Scout rifles are one of the most commonly available types of weapons one can acquire while playing Destiny 2. Unlike Trace Rifles, scout rifles are more numerous and significantly easier to find, to the tune of around sixty legendary and exotic rifles to choose from (as of March 2022). For now, we will be ignoring the common and uncommon (green and blue border) rifles to focus on the ones that will keep you alive the longest. This list will help you choose which specific rifles to focus on getting, and the best rolls to hope for when doing so.
But first, what is a scout rifle? Scout rifles are best described as a more mobile and mid-range sniper rifle. Unlike a sniper rifle, scout rifles can be fired at the hip to deal some damage up close. But like a sniper rifle, scout rifles excel in precision kills and fine control. Scout rifles control the mid-range that a sniper rifle can’t, as a sniper scope deals with long distances and are useless at close range.
Scout rifles can be used up close in a pitch, but it’s better to aim down your scope and take those wonderful high crit headshots. That being said, scout rifles can only fire one shot with each pull of the trigger, so it takes both a steady hand and steady nerves to get the best use out of it when things start going bad.
The best thing about scout rifles is that they are considered a primary weapon, which means they don’t require special or heavy ammo. This means you don’t have to scrounge for ammo in the middle of a firefight. Instead, your clip will auto-reload when emptied. It’s generally considered a good idea to always keep at least one primary weapon in your weapon slots when out exploring, as you don’t want to run out of ammo and have to rely on melee to defend yourself. Scout rifles fit the bill nicely and are always a good choice to have ready to go when planning an adventure.
Down below are the top 5 scout rifles that I recommend and will be highly useful in your fight against humanity’s foes!
5. Vouchsafe (Best for PVE)
Coming up at number 5, it’s Vouchsafe, a must-have rifle if you play a lot of PVE. Why? Because it does void type damage, which is incredibly valuable at high-level play. Most Champions and high-level enemies tend to go with void shields, and popping them with Vouchsafe does a hefty amount of damage. I tend to run into these guys a lot while playing master lost sectors, and having something that can let me pop these shields without getting close has saved my bacon plenty of times. Same for Gambit, as these can take care of the envoys and the mobs guarding them at a safe distance. Anything that helps you stay away from stomp damage is welcome in any arsenal.
The roll you are going to want to keep an eye for is a combo of Rapid Hit and Explosive Payload. Explosive Payload is a life saver as it can disrupt Overload Champions and can break a Barrier Champion shield faster with its precise shots. If there is an anti-barrier scout mod for the season, this rifle becomes a Champion destroyer and will make end-game battles much easier. Paired with Rapid Hit, you can ruin the day of multiple Champions in a short amount of time.
Another good thing about this rifle is the ease with which you can get it. It drops from doing just about anything in the Dreaming City, with Patrols and Public Events being the majority. If it takes place in the City, it has a chance to drop. There are also hidden cat statues scattered about the area that will sometimes drop a Vouchsafe if you give them a ‘small gift’. It’s completely random so you could get anywhere from no Vouchsafe drops from doing this or end up with nine different roles.
It’s worth pursuing,, however, as finding all cats and gifting the gifts gives you a rather nice-looking emblem. It may take a while to find the perfect roll, but at least the Dreaming City is gorgeous to look at while embarking on your search.
“We knew it would not be easy." —Paladin Hallam Fen
Weapon stats: (Base)
- Damage type: Void
- Impact: 60
- Range: 40
- Stability: 57
- Handling: 80
- Reload Speed: 73
- Rounds Per Minute: 200
- Magazine: 16
What makes Vouchsafe awesome:
- Destroys Champions.
- Great for Gambit, Strikes, and general PVE.
- Easy to obtain.
- Pops void shields, which are common in end-game PVE.
- Can be used in PVP with the right build and perk combo.
- Does not take up an exotic slot.
How to get Vouchsafe:
- Complete activities in the Dreaming City. (Patrols, bounties, etc)
- Giving the hidden cats a ‘small gift’ will sometimes reward a vouchsafe. Small gifts drop randomly when doing activities in the Dreaming City.
4. Trustee (Best for PVE)
I’m not going to lie, Trustee is a cool scout rifle. It’s fun to shoot. It’s fun to look at. It’s fun all around for PVE.
You can use this rifle in PVP if you want to exploit a niche that comes from having the High-Impact Reserves trait. This trait lets you help defeat Guardians faster than normal, but this rifle best shines as a PVE weapon. Doing solar damage gives it the option to pop solar shields, which are less common than void shields but are still annoying to deal with. Being able to pop those without taking point-blank damage in the attempt keeps you alive and lets your team run in to dogpile the now defenseless enemy. It’s great to use on your own, but it’s also handy to run this in a team where it can give a lot of support.
The rolls you want to keep a lookout for are Killing Wind and Wellspring. This combo lets you not only regenerate abilities with each kill, but also grants you better handling, mobility, and weapon range. This will let you run all over the battlefield, felling foes and charging up your abilities to unleash them in a deadly combo. As mentioned before, High-Impact Reserves are a nice niche trait if you want to take the Trustee into PVP. Overall, it’s a great rifle and well worth the effort to obtain one.
