Destiny 2's Arc element is all about speed and lightning. Subclasses with this element move quickly, hit hard, and use their body as the ultimate weapon. And now that Arc 3.0 is here, bringing the right guns can greatly improve your damage output in PvE or your utility in the Crucible.
Arc weapons also have great synergy with Arc 3.0. Arc Legendaries can trigger certain Fragments and roll with Voltshot, arguably the strongest variant of Kill Clip yet. For players looking to make the most out of Arc 3.0, these ten Arc weapons should be on your radar.
Updated July 31, 2023, by Charles Burgar: Season of the Deep added some solid Arc weapons to the sandbox, notably the perk refresh of Techeun Force from the Last Wish raid. We've updated this list to include this season's new version of Techeun Force, showcasing its amazing perk combinations that help this weapon dominate in the PvE and PvP sandboxes.
This list focuses on PvE content. Entries aren't in any particular order.
10 Trespasser
How to obtain: Purchased from the Exotic Kiosk in the Tower.
Trespasser is a reprised Sidearm from the original Destiny. This three-round burst Sidearm becomes supercharged after a kill, doubling the rounds in its next salvo. Kill an enemy with the salvo to automatically reload the weapon, allowing you to fire six-round bursts with a singer trigger pull.
As with Trinity Ghoul and Riskrunner, Trespasser is incredible for clearing out fodder enemies in PvE. One burst kills red bars in all PvE content, and supercharged rounds lay some serious hurt on majors. Pair this with a damage buff like Radiant or Arc Weapon Surge, you have a devastating Primary weapon that can take on some of Destiny 2's toughest rank and file enemies.
9 Techeun Force
How to obtain: Last Wish raid.
Techeun Force was already a fantastic Fusion Rifle back in Forsaken, featuring the iconic perk combination of Rampage and Kill Clip for immense damage. A similar combination is possible with Season of the Deep's reprisal of Techeun Force, yet that's arguably the most bland combination you can chase this time.
For PvE content, Reconstruction and Controlled Burst is a fantastic combination for all activities. Reconstruction ensures that this weapon's magazine is loaded when you need it, and Controlled Burst effectively turns this weapon into a hard-hitting Rapid Fire Fusion Rifle when it's active. And considering you only need to land a full burst to trigger this perk, Controlled Burst is an S-tier pick on this weapon.
Crucible players shouldn't sleep on Techeun Force either. Under Pressure and Rangefinder is a devastating combination on a Fusion Rifle that's rarely seen. Under Pressure greatly improves the accuracy of each burst, and Rangefinder greatly extends the damage falloff of this weapon. When both perks are active, Techeun Force can land entire bursts with little issue at medium distances. It's a fantastic weapon once you get used to Techeun Force's charge time.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Reconstruction, Rewind Rounds, Under Pressure (PvP)
- Column Two: Controlled Burst, Rangefinder (PvP)
8 Riskrunner
How to obtain: Complete "A Spark of Hope."
We shouldn't have to explain how good Riskrunner is; every Guardian gets Riskrunner from the New Light tutorial. For those who haven't used Riskrunner recently, this SMG fires lightning rounds that chain to nearby targets while Arc Conductor is active.
Take any Arc damage, and your weapon will become supercharged for a few seconds, reducing incoming Arc damage while making your Riskrunner shoot chain lightning rounds. You don't have to reload the gun during this period either, allowing you to unleash a copious amount of lightning-infused lead on your foes. If you ever wanted to use a pocket Stormtrance Super, Riskrunner has you covered.
7 Iterative Loop
How to obtain: Neomuna activities.
As far as Fusion Rifles go, Iterative Loop is one of the best guns you'll find in the Special slot. It has a roll for virtually every activity. PvE players have a suite of excellent add-slaying perks at their disposal, while PvP players can enjoy tons of consistency perks that make this Rapid-Fire Fusion competitive with other Specials.
For PvE, the clear winner is Compulsive Reloader with Voltshot. Get a kill, reload your weapon in an instant, then enjoy inflicting Jolt with your next burst. All it takes is one shot to clear out an entire wave of enemies or seriously damage a Champion. In PvP, Iterative Loop has many consistency options. Under Pressure and Elemental Capacitor is great for general gameplay. For more aggressive playstyles, Killing Wind paired with either Adagio or Kickstart can put in some serious work. Best of all, this gun is craftable if you can get enough red border variants from Neomuna Engrams and Heroic Patrols.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Compulsive Reloader, Under Pressure (PvP), Killing Wind
- Column Two: Voltshot, Elemental Capacitor (PvP), Adagio
6 Divinity
How to obtain: Defeat a hidden Minotaur in the Lunar Battlegrounds, then complete the quest it drops.
