Destiny: How to choose the best weapon type and weapon archetype for your Guardian.

Choosing a Weapon in destiny can be a very time consuming experience. Many people ask "What is the best weapon in Destiny?" not reaising how much thought would actually go into finding an answer. There is a lot to consider, for example… can your warlock with his lack of heavy armor, run around venus with a shot gun and survive long enough to complete a bounty? I’d argue not. Luckily finding your perfect weapon isn’t set in stone and there are hours of fun to be had simply switching your weapon and letting rip into a horde of Hive monsters. Weapons can also be both toned down or bumped up a notch in terms of power by the creators of destiny so keep your eyes open and if you see a weapon you love underperforming consistently it might be a good time to choose a new one.

 

The first thing to take note of in Destiny is that Every weapon is different. The weapon types in Destiny are fixed but any weapons can have different mods and different stats even if they have the exact same name. These stats and mods will vary from weapon to weapon but each weapon type will basically stay the same. These will eventually form archetypes which will help you to identify which weapons will have a fire rate, range and recoil pattern that feels right for you.

Weapon Class

The class tells you what the weapon actually is. This will give you a rough idea of how the weapon will perform. Each weapon of a particular class and rarity will have the same pool of potential mods and any Two weapons of the same Name, Level and Rarity in the class will have identical stats as well as the random mods.

There are nine weapon Classes in Destiny:

Primary

Special

Heavy

Auto Rifle

Fusion Rifle

Machinegun

Hand Cannon

Shotgun

Rocket Launcher

Pulse Rifle

Sniper Rifle

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Scout Rifle

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Weapon Archetype

The archetype of your weapon helps to define its stats. Each archetype has a range of stats so two “Stable” Auto Rifles will have similar stats but one might have the minimum value in one stat and the maximum in another. If you find a weapon that resonates with your playing style, take note of it’s archetype so that you can look out for weapons that will handle similarly when you spend your hard earned cash in the Tower.

Auto Rifle Archetypes

Description

Pulse Rifle Archetypes

Description

Scout Rifle Archetypes

Description

Hand Cannon Archetypes

Description

Balanced

Well-balanced and usable.

Balanced

Well-balanced and usable.

Balanced

Well-balanced and usable.

Balanced

Well-balanced and usable.

Lightweight

Quick handling and reload, smaller magazine, and weak range.

Lightweight

Quick handling and reload, smaller magazine, and weak range.

Lightweight

Quick handling and reload, smaller magazine, and weak range.

Lightweight

Quick firing finesse, quick reload, short range.

Stable

Accurate, solid magazine, lower range.

Stable

Accurate, solid magazine, lower range.

Precise

Steady, accurate, improved range.

Precise

Steady, accurate, improved range.

Precise

Slow firing, accurate, improved range.

Precise

Accurate, improved range, puts rounds on target.

Rapid

Rapid firing, short range.

Powerful

Slow firing, long range, big kick.

Rapid

Spray bullets, poor range, harsh recoil.

Rapid

Fast firing, deep magazine, poor range.

Marksman

Slow firing, long range, big kick.

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Marksman

Long range, accurate.

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Fusion Rifle Archetypes

Description

Shotgun Archetypes

Description

Sniper Rifle Archetypes

Description

Balanced

Well-balanced and usable.

Balanced

Well-balanced and usable.

Balanced

Well-balanced and usable.

Lightweight

Quick charge, short range, quick handling and reload.

Lightweight

Quick firing, short range, quick handling and reload.

Lightweight

Quick firing finesse, quick handling and reload.

Precise

Stable, easy to keep on target, slow charge.

Precise

Slow firing, accurate, improved range.

Precise

Steady, improved range, reduced recoil.

Rapid

Excellent charge, short range, deep magazine.

Powerful

Very slow firing, long range, big kick.

Marksman

Slow firing, long range, big kick.

Powerful

Slow charge, long range, big kick.

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Machinegun Archetypes

Description

Rocket Launcher Archetypes

Description

Balanced

Well-balanced and usable.

Balanced

Well-balanced and usable.

Stable

Accurate, lower range, reduced handling and reload.

Precise

Fast, accurate rockets with low blast radius.

Precise

Long range, accurate, improved reload.

Rapid

Quick firing, small blasts, larger magazine.

Rapid

Spray bullets, close range, harsh recoil.

Powerful

Powerful rockets, harsh recoil.

Powerful

Ponderously slow, devastating bullets, long range.

Heavy

Powerful but slow rockets.

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Have you got any Hints and Tips for picking the best weapons in Destiny? Let us know in the comments below!

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