You are going to need a bunch of friends or a clan to get a Trustee, however, because this is a Raid drop exclusive. It can only be found in the Deep Stone Crypt raid on Europa and only drops during the Crypt Security section. If you don’t get it there, you can buy crates at the end of the raid for a chance to obtain one. However, I recommend saving your Spoils and running the raid until you get a natural drop.
You can attempt the raid once a week per character, so you get three chances until the next reset. I would save your spoils for after you get a drop to re-roll for another Trustee, as it’s much cheaper than buying crates. If you don’t have a clan or a group you know to help you run the raid, there are plenty of LFG sites that will help you find a team to get this wonderful weapon.
“A single word is etched inside the barrel: "Alton-1."
Weapon stats: (Base)
- Damage type: Solar
- Impact: 45
- Range: 42
- Stability: 58
- Handling: 38
- Reload Speed: 65
- Rounds Per Minute: 260
- Magazine: 17
What makes Trustee awesome:
- Pops Solar shields.
- God roll combo lets you be a killing machine.
- A PVP Guardian killer in the right hands.
- Looks and feels awesome to use.
- Does not take up an exotic slot.
How to get Trustee:
- Can only be found in the Deep Stone Crypt raid.
- Drops from the Crypt Security encounter in the Deep Stone Crypt raid.
- Purchased from the Security Spoils cache at the end of the raid for 20 Spoils of Conquest. (Only if you have already found the Trustee and want to try another roll.)
- Crypt Caches can be bought for 60 Spoils of Conquest for a chance to get a Vision of Confluence if it has yet to drop for you in the raid.
- If you need help finding a fireteam to get through the raid, try joining a clan, most of which have a dedicated channel/board for those looking for a raid team.
Be prepared to absolutely hate Taniks again.
3. Vision of Confluence (Best for PVE and PVP)
Originally a D1 weapon, the Vision of Confluence found resurrection within the Vault of Glass raid, allowing both old and new players to enjoy this spectacular scout rifle. It doesn’t look too intimidating with its more stocky and compact body, but this rifle can be an outright beast with the right rolls. It’s highly situational, however, and some rolls that are best for PVP are not the best for PVE, and vice versa. For this review, I will recommend the best general trails to look for when obtaining this weapon that will help you in both game modes.
Possibly the greatest trait of this rifle is the Firefly trait. You thought Dragonfly was great, but Firefly knocks it out of the park. Landing a precision kill in the middle of a group of mobs will explode and kill everything around them. That alone makes it amazing for precise crowd control, as those with a steady hand can clear out clusters of mobs quickly. Pair this with Rewind Rounds, which lets you reload an empty mag with each hit you make, and it’s nigh unstoppable. A good backup trait is Frenzy, but at the least, I recommend finding a rifle with Firefly, as it’s great for both PVP and PVE.
Such a great rifle requires some time and luck to get, but it’s well worth the time and the effort. Much Like the Trustee, this is also a raid exclusive rifle and is found during the Vault of Glass raid. However, the odds of receiving a Vision of Confluence are a little higher because it drops during three encounters instead of just one. Thus, you are probably going to have an easier time having nine drop chances (three for each character per reset) instead of just three. You can buy it from a crate at the end of the raid if it hasn’t dropped, but I recommend saving your Spoils for re-rolls as it is much cheaper.
“What you have seen will mark you forever.”
Weapon stats: (Base)
- Damage type: Solar
- Impact: 62
- Range: 65
- Stability: 57
- Handling: 42
- Reload Speed: 52
- Rounds Per Minute: 180
- Magazine: 16
What makes Vision of Confluence awesome:
- Pops Solar shields.
- Traits can be mixed and matched for multiple builds.
- Has the best explosive trait for any scout rifle.
- Does not take up an exotic slot.
- Good for crowd control.
How to get Vision of Confluence:
- Can only be found in the Vault of Glass raid.
- Tends to drop during the Conflux, Oracle, and Templar encounters.
- Can be bought from the Cache of Kabr at the end of the raid for 20 Spoils of Conquest. (Only if you have already found the Trustee and want to try another roll.)
- Vault Caches can be bought for 60 Spoils of Conquest for a chance to get a Vision of Confluence if it has yet to drop for you in the raid.
- If you need help finding a fireteam to get through the raid, try joining a clan, most of which have a dedicated channel/board for those looking for a raid team.
2. Night Watch (Best for PVE and PVP)
Ah yes, one of my personal favorites, the Night Watch! Most players have a special bond with this weapon because it’s one of the first legendary weapons your character earns during the New Light questline. Many players used this weapon in their main arsenal until they felt as though they found something better…but most tend to keep theirs. It’s not only good for the feeling of having a rifle that has stuck by you through the awkwardness of learning the game for the first time, but it’s also fantastic even today! It has one of the largest mag clips for a scout rifle in the game, which means less panicked reloading during battle.
