Best Sidearms in the Game
Published: May 2, 2020
There are over 50 different sidearms in the world of Destiny 2. Time to find out which one is right for you.
The Season of the Worthy is in full swing in the world of Destiny 2. Now more than ever, it’s a good time to hone your skills and find your best weapons to fight off the darkness. The crew at Destiny Carries LFG has been noting the best weapons of each class during the Season of the Worthy and today, we’ll take a look at the little guns with big punches: the sidearms.
When you venture into Season of the Worthy, make sure you have the best Destiny 2 Sidearms and Perks you possibly can. Read on for our complete guide on Destiny 2 sidearms.
Understanding Sidearms
An important concept to understand when determining which weapons to use in Destiny 2’s Season of the Worthy is where that class of weapons fit within the meta. Luckily, the Destiny 2 Sidearm class has always had a solid place in the meta throughout the years, making them one of the most reliable weapon classes in the game.
Destiny 2 Sidearms fill a unique role in the game, as their primary use is to back up your main weapon. These weapons are especially useful in tight situations since their weapon swap speed is the highest of any class, especially with the Quickdraw perk. They also slot themselves as sort of a gap filler between Sub-Machine Guns and Shotguns, filling a close to mid-range role.
Destiny 2 Sidearms are different from their Sub-Machine Gun Counterparts, as they have a much slower rate of fire than the SMG class, but our Sidearm friends hit much, much harder. While they hit hard, the Shotgun class does significantly more damage at close range, but generally has a slower rate of fire and the damage drop off at mid-range is significant.
Best Sidearm Seasonal Mods
One of the most important aspects of taking on some of the highest level challenges in the Season of the Worthy is utilizing the seasonal mods. We have already gone through and explained what seasonal mods are and how they work; but when it comes to the Destiny 2 Sidearms class, the most important mod is Anti-Barrier. This Sidearm mod allows you to defeat the health-regenerating shields on enemy Barrier Champions, which you will find in many high-level activities.
Use this Anti-Barrier mod in combination with other mods and weapons to completely decimate the health of Champions and complete the highest level activities in the game. Having a Destiny 2 sidearms with this mod equipped will make you an invaluable asset to your fire-team in the most difficult activities such as Legendary Lost Sectors.
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Sidearm “God-Rolls”
As with all other weapon classes, Destiny 2 Sidearms can roll with different perks that can change the way your Sidearms work. Like all other weapon classes, some perks are better than others. When you acquire a weapon with a select few great perks, this a roll known as a “God-Roll” by the Destiny 2 community.
Acquiring God-Rolls can make all the difference in your Destiny 2 Sidearms experience. These rolls are different for every weapon, but they all mostly focus on improving reload speed, magazine size, or eradicating groups of enemies. However, finding which perks work best for you and your favorite weapon is the most important factor, just as long as those perks keep your weapon useful.
What to Look For in Destiny 2 Sidearms
While all Destiny 2 sidearms are intrinsically great in close to mid-range combat scenarios, some are better than others. Knowing what to look for in your hunt for your perfect sidearm is essential to complete your search.
The most important factor in this search, however, is your personal enjoyment of the weapon. If you find a sidearm that is one of the best in the game, but you don’t enjoy using it, then don’t use it.
Two of the best stats to look for when finding your perfect Sidearm is impact and rate of fire. Impact is the base damage that your weapon deals to any given enemy, so finding a sidearm with a high impact stat will mean that you need less shots to kill any given enemy. Rate of Fire is important to combine with this Impact stat as the faster your weapon fires, the less time it takes to destroy any given enemy.
High magazine size is another nice trait to have in any Destiny 2 Sidearm, as it will allow you to take down those pesky shielded enemies. This is also a good trait to combine with Anti-Barrier rounds because those Barrier Champions can take a lot of damage, and getting rid of their Barriers is incredibly important for taking them down.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are looking to get into Destiny 2 Sidearms, you may have a few questions about them; below are some of the most asked questions that guardians have when it comes to the Sidearm weapon class.
Should I use an SMG or a Sidearm?
It depends on your accuracy. If you can make sure you nail every shot in your clip, then an SMG may be right for you. However, if you are dealing with a pesky teleportation fallen, or a sneaky hunter, a Destiny 2 sidearm might be the better option since the higher impact of the weapons allows you to take out enemies in fewer shots than an SMG.
Are Sidearms Viable in PvE?
The short answer is yes, very much so. This is due to the changes in the way seasonal mods work: the Destiny 2 Sidearms are quite useful throughout both PvP and PvE. The sidearm class is very easy to use and can be useful for not getting too up into enemies’ faces as shotguns force you to.
What’s the Best Sidearm PvP Strategy?
Destiny 2 sidearms have always been great in PvP and the reason for that is the fast draw time that all sidearms have. A great assistant to any auto rifle, you can use your primary to take the enemy’s shields and health down and then finish them off with a few shots with your sidearm.
What Makes Destiny 2 Sidearms Useful?
One of the most underrated aspects of sidearms is the fact that they run primary ammo, which is incredibly easy to find. This is useful for taking down tough PvE enemies, as almost any weaker enemy will drop primary ammo upon death. This is also useful in PvP since you spawn with significantly more primary ammo than special ammo per life, allowing you to fight harder and longer.
