As a seasoned Guardian with countless hours spent in the depths of Destiny 2, I can confidently say that the weapon rolls I’ve outlined here are truly something to behold. For those seeking the ultimate add-clear machine in PvE, look no further than Regnant with Volatile Launch, Spike Grenades, Auto-Loading Holster or Envious Assassin, and Explosive Light or Destabilizing Rounds. The sheer power this combo brings to the battlefield is nothing short of breathtaking.
In Destiny 2, Heavy Grenade Launchers have reigned supreme as the go-to powerful weapon for dealing high damage on a single target since the release of The Final Shape. They’ve effectively pushed Linear Fusions to the side, which were popular in earlier seasons.
Swords have become useful tools due to their sharp edges provided by Keen Edge, while machine guns are frequently viewed as the ruler for clearing large amounts of enemies. Nevertheless, Grenade Launchers surpass even Rocket Launchers because they offer exceptional perk choices that provide larger ammo capacities and versatility across various gameplay aspects.
When ranking Destiny 2’s top Grenade Launchers, we considered factors such as the versatility of their perk selections, effectiveness in both PvE (Player vs Environment) and PvP (Player vs Player), and overall user-friendliness. Here’s the tier list, followed by a detailed analysis of the top performers.
Heavy Grenade Launcher tier list
| TIER | Weapon Name |
|---|---|
| S | Edge Transit, Wendigo GL3, Memory Interdict, Cataphract GL3, Typhon GL5 |
| A | Parasite, Marsilion-C, Regnant, Interference VI |
| B | Berenger’s Memory, Canis Major, Crowd Pleaser, Dimensional Hypotrochoid, Hullabaloo, Koraxis’s Distress, Outrageous Fortune, |
| C | Blast Battue, Cry Mutiny, Love and Death, Tarnation |
Our tiers explained
- S: The best
- A: Very good
- B: There might be situations where these can perform well
- C: Best to avoid unless you find yourself drawn to them
Meta Analysis
In Destiny 2’s gameplay environment, Grenade Launchers are incredibly powerful already. With the arrival of Episode Revenant on October 8, they will undoubtedly become essential items, as the seasonal artifact for Revenant includes several mods specifically designed to enhance their effectiveness even more.
We’ll make adjustments to this list whenever Bungie introduces new Grenade Launchers, so keep an eye out for changes after significant updates have been made.
S-Tier
Edge Transit
- Archetype: Adaptive
- Element: Void
- Source: Onslaught (Into the Light)
- Best Use: PvE
| Best PvE Roll | Best PvP Roll |
|---|---|
| Barrel: Quick Launch Magazine: Spike Grenades Perk 1: Envious Assassin or Cascade Point Perk 2: Bait and Switch Masterwork: Velocity or Blast Radius | Barrel: Quick Launch Magazine: High-Explosive Ordnance Perk 1: Impulse Amplifier Perk 2: Explosive Light or Destabilizing Rounds Masterwork: Handling |
It’s clear as we progress through this list that Spike Grenades are usually top-tier choices in PvE situations, with Quick or Volatile Launch being the preferred barrel type. The ideal core perk combination you should aim for is Bait and Switch paired with Envious Assassin or Cascade Point.
With every three weapon attacks within a brief timeframe, Bait and Switch enhances your damage output by 35% for ten seconds. Cascade Point and Envious Assassin work exceptionally well together, boosting your firing speed or expanding your ammo reserves respectively when defeating enemies before activating Edge Transit.
Wendigo GL3
- Archetype: Adaptive
- Element: Arc
- Source: Nightfall
- Best Use: PvE & PvP
| Best PvE Roll | Best PvP Roll |
|---|---|
| Barrel: Volatile Launch or Quick Launch Magazine: Spike Grenades Perk 1: Auto-Loading Holster Perk 2: Explosive Light Masterwork: Blast Radius | Barrel: Quick Launch Magazine: Perk 1: Impulse Amplifier Perk 2: Rangefinder Masterwork: Blast Radius |
The Wendigo GL3 doesn’t quite match up to Edge Transit in terms of PvE performance, but it’s not too far off and has the advantage of being able to be equipped with top-tier PvP traits – unlike its superior counterpart. Additionally, as a guaranteed drop during weeks when it’s the reward for the dedicated Nightfall, farming Wendigo GL3 is less challenging.