When getting this rifle, the trait you want to look for is Explosive Payload. It does massive damage on a precision hit, which is the whole point of a scout rifle. Rapid Hit is the other desired trait and this combo lets you take down a lot of higher-powered mobs very quickly. A single shot from Night Watch kills most fodder mobs instantly, and it only takes a few hits to take down the bigger guys. That being said, there are many more perk options to choose from than most other scout rifles, so it can be re-rolled to find the best rifle for your build.
It has nothing to do with gameplay, but the Night Watch looks awesome, and it goes well with just about any shader. I’ve seen fellow Guardians shade theirs to match their outfits so when they get ready to shoot, they look extra cool. For the more fashion-minded Guardian, this rifle fits with most aesthetics.
Night Watch is on top of the list as well for being easy to get. As mentioned new characters get this weapon from the beginning questline. If you want to try other rolls, it’s handy to know that Banshee and Xur occasionally sell them. Both have fixed traits on weapons they sell, so it’s important to check often to see if the ones you are looking for are for sale. Just also playing the game will give you random drops, mostly after finishing activities. The point is to just keep an eye out, and you’ll be getting one sooner than later.
“Sleep with both eyes open.”
Weapon stats: (Base)
- Damage type: Kinetic
- Impact: 60
- Range: 51
- Stability: 55
- Handling: 76
- Reload Speed: 47
- Rounds Per Minute: 200
- Magazine: 19
What makes Night Watch awesome:
- One of the easiest scout rifles to get.
- Considered the best legendary scout rifle.
- Great for all game modes.
- New players will always get a Night Watch.
- Highest magazine of most scout rifles.
- Does amazing precision damage.
- Cool to look at.
How to get Night Watch:
- Drops from world activities. (Public events, patrols, etc)
- Drops from Legendary engrams.
- New characters receive a curated roll from the New Light quest.
- Sometimes sold by Xur for legendary shards and glimmer.
- For help finding Xur, use WhereisXur.com
- Sometimes sold by Banshee (Tower) for legendary shards and glimmer.
1. Dead Man's Tale (Best for PVE and PVP)
The bane of most PVP players, the Dead Man’s Tale is not something you want to go up against. There have been many times I have popped into the Crucible, only to be killed by this gun before I can even a smidgen close to the user. Its range is great, and running directly at a Dead Man’s Tale user is not the wisest decision to make. In the hands of the experienced and controlled, this rifle can decimate an opposing team if they are dumb enough to stay close together.
The worst part is the chained precision damage bonus, which is enough to kill one Guardian after another in rapid succession. In a nutshell, you fear the person running this rifle. As it is a primary, it does not need special or heavy ammo (which are scarce in PVP), further making it unstoppable. Not only is it scary in PVP, but it’s also scary in PVE play as well.
The chained damage doesn’t just work on Guardians, it works on rank and file mobs too. Pair that with the most desired trait, and you will decimate anything that stands in your way. You are going to want to look for ‘Vorpal Weapon’. This trait increases your damage against bosses, vehicles, and Guardians with their Super active. Pair this with Killing wind and you are going to deal a lot of hurt with this and make a lot of Guardians salty.
Thankfully, Dead Man’s Tale is currently available to everyone and can be bought from Xur, the special merchant who appears during the weekend. It’s a hefty price of 400 legendary shards and an exotic cipher, but it's more than worth it. However, unlike most exotics, Dead Man’s Tale drops with random traits. It’s best to wait until it displays a trait you like and take your chance on getting the second trait (as it is random) should the opportunity arise.
"Long, short, they all end the same way." —Katabasis
Weapon stats: (Base)
- Damage type: Kinetic
- Intrinsic Perk: Cranial Spike: Precision hits grant bonus damage.
- Exotic perk: Chaining precision hits grants bonus damage and quickens reload speed. Future drops of this weapon will have random rolls.
- Catalyst completion trait: Dark-Forged Trigger: Increased hip fire rate of fire and removes hip-fire accuracy penalties.
- Impact: 67
- Range: 73
- Stability: 51
- Handling: 69
- Reload Speed: 55
- Rounds Per Minute: 120
- Magazine: 14
What makes Dead Man's Tale awesome:
- Great for both Crucible, Gambit, and regular PVE play.
- Takes down both champions and Guardians with their supers active.
- Takes down targets at any range.
- Damage is boosted by 40% after five precision kills.
- Regarded as the top scout rifle in the game.
- Easy to obtain.
- Headshots Guardians with one hit and body kills with two.
- Verybeautiful and has three other exotic ornaments to choose from.
How to get Dead Man's Tale:
- Purchase from Xur using Legendary Shards and an Exotic Cypher.
- For help finding Xur, use WhereisXur.com
Bungie sometimes tweaks and nerfs weapons, so this article is as accurate as it can be as of its writing. It’s subject to change in the future, but I have doubts that anything will topple these five rifles from their spots anytime soon. I highly recommend them, not because they are the best in the meta, but because they are fun and enjoyable to use. Whether it’s making people angry in PVP or taking on a lost sector, a scout rifle can do the job and more. Remember, keep your trigger finger steady, and you’ll be more than a threat to those that want to take you down. 
Note: Taking on Ogres at close range may be hazardous to your health.
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