Arc is an elemental damage type in "Destiny 2," alongside Solar, Void, and Stasis. Weapons and abilities that deal Arc damage are particularly effective against ads with blue shields, causing the shields to erupt and damage nearby enemies when depleted. This elemental type is connected with electricity and speed, and its themes center on fast-paced, high-energy fight environments.
Arc weapons in Destiny 2 can be primary, special, or heavy. They are essential in many activities because of their ability to quickly rip down Arc shields, making them ideal for both PvE and PvP.
What are the best Arc Weapons in Destiny 2?
Destiny 2 has many arc weapons, which grow with each season's release. Following the Witch Queen's launch, players can craft weapons with the required perks. Here are the ten best arc weapons in the game right now.
10. Iterative Loop (Best for PvE)
The Iterative Loop, a fast-firing fusion rifle introduced in Lightfall, can be equipped with Compulsive Reloader and Voltshot perks. This combination enables the continuous firing of arc bursts, making it highly effective for crowd control and targeting individual enemies. Additionally, its appealing Origin Trait, Nanotech Tracer Rockets, enhances its capability.
Iterative Loop Stats
- Impact: 55
- Range: 23
- Damage Falloff: ~11.31m Hip / 14.70 ADS
- Stability: 30
- Handling: 52
- Reload Speed: 44
- Reload Time: 2.24 s
- Aim Assistance: 34
- Inventory Size: 50
- Zoom: 15
- Airborne Effectiveness: 8
- Recoil: 47
- Charge Time: 500
- Magazine: 7
PvE God roll:
- Barrel: Arrowhead Brake
- Magazine: Projection Fuse
- Perk 1: Compulsive Reloader
- Perk 2: Voltshot
How to get Iterative Loop
There are multiple ways to farm Iterative Loop in the game. The weapon was released with the lightfall expansion, and the grind was tied to the new destination, Neomuna. You can get it from the lightfall engrams and the chests of Terminal Overload activity. The fastest and easiest way to farm it is by completing the Heroic Petrols on Neumona.
9. Salvager's Salvo (Best for PvE)
Salvager's Salvo, introduced in the Season of the Chosen, quickly established itself as a top contender in the realm of arc grenade launchers. Following the footsteps of the Mountain Top, which popularized the direct-impact grenade launcher archetype, Salvager's Salvo emerged as one of the standout options in this category. Renowned for its superior performance, this Arc grenade launcher excels at crowd control, thanks to its excellent perk options and synergy with arc builds.
Salvager's Salvo Stats
- Blast Radius: 100
- Velocity: 72
- Stability: 23
- Handling: 69
- Reload Speed: 63
- Reload Time: 2.31 seconds
- Aim Assistance: 75
- Inventory Size: 61
- Zoom: 13
- Airborne Effectiveness: 4
- Recoil: 62
- Rounds Per Minute: 90
- Magazine: 1
PvE God roll:
- Barrel: Quick Launch
- Magazine: Spike Grenades
- Perk 1: Ambitious Assassin
- Perk 2: Chain Reaction
How to get Salvager's Salvo
The process of getting Salvager's Salvo is straightforward. You need to farm some resources, and you can buy the weapon from the Legacy Gear Memorial at the tower. You will need:
- 2 x Enhancement Prism
- 75,000 x Glimmer
- 1 x Ascendant Shard
8. Phyllotactic Spiral (Best for PVP)
The Phyllotactic Spiral stands out as the top Arc Pulse Rifle for PVP. Although it lacks flashy effects, it offers excellent reliability, strong foundational stats, and valuable perks. The best rolls for the ultimate PVP setup are either Keep Away + Headseeker or Keep Away + Kill Clip. The perk Keep Away is particularly powerful in PVP, providing bonuses to reload speed, range, and accuracy when no enemies are in close proximity.
Phyllotactic Spiral Stats
- Impact: 33
- Range: 58
- Stability: 44
- Handling: 26
- Reload Speed: 32
- Reload Time: 2.43 seconds
- Aim Assistance: 31
- Inventory Size: 48
- Zoom: 18
- Airborne Effectiveness: 16
- Recoil: 80
- Rounds Per Minute: 340
- Magazine: 28
PvP God roll:
- Barrel: Arrowhead Brake
- Magazine: High-Caliber Rounds
- Perk 1: Keep Away
- Perk 2: Headseeker
How to get Phyllotactic Spiral
There are multiple ways to farm Phyllotactic Spiral in the game. The weapon was released with the lightfall expansion, and the grind was tied to the new destination, Neomuna. You can get it from the Lightfall engrams and the chests of Terminal Overload activity. The fastest and easiest way to farm it is by completing the Heroic Petrols on Neumona.
