Best Sidearms in Destiny 2 Lightfall: The Ultimate Guide
In a variety of video game projects, pistols are considered the most useless and unnecessary weapons. Nine times out of ten, they have low damage and a valueless fire rate and are generally the last choice in the slot. On the other hand, Bungie considers the situation around pistols the opposite, having made said firearms in their games the most valuable secondary or even primary weapon to have and operate. That was the case in Halo, and this trend continues in Destiny 2.
Today let’s dive into our Top Sidearms in Destiny 2 Lightfall, which brings together the magnificent weapons to take down opponents in Raids, Nightfalls, and Dungeons, as well as Guardians in Trials of Osiris and Crucible. And you will discover why pistols are almost a meta in this looter shooter.
Sidearm Guide
And to start with, we will describe to beginners: “What’s the deal with those Sidearms?”
Sidearms in Destiny 2 aren’t the usual pistols you might have seen in other video games. This weapon type is designed for close-range combat and quick mob clearing. The noticeable disadvantage is the bullet range because it won’t reach the target at medium or long distances. Due to their unusual hit registration, precision hitting enemies with a small crit spot will be quite tricky.
Every gun in Destiny 2 has different Frames, and they aren’t for show. There could be many best perks in Sidearms for Lightfall builds, but if a gun has a bad frame, even a good perk won’t improve it. Some simply change the shooting pattern, while others can give additional effects. But they all differ in two specific things, namely DPS and RPM. Meanwhile, Sidearms prove even more complicated because there are six separate Frames:
- Precision Frame (260 RPM, vertical recoil)
- Adaptive Frame (300RPM)
- Aggressive Burst (two-burst 325 RPM)
- Lightweight Frame (360 RPM, move faster with this gun equipped)
- Rapid Fire Frame (450 RPM, faster reload speed when the magazine is empty)
- Adaptive Burst (three-burst 491 RPM)
From such a variety, you can get confused, but we’re ready to clear things up. If you’re playing with a keyboard and mouse, burst Sidearms are your excellent bet, while on a gamepad situation is the opposite. If you care about DPS in PvE, then all Frames will be good, especially considering their latest 20% buff. But still, it is worth noting that Aggressive Burst, Adaptive Frame, and Burst feel outstanding in action.
Best PvE Sidearm
Let’s begin our first list with why you are here. It’s not for nothing that Bungie upgraded this weapon type to make it more effective against crowds of mobs. Next up are the five perfect Sidearms you need to farm for yourself!
Final Warning
How To Get It: Quest “The Final Strand”
Many players initially underestimated Final Warning on release but quickly changed their minds. It may seem that homing shots are the main Sidearm’s feature, but this is far from the case. Your Projectiles will deal extra crit hit damage to marked targets while aiming. The named feature allows the Exotic Sidearm to make massive DPS to orange-bar enemies and even bosses. That’s why Final Warning leads the top Exotic Sidearms in Destiny 2 Lightfall.
Liminal Vigil
Best Perks: Smallbore, Ricochet Rounds, Headstone, Kill Clip/Desperado
How To Get It: Spire of the Watcher Dungeon
Want to feel like a space cowboy with a good-old hip-fire pistol friend? Then Liminal Vigil will be to your liking, as its origin trait increases reload speed by 20, handling by 20, and movement speed for 4 seconds when hitting an enemy four times while hip firing. Its perks won’t disappoint you, either. The third column has a beautiful Headstone perk that synergizes perfectly with Stasis to create Stasis Crystals. The fourth column also has Kill Clip, which increases damage after defeating the opponent and reloading, and Desperado, which boosts the fire rate from reloading by completing crit takedowns. Liminal Vigil might be your favorite and just about the best Sidearm for PvE in Destiny 2 Lightfall.
Mykel’s Reverence
Best Perks: Smallbore, Ricochet Rounds, Rewind Rounds/Perpetual Motion, Hatchling/Paracausal Affinity
How To Get It: Root of Nightmare Raid
The new Raid in Destiny 2 Lightfall delivered wonderful weaponry with characteristics and perks that have become a real gift to many Guardians, including Sidearms enjoyers. You can obtain it in all stages except the first, which makes it relatively easy to acquire. What’s more, you can even craft it.
In terms of perks, you have a lot of choices, such as a combination of Rewind Rounds and Paracausal Affinity, so that your firearm instantly replenishes ammo after each hit on an enemy with an empty magazine and, at the same time, has damage boost for destroying foes with Darkness Final Blows (Strand/Stasis kills). The same Hatchling perk would be great in Strand builds for Warlocks. If Mykel’s Reverence is not in the Destiny 2 Lightfall Sidearm tier list, then it is automatically bad.