In PvE gameplay, look out for the Auto-Loading Holster and Explosive Light. The first one automatically reloads your magazine when it’s idle, while the second one boosts your damage by 52% on a single shot after collecting an Orb of Light (it can stack up to six times).
In PvP (Player versus Player), combining Impulse Amplifier and Rangefinder can significantly increase Wendigo’s speed, taking it to extremely high levels. This makes it ideal for shooting distant enemy Guardians before they have a chance to evade your shots.
Memory Interdict
- Archetype: Adaptive
- Element: Void
- Source: Potential Xur stock
- Best Use: PvP
| Best PvE Roll | Best PvP Roll |
|---|---|
| Barrel: Volatile Launch Magazine: Spike Grenades Perk 1: Impulse Amplifier Perk 2: Chain Reaction Masterwork: Handling | Barrel: Quick Launch Magazine: Proximity Grenades Perk 1: Impulse Amplifier or Quickdraw Perk 2: Danger Zone Masterwork: Handling |
In a PvE scenario, Memory Interdict may function effectively depending on its rolls, but it’s generally not recommended because it falls short compared to other options. Instead, keep an eye out for one that comes with Impulse Amplifier or Quickdraw, and also has Danger Zone when Xur appears in the Tower.
With this roll, Impulse Amplifier enhances the speed of movement – essential for PvP combat – and Danger Zone automatically expands the blast radius when you’re surrounded by opponents. If you trust your aim against other Guardians, go for Quickdraw as your preference.
Cataphract GL3
- Archetype: Adaptive
- Element: Strand
- Source: Trials of Osiris
- Best Use: PvP
| Best PvE Roll | Best PvP Roll |
|---|---|
| Barrel: Volatile Launch Magazine: Spike Grenades Perk 1: Envious Assassin Perk 2: Bait and Switch Masterwork: Velocity or Handling | Barrel: Quick Launch Magazine: High-Velocity Rounds Perk 1: Impulse Amplifier Perk 2: Explosive Light or Vorpal Weapon Masterwork: Velocity |
As a fan, I can’t help but highlight that among the listed PvP GLs, Cataphract stands alone as the sole Strand weapon of its kind. For those of you who are interested in crafting a Darkness-based subclass, Envious Assassin coupled with Bait and Switch remains an effective duo.
In PvP scenarios, particularly when discussing Trials rewards, Impulse Amplifier with Vorpal Weapon stands out as the top combination. While some might argue for Explosive Light to take its place, it’s generally too powerful for Crucible encounters. Vorpal Weapon, however, provides a consistent 10% damage increase without any setup needed.
Typhon GL5
- Archetype: Adaptive
- Element: Stasis
- Source: Potential Gunsmith stock
- Best Use: PvE
| Best PvE Roll | Best PvP Roll |
|---|---|
| Barrel: Hard Launch Magazine: Spike Grenades Perk 1: Demolitionist or Impulse Amplifier Perk 2: Explosive Light or Chill Clip Masterwork: Velocity | Barrel: Volatile Launch or Confined Launch Magazine: Proximity Grenades Perk 1: Demolitionist or Impulse Amplifier Perk 2: Adrenaline Junkie Masterwork: Velocity |
As a devoted admirer, I’d like to highlight the versatility that Typhon boasts. In PvE scenarios, it transforms into an unyielding force against bosses and Majors, armed with Impulse Amplifier and Explosive Light. Yet, it can easily shift gears to become a formidable crowd control machine when equipped with Demolitionist and Chill Clip.
For PvP, you’ll want to swap out Hard Launch for Volatile or Confined for superior Veolicity and prioritize Adrenaline Junkie for the second perk for the boos to Handling on kills. Even then, though, it’s not a particularly great choice for the competitive meta, with better options out there.
