Rank 5: Withering Collector
Withering Collector is a grenade launcher from Season 11 that is firmly in the loadout for 4.17% of players. The exotic kills 9.07% of all PvE enemies – making it currently the deadliest weapon in all of Destiny 2.
Why is the weapon so popular?
- Withering Collector is a nasty weapon that poisons enemies. This causes lots of damage over time.
- Additionally, the grenade launcher can corrupt entire areas through bombardment, affecting all enemies present there.
- And yes, you can combine both effects to deal double damage – if you’re clever, switch weapons after poisoning on top of that, and watch the DPS skyrocket.
- Withering Collector is currently best suited for eliminating whole add hordes, but also in combat against the strongest bosses.
- Thanks to the mod Break and Clear (from the artifact), the grenade launcher inflicts a 30% debuff on bosses and champions. With the ongoing damage, this adds up, and even team members hit harder.
- Of course, the other seasonal bonuses of grenade launchers apply to Withering Collector as well.
- If you’ve missed Withering Collector in Season 11, you can easily buy the weapon at the Exotic kiosk in the Tower (Monument of Lost Lights)
Be sure to pack this mod if you want to use Withering Collector:
In the ranking of Season 13, the exotic narrowly missed the top 10. Now, Withering Collector is one of the most versatile and strongest weapons you can equip at the moment. In the ranking, by the way, only primary and power weapons remain. Can you guess them already?
Rank 4: Ikelos_MP-V1.0.2
The submachine gun with the long name is shortened to Ikelos-MP and is with a usage rate of 4.43% one of the absolute must-haves. A strong 6.73% of all kills in PvE are attributed to the Arc weapon.
Why is the weapon so popular?
- The Ikelos-MP is older, can drop from all activities, and many Guardians have a strong roll of the legendary gun.
- As the MP is classified as Ikelos weapon, it can generate Warmind cells. It is arguably the most prominent primary weapon capable of doing so.
- Why such weapons are so strong, you can read in this guide on MeinMMO: Warmind Cells in Destiny 2 – What they can do and why you should use them
- The Ikelos-MP is already strong in its own right, and a solid add-clearer. Due to the fixed slot in many builds, its usage skyrockets.
- As a perfect complement to exotics like Withering Collector, the MP has been impressive for many seasons.
The Ikelos-MP is spared from weapon retirement, so its usage is unlikely to decrease anytime soon. Last time, the gun only made it to rank 6 in the ranking. Bungie announced, however, that they would therefore be adjusting Warmind cells in the future.
Rank 3: Fatebringer
The most legendary of all legendary hand cannons has finally arrived in Destiny 2 since Season 14. Immediately, the iconic revolver is shooting its way into the hearts of many Guardians with 5.12% and accounts for 8.27% of all PvE kills. No other primary weapon is deadlier or more popular.
Why is the weapon so popular?
- The Fatebringer is associated with the raid “Glass Chamber“, so the Guardians know this and nothing else. The nostalgic adventure has been available in Destiny since Season 14 and delights old veterans as well as new players. For years, Guardians have been hunting substitute weapons calling them Fatebringer 2.0, 3.0, and so on … of course, the original shoots straight into the ranking.
- Fatebringer is all about explosions: thanks to Explosive Payload and Firefly, it deals some serious damage. Fast reloading is included. But also with the new raid perk, Rewind Rounds, Guardians are experimenting.
- The base stats are very good, making it usable in PvP as well. Especially the hidden stats are top-notch: aim assist is at 84 and recoil direction at 98.
- To further enhance the explosive properties, you can use the mod Energy Amplifier from the seasonal artifact.
- MeinMMO has extensively dealt with the strengths and weaknesses of this hand cannon: Fatebringer in Destiny 2 – How strong is the legendary weapon today
The high usage of Fatebringer is partly due to its cult status, but also due to its versatility and impact.
Rank 2: Xenophage
The different MG Xenophage takes the silver medal with a usage rate of 7.55%. The hefty shots from the “Shadowkeep” exotic take down 4.67% of PvE foes.
Why is the weapon so popular? Xenophage has an eventful history:
- At launch, Guardians wondered if the thing was just bad or bugged.
- Over time, Bungie gave the MG several buffs, and the exotic meta changed overall.
- Then the experts had to admit: Formerly the weakest exotic is now a powerful boss killer
Unlike all other MGs, Xenophage fires very slowly and has only 13 rounds in the magazine. However, they deal extremely high damage per shot, explode, and have virtually unlimited range. Furthermore, the feel-good factor comes from the fact that the exotic does not need to land crits to unleash full damage.
All this together ensures that Xenophage excels in every area of PvE, thinning hordes or delivering full power to bosses with a small crit spot. In the new old raid “Glass Chamber”, the Xeno has established itself as an excellent oracle killer.
Anyone looking to obtain the weapon powered by an annoying alien insect has a long quest line ahead that guarantees the MG will spit it out at the end: Destiny 2: How to get the MG Xenophage – This is how the exotic quest works
Rank 1: Anarchy
The exotic grenade launcher Anarchy is used by 8.65% of all Guardians. The power weapon accounts for 6.37 of all deaths of PvE enemies. With that, the exotic has finally reached its well-deserved rank 1, after having only placed third for two seasons in a row.
Why is the weapon so popular? Anarchy does not fire conventional grenades; instead, it fires sticky mines. These deal damage over time.
- This allows laying Arc traps on the ground, or you can link multiple mines, leaving a damage field.
- Anarchy is feared by the strongest enemies, as Guardians fire two shock grenades directly at the boss, then switch weapons and deal damage with two guns.
- Since Beyond Light, the exotic can be conveniently purchased at the kiosk. Those who have not had raid luck in the past can now specifically obtain Anarchy – but you have to pay for very expensive resources. But it’s worth it!
- Anarchy is mostly used in boss phases, and especially in heavy content, you can hardly go wrong with the exotic. Fire two shots at every tough enemy, then take cover or continue shooting with a slug shotgun – this can kill even raid bosses in record time.
- Especially in combination with the seasonal artifact of Season 14, Anarchy becomes the strongest weapon in the entire game. The damage is enormous, enemies are debuffed by 30% for the whole team, and you always have ammunition.
Anarchy is the first exotic that the Complaint could dethrone. This exotic sword is now only ranked 13 among the most popular weapons, after being firmly rooted in the first place for 2 seasons. This clearly shows the influence the seasonal artifact has on the meta and the popularity of weapons.
Now it’s your turn: without which weapon do you not send your Guardian into battle? Did the list of the most used killing tools in the Season of the Splicer surprise you, or did you already expect this result? Let us know in the comments.
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