Buzzard
Best Perks: Smallbore, Ricochet Rounds, Overflow, Kinetic Tremors/Frenzy
How To Get It: Nightfalls
In Season 20, the good old Buzzard returned to the game and obtained new intriguing perks. Guardians already started farming this Sidearm along with Kinetic Tremors. However, there is one significant drawback. To make the new perk work, you must land as many as 12 shots on one enemy, which is almost the entire store of the gun. Due to the condition, we advise you to get Frenzy, which has never disappointed anyone.
Brigand’s Law
Best Perks: Smallbore, Accurized Rounds, Feeding Frenzy/Pugilist, Voltshot
How To Get It: Xur
If you are tired of IKELOS_SMG_V1.0.3 and are looking as a worthy replacement, then pay attention to Brigand’s Law. Besides having the identical perk combo as Feeding Frenzy+Voltshot, you can also use Pugilist. It will let you regain 10% Melee Energy per Final Blow. The main issue is that the possibility to craft it will appear only in Season 21, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the best legendary Sidearms in Destiny 2 Lightfall.
Best PvP Sidearm
Some people love revolvers, but we love pistols. A couple of quick shots, and your enemy is in a coffin! Now you will learn exactly how to fight back against the Guardians in PvP.
Forerunner
How To Get It: “Magnum Opus” Quest
Although you can barely call Forerunner a Sidearm since it utilizes Special ammo, it still belongs to this weapon type. An Exotic has a long range and can take out any Guardian with three shots if they have less than 100 Resilience. Forerunner also has a Catalyst, giving you Grenade straight from Halo in exchange after consuming cartridges. Regardless, it is rarely useful in PvP.
Allied Demand
Best Perks: Smallbore, Ricochet Rounds, Rangefinder, Iron Reach
How To Get It: Iron Banner
Guardians ignore it, but in vain, because it’s an excellent Sidearm to use in the Lightfall expansion. It’s easy to obtain in Iron Banner, and the combination of Rangefinder and Iron Breach helps push it by creating the longest-ranged Sidearm, with a range of up to 18 meters. A little more, and it would have become an accurate SMG!
Forgiveness
Best Perks: Smallbore, Accurized Rounds, Moving Target/Killing Wind, Rapid Hit/Multikill Clip
How To Get It: Trials of Osiris Legacy Focusing
The obvious superb PvP choice would be a firearm that was literally made for and obtained through the Trials of Osiris. Forgiveness will pleasantly surprise you with its stats, aim assistance, and various perks. Only the Moving Target perk, which increases aim assistance to perfection, or the Rapid Hit perk, which improves the reloading speed with stability, makes the gun worth it. Definitely one of the best Sidearms for PvP in Destiny 2 Lightfall!
Drang (Baroque)
Best Perks: Smallbore, Accurized Rounds, Moving Target, Zen Moment.
How To Get It: Banshee-44
The Drang is frequently seen in PvP and has become one of the preferred favors to take down Guardians. Its rate of fire and damage has become one of the main reasons to have it in your arsenal. The perks like Moving Target, which we already wrote about above, and Zen Moment, which reduces flinch and recoil by causing damage, cause the named pistol to be one of the best Sidearms for Crucible in Destiny 2 Lightfall. In addition, you can buy it from Banshee-44, who often brings godroll arsenal.
Buzzard
Best Perks: Smallbore, Ricochet Rounds, Encore/Perpetual Motion, Rangefinder
How To Get It: Nightfalls
However, not everyone wants to wait for Banshee to bring godroll Drang. If you are one of those, then you are extremely lucky because Buzzard is a great replacement. High stability and aim assistance will help you hit your target easier, and Rangefinder will increase the gun’s range, allowing you to compete with SMGs without any problems. Encore is an amazing choice for 6v6 playlists, and for a more neutral game, we recommend Perpetual Motion.
And that’s the end of our Sidearm guide in Destiny 2 Lightfall for now. We will be updating it constantly with up-to-date information, adding other meta handguns and more. In the meantime, you can share our list with your friends and check out another guide about Auto Rifles and Submachine Guns. They will also assist you in becoming better in Destiny 2.
Do you need help getting better ammunition? Cannot complete a new Raid and miss a mountain of top guns? WowVendor has come to your rescue as we are ready to solve the crisis with Destiny 2 Services. The link will take you to the category of our products, where you can get the desired weapon or the activity passage that was too harsh for you.
Thanks for reading. Owl is flying away!
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