The Sidearm weapon class is also incredibly useful as a backup to your primary weapon. Destiny 2 Sidearms are often faster to switch to than reloading your main weapon, allowing you to finish off your enemies quickly.
How Do I Obtain Sidearms?
Thankfully, the Destiny 2 sidearm class is fairly common and therefore drops often from completing any activity. The best way to get some of the better sidearms is through the Crucible, as there are a few crucible exclusive sidearms like Anonymous Autumn. They can also be earned by completing strikes and a few have entire quests attached to them such as Devil’s Ruin.
The Best Sidearms in Destiny 2
While many of the Sidearms in Destiny 2 are great, there are those that go above and beyond what is expected from the Sidearm weapon class. One thing that is great about Destiny 2 Sidearms is that they are generally equally useful in both PvE and PvP scenarios. We have carefully selected the top 5 best sidearms in Destiny 2 that are useful for all activities and will give you an edge in your fight against the Darkness.
5: Breachlight
This legendary Sidearm is a great recent addition to the Destiny 2 Sidearms collection. It has a two-round burst, which greatly improves its rate of fire above single-shot Sidearms, and the perks Outlaw and Kill Clip can rapidly take down hoards of PvE enemies. On the PvP side of things, this weapon has access to the Vorpal Weapon legendary trait, which allows you to take down enemy Guardians using their supers.
4: Devil’s Ruin
This is the only exotic Destiny 2 Sidearm that will be appearing on our list, but it is here for some good reasons. This Sidearm has a unique trait where holding down the fire button allows you to create a large laser that can be swept over enemies multiple times to do astonishing damage. Its secondary fire is also great for taking down Unstoppable Champions, making this sidearm a dream weapon in PvE content.
3: Anonymous Autumn
This Legendary Sidearm is one of the best for taking down enemies in both the Crucible and those aforementioned Barrier Champions in the high-level PvE activities, especially the Nightfall Strikes. This weapon is solid all-around with great rate of fire for a semi-auto weapon and impressive DPS (Damage Per Second) output. It can be acquired by increasing your Valor rank in the crucible.
2: Traveler’s Judgement 5
If you are looking for a Destiny 2 sidearm to dominate your foes in PvP, then look no further. This sidearm includes great sights and has incredibly useful Range-Boosting Rounds. These, along with the great perks of Rapid Hit, Feeding Frenzy, and Dragonfly, will surely give you an edge against shotgun users in The Crucible.
1: Last Hope
This is the Sidearm that will take you to the top of your game in any activity. Whether you are grinding out those nasty Grandmaster Nightfalls or trying to build your rank in the Trials of Osiris, this is the sidearm for you.
This burst-firing Destiny 2 Sidearm is similar to Breachlight, but is a little different to that sidearm due to its higher damage but shorter range. The perk combination of Feeding Frenzy and Rampage will allow you to take on swaths of enemies without breaking a sweat in PvE, and on the PvP side of things, this weapon is no slouch either. The rangefinder perk lets you keep your distance from annoying shotgun and SMG users while giving you bonus stability and accuracy to ensure you land those all-important headshots.
How to Determine Which Sidearm is Right for You
As always, determining which Destiny 2 Sidearm is the best choice for you is the most important aspect of gaining you Light Level with this weapon class. Your decision should come down to three factors: effectiveness, difficulty, and fun factor.
Effectiveness
While all of the Destiny 2 Sidearms are great in their own ways, there are some that are better than others. Make sure that you know that whichever Sidearm you are going to grind for is going to actually be useful to you once you earn it.
Difficulty
The difficulty of playing with a weapon is an important factor in determining which of the Destiny 2 Sidearms is right for you. If you find that the semi-auto Sidearms have too much recoil, maybe you will find more success with a burst-firing weapon.
Fun Factor
The most important factor in determining any weapon to use is the fun factor of the weapon. If you find more enjoyment using a weapon that is technically not as good as another, use the weapon that you are more comfortable with, since using a weapon you love is what Destiny 2 is all about.
Using Your New Knowledge
Now that you have a more complete understanding of the role the Destiny 2 Sidearms play in the game’s meta, you are ready to take on the challenge of finding the best sidearm that is right for you. Remember where sidearms fit into your play-style and utilize them to their full potential in order to make the biggest impact when running them. Sidearms can be a great backup weapon and as the saying goes, “Switching to your pistol is always faster than reloading” and this almost always remains true in Destiny 2.
Following this guide, you will be well on your way to securing some of the best sidearms the Destiny 2 Season of the Worthy has to offer. Always be on the lookout for “God-Rolls,” as they can significantly boost your ability to fight with Destiny 2 Sidearms.
Keep in mind that switching up the perks on your favorite Sidearms is key to reaching the pinnacle of your game. For example, some perks like Feeding Frenzy may be more useful in PvE content, so make sure you adjust your builds according to the content you wish to complete.
Don’t Have Time To Complete The Grind?
Being at top-tier Light Level lets you accomplish everything possible in Destiny 2, allowing you to truly Become Legend.
Some of the Destiny 2 Sidearms are incredibly rare and require you to complete long quests in order to obtain them. If you, like many of Destiny 2’s millions of players, are not able to spend hours a day grinding out the rewards for your seasonal Destiny 2 artifact, there’s an easier way. To get there faster, check out our boosting services for quickly reaching the pinnacle of power.