7. Nation of Beasts (Best for PVE)
The Nation of Beasts hand cannon, launched alongside the famous Last Wish raid, has received an enormous boost. Initially, it may not have stood out as the best arc hand cannon, but recent updates have significantly improved its standing. This Arc, 140 RPM, Adaptive Frame hand cannon now has many unusual roll combinations and new perks that have shown outstanding synergy with Arc-based builds, particularly those using Ionic Trace setups.
Nation of Beasts Stats
- Impact: 84
- Range: 40
- Stability: 57
- Handling: 42
- Reload Speed: 45
- Reload Time: 3.11 seconds
- Aim Assistance: 71
- Inventory Size: 51
- Zoom: 14
- Airborne Effectiveness: 10
- Recoil: 95
- Rounds Per Minute: 140
- Magazine: 11
PvE God roll:
- Barrel: Smallbore
- Magazine: Tactical Mag
- Perk 1: Dragonfly
- Perk 2: Voltshot
How to get Nation of Beasts
To get Nation of Beasts, you must complete the encounters of the Last Wish raid. The weapon can drop from any raid encounter, and if you have unlocked it in your collections, you can also get it from the secret chests. We suggest you farm the first encounter (Kalli, the Corrupted) as it is the simplest and the fastest to complete. This weapon is also craftable, so you will need five patterns to craft it. You can farm the raid once it is the featured raid of the week to get all the red borders of the weapon.
6. Trinity Ghoul (Best for PvE)
Trinity Ghoul stands out among bows in Destiny 2, especially due to its exceptional synergy with Arc 3.0. Its exotic perk generates a chain lightning effect with precision hits, making it a top-tier weapon for clearing smaller enemies in PvE. When equipped with its Catalyst, this Arc bow not only one-shots lower-tier enemies but also recharges your arrows with Arc energy. No other Primary weapon, including Riskrunner, matches Trinity Ghoul’s capabilities regarding add-clearing efficiency.
Exotic Perk:
"Fires an arrow that splits when released. Aiming down sights and fully drawing the bow both decrease the spread. Precision kills grant the next shot chain-lightning capabilities."
Trinity Ghoul Stats
- Impact: 80
- Accuracy: 80
- Stability: 50
- Handling: 53
- Reload Speed: 50
- Aim Assistance: 74
- Inventory Size: 52
- Zoom: 18
- Airborne Effectiveness: 24
- Recoil: 77
- Draw Time: 720
How to get Trinity Ghoul
There is no specific quest to get Trinity Ghoul. Instead, you can get it as a random reward for deciphering the exotic engrams. The exotic engrams follow a knockout system, increasing the chances of dropping the exotics you don’t own. The weekly vendor Xur sells it occasionally, so you can buy it from there.
5. IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3 (Best for PvP)
APOTHEOSIS: Status=active…
The IKELOS SMG has consistently been a top-performing weapon in Destiny 2, with each new iteration improving upon the last. The latest version, the third iteration, stands out as the finest yet, featuring a new Origin Trait and compatibility with the Arc-specific Voltshot Perk. Additionally, players now have the option to craft this weapon, tailoring its perks to suit individual play styles. Renowned as one of the best non-Exotic Arc SMGs, it excels in conjunction with Arc subclasses but is versatile enough to be formidable across other classes as well.
SMG_v1.0.3 Stats
- Impact: 78
- Range: 32
- Stability: 55
- Handling: 33
- Reload Speed: 33
- Reload Time: 3.46 seconds
- Aim Assistance: 75
- Inventory Size: 53
- Zoom: 14
- Airborne Effectiveness: 14
- Recoil: 91
- Rounds Per Minute: 180
- Magazine: 12
PvP God roll:
- Barrel: Chambered Compensator
- Magazine: Seraph Rounds
- Perk 1: Dynamic Sway Reduction
- Perk 2: Tap the Trigger
How to get IKELOS_SMG_v1.0.3
In the Season of the Wish, the only way to get this weapon is from the gunsmith vendor (Banshee-44). Banshee has sold some amazing rolls of this weapon in the past and offers it frequently in its inventory. You must watch its daily offerings and might be lucky enough to get a god-roll.
4. Divinity (Best for PvE)
Divinity is a unique Arc trace rifle in Destiny 2, known for its effectiveness in team-based situations such as raids and Grandmaster Nightfalls. It combines intrinsic anti-overload Champion powers with strong debuffing capabilities. Divinity fires an Arc beam, which weakens its target by 15% (similar to the Void's Weaken) and encompasses it in an Arc bubble. This bubble has the unique ability to transform all incoming damage into precise damage. This conversion enables teammates to more efficiently employ weapons with critical hit bonuses, making Divinity an essential tool for raids and nightfalls.
Exotic Perk:
Sustained damage with this weapon envelops the target in a field that weakens and stuns them. Strong against [Disruption] Overload Champions. Targets under the effects of Judgment long enough are struck with a burst of damage.
