The Final Shape is underway and its first episode just dropped so players are knee-deep in content with their eyes set on the challenges Destiny 2 has to offer. If you're hoping to tackle master content or grandmaster Nightfalls then you'll want to pick up some of the best legendary weapons available to make the grind easier.
Best Legendary weapons & God Rolls in Destiny 2 The Final Shape
Legendary weapons are the bulk of Destiny 2 since we are only allowed to equip one exotic weapon at a time, ensuring you have plenty of backups is a must for all content. We've compiled a list of weaponry that you'll need in your arsenal if you are looking to take on the Witness and grind out some power.
10. Wastelander M5
As a Strand Titan I am partial to the Wastelander M5, thanks to its ability to roll One-Two-Punch; this perk will drastically increase your ability to box your opponent into the dirt for any melee class. Since this is a shotgun and we place emphasis on CQC, we utilize the Full Choke barrel and Steady Rounds to ensure all our pellets hit dead center. Its strength relative to other legendary shotguns isn't the greatest but this lever-action model has a special place in my heart.
Did I mention that the Wastelander M5 just looks super cool? Well, now you know.
God Roll:
- Barrel: Full Choke
- Magazine: Steady Rounds
- Perk 1: Slideshot
- Perk 2: One-Two-Punch
9. BXR-55 Battler
The Halo Battle Rifle makes this list due to my own bias (it's the greatest thing in the entire game). But don't be fooled! This three-round burst pulse rifle is reliable and effective at taking down red bar mobs thanks to the buffs to this weapon platform. Recoil is almost nonexistent so you can be sure you'll be hitting precision shots easier than any other weapon—the perfect newbie pick. Demolitionist is my personal choice as a Titan, but since the BXR-55 Battler can be crafted, you can swap it out for a more suitable perk, however Incandescent is a must-have. The BXR is a solar weapon so it pairs incredibly well with Incandescent and is a monster at cutting through hordes of mobs with a large magazine.
God Roll:
- Barrel: Arrowhead Brake
- Magazine: Ricochet Rounds
- Perk 1: Demolitionist
- Perk 2: Incandescent
8. Doom of Chelchis
As one of the only weapons capable of utilizing both Explosive Payload and Dragonfly, Doom of Chelchis has incredible add clear with layers upon layers of explosions. Alternatively, if you're looking for a simple damage increase we can swap Firefly for One for All and bump up our stopping power by 35%.
Doom of Chelchis is a void weapon that has perfect synergy with the Void subclass and plenty of Prismatic shenanigans so consider picking this one up if you're a void player or if scout rifles are your thing. I wanted to make sure that scout rifle players had at least one recommendation in this list since they are a criminally underrepresented weapon type.
God Roll:
- Barrel: Smallbore
- Magazine: Flared Magwell
- Perk 1: Explosive Payload
- Perk 2: One for All/Dragonfly
7. Doomed Petitioner
Linear Fusion Rifles have never been my thing, they felt clunky and slow. Enter the Doomed Petitioner with one of the fastest fire rates of all LFR weapons and I can finally admit they aren't so bad. The accessibility of Envious Assassin is exactly what puts this rifle into the top echelons of weaponry, providing an overflowed magazine that allows constant damage against bosses. It needs more effort than something like Reconstruction but the payoff is well worth the extra hoop to jump through.
For the second perk, I go with the trusty Precision Instrument since if we're ever missing a precision hit on a boss, then we're already wasting damage. Couple both of these perks together and ensure you hit your shots you'll melt through health bars almost instantly.
God Roll:
- Barrel: Fluted Barrel
- Magazine: Ionized Battery
- Perk 1: Envious Assassin
- Perk 2: Precision Instrument
6. Ikelos_SMG_V1.0.3
Similar to other supremely powerful SMGs, the Ikelos_SMG can only be obtained through an Exotic mission that is on a weekly rota. If you're like me and happen to miss that week, then you've got no other choice but to wait three weeks for it to come back. The Ikelos_SMG itself is weaker than some on this list but shines bright when paired with an Arc playstyle—the Voltshot perk can supercharge the subclass and deal with certain Champions.
The reason the Ikelos_SMG doesn't score higher on our list is generally down to its Arc typing and its perk pool. There may be a better option available, but it is an acceptable alternative if you're able to farm the weapon consistently.
