Grenade launchers in Destiny 2 are powerful weapons that bring immense utility and firepower to the game’s PvE and PvP environments. Whether you’re looking for sheer explosive damage or intricate crowd control, grenade launchers provide a strategic edge in every fight. In this comprehensive guide, we explore the best grenade launchers in Destiny 2, analyzing their unique abilities, perks, and ideal scenarios for use.
1. Salvager’s Salvo – A Pinnacle Weapon of Destruction
One of the top grenade launchers that consistently ranks high in terms of versatility and damage is the Salvager’s Salvo. Introduced in the Season of the Chosen, this legendary grenade launcher has become a fan favorite due to its adaptability in both PvE and PvP settings.
Key Features and Perks
- Rapid-Fire Frame: This allows for faster reloads when the magazine is empty, making it an ideal weapon for consistent DPS in PvE settings.
- Chain Reaction: With this perk, each final blow creates an elemental explosion, making it highly effective for clearing out waves of enemies.
- Demolitionist: Grenade kills with this launcher regenerate grenade energy, making it a key option for players who love cycling through their grenade abilities.
- PvE Utility: The Salvager’s Salvo shines in PvE scenarios like strikes, dungeons, and public events. Its ability to clear adds quickly while dealing significant boss damage makes it a reliable tool for endgame content.
2. The Mountaintop – A PvP Legend
Although The Mountaintop was sunset and is no longer usable in the pinnacle PvP content, it still remains a legendary mention in Destiny 2’s history. Known for its quick burst damage and ease of use, The Mountaintop made a lasting impression during its time.
Key Features and Perks
- Micro-Missile: This perk allows for faster projectiles that travel in a straight line, making it a more predictable and lethal option in PvP.
- One-Hit Kill Potential: What made The Mountaintop a PvP staple was its ability to one-shot enemies with precision.
- PvE Relevance: Even though it’s been sunset, The Mountaintop remains a viable option for casual PvE activities where power limits are irrelevant.
3. Ignition Code – Flexible and Tactical
For those looking for tactical versatility, Ignition Code is one of the best kinetic grenade launchers in Destiny 2. With strong perks for both PvP and PvE, Ignition Code is the definition of a hybrid launcher.
Key Features and Perks
- Slide-Shot: Reloading the launcher while sliding enhances its range and stability, making it a strong choice for both PvP and PvE.
- Blinding Grenades: This perk allows players to disrupt enemy vision in PvP scenarios and disable waves of enemies in PvE, offering great crowd control potential.
- Ambitious Assassin: On PvE side, this perk increases the magazine size after a kill, ensuring players can deal with larger groups of enemies without frequent reloads.
- Ideal for Dungeon Runs: Ignition Code‘s adaptability makes it perfect for PvE dungeon runs where add control and precision damage are crucial.
4. Truth Teller – The PvP Crowd Control King
If you’re looking for a grenade launcher with supreme crowd control, Truth Teller stands out. As a void grenade launcher, it provides excellent synergy with builds focused on elemental effects like volatile rounds and devour builds.
Key Features and Perks
- Disruption Break: After breaking an enemy’s shield with this weapon, the target becomes more vulnerable to kinetic damage, making it an excellent choice for PvE synergy.
- Blinding Grenades: Ideal for stunning enemies in PvP and controlling the battlefield by temporarily blinding opponents, Truth Teller excels in situations where confusion reigns supreme.
- Quickdraw: This perk allows players to pull out the Truth Teller at lightning speeds, making it a valuable tool for fast-paced PvP combat.
- PvP Utility: Its crowd control features make it perfect for tight encounters in the Crucible, and when used with void subclasses, it becomes a formidable tool in both offensive and defensive strategies.
5. Anarchy – The King of DPS
When it comes to boss encounters, Anarchy is an absolute beast in the PvE meta. This exotic grenade launcher excels at delivering sustained damage over time, making it a must-have for raid encounters and high-level strikes.
Key Features and Perks
- Arc Traps: With Anarchy, players can set electric traps that continuously deal damage to enemies, providing an incredible source of damage in prolonged encounters.
- Set and Forget: What makes Anarchy such a powerful weapon is its ability to deal damage over time. Simply set up a trap and focus on other tasks, such as add clearing or dodging enemy fire, while Anarchy chips away at boss health.
- Versatility in PvE: Whether in Nightfalls or Grandmaster Strikes, Anarchy is essential for reducing boss health while allowing players to focus on survival. Its effectiveness in endgame activities cannot be overstated.
6. Deafening Whisper – Wave-Frame Monster
Deafening Whisper is a unique wave-frame grenade launcher that fires a wave of energy along the ground, damaging all enemies in its path. This makes it incredibly powerful for add-clear, especially when dealing with tightly packed groups.
Key Features and Perks
- Wellspring: One of its top perks, Wellspring replenishes ability energy with each kill, making it a great tool for players who rely on their abilities in both PvE and PvP.
- Auto-Loading Holster: Automatically reloads the weapon after a short period of being stowed, ensuring it’s always ready for action when you need it.
- Wave-Frame Utility: The wave-frame nature of this launcher is perfect for clearing out mobs, and in PvP, it creates an unpredictable energy wave that can catch opponents off guard.
7. Fighting Lion – The Infinite Ammo Beast
While Fighting Lion has been somewhat of a niche pick for some time, its ability to regenerate ammo upon direct hits makes it a solid choice for those who enjoy a risk/reward playstyle.
Key Features and Perks
- Thin the Herd: Direct hits increase reload speed and return ammo, allowing continuous fire as long as shots connect. This makes Fighting Lion an infinite ammo monster in both PvE and PvP.
- Excellent for PvP: In skilled hands, Fighting Lion can be devastating in PvP due to its ammo economy and high damage potential.
- PvE Synergy: Though not as powerful as other grenade launchers in PvE, Fighting Lion has its place in mid-tier activities, especially when paired with builds that emphasize direct hits and rapid reloads.
8. Parasite – High Risk, High Reward
Introduced in The Witch Queen expansion, Parasite is a worm-powered exotic grenade launcher with some of the highest burst damage in the game. Its risk/reward playstyle makes it a favorite among players who enjoy explosive power.
Key Features and Perks
- Worm’s Hunger: The launcher becomes more powerful the more enemies you defeat before firing, making each shot a calculated decision for maximum damage.
- Massive Burst Damage: Parasite can deal an immense amount of burst damage in a single shot, ideal for boss fights or tanky enemies.
- PvE Usefulness: While not suited for frequent use, Parasite is ideal in situations where burst damage is critical, such as boss phases in raids or challenging enemies in high-tier activities.
Conclusion
Choosing the best grenade launcher in Destiny 2 comes down to personal preference and playstyle. Whether you’re focusing on clearing out waves of enemies, dealing maximum DPS in raids, or dominating in PvP, the grenade launchers on this list offer something for every player. From the elemental explosions of Salvager’s Salvo to the crowd control of Truth Teller and the sustained damage of Anarchy, grenade launchers remain some of the most versatile and destructive weapons in the game. Mastering their use is key to becoming a formidable force on the battlefield.