Destiny 2's PvP sandbox is constantly changing. The meta sees continuous shifts between each season, ranging from small balance changes to complete overhauls of certain weapon types. Fusion Rifles received a rather major rework years ago, adjusting charge times and bolts fired per burst. The end result is a much more diverse set of weapons to vaporize your enemies, both in PvE and PvP.
For the Crucible, Fusion Rifles act as a longer-range version of Shotguns with charge time. If you can master your timing with these weapons, you'll be rewarded with a powerhouse of a Special weapon that can disintegrate targets from most distances. Today, we'll be looking at the best Fusion Rifles you can use in the Crucible.
10 Deliverance
How to obtain: Vow of the Disciple raid; craftable at the Enclave.
Deliverance is a Precision Frame Fusion Rifle with a monstrous stat package, beating all other Precision Frames in base range, stability, aim assist, and airborne effectiveness. It also has an above-average zoom level of 16, although this is actually subpar when compared to most Precision Frame Fusion Rifles.
If the stat package wasn't enough, Deliverance has a fantastic set of perks to roll from. Perpetual Motion and Tap the Trigger is incredible for general play, making this weapon a laser at all distances. If you want to slay out with this gun, try Heating Up and Successful Warm-Up to turn this weapon into a stronger Rapid-Fire Frame upon landing a kill. The weapon is also fully craftable, provided you can get enough red border variants to drop from the Vow of the Disciple raid.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Perpetual Motion, Heating Up, Demolitionist
- Column Two: Tap the Trigger, Successful Warm-Up
9 Vex Mythoclast
How to obtain: Vault of Glass raid.
Vex Mythoclast is a strange weapon. This weapon is technically a Fusion Rifle that uses Primary ammo, yet this weapon is far from your typical Fusion. Vex Mythoclast is technically a 390 RPM Auto Rifle disguised as a Fusion Rifle, firing a single bolt with each shot that's quite accurate. Don't let that dissuade you from using this weapon, however, as Vex Mythoclast is an absolute monster in the right hands.
This gun can down Guardians in 0.75s by default, outgunning Hand Cannons while being just behind Pulse Rifles. If you have the gun's Catalyst, landing a kill will grant a 20% damage buff for a few seconds, reducing the gun's TTK to a fairly short 0.6s. Landing three kills will let you transform Vex Mythoclast into a Linear Fusion Rifle that one-taps Guardians to the head. If you're willing to build around this gun with Surge mods or Exotics—notably the Warlock's Rain of Fire boots—you can turn the Vex Mythoclast into one of Destiny 2's deadliest Primary weapons.
8 Jotunn
How to obtain: Purchased from the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower. Costs 1 Exotic Cipher, 125,000 Glimmer, 200 Legendary Shards, and 1 Ascendant Shard.
Jotunn is less of a Fusion Rifle and more of a heat-seeking missile. This arm cannon releases a Solar projectile that aggressively tracks targets, capable of one-tapping Guardians on a direct hit. The Catalyst for this weapon also gives it Incandescent, spreading Scorch on kill. This can be useful for applying pressure on enemies or preventing them from healing.
The weapon itself is the ultimate answer to mid-range duels. Start charging, peak the enemy, then fire the shot to land an easy kill. Longer distances give the opponent enough time to strafe out of the projectile, and the lengthy charge time prevents Jotunn from being a CQC monster. Even with those downsides, Jotunn is incredibly easy to use and an amazing pick for PvP newcomers.
7 Zealot's Reward
How to obtain: Garden of Salvation raid.
At first glance, Zealot's Reward might appear to be a subpar Fusion Rifle. It's part of the Rapid-Fire archetype, has average stats despite being a raid weapon, and has a fairly small perk pool. This weapon has no right being as good as it is, yet Zealot's Reward is capable of melting Guardians with tight bursts in a fraction of a second.
You'll need a specific roll for this gun to shine. Under Pressure and High-Impact Reserves lets this gun stretch its legs, greatly improving the gun's accuracy and general forgiveness. High-Impact Reserves also allows you to get away with Accelerated Coils or a Charge Time Masterwork without hurting the gun's TTK. Paired with the gun's clean sight and small frame, Zealot's Reward is a joy to use and a fantastic counter to fellow Fusion users.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Under Pressure
- Column Two: High-Impact Reserves
6 Cartesian Coordinate
How to obtain: Rarely sold by Xur.
Take everything good about Zealot's Reward, increase its effective range, and you have Cartesian Coordinate. This weapon is also a Rapid-Fire Frame Fusion Rifle that features a monstrous 60 aim assist, nearly twice as much as all other Rapid-Fire Frames. This weapon also rolls with scopes instead of barrels, allowing Cartesian Coordinate to achieve a zoom value of 17—the highest out of all Rapid Fire Fusions.
But that's not all. This weapon can also roll with the fantastic combination of Under Pressure and High-Impact Reserves. A perfect roll of this gun doesn't experience damage falloff until 17 meters and has an absurd amount of aim assist. Keep an eye on Xur's inventory; they're the only vendor that sells this weapon.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Under Pressure, Slideways
- Column Two: High-Impact Reserves
5 Pressurized Precision
How to obtain: Iron Banner matches and Engrams.