God Roll:
- Barrel: Hammer-Forged Rifling
- Magazine: Seraph Rounds
- Perk 1: Feeding Frenzy
- Perk 2: Voltshot
5. Zaouli’s Bane
Zaouli's Bane is Sunshot without taking up the Exotic slot; its Explosive Payload and Solar typing allow it to chain explode a series of mobs in only a couple of shots. There aren't many legendaries that perform as well as their Exotic counterpart and that's why Zaouli's Bane ranks so high on our list. Explosive Payload increases PvE damage by 15% and each shot has a small AoE burst, while Incandescent causes every enemy to be Scorched and eventually Ignite into stronger explosions.
If you don't have this monster Hand Cannon just yet, then you need to commit some time to farm it and read up on the King's Fall raid.
God Rolls:
- Barrel: Fluted Barrel
- Magazine: Flared Magwell
- Perk 1: Explosive Payload
- Perk 2: Incandescent
4. Succession
The Succession has consistently been one of the best legendary weapons since its release and has even performed well in PvP as a bonus. However, we're looking at the PvE side of things and thanks to perks like Reconstruction and Recombination, the Succession can keep pace with Exotic snipers for continued boss damage. To ensure that we use Reconstruction to its maximum effectiveness, be sure to pair this weapon with a hard-hitting launcher and large ammo capacity primary; dump every shot in the magazine, switch weapons, and repeat until the boss is dead.
I fall back on this sniper whenever I need a solid answer for a tough boss or just some on-the-fly shooting.
God Roll:
- Barrel: Arrowhead Break
- Magazine: Tactical Magazine
- Perk 1: Reconstruction
- Perk 2: Recombination
3. The Call
Introduced at the start of The Final Shape, the Call has quickly carved out a place in the meta thanks to its incredibly high damage and good perk pool. Similar to the Indebted Kindness, this sidearm feels much closer to a Hand Cannon and has the bonus of launching missiles with each shot. The devastating output of The Call makes it one of the must-haves in The Final Shape and thanks to its relative newness, it can be farmed very easily through the campaign and while exploring the Pale Heart for collectibles.
Lead from Gold as our first perk ensures that we never really run out of ammo, so long as there are plenty of red bar mobs to farm. Thanks to this sidearm being equipped with explosive missiles for ammo, we can trigger Desperate Measures' 35% increased damage for hitting three separate targets.
God Roll:
- Barrel: Volatile Launch
- Magazine: High-explosive Ordinance
- Perk 1: Lead from Gold
- Perk 2: Desperate Measures
2. Calus Mini-Tool
Despite its annoying availability, the Calus Mini-Tool is always at the top of 'the Best legendary weapon' lists due to its incredible damage, perfect perks, and excellent round-per-minute fire rate. To get your hands on this amazing SMG, you'll need to farm the Presage exotic mission which is unfortunately only available once every three weeks.
The Calus Mini-Tool is my go-to add clear SMG for every level of difficulty and I assure you it will not let you down. Its one negative is the difficulty in farming for this weapon due to the Exotic mission rota, however it is craftable so as soon as you find five red-bordered Mini-Tools you can pick and choose your perks.
Speaking of which: Unrelenting is an obvious first choice thanks to its ability to trigger health regeneration on rapid kills; this can be the difference between life and death in some scenarios. Incandescent prevalence on this list should tell you all you need to know about its strength. No other perk for the Mini-Tool offers the same amount of power so it is a must-have.
God Roll:
- Barrel: Hammer-forged Rifling
- Magazine: Accurized Rounds
- Perk 1: Unrelenting
- Perk 2: Incandescent
1. Apex Predator
Apex Predator grabs the gold medal due to its incredibly high damage and some of the best perks in the entire game. Reconstruction allows the weapon to be reloaded while you dish out damage with other weapons and Bait and Switch boosts your damage by 35% when you switch to this launcher. If you continue the loop you will constantly trigger these perks and shred through any boss in your way. This rocket launcher has gotten me through a host of content and I have to recommend it to everyone who doesn't have this bad boy in their back pocket.
True to its namesake this launcher has the ability to bring you to the absolute apex of Destiny 2 content and help you sail right through it—don't miss out on this incredible weapon.
God Roll:
- Barrel: Quick Launch
- Magazine: Impact Casing
- Perk 1: Reconstruction
- Perk 2: Bait and Switch
So long as you grab yourself a few of the weapons on this list you're all set to tackle the hardest content that Destiny 2 has to offer. Just make sure you're acquiring the God Rolls or you'll see a drastically reduced potential.
That's all we have for our top 10 best legendary weapons in Destiny 2. If you're looking for similar content check out The Red Death Reformed is a divisive weapon in Destiny 2: The Final Shape, All Destiny 2 Final Shape Campaign Missions, and more at Pro Game Guides.
