crypt and fully craftable, making it even more awesome and lovable. Once you have the opportunity to craft it, set Reconstruction and Recombination, and you’ll be satisfied. The former doubles capacity, constantly replenishing it over time. The latter boosts damage up to 100% for the next shot after any elemental final blows, allowing you to one-shot even major opponents. We also recommend Focused Fury, which improves damage by 20% for 11 seconds if you land half of the precision hits. In every sense, Heritage has the best Shotguns Perks in Destiny 2.
IKELOS_SG_V1.0.3
- Best Perks: Smallbore, Tactical Mag, Subsistence/Threat Detector, Incandescent/Vorpal Weapon/One-Two Punch
- How To Get It: Random world drop or can be bought from Banshee-44
How can we do without the IKELOS line on our list? And it didn’t disappoint, even with its shotgun!
Even though it has a rapid-fire frame, it’s more effective against clearing those mobs that Primary or wave Grenade Launchers can’t easily deal with or DPS. In addition, it may suit your taste due to its variety of perks:
- Subsistence reloads one barrel from the reserves for every destroyed foe
- Threat Detector increases reload speed, stability, and handling when an enemy is near you, making it passive to use
- After you destroy your opponent, Incandescent casts Scorch, roasting all opponents near the target
- Vorpal Weapon increases damage by 15% against bosses and vehicles
- Provides 100% increased damage for an instant melee hit after hitting an enemy with all shotgun pellets
Right now, the main downside might be that red borders are pretty hard to get for IKELOS, but Bungie fixed that problem in this season, and now you are able to craft any combination freely.
Nessa’s Oblation
- Best Perks: Hammer-forged Rifling, Assault Mag, Reconstruction/Fourth Time’s the Charm, Vorpal Weapon/Focused Fury
- How To Get It: Root of Nightmares Raid
Root of Nightmares pleased us not only with the new Exotic but also with the Legendary shotgun as well. Unlike the same Heritage, Nessa’s Oblation goes into the second slot, which opens the way for a combination of as many as two of the best Shotguns for any DPS Phase! Okay, jokes aside, these two Shotguns are actually often used together, as you can see from the perks. The only thing we will clarify is about FTtC, which returns two rounds on four successful hits in crit.
If you need help choosing a combo, Reconstruction and Vorpal Weapon are our must-go.
Best PvP Shotgun
This type of weapon feels just phenomenal in PvP, and many players simply hate them because of the ability to take down the enemy with one shot. Next up, six best PvP Shotguns in Destiny 2.
Conditional Finality
- How To Get It: Root of Nightmares Raid
And as we noted previously, Conditional Finality is actually in a comfortable position because it’s relevant even in PvP. Playing with it against the Guardians is also a pleasure due to the fantastic handling, and the ability to freeze the Supers running at you is really fun. The weapon lacks range, and the second barrel doesn’t have a good bullet spread, but it is still worth using.
Duality
- How To Get It: Monument to Lost Light
No wonder this shotgun is called Duality, because it combines two different Frames: Slug and Precision. The first firing mode works when aiming, while the second works in hip-fire. This allows you to easily adapt to the battle, although in Slug mode you’ll have to aim for the head. Apart from that, we highly recommend making Catalyst, as it’ll give a +20 range, which significantly improves this Exotic.
Imperial Decree
- Best Perks: Smallbore, Accurized Rounds, Threat Detector/Surplus/Slideshot, Opening Shot
- How to Get It: Recovered Leviathan Weapons Focusing
The Imperial Decree is an example of an almost perfect shotgun that goes in the first slot, and has a huge number of great PvP perks. In fact, for all weapons of this type in the third slot, some of the best are:
- Threat Detector: grants better handling, reload speed, and stability when the opponent is within 15 meters radius
- Surplus: gives buff on the same stats as the previous perk, but the bonus works with Charged Abilities
- Slideshot: sliding partially replenishes the magazine, and grants 20 range with 30 stability for 3 seconds. Only active for the first shot
Each of these perks is useful in its own way, but you’ll definitely like each and every one of them of them. In the fourth column, there is only one favorite for all Shotguns: Opening Shot, which gives better accuracy, 20 Aim Assistance, and 25 range on the first shot. All in all, the Imperial Decree is a must-have, mainly if you craft it and use our Shotguns Tips and Tricks in Destiny 2.
Matador 64
- Best Perks: Smallbore, Accurized Rounds, Threat Detector/Perpetual Motion, Opening Shot
- How to Get It: Grasp of Avarice Dungeon
Matador 64 returned from the first Destiny and immediately became a favorite among PvP Players. Unfortunately, obtaining it is much more complicated than other Shotguns in the list because of the need to pray for RNG God in GoA Dungeon and infinitely farm. In terms of perks, the main difference from the earlier ones is the absence of Surplus and Slideshot and the replacement in the form of Perpetual Motion, which buffs handling, reload speed, and stability when you move. It’s a great perk that works as a useful passive buff.
Found Verdict
- Best Perks: Smallbore, Accurized Round, Slideshot/Surplus, Opening Shot
- How to Get It: Vault of Glass Raid
In fact, an analog of the previous weapons, without crafting, but with the presence of adept mods. The third column has Slideshot and Surplus, which is an excellent choice in PvP. There isn’t much more to say about it, except that it’ll be harder to get than Matador 64 due to Raid activity. Still, it is worth grinding it if you need a gun in the second slot or its adept version, which you can find in the Master-version of VoG by completing all the challenges.
The Inquisitor
- Best Perks: Corkscrew Rifling, Accurized Rounds, Perpetual Motion, Opening Shot
- How To Get It: Trials of Osiris
The Inquisitor is a unique choice in this list because it is a slug shotgun and outperforms some of them due to its high range. Alas, you may not like this gun: you can only one-shot your enemies by aiming at their head. The higher perks will improve its stats, so it’s still a good choice.
Final Words
That’s all we could tell you in our Destiny 2 Shotguns Guide. As you can see, the PvE selection is comprehensive, and you have something to puzzle over. While in PvP, the variety is not very expansive right now, and everyone mostly takes the same guns. But we can guarantee that all the Shotguns from our list will aid you in any of these activities.
And if so, then be sure to tell us about your experience with them in the comments! The list will be updated with the following seasons, so check back regularly if you don’t want to miss out on meta changes.
Do you require assistance with farming them or doing some activity? Well, you’ve come to the right place because, with our Destiny 2 Services, you’ll quickly get the loot you want and save time by skipping the whole grind. WowVendor is responsible for the quality and speed of its services, and you can get the perfect Shotguns Builds in Destiny 2!
Thanks for reading! Owl is flying away.
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