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Fusion Rifles are Destiny's take on energy guns, firing a burst of energy after a short wind-up time. These weapons might have longer ranges than Shotguns, but their behavior and perk combinations make them quite unique.

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These weapons might not be as easy to use as most Special weapons, but Fusion Rifles offer a playstyle that no other weapon can offer. Thanks to its unique perks and Exotics, Fusion Rifles are great weapons to use against majors, most bosses, and endgame activities with many Champions. Here are the best Fusion Rifles players should have in Destiny 2.

Updated December 27, 2023, by Charles Burgar: Scatter Signal is making waves in the PvE meta, dealing more damage than many of Destiny 2's best PvE Fusion Rifles. We've updated this list to include Scatter Signal on our list, showcasing the best perk combinations you can craft on this weapon. We also tweaked a few entries for better readability.

10 Vex Mythoclast

Destiny 2 Vex Mythoclast

How to obtain: Vault of Glass raid.

Vex Mythoclast is technically a Fusion Rifle so it belongs on this list, but this gun behaves closer to an Auto Rifle than a proper Fusion. Holding down the trigger causes this weapon to fire energy bolts that behave identically to an Auto Rifle. Landing kills will charge up the gun which, at max charge, morph this weapon into a Linear Fusion Rifle, dealing a whopping 200% bonus damage to Champions.

That versatility and raw damage output come together to make Vex Mythoclast an amazing Primary for virtually every build. It hit hards, works well at all ranges, and has great synergy with armor mods and certain Exotic armor pieces. If you're lucky enough to get this weapon to drop from the Vault of Glass raid, it's definitely worth using.

9 Merciless

Destiny 2 Merciless

How to obtain: Exotic Engrams; occasionally sold by Xur.

If you don't own a good Special weapon for boss DPS phases, Merciless might be a weapon worth grabbing. This High-Impact Frame Fusion Rifle fires a barrage of Solar projectiles that reduce the gun's charge time, similar to how the Controlled Burst perk works.

Land 15 bolts, and the gun will charge faster than virtually every Fusion Rifle in the game, obliterating anything you're aiming at. It also comes with a stronger version of Kill Clip as its second perk, letting you melt Champions and other miniboss targets with ease.

Despite the weapon's incredible burst DPS, Merciless' ammo economy prevents it from breaking into the meta. It chews through your ammo about as quickly as it kills targets, so you'll need to have some ammo finders or Special Finisher handy to prevent your ammo reserves from running dry. If you can manage that, this gun is nothing short of a menace against Champions and bosses with small health pools.

8 Telesto

Destiny 2 Telesto concept art

How to obtain: Exotic Engrams; occasionally sold by Xur.

Telesto fans frequently call it the "besto" of Fusion Rifles, and they have a point. Telesto is an Exotic Fusion Rifle that, when it's not breaking Destiny 2 in some obscure way, stands as one of the best Special weapons in the game.

This is thanks to its Exotic perk causing Telesto to fire Void projectiles that stick to objects. This technically gives Telesto infinite range. Better yet, Telesto auto-loads itself upon landing a double kill, making it one of the best Special weapons for add-clear in the entire game. Paired with Volatile Rounds, Telesto can cause enemies to explode solely by hitting them. This weapon's potential for mayhem is endless and is definitely worth the Exotic slot.

7 Royal Executioner

Destiny 2 Royal Executioner

How to obtain: Defiant activities and Engrams; craftable at the Enclave.

If you never got your hands on Cartesian Coordinate and want a good Special weapon, Royal Executioner is a great option. This is an Adaptive Frame Fusion Rifle that deals Solar damage. While it's not the Rapid-Fire Frame of Cartesian, this gun does have some fantastic perk combinations that more than make up for this.

Most players looking to craft this weapon should use Envious Assassin and Reservoir Burst. Kills with your other weapons will overflow the magazine if you swap to Royal Executioner shortly thereafter. You can achieve a whopping 18 rounds in the magazine this way, most of which will benefit from Reservoir Burst. This makes Royal Executioner an add-slaying monster and solid backup DPS option.

It's not quite as good as Techeun Force or Riptide for boss DPS, but Royal Executioner is close enough and far more versatile. And if you don't like Reservoir Burst, consider alternatives like Successful Warm-Up for rapid shots or Incandescent for Solar builds.

  • Column One: Envious Assassin
  • Column Two: Reservoir Burst, Successful Warm-Up, Incandescent

6 Deliverance

Destiny 2 Deliverance

How to obtain: Vow of the Disciple raid.

Vow of the Disciple introduced the first Legendary Fusion Rifle to go in the Kinetic slot. That fact alone makes this Fusion Rifle worth chasing, yet its perk combinations are what makes this weapon worth chasing. PvE players can turn Deliverance into a crowd-control machine and excellent Anti-Champion weapon.

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By far the most interesting perk on Deliverance is Chill Clip, causing the top half of your magazine to release slow AoEs with each projectile hit. Not only does this provide excellent crowd control, but Chill Clip also synergizes with Stasis Aspects and Fragments. Paired with Demolitionist in the first column, you can create a build with infinite ability charges using just this weapon with Stasis.

