Summary
With Act 3 ofDestiny 2’s Episode Revenant, the Kell’s Fall exotic mission has been released, and with it comes the Slayer’s Fang exotic shotgun. Thanks to this latest addition, there are now8 exotic shotguns in the game, each holding a unique place in players' arsenals. Each gun in this category has a specific use case, from the Lord of Wolves with its absurd solar bursts to the Tractor Cannon with its weakening spread.
Here is a look ateach of the exotic shotguns inDestiny 2, ranking them with a focus on their power in PvE content. Some of the shotguns are predominantly PvP powerhouses, but this doesn’t factor into their ranking. As such, some fan favorites may end up lower than expected.
8Lord Of Wolves
Flaming Burst Damage
TheLord of Wolveswas an absolute PvP monster for some time, able to consistently melt opponents with ease before Bungie addressed its power and brought itback in line with the competition. Now, thanks to the time it takes to fire a full burst, the Lord of Wolves has been left behind, feeling underwhelming in both PvP and PvE.
It is difficult to recommend using Lord of Wolves in any content. Despite its decent damage output, it struggles with its ammo economy and doesn’t put out enough damage to warrant using it over any other options in the exotic shotguns category.
7The Chaperone
PvP Champion
The Chaperoneis yet again a gun thathas ruled the PvP landscapebut has never made any particular waves in the PvE meta. The gun fires a single precision slug, which is no longer a unique selling point, making it difficult to use in content where the player is overwhelmed by enemies.
While the precision damage The Chaperone does is powerful, its precision requirements make it a detriment to most players trying to use it. Outside of having an impressive one-shot-kill range in PvP, there is little to compliment regarding this gun.
6Duality
The Best Of Both Worlds
Another precision-based shotgun,Dualityoffers the player the precision damage of The Chaperone along with the ability to fire a standard spread shot while firing from the hip. Duality is another weapon that thrives in PvP; however, thanks to its exotic perk, there is an argument to be made for its use in PvE.
Duality has the perk “On Black Wings,” which allows for stacking precision damage and reload speed buffs obtained when getting kills with the pellet spread firing mode. This is a fun shotgun to use in lower-tier content, but it can struggle in endgame content thanks to requiring kills to activate its full potential.
5Legend Of Acrius
Packs One Heck Of A Punch
Legend of Acriuswas one of the first exotic shotguns inDestiny 2and is now one of two remaining in the heavy weapon slot. Firing a large arc shock wave, Legend of Acrius can hit any enemy with an unbeatable amount of damage per shot. If a raid boss can be approached safely, there is an argument to be made for a team using this gun to clear it.
With its exotic catalyst, Legend of Acrius has increased magazine and inventory sizes, as well as access tothe perk “Trench Barrel,“which pumps up the damage even further for three shots after hitting an enemy with a melee attack, making this gun even more powerful.
4The Fourth Horseman
Uncontrollable Recoil And Unbeatable Damage
The Fourth Horsemanis one of the most ridiculous weapons inDestiny 2, firing faster than most players can handle. Holding down the trigger will unleash the entire magazine in a matter of seconds, with each subsequent hit increasing the damage of the succeeding shot. If an enemy is close and has a very short damage period, this gun isone of the easiest ways to pump out absurd damage.
While not usable in the majority of content, The Fourth Horseman is unquestionably fun and able to destroy most enemies if the player can get into melee range. The main issue that this gun will run into is ammo,burning through all of its reserves at lightning-fast speeds, but with the right build, it can easily be useful in a variety of content.
3Tractor Cannon
Debuff On Command
Another gun fromDestiny 2’s base game,Tractor Cannonis not a damage dealer or ad-clearing machine. Rather, this shotgun is a support weapon, sacrificing one player’s damage output to greatly bolster the damage of the rest of the team. While it is no longer as powerful as it once was, Tractor Cannon was a must-have for any raid group.
Even now, if a player wants to support their team or isfacing boss mechanics that don’t allow them to damage effectively, this gun is the perfect option to simply help their fellow gamers deal extra damage for very little input.
2Slayer’s Fang
The New Kid On The Block
As the latest addition to the exotic shotgun list, Slayer’s Fang has not quite found its place inDestiny 2yet. Despite this, it is easily one of the strongest options for endgame content, with its built-in champion stunning capabilities and free void weaken. Unlike all the other guns in the exotic shotgun category, Slayer’s Fang is craftable, offering not only a curated experience for each player but also allowing for the choice of four exotic catalyst perks.
If a player wants greater damage output, they can use “Cascade Point,” orif they would prefer survivability, they can take “Repulsor Brace.” There is no real right choice. While it may take some getting used to, thanks to its unique firing style, if a player can grapple the Slayer’s Fang, they’ll do well in even the hardest content.
1Conditional Finality
A Swiss Army Shotgun
This will come as no surprise to mostDestiny 2veterans. TheConditional Finalityis a powerhouse in both PvE and PvP, able to freeze and ignite targets with a single magazine. While this gun does require the player to get very close to the enemy, there is no real danger thanks to its ability to instantly freeze any target.
The only downside to this gun is its method of acquisition, being available a random drop from thefinal boss of the Root of Nightmares Raid. Outside of this, it is a gun that many players have struggled to put down from the moment they got it, and it is arguably the most versatile weapon inDestiny 2, boasting incredible damage potential, subclass synergies, and champion stunning capabilities.
