Summary
With the newestDestiny 2expansion,Lightfall brings the Witnessand the Traveler face-to-shape. The war with the Cabal has escalated, and with a new Disciple threatening the Traveler, Guardians must stand together as they discover the newest Darkness subclass inDestiny 2and master Strand.
Along with a new subclass,Destiny 2players can harness the element of Strand of a multitude of weapons. From sidearms to machine guns, Exotics, and more, Strand can be a lethal addition to many of the weapons across PvE and PvP.
Updated on July 22, 2025, by Jake Fillery:With The Final Shape bringing forth new Strand weapons, it’s time to look back on the collection across the last expansion and Episode One: Echoes and see which of the best Strand weapons in Destiny 2 aided the fight against the Witness and gave fellow Guardians a rough time in the Crucible. Destiny 2 has an impressive amount of Strand weapons now, with some of the best of them coming from more recent content updates.
21The Call
A Rocket Sidearm That Annihilates Foes With AoE
The Call is one of the more recent additions to the game, but its quickly become one of the best beloved, and for good reason. The Call is a rocket sidearm, which in itself is unique of the category, but its the power of each blast that truly elevates the potential of this weapon past a nice way to deal area of effect damage.
Each rocket from The Call provides lasting and devastating impact, whether it’s a direct hit or one aimed at the ground. It’s something most players can attest to with how good it truly is, andTitans will have extra fun with it thanks toHazardous Propulsion.
20Aisha’s Care
Two-Round Burst Pulse Rifle That Has Aggressive Hits
A brilliant weapon in the meta thanks to recent buffs to Pulse Rifles in PvE, Aisha’s Care can dominate enemies thanks to its controlled rate of fire and powerful two-round burst which will easily stop enemies in their tracks with a critical hit spot. The ammo count makes for easy ad-clearing, and it’s also worth jumping into the Crucible with.
Aisha’s Care has a great range, meaning players will greatly benefit from competing at medium distances and flinching snipers that might try to compete. It’s a true weapon of the Crucible so PvP users have something to contest with.
19Scintillation
Linear Fusion Rifle That Shreds Critical Hits
Whilst Linear Fusion Rifles aren’t the most beloved weapon for the current meta, they can still hold strong, especially when Scintillation is leading the charge. This Linear Fusion Rifle is perfect for those pesky bosses and yellow bar enemies, and a headshot or critical hit spot will easily wipe them out thanks to the three-round burst of the weapon.
With a quick rate of fire and hard hits, Scintillation becomes a solid choice for PvE thanks to its DPS and potential perks. Players can take the likes ofRewind Roundsto ensure that a reload isn’t going to be necessary with their astute aim.
18Wish-Keeper
An Exotic Bow That Suspends Targets
It’s always nice to grab a new exotic, especially when it uses the newest element of Strand.Wish-Keeperis an almost essential weapon to some Strand builds, as it has the capability of suspending targets with ease based on precision hits and final blows. Not only can it suspend the world, but withSilkbound Slayer, this weapon can be drawn faster, and deals bonus damage to suspended targets, making it a true treat for Grandmaster Nightfalls when enemy suspensions are everything to keep those revives safe.
Whilst theWish-Keeperisn’t going to blow the competition away in PvP, it is going to be a handy choice for PvE. For a long time, Nightfalls have benefited from the Combat Bows, so with theWish-Keeperplayers are going to have a much easier time controlling the situation by dealing with Champions that could cause a wipe to orbit.
17Relentless
Extra Precision Damage and Pulse Rifle Buffs Make For a Solid Choice
Brave the Prophecy Dungeon and attempt to get this beauty, as Relentless is a must-have Strand Pulse rifle for a reason. Relentless is great, as the rework to Prophecy’s loot pool included the newly designed Strand variant of a classic weapon, providing players with demolishing power thanks to its default stats and a mixture of powerful perk additions.
PvP and PvE players alike are going to want this in their arsenal, as so many perks treat players to a grand advantage, accompanied by its accuracy, stability, and high damage. With perks likeHeadseeker, players can extend their precision damage, and tune Relentless to dish out even more stability and reload speed with theRapid Hitperk.
16Circular Logic
The Heavy Impact Machine Gun That Dominates Ads
Machine Guns definitely deserve some love, and Circular Logic is going to give a few reasons why. Not only can players expect a heavy impact Machine Gun, but paired with the right perks, players are in for an addicting time, with a gun worthy of killing adds alongside the Extra Mag perk to have 388 rounds without the need to reload.
Push this gun to the limit with the best perks, where players can use Envious Assassin and Hatchling to devastate the competition. Whilst this is a must-have Machine Gun choice in PvE, PvP players are better off using something else, since Heavy Ammo isn’t exactly the most common find.
15Different Times
A Humble Pulse Rifle With a Decent Set of Perks
Different Times leaves a strong impression on players because of its Taken appearance, and the moment players pull the trigger they’re going to discover a hard-hitting and fasting shooting pulse rifle that demands attention, and many players are going to want to keep it around for the Crucible season.
Its rapid-fire rate makes for some stunning competition, and with a range of good perks like Adrenaline Junkie andOutlaw, players are going to have a great time in PvP, firing off quick shots to decimate enemies in their crit spots. Even better yet, is for the PvE players, as The Final Shape will bring about an exciting pulse rifle damage buff.
14Scatter Signal
The Hard-Hitting Fusion Rifle, Great For PvE Content
Scatter Signal quickly became one of thebest fusion rifles inDestiny 2, competing even with the likes of Riptide. Offering a great bout of impact and charge time, players can take this into the most challenging of PvE content. From Dungeons, Raids, and Nightfalls, the Scatter Signal utilizes its rapid-fire frame to provide deep ammo reserves and a faster reload once all charges have been expunged.
The Scatter Signal is also a craftable weapon, and players can easily create the perfect god roll. It’s a bounty of a weapon that players can easily get during Season of the Wish and find red border variants. It’s an incredible fusion rifle that shouldn’t be skipped, especially when the most optimal loadout is a special ammo weapon, a primary ammo weapon, and a heavy ammo weapon.
13Lethal Abundance
A Reliable Auto Rifle That Kicks as Hard as it Hits
Lord Saladin always returns to the Tower with a new set of weapons, and more often than not, they’re a doozy.Lethal Abundance comes as a new Strand auto rifle, and it’s definitely worth the rank ups necessary to get it. The weapon is one of the more slow firing auto rifles, but that is only due to the fact that it kicks hard and makes enemies flinch, especially when it comes to other Guardians in the Crucible.
The weapon is good in PvE thanks to the fact it can handle Overload champions with the right Seasonal Artifact in Season of the Wish, but its high-impact frame really helps it shine in PvP. With a base range of 80, players can easily take out their enemies, regardless of whether they using a scout rifle.
12Fang Of Ir Yut
Solid Range and Hard-Hitting, it’s a Scout Rifle for Everyone
For PvE users, the Fang of Ir Yut is definitely going to feel good. It’s a great weapon for the extending Strand arsenal, and it has a few unique perks that other weapons lack. Players can use Sword Logic, which creates bonus damage for the weapon upon final blows. This stacking perk makes it a great choice for players in both PvE and PvP.
Whilst it may be a solid choice for PvE, the lack of use for scout rifles during Season of the Wish may see the scout rifles sit in the backseat. However, they can be quite the burden to other players in PvP thanks to their magazine size and the fact they can fire full auto with deeper ammo reserves.