For non-Stasis wielders, Successful Warm-Up and Cornered turns this weapon into a Rapid-Fire Frame, or you can use Cornered with Surrounded to barrel stuff targets with Stasis projectiles. There's a roll for every playstyle here. And since the weapon is craftable, it's possible to get the exact roll you want.

  • Column One: Demolitionist, Successful Warm-Up
  • Column Two: Chill Clip, Cornered

5 The Eremite

Destiny 2 The Eremite

How to obtain: Season of the Witch activities.

Most weapons from Season of the Witch are considered mediocre when compared to current meta options, but that couldn't be further from the truth when discussing Eremite. This Fusion Rifle is a major outlier for a seasonal weapon, as it can roll with the absurdly powerful perk combination of Envious Assassin and Controlled Burst.

Thanks to the weapon's High-Impact Frame, each shot while Controlled Burst is active will hit like an absolute truck, capable of releasing 13 bursts before needing to reload. It deals roughly the same amount of damage as Cartesian Coordinate but is fully craftable. If you care more about add clear, Reservoir Burst sacrifices raw DPS potential for AoE explosions with every kill, making this a fantastic weapon for double Special loadouts.

  • Column One: Envious Assassin
  • Column Two: Controlled Burst, Reservoir Burst

4 Loaded Question

Destiny 2 Loaded Question

How to obtain: Potential Nightfall reward.

Arguably one of Destiny 2's most iconic pinnacle weapons, Loaded Question is back in Season of the Deep and better than ever. This was the first Fusion Rifle to roll with Reservoir Burst, buffing the top end of your magazine with a high-damage, explosive burst. Not only is that perk back with this iteration, but Loaded Question now has some amazing perks to pair with it.

The standout combination here is Overflow with Reservoir Burst. This allows you to fire an entire magazine's worth of shots buffed by Reservoir Burst, turning Loaded Question into an add-slaying machine. If DPS is what you're after, you can use Auto-Loading Holster or Demolitionist paired with Controlled Burst. It might not top the DPS of Techeun Force or Rapid-Fire Fusions, but Loaded Question's add-slaying potential cannot be overstated.

  • Column One: Overflow, Auto-Loading Holster, Demolitionist
  • Column Two: Controlled Burst, Reservoir Burst

3 Techeun Force

Destiny 2 Techeun Force

How to obtain: Last Wish raid.

Techeun Force was originally known for its unique Kill Clip and Rampage perk combination when it first released, the only Fusion Rifle that could roll with both perks simultaneously. Season of the Deep refreshed all Last Wish perk pools, giving Techeun Force arguably the strongest PvE perk traits we've seen thus far.

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Most players are going to want a roll with Reconstruction and Controlled Burst. The former auto-loads the weapon up to double capacity, making it great for just about every situation. Controlled Burst buffs this weapon's fire rate and damage if you can land all of your bolts in each burst, making this perfect for taking down Champions and bosses alike.

Rewind Rounds and Golden Tricorn is also an option for a more active playstyle, although we find Controlled Burst to be far easier to use. If you're able to raid, Techeun Force is more than worth farming for.

  • Column One: Reconstruction, Rewind Rounds
  • Column Two: Controlled Burst, Golden Tricorn

2 Scatter Signal

Destiny 2 Scatter Signal

How to obtain: Season of the Wish activities and Engrams; craftable at the Enclave.

Scatter Signal is a Rapid-Fire Fusion Rifle that deals Strand damage, acting as a Kinetic slot variant of Cartesian Coordinate. But unlike its Solar cousin, Scatter Signal is fully craftable and has some much stronger PvE perk combinations.

The standout combination here is Overflow and Controlled Burst. Controlled Burst is currently the strongest DPS perk for Fusion Rifles, granting a 20% damage buff and a charge rate bonus when active. Paired with Overflow's massive magazine bonus, the Scatter Signal can deal some excellent backup DPS that few Legendary Fusions can match.

  • Column One: Overflow, Slice
  • Column Two: Controlled Burst

1 Riptide

Destiny 2 Riptide

How to obtain: Crucible matches.

Riptide is the first Rapid-Fire Fusion Rifle to reside in the Kinetic slot. Featuring great base Handling, this weapon works as a great backup weapon for DPS phases or tense endgame activities. It might lack in terms of damage falloff when compared to other Fusion archetypes, yet the perks on Riptide more than compensate.

The best roll for this gun is for Chill Clip and Auto-Loading Holster. This lets Riptide act as a type of blinding grenade launcher, slowing targets on hit to effectively disable enemy AI. That Stasis slow also causes Overload Champions to get stunned. Fire enough bolts, and you'll freeze the target outright, stunning Unstoppables. And if you can become Radiant through some means, Riptide will pierce Barrier shields.

If you don't care about Champions, Riptide is also fantastic for boss DPS phases since it is effectively a Stasis version of Cartesian Coordinate. Lead From Gold and Vorpal Weapon can roll on this weapon to improve your ammo economy and boss DPS, respectively. Lead From Gold can also be replaced with great alternatives like Field Prep, Auto-Loading Holster, and Ensemble.

Simply put, Riptide is an S-tier Special weapon that benefits every build in Destiny 2. It counters Champions, deals great damage, and is easy to use.

  • Column One: Lead From Gold, Auto-Loading Holster, Field Prep
  • Column Two: Chill Clip, Vorpal Weapon, Frenzy
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