[Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Swords and How To Get Them

Updated:

26 Oct 2020

Swords are probably the most interesting and least controversial weapons in Destiny. They debuted in the middle of Destiny 1, and quickly became a necessary weapon for raids because they helped clinch jumping puzzles due to their third-person view. They’ve been fairly balanced, however, a recent update that removed Heavy ammo usage for guarding has made them even more relevant in endgame activities. Apart from a few exceptions, such as Black Talon, PvP and PvE swords will share many of the necessary characteristics. Plus, there really aren’t that many swords in Destiny, unfortunately. Again, I would posit that using your exotic slot in PVP for a sword is poor strategy, but in PvE, an exotic sword is a stunning weapon.

Top 5 Swords for PvE

5. Goldtusk

I’d rate this and the next sword as number one, if they weren’t class specific. Goldtusk is the class-specific Hunter sword,, and it makes your Hunter look pretty darn cool while wielding it. It’s the fastest DPS sword in the game but the lowest heavy-strike damage as well, so if you’re running Nightstalker and trapping enemies, this is a great pick.

Weapon Stats:

Highest-in-class swing speed
Above-average efficiency
Poor Range

Why this Weapon is Great:

Great DPS, best in the game
Your Hunter looks so cool wielding it (check out the link below)

Get it from Heroic Menagerie (your first run guarantees a sword)

See Goldtusk in action:http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K_jdZvZ9Z0

4. Throne-Cleaver

This is my go-to sword if I’m running a sword build. This is a Titan exclusive, much like Goldtusk, and it just fits so well. In my opinion, it’s the coolest looking class-exclusive sword (but the coolest overall sword comes down the line).

Weapon Stats:

Massive Impact- best in class by almost 40 points
Poor Swing Speed
Best-in-class Range

Why this Weapon is Great:

The heavy attack is super unique. It’s an area-of-effect slam, and it’s just as useful against Majors as trash mobs.
Paired with a Titan Exotic like Stronghold, or ACD-0 Feedback Fence, you turn into a CQC monster
It looks really cool.

Get it from the Heroic Menagerie!

See Throne-Cleaver in all its glory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOtGxz02iPc

3. Black Talon

Black Talon and Wordline Zero are the only two Exotic swords in the game and Black Talon is the only relevant one. The lore behind this sword is so cool. It echoes sentiments of loss and futility- but the player knows that all this loss and futility was for absolutely nothing.

Weapon Stats:

Great Impact
Great Efficiency
Stunning Defense

Why this Weapon is Great:

The Exotic perk, Crow’s Wings, launches a heavy attack and a projectile when you double tap the heavy button- it’s devastating
Great Efficiency and even better Defense means you can take a licking and keep on hitting
Its so ugly it’s cool- but it’s not even the ugliest.

Get it from Xur or Exotic world drops

See Black Talon in action:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RzNtIUtMDc

2. Stryker’s Sure Hand

This weapon is probably the best legendary weapon to come out of Black Armory. Really satisfying to use, less satisfying to look at.

this sword acts a lot like a grenade launcher to deal massive ranged damage- as a sword.

Weapon Stats:

Average Swing Speed
Average Efficiency
Above-Average Impact

Why this Weapon is Great:

Its stats are all-around solid, which makes this a great pick for all situations
You can farm Masterworked versions of the sword, and pick what you want to enhance
This is by and far the ugliest sword I’ve ever seen

Get it from Black Armory bounties

See Stryker in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIQlEGIL7iE

1. Night Terror

In theory, this spot could go to any of the swords that can roll Relentless Strikes/Whirlwind (e.g. Steel Sybil, Abide the Return) - but Night Terror is my favorite-looking sword out of all like 13 of them you can get in Destiny 2.

Weapon Stats:

They don’t matter, this spot isn’t stats dependent this time and it really varies based on whatever sword you pick.

Why this Weapon is Great:

Swords are all about max damage and max speed, and the Relentless Strikes/Whirlwind combo rewards heavy ammo on consecutive light attacks and kills boost damage.
Indefinite, rapid damage.

Get it from Shadowkeep activities/in game world drops

See Night Terror in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLhWzzDQaWc

5 best PvP Swords

I’ll be frank- it’s sad how few swords there are in the game based on how popular they are in the game. Unfortunately, because of the top spot, the PvE list is the same as the PvP list, just sort of reordered.

5. Throne Cleaver

Weapon Stats:

See above

Why this Weapon is Great:

Not my first choice for a PvP sword, but it depends on role
Great AoE damage in Control or Mayhem

Get it from the Heroic Menagerie

See Throne-Cleaver in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOtGxz02iPc

4. Black Talon

Stats

See above

Why this Weapon is Great:

Long-Range/Short-Range usage
Really solid efficiency

Get Black Talon from Xur or Exotic world drops

See Black Talon in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RzNtIUtMDc

3. Stryker’s Right Hand

Mediocrity is rewarding, and you can’t go wrong with an easy-to-masterwork jack of all trades.

Stats

See above

Why this Weapon is Great:

Solid Defense and Efficiency
Potential to create orbs on kills

Get Stryker from the Forges!

See Stryker in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIQlEGIL7iE

2. Night Terror etc.

You’re not wasting an Exotic slot and you get to maximize ammo- this is a win-win situation.

Stats

See above

Why this Weapon is Great:

It’s not great per-se. Like all swords in this article, it’s a solid option but the worst of the best, basically

Get Night Terrors and other swords from world drops

See Night Terror in Action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLhWzzDQaWc

1. Goldtusk

The movement speed boost works even if you don’t have heavy ammo- which means you can use this to traverse massive Control maps and rotate between spawn sites much quicker than any other Hunter. It somehow one-hits in PvP, so it’s a good choice.

Stats