Best Combat Bows in Destiny 2

Primary weapons are often criticized for not dealing enough damage, but Bows aren’t guilty of that at all offering some of the best long-range burst damage in Destiny. These precision weapons are top-tier and these are the best Combat Bows to use in Destiny 2 for PvE & PvP.

With Primary weapons dealing less damage in Lightfall, Double Special loadouts have become increasingly popular. However, one Primary weapon type remains universally relevant in the meta, Bows.

These medium to long-range weapons excel in most content as they can one-shot the majority of red health bar enemies and even quickly take down Yellow health bar combatants with the right perks. From regular Strikes to GMs and Trials of Osiris, there’s a Bow for every occasion.

To help you pick the right one for your loadout we’ve put together this list of the best Combat Bows in Destiny 2 for PvE & PvP. The rankings of each weapon are based on a mix of how effective they are and how easy they are to acquire.

Best Combat Bows in Destiny 2 for PvE & PvP

Bows excel in both PvE and PvP with them offering a safe but effective option in the former and a deadly high-damage Primary in the latter. The best Bows scale well in high-end content and are often used to chip away at hard-hitting enemies even in GM and Master activities.

It’s worth noting that in most situations Bows cannot one-shot in PvP but landing a headshot and immediately switching to a Hand Cannon to apply the finishing blow is a deadly combination.

Here are the ten best Combat Bows to use in Destiny 2 PvE:

10. Tyranny of Heaven (C)

Reissued in Season 21, Tyranny of Heaven has become a solid option thanks to it becoming craftable and gaining access to a wide range of meta perks. Unfortunately, Lightweight Frame bows aren’t in a great spot right now preventing this Bow from ranking any higher.

• PvE God Roll: Dragonfly/Explosive Head + Incandescent
• PvP God Roll: Moving Target + Snapshot Sights

9. Arsenic Bite-4B (C+)

Despite being introduced back in Season 4, Arsenic Bite remains one of the best Lightweight Frame Combat Bows in Destiny 2. Its access to Rampage in the third slot offsets this frame’s low damage as long as you can upkeep at last two stacks. However, this doesn’t scale too well in high-difficulty content.

• PvE God Roll: Rampage/Dragonfly + Explosive Head/Archer’s Tempo
• PvP God Roll: Moving Target + Explosive Head

8. Wolftone Draw (B)

This Arc bow offers an interesting option as it is one of just two Bows to get access to Impulse Amplifier. This perk makes Wolftone Draw feel almost hitscan which gives it amazing effective range. Unfortunately, acquiring a good one of these is difficult these days as it doesn’t drop from any live content.

• PvE God Roll: Impulse Amplifier/Archer’s Tempo + Dragonfly/Frenzy
• PvP God Roll: Impulse Amplifier + Adagio

7. Strident Whistle (B)

Being arguably the best Solar Combat Bow in Destiny 2, Strident Whistle is a fantastic option with lots of sub-class synergy. Its access to Incandescent makes it strong in PvE, but it’s also a solid PvP Bow as a single grenade final blow with Adrenaline Junkie turns this into a one-shot Guardian slaying machine.

• PvE God Roll: Archer’s Tempo + Incandescent
• PvP God Roll: Archer’s Tempo + Adrenaline Junkie/Explosive Head

6. Leviathan’s Breath (B+)

Being Destiny 2’s only Heavy Combat Bow, Leviathan’s Breath is truly one of a kind. It’s by no means all-purpose but in the right situation, this beast can be top-tier. Plus its intrinsic Unstoppable Champion stunning capabilities are a plus. We just really wish this received the damage bonus from Oathkeeper.

• PvE God Roll: Curated Roll
• PvP God Roll: Curated Roll

5. Trinity Ghoul (A)

There is a serious argument to be had that Trinity Ghoul is the best add clear weapon in Destiny 2. Its ability to clear a room with minimal effort is something special, and singlehandedly makes it worth using. However, its reliance on running Arc hurts its versatility and its single-target damage is average at best.

• PvE God Roll: Curated Roll
• PvP God Roll: Curated Roll

4. Under Your Skin (A)

A craftable Void Bow with the best frame possible, access to a wonderful Origin Trait in Land Tank, and several strong DPS perks. We love the Archer’s Tempo + Successful Warm-Up roll in PvE as it makes Under Your Skin draw incredibly quickly and is perfect for rapidly chaining final blows together.

• PvE God Roll: Archer’s Tempo + Successful Warm-Up/Explosive Head/Dragonfly
• PvP God Roll: Hip-Fire Grip + Opening Shot

3. Raconteur (A+)

Introduced in Season 20, Raconteur is the best Legendary Combat Bow in Destiny 2. Not only is it craftable but this Stasis Bow has fantastic subclass synergy with Headstone plus multiple other rolls suitable for general use. Not to mention, Surplus and Eye of the Storm is an incredible PvP roll in the right hands.

• PvE God Roll: Archer’s Tempo + Headstone/Successful Warm-Up/Explosive Head
• PvP God Roll: Surplus + Eye of the Storm

2. Le Monarque (S+)

The problem with Lightweight Frame bows is that they just don’t deal enough damage. How do you fix that? Give them Poison Arrows that massively increase total damage and a 40% damage bonus against red health bar enemies. Throw in the ability to stun Overload Champions and you get Le Monarque.

• PvE God Roll: Curated Roll
• PvP God Roll: Curated Roll

1. Wish-Ender (S+)

Not only is Wish-Ender the best Combat Bow in Destiny 2, but it’s also the most used Exotic overall. It fires anti-Barrier arrows, gives its user temporary wallhacks, and deals three lots of damage for every shot. It also excels in high-end content thanks to its excellent range and incredible damage for a Primary weapon.

• PvE God Roll: Curated Roll
• PvP God Roll: Curated Roll

That’s everything you need to know about the best Combat Bows in Destiny 2. For more useful tips check out some of our other content:

Deepsight Harmonizers: How to farm, use, and what weapons to convert | How to fish in Destiny 2 | Best Exotic weapons | Best PvP Weapons | Best PvE Weapons | Season of the Deep Season Pass: Rewards & ranks  | Best Titan Builds | Best Warlock Builds | Best Arc 3.0 Builds | Best Solar 3.0 Builds | Best Stasis Builds | Best Void 3.0 Builds