Destiny 2: Best Kinetic Weapons

Image: Bungie via HGG

Human Made

I've been playing video games pretty much nonstop ever since I got my first 360. I love arena shooters, MMOs, and MOBAs, but I'll pretty much try any kind of game.

Reviewed by Ashley Johnson

Weapons in Destiny 2 are divided into three major categories: Kinetic, Energy, and Heavy weapons. Having a good combination of reliable weapons in each category is essential to succeeding, especially in late game content. In this article, we’ll take a look at ten of the best Kinetic weapons for Destiny 2, with both Exotic and Legendary options.

Best Kinetic Weapons in Destiny 2

Let’s jump into our list of the best Kinetic weapons in Destiny 2, ranked in no particular order!

Osteo Striga

Where to Get It: The Enclave (after The Witch Queen campaign completion)

Osteo Striga was the first craftable Exotic weapon in Destiny 2, and its power matches up to that status. This SMG is one of the best in the game for clearing ads quickly, thanks to its craftable upgrades. It’s also a very easy SMG to get, since all you have to do is complete the Witch Queen campaign.

Once you’ve done that, you can go to the Enclave and craft one! If for no other reason, having a craftable Exotic allows for the enhanced perks that come with normal craftable weapons. Osteo is an absolute beast, so you should definitely have one if you have The Witch Queen.

Whispering Slab

Where to Get It: Dares of Eternity during certain weeks

Whispering Slab isn’t a flashy weapon at all, but it’s very efficient at what it does. Its best use is either alongside a close-range, special ammo Energy weapon, or for specific late-game content like Nightfall Strikes or Raids.

Since there’s often a Champion mod for Bows, having a good one is sometimes a requirement, and there’s no better Kinetic legendary Bow than this one in Destiny 2. Look for one with Vorpal Weapon and Archer’s Tempo, as that’s the best perk combination it can get.

Malfeseance

Where to Get It: Darkness in the Light Exotic quest (mostly requires playing Gambit)

Getting Malfeasance might be a bit of a nightmare since it requires playing a lot of Gambit, but it’s definitely worth it. Since it has an intrinsic Unstoppable Champion mod, it will always be somewhat useful at the very least.

This season (Season 19) in particular is pretty rough for Unstoppable mods since they changed how Unstoppable Hand Cannon works. As such, Malfeasance has become one of the best options for some late-game content. Malfeasance stuns Unstoppable Champions when it procs its burst of extra damage after just a few shots, so it’s much more efficient that normal Hand Cannons. It also does tons of damage, which is great for situations where all you have is primary ammo.

Fatebringer (Timelost)

Where to Get It: Vault of Glass raid (free for all players)

Fatebringer is a long-time fan favorite Hand Cannon from the Vault of Glass raid. Ever since that raid was brought back last year, Fatebringer has been a must-have weapon for Hand Cannon users. In addition to its generally fantastic perks, you can also get an upgraded version (called the Timelost version) from the master difficulty of Vault of Glass.

This version can use the same Adept mods as normal Adept weapons, which gives it a significant advantage over most other legendary weapons. A good Fatebringer can be used in basically any situation, so it’s definitely worth doing the raid for.

Arbalest

Where to Get It: World drop Exotic

Arbalest is the best weapon in Destiny 2 for breaking Barrier Champion shields. This is an essential part of the game, especially in late game content. It’s so commonly used that loading into a Nightfall strike without one on your team is probably less likely than all three people having it.

Arbalest’s ability to one-shot Champion shields and refill its ammo upon doing so will keep it in the top tier of weapons no matter what else they do to it. Even with the recent damage nerfs, Arbalest remains one of the strongest weapons in the game.

Succession

Where to Get It: Deep Stone Crypt raid (requires Beyond Light expansion)

Sniper Rifles haven’t been featured too heavily in the meta in a long time, but there are many times when you might end up needing one. Now that the Deep Stone Crypt weapons are craftable, it’s hard to find a better Kinetic Sniper Rifle than Succession.

There are several reasons Succession is good, but the most significant is the Recombination perk. It makes the weapon reload itself to above capacity over time, and is only available on a few weapons. For situations where a Sniper Rifle is helpful, look no further than Succession (especially if you can manage to craft one).

Witherhoard

Where to Get It: Exotics Archive at the Tower

Witherhoard is a fan-favorite Grenade Launcher that sticks to enemies hit and does damage over time. This is really strong when paired with a legendary heavy weapon that takes advantage of its high damage over time.

For example, you can quickly shoot a Witherhoard shot at a boss, then switch to a legendary Linear Fusion Rifle while Witherhoard does its damage. Since Witherhoard has Auto-Loading Holster, its damage is basically just a bonus alongside whatever heavy you’re using. It’s also great for ad-clear.

Riptide

Where to Get It: Crucible

Riptide might drop from the Crucible playlist, but it’s also one of the best Kinetic weapons in Destiny 2 for PVE. As a Rapid Fire frame Fusion Rifle, Riptide can easily be used for high damage bursts against enemies with lots of health.

It can also be used for massive ad clear thanks to the Chill Clip perk, which, alongside Auto-Loading Holster, gives Riptide some of the best Fusion Rifle perks possible. Riptide is a weapon you can base your entire build around, or you can just throw it on and let it do its thing. It’s also really easy to get, which is a massive bonus.

Outbreak Perfected

Where to Get It: Exotics Archive at the Tower

Outbreak Perfected excels at two things: shredding bosses and killing ads. Since precision shots with this weapon generate SIVA projectiles that track nearby enemies, you can use Outbreak for DPS while also killing any ads near the boss. It’s also worth considering that for a primary ammo weapon, Outbreak’s DPS is very high.

Most primary weapons are useless against a boss’s massive health pool, but Outbreak is capable of much higher than expected damage numbers. If you want a great Pulse Rifle that can handle both DPS and ad clear in Destiny 2, Outbreak is your best option.

Submission

Where to Get It: Vow of the Disciple raid (requires The Witch Queen expansion)

What makes Submission so good is that it’s simply one of the best feeling SMGs in the game. Submission is a weapon that you can always come back to, regardless of what the activity is. When there’s a good SMG Champion mod, it’s great for late-game content, and it can even be used without a mod in the right situations.

Try to get one with Frenzy + Subsistence/Overflow, or craft one with the enhanced versions of those perks. It’s definitely a great weapon, so farming Vow of the Disciple should be worth it in the end.

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Thanks for checking out this article on the best Kinetic weapons in Destiny 2! If you think another weapon deserves to be on this list, let us know in the comments below. Be sure to check out our other Destiny 2 content and subscribe to our newsletter for the latest on all gaming news!

Happy gaming!