The Eliksni have blessed the Iron Banner loot pool with Destiny 2's first Strand Fusion Rifle, and it's nothing short of a powerhouse inside the Crucible. Pressurized Precision is an Adaptive Frame that has surprisingly good stats for its archetype, beating out other Adaptives in nearly every category. Every roll also comes with the amazing Skulking Wolf origin trait, hiding you from enemy radar when you land a kill at low health.
As for perks, this weapon is loaded with great options. The third column has classics like Perpetual Motion, Moving Target, and Firmly Planted to improve the gun's consistency. In the fourth column, nothing can top Rangefinder in the current sandbox. However, once range and zoom are decoupled next season, you'll want to opt for either High-Impact Reserves or Eye of the Storm. With the right roll, this gun is an amazing Fusion Rifle that can melt Guardians up close or from a distance.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Perpetual Motion, Moving Target, Firmly Planted
- Column Two: Rangefinder, High-Impact Reserves, Eye of the Storm
4 The Epicurean
How to obtain: Duality dungeon; craftable at the Enclave.
If you aren't a fan of Fusion Rifles but want to give them a try, you might love Epicurean. This Precision Frame Fusion Rifle can be found in the Duality dungeon as a rare drop. Strangely, this weapon is craftable despite being found in a dungeon; most dungeon weapons can't be crafted. That's good news since this weapon needs a specific roll to show its true colors.
That roll is Surplus and Rangefinder. This combination pushes the Epicurean into S-tier territory for PvP. Surplus greatly buffs the base stats on this gun while Rangefinder greatly buffs the gun's zoom. This zoom bonus is invaluable for Fusion Rifles since it improves their aim assist falloff, accuracy, and flinch resistance thanks to a more narrow FOV. This gives Epicurean the secret sauce to map Guardians from 20+ meters. Paired with two or three stacks of Surplus, you'll feel virtually unstoppable.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Surplus
- Column Two: Rangefinder
3 Midha's Reckoning
How to obtain: King's Fall raid; craftable at the Enclave.
High-Impact Frame Fusion Rifles aren't commonly seen in the Crucible, notably due to their incredibly slow charge time. Midha's Reckoning solves this issue through its unique perk combinations, one of which makes this weapon an absolute powerhouse in the right hands.
Those looking to go on killing sprees will love Backup Mag and Successful Warm-Up. This combination gives you a rapid burst immediately after swapping to Midha's Reckoning. Land a kill, and now Successful Warm-Up will speed up your charge time, making this weapon feel closer to an Adaptive Frame Fusion. But if you don't mind the gun's longer charge time, Kickstart is S-tier on this archetype. Paired with Liquid Coils, your weapon's damage floor is 40 per bolt, allowing Midha to one-burst Guardians regardless of distance. If you yearn for the days of pre-nerf Erentil back in Forsaken, a Midha's Reckoning with Kickstart will not disappoint.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Backup Plan,
- Column Two: Kickstart, Successful Warm-Up
2 Burden Of Guilt
How to obtain: Trials of Osiris Legacy Focusing.
Burden of Guilt is the most versatile Fusion Rifle in Destiny 2, at least when it comes to PvP. This Adaptive Frame Fusion Rifle features an amazing base stat package and wide range of perks, most of which greatly buff the weapon's base stats. Rolls can dramatically change how this gun feels, more so than other Fusion Rifles. Part of that is due to the gun's ability to use Adept mods if you get an Adept variant, but it's mostly the perks that make this gun a monster.
Killing Wind and Successful Warm-Up is a great combination for general play, buffing the gun's charge time and range when you land a kill. With the right roll, Killing Wind can get you close to 100 range. If you prefer stability, use Elemental Capacitor on Void or Perpetual Motion to further buff this gun's stats. It might not be able to one-burst Guardians from any distance, but Burden of Guilt's base stats and perk pool make this a versatile Special weapon that any Fusion Rifle enthusiast can appreciate.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Killing Wind, Perpetual Motion, Elemental Capacitor
- Column Two: Successful Warm-Up, High-Impact Reserves
1 Techeun Force
How to obtain: Last Wish raid; craftable at the Enclave.
Techeun Force has always been a great Fusion Rifle since it originally released in Forsaken. But thanks to its perk refresh in Season of the Deep, Techeun Force is now an absolute powerhouse that's craftable. This Adaptive Frame Fusion Rifle can roll with the rare combination of Under Pressure and Rangefinder, arguably the two strongest perks that can roll on a Fusion Rifle.
Both perks turn Techeun Force into a recoiless Fusion Rifle that doesn't experience damage falloff until 19 meters with the right perks. And since this weapon is craftable, you can put enhanced perks and intrinsics on this weapon to greatly boost its stats. It charges quickly, has a clean sight, and practically aims for you due to its perks. If you're looking for a good PvP Fusion Rifle, it's tough to beat Techeun Force.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Under Pressure
- Column Two: Rangefinder,