Divinity Stats
- Impact: 6
- Range: 67
- Stability: 76
- Handling: 51
- Reload Speed: 45
- Reload Time: 2.08 seconds
- Aim Assistance: 100
- Inventory Size: 50
- Zoom: 16
- Recoil: 100
- Bounce Intensity: 0
- Rounds Per Minute: 1000
- Magazine: 94
How to get it:
Unlocking Divinity, the Exotic Trace Rifle, in Destiny 2 will take some time. The first step is to obtain the Divine Fragmentation quest item, but players must defeat the Garden of Salvation raid. To get Divinity, you must complete the laser puzzles and beat the raid's final boss inside the same raid run.
3. Forbearance (Best for PVP)
Forbearance, alongside Explosive Personality, is part of a select group of craftable grenade launchers in Destiny 2. Although acquiring it is more challenging since it involves clearing encounters in the Vow of the Disciple raid, Forbearance is a somewhat better option than other legendary grenade launchers. The Spark of Beacons Arc fragment is among the top choices and works well with forbearance for a perfect arc build.
Forbearance Stats
- Blast Radius: 100
- Velocity: 74
- Stability: 27
- Handling: 70
- Reload Speed: 71
- Reload Time: 2.2 seconds
- Aim Assistance: 79
- Inventory Size: 67
- Zoom: 13
- Airborne Effectiveness: 4
- Recoil: 73
- Rounds Per Minute: 72
- Magazine: 1
PvE God roll:
- Barrel: Volatile Launch
- Magazine: High-Velocity Rounds
- Perk 1: Ambitious Assassin
- Perk 2: Chain Reaction
How to get Forbearance
Forbearance can only be acquired from the fourth(The Caretaker) and final(Rhulk ) encounter of the Vow of the Disciple (VoD) raid. The fourth encounter is relatively easy and fast to farm this weapon. Once you have unlocked it in your collections, you can also get it from the secret chests.
2. Cloudstrike (Best for PvE)
Cloudstrike, an Exotic sniper rifle in Destiny 2, has regularly performed well in PvP and PvE scenarios. This weapon's defining characteristic is its ability to generate a lightning strike at the target's position upon critical hit, causing damage to opponents nearby. This makes it especially lethal in PvP, where opponents crowd closely. It also performs consistently in PvE. Furthermore, Cloudstrike's catalyst improves usability by including the Triple Tap perk. This perk is highly sought-after in PvE, especially for sniper rifles and other precision-based weapons, because it offers accuracy with additional ammo, making it excellent for dealing sustained damage to bosses.
Cloudstrike Stats
- Impact: 55
- Range: 60
- Stability: 49
- Handling: 46
- Reload Speed: 40
- Reload Time: 3.22 seconds
- Aim Assistance: 68
- Inventory Size: 70
- Zoom: 50
- Airborne Effectiveness: 7
- Recoil: 68
- Rounds Per Minute: 140
- Magazine: 7
Exotic Perk:
"Precision final blows generate a lightning bolt at the target's location. Rapid precision hits create a lightning storm at the point of impact."
How to get Cloudstrike
To obtain the Cloudstrike Exotic Sniper in Destiny 2: Beyond Light, complete all the Variks Sabotage challenges until further unlocks are unavailable. Completing the A Hard Rain Falls quest from the Exo Stranger is required to unlock additional challenges. Once you finish these challenges, you will receive the Cloudstrike sniper rifle.
1. Thunderlord (Best for PvE)
Thunderlord has restored itself as a top-tier Heavy weapon in Destiny 2, thanks to a series of buffs and the Exotic Catalyst. This machine gun excels at shooting high-damage bullets that summon lightning strikes upon kills or extended hits, and its fire rate rises while the trigger is kept down. Thunderlord's PvE utility has increased with the addition of an intrinsic anti-overload perk, allowing it to effectively handle a wide variety of enemies from rank-and-file to mid-tier bosses. Thunderlord's Exotic Catalyst enhances the weapon's capabilities by allowing lightning strikes to reload the weapon from its reserves, guaranteeing it to maintain continuous, destructive firing in combat situations.
Exotic perk:
"Kills with this weapon generate lightning strikes from above and increase reload speed for a short time."
Thunderlord Stats
- Impact: 41
- Range: 60
- Stability: 50
- Handling: 60
- Reload Speed: 69
- Reload Time: 4.65 s
- Aim Assistance: 90
- Inventory Size: 30
- Zoom: 15
- Airborne Effectiveness: 26
- Recoil: 70
- Rounds Per Minute: 450
- Magazine: 62
How to get Thunderlord
There is no specific quest to get Thunderlord. Instead, you can get it as a random reward for deciphering the exotic engrams. The exotic engrams follow a knockout system, increasing the chances of dropping the exotics you don’t own. The weekly vendor Xur sells it occasionally, so you can buy it from there.