Divinity is the king of utility for group content. This Trace Rifle fires an Arc beam that debuffs the target by 15%, the same as Void's Weaken keyword. It also creates an Arc bubble around the target, converting all damage into precision damage. Weapons with critical hit perks work with Divinity, making this a no-brainer for raids and GM Nightfalls. It won't kill enemies on its own, but the damage it provides for your fireteam is staggering.
5 Thunderlord
How to obtain: Drops from Exotic Engrams.
After multiple seasons worth of Machine Gun buffs and an Exotic Catalyst, Thunderlord is now the powerhouse Heavy weapon it was destined to be. This weapon fires high-damage rounds that create lightning strikes on kill or sustained hits, ramping up its fire rate the longer you hold the trigger. At maximum strength, Thunderlord is effectively a fast-firing Machine Gun that occasionally shoots Storm Grenades.
For PvE, Thunderlord is a jack of all trades. It's great for clearing adds, killing Champions, and even damaging raid bosses if you own the Catalyst. As for the Crucible, Thunderlord is still useful but not nearly as powerful as other meta Heavy picks. If you can get past Thunderlord's limited ammo reserves, you'll be surprised just how versatile this Machine Gun can be.
4 Forbearance
How to obtain: Vow of the Disciple raid (Caretaker and Rhulk encounters).
Do you love explosions? Do you love explosions creating more explosions? If so, Forbearance is something you might want to farm for. Obtained from the Vow of the Disciple raid, Forbearance is a Wave Frame Grenade Launcher that releases a wave of Arc energy with each shot.
More importantly, Forbearance can roll with Ambitious Assassin and Chain Reaction. Kills from your Arc wave will cause targets to explode, creating a chain reaction of explosions. Paired with its two-round magazine from Ambitious Assassin, you have one of the best add-clearing Special weapons in Destiny 2.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Ambitious Assassin
- Column Two: Chain Reaction
3 The Hothead
How to obtain: Nightfall reward (rotates weekly).
Rocket Launchers have taken the meta by storm ever since Gjallarhorn returned. Legendary Rockets are now the pinnacle of burst DPS for endgame PvE content, including The Hothead. This weapon serves as one of the best Rocket Launchers in Destiny 2 for mobbing and boss DPS.
Solid base stats are one thing, but the true power of Hothead comes from its perks. Demolitionist and Clown Cartridge can roll on this gun simultaneously, allowing you to achieve some absurd damage values. Shoot a rocket, throw a grenade, shoot a rocket, reload, then shoot two rockets. You can fire a whole reserves worth of rockets in a few seconds with Hothead, making it one of the best Legendary Rocket Launcher in the game.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Demolitionist, Field Prep
- Column Two: Clown Cartridge
2 IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3
How to obtain: Season of the Seraph activities.
The meta-defining IKELOS SMG is back for the third time in Destiny 2's lifespan, this time with a unique origin trait and arguably the strongest perk pool we've seen on an SMG. The IKELOS SMG can take full advantage of Voltshot, infusing your bullets with Jolt on a kill reload. With how hard-hitting this SMG is, your Jolt procs will deal absurd damage in all content.
Pairing a reload perk with Voltshot is recommended, mainly Threat Detector since Feeding Frenzy doesn't trigger on Jolt kills. That said, you might consider Shoot to Loot if you have ammo finders in your build. If Voltshot isn't your thing, you can also use Surrounded which gives a massive 47% damage buff if it's enhanced through crafting—narrowly worse than Golden Tricorn. PvP players can also turn this weapon into a headshot magnet with Dynamic Sway Reduction and Rangefinder. Simply put, the IKELOS SMG is an S-tier Primary that everyone should own.
Recommended Traits:
- Column One: Threat Detector, Shoot to Loot, Dynamic Sway Reduction (PvP)
- Column Two: Voltshot, Surrounded, Rangefinder (PvP)
1 Trinity Ghoul
How to obtain: Exotic Engrams.
If you need to clear a room full of enemies with a single arrow, look no further than Trinity Ghoul. This Exotic Bow fires three arrows instead of one, all of which have a tight spread if you ADS. More importantly, kills with Trinity Ghoul—or any Arc kills if you have the Catalyst—will supercharge your next arrow with Arc lightning.
This Exotic perk is why Trinity Ghoul is an add-slaying powerhouse in PvE. Arc lightning one-shots red bar enemies in all activities, which will recharge your arrows with Arc energy when the Catalyst is installed. No Primary in Destiny 2 can clear adds as quickly as Trinity Ghoul, not even Riskrunner.