Destiny 2: Best Auto Rifles for PvE & PvP

Auto Rifles might be the backbone of weapons in Destiny 2, providing the most balanced experience to hit your targets at any range. Given their versatility, these are weapons you will frequently use.

There are many different Auto Rifle options in the game, and while they’re all solid, some are just better than others. And you’ll want the best for The Final Shape.

As such, we’ve compiled a list of the best Auto Rifles in Destiny 2 and detailed whether they work best in PvE or PvP modes.

Best Auto Rifles for PvE

1. Quicksilver Storm

Bungie

Stats

• Impact: 18
• Range: 40
• Stability: 85
• Handling: 48
• Reload Speed: 54

Quicksilver Storm is an impressively powerful Auto Rifle largely due to its Rocket Tracers ability. When you land multiple hits on your target, it will turn your next shot into a small, homing rocket. Additionally, when you land multiple rockets, a grenade will be loaded into the gun as an Alternate Weapon action.

This explosive capability makes it incredibly useful for clearing out the smaller enemies you will encounter in most PvE situations and can help you clear them out in no time. This is key for dealing with any minions in the game’s many boss fights.

2. Monte Carlo

Bungie

Stats

• Impact: 21
• Range: 45
• Stability: 55
• Handling: 60
• Reload Speed: 79

Using the Markov Chain ability of the Monte Carlo will allow the weapon to gain increased damage with melee kills and kills with the weapon itself. Furthermore, melee kills will give you more ammo. This is bolstered by the Monte Carlo Method, which reduces melee cooldown as you deal damage.

PvE will easily force you into situations where you will have to rely on melee attacks. Having them improved with this weapon is a massive boost. It helps for the moments when you don’t have time to reload your clip, so you can use your fists to fight your way out.

3. Necrochasm

Bungie

Stats

• Impact: 18
• Range: 34
• Stability: 74
• Handling: 55
• Reload Speed: 76

Necrochasm’s abilities reflect its sinister name by causing Cursed Thrall explosions when getting a Precision Final Blow. When those explosions kill an enemy, your magazine will be refilled. Plus, if you reload after those Precision Final Blows or Cursed Thrall explosion kills, your rate of fire and stability will improve.

The explosions are great at clearing out swarms of enemies and getting Precision Final Blows won’t be as difficult as you might think. Keeping your gun aimed at head level isn’t too difficult, and then the domino effect of blowing other enemies up can be a massively powerful tool in a pinch.

4. Cerberus+1

Bungie

Stats

• Impact: 33
• Range: 0
• Stability: 25
• Handling: 32
• Reload Speed: 35

This Auto Rifle has multiple gun barrels that fire erratic bullets at the same time. While not the most accurate, it can deal a lot of damage if the hits land. Plus, its spread is much more contained when aiming down the sights.

Cerberus+1 is good at clearing rooms and groups, and can even do solid damage against larger targets in PvE matches. You will want to keep it close, though, as its range is not very good. Keep it for the moments when you are going through tight hallways or smaller rooms.

5. Abyss Defiant

Bungie

Stats

• Impact: 33
• Range: 83
• Stability: 35
• Handling: 33
• Reload Speed: 35

Using Abyss Defiant will get you a great healing ability that affects both you and your teammates when dealing a Final Blow. It also has better damage when firing at enemies below you, so it works great when fighting in mid-air.

That healing ability is what makes it stand out in PvE, as you can be a solid source of health regeneration for your squad. Send your squad into a foray while you keep yourself camped out above the skirmish, and you can reap the most out of this Auto Rifle.

Best Auto Rifles for PvP

1. Centrifuse

Bungie

Stats

• Impact: 29
• Range: 42
• Stability: 50
• Handling: 77
• Reload Speed: 40

This Auto Rifle comes with an ability called Regenerative Motion, which reloads the weapon as you sprint. It also builds up an electrostatic charge as you sprint, slide, and fire the weapon. This charge improves reload speed and the range of the gun, while delivering a Final Blow at a high charge causes explosions.

Being able to keep your weapon reloaded while navigating a battle is huge for PvP, especially the Crucible, where sitting still is never a good idea. Plus, Centrifuse’s explosive abilities can wipe out an enemy quickly, while also disorienting any of their friends around them.

2. SUROS Regime

Bungie

Stats

• Impact: 21
• Range: 45
• Stability: 43
• Handling: 64
• Reload Speed: 63

Holding down the trigger on this gun increases its rate of fire over time, and once you move into the bottom half of its magazine, it deals bonus damage and also has a chance to heal you when you get a kill.

This can be a real advantage when taking on an enemy Guardian as getting that damage boost in the latter half of a clip can change the outcome of a fight. And the healing when you kill them is a sweet bonus. Using this weapon on a boss, which you will drain a good chunk of your ammo clip, is when it shines.

3. Hard Light

Bungie

Stats

• Impact: 21
• Range: 40
• Stability: 65
• Handling: 72
• Reload Speed: 64

Hard Light can be a chaotic Auto Rifle in Destiny 2, as its Volatile Light ability causes the rounds you fire to be overly penetrative on enemy armor, has reduced damage fall-off, and will bounce off of surfaces. Any bullet that ricochets will also get increased damage.

Using this can shred through Guardians in PvP, as close quarters become a death trap of bullets bouncing around everywhere. They will have nowhere to go and will be torn apart before they can figure something out. Just stay in the smaller areas of a map, and you’re good to go.

4. Tommy’s Matchbook

Stats

• Impact: 18
• Range: 43
• Stability: 44
• Handling: 58
• Reload Speed: 20

You will need to be a little careful when using this weapon, as the sustained fire heats it up. This increases its damage, but can also overheat and burn you. However, when you use Tommy’s Matchbook properly and keep an eye on the temperature, it’s a great gun.

As Tommy’s Matchbook heats up, you can melt through enemy Guardian shields and wipe them out in a matter of seconds. If you fire off some shots before even aiming at your target, you can take advantage of the damage buff much sooner.

5. Sweet Business

Bungie

Stats

• Impact: 18
• Range: 30
• Stability: 40
• Handling: 0
• Reload Speed: 0

Another weapon that will increase its range and rate of fire as you sustain fire, Sweet Business also comes with a larger magazine to make these benefits last longer. On top of that, it has better accuracy when firing from the hip and will get an instant reload when picking up Special or Heavy ammo.

What makes this Auto Rifle special in PvP is the hip-fire accuracy bump, since there are plenty of moments in those modes where you will be caught off-guard. In those situations, being able to start firing without aiming down the sights and landing those shots is great. Just be sure to find a safe place to reload, as it takes a long time to get your clip back in.

To learn more about Destiny 2 and what is going on in The Final Shape, check out the other weapons you can use like Hand Cannons, SMGs, and Shotguns. And don’t forget to see what’s included in every edition of The Final Shape.