A-Tier
Parasite
- Element: Solar
- Source: Witch Queen Exotic quest
- Best Use: PvE
| Fixed Roll Perks |
|---|
| Intrinsic: Worm’s Hunger Barrel: Volatile Launch Magazine: High-Explosive Ordnance Exotic Trait: Worm Byproduct Stock: Composite Stock |
Among all weapons listed for Player versus Player (PvP), it is strongly advised to avoid using the Parasite at all costs due to its exceptional raw damage that often surpasses most other heavy weapons. However, using this weapon effectively demands careful setup and carries a certain level of risk associated with its unconventional playstyle.
Instead of regular ammunition, use live worms that explode upon impact. The more enemies you’ve recently defeated with other weapons, the bigger the boost these worms receive in terms of explosion range and damage. By accumulating maximum stacks of Worm’s Hunger and using Worm Byproduct, which enhances the weapon while reducing self-damage, you can quickly defeat even the toughest bosses.
For Warlocks, which have access to plentiful self-healing, Parasite is especially useful, but Titans and Hunters can also make it work with Healing Grenades.
Marsilion-C
- Archetype: Rapid-Fire
- Element: Solar
- Source: Lost Sectors
- Best Use: PvE
| Best PvE Roll | Best PvP Roll |
|---|---|
| Barrel: Volatile Launch Magazine: Spike Grenades Perk 1: Envious Assassin Perk 2: Incandescent or Explosive Light Masterwork: Blast Radius | Barrel: Hard Launch Magazine: Proximity Grenades Perk 1: Snapshot Sights Perk 2: Impulse Amplifier Masterwork: Handling or Velocity |
Among the listed types, Marsilion-C and Cry Mutiny are the unique ones that can fire multiple times rapidly (heavy Grenade Launchers), and they have the ability to roll Incandescent rounds. Unlike Cry Mutiny, Marsilion-C isn’t confined to a specific set of perks for its configuration.
With the Envious Assassin at his side, Marsilion has the ability to obliterate entire rooms using relentless solar bursts, with minimal cooldown periods. To make it more accessible, we could replace “Explosive Light” with “Relentless Blaze”.
One potential issue is that it can only be obtained randomly through Lost Sectors at the moment, meaning getting the ideal version could require patience and persistence.
Regnant
- Archetype: Adaptive
- Element: Void
- Source: Avalon Exotic Mission
- Best Use: PvE
| Best PvE Roll | Best PvP Roll |
|---|---|
| Barrel: Volatile Launch Magazine: Spike Grenades Perk 1: Auto-Loading Holster or Envious Assassin Perk 2: Explosive Light or Destabilizing Rounds Masterwork: Velocity | Barrel: Quick Launch Magazine: Proximity Grenades Perk 1: Rangefinder Perk 2: Pugilist Masterwork: Velocity |
As a devoted follower, I must say, unlike my fellow enthusiasts who adore Wendigo, I find myself captivated by Regnant’s unique abilities. Unlike Wendigo, Regnant isn’t confined by the inability to wield Arc’s Voltshot. Instead, it boasts access to Destabilizing Rounds, a feature that sets it apart and adds an exciting twist to gameplay.
With an Auto-Loading Holster or as a swift assassin, this boomer will turn into a boss-clearing powerhouse. For a reliable one-on-one solution, consider pairing the Envious Assassin with the Explosive Light instead.
Interference VI
- Archetype: Adaptive
- Element: Arc
- Source: World drop
- Best Use: PvE
| Best PvE Roll | Best PvP Roll |
|---|---|
| Barrel: Hard Launch Magazine: Spike Grenades Perk 1: Clown Cartridge Perk 2: Full Court Masterwork: Velocity | Barrel: Volatile Launch Magazine: Proximity Grenades Perk 1: Auto-Loading Holster Perk 2: Demolitionist Masterwork: Blast Radius |
Farming specific world drops is a frustrating experience in Destiny 2, but if you have the patience, Interference VI is an excellent PvE Grenade Launcher.
If you manage to get a weapon equipped with the Clown Cartridge, which allows for extra ammo in the magazine beyond the standard capacity, and Full Court, where the damage increases (up to 25%) depending on the distance each grenade travels, you’ll be able to shoot down enemies like a machine gun from anywhere on the map.
B-Tier
C-Tier
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2024-10-06 18:49