Destiny 2 Fusion Rifles Tier List (Season 16)

Fusion Rifles got a buff a while since they were not being used as much compared to shotguns. Today, we are looking at a tier list for the Destiny 2 Fusion Rifles to show you what the current meta is. Bungie increased the damage fall off of all Fusion Rifles based on their ranged stats. The recoil was also improved quite a lot, making it easier for players to aim and fire the weapon.

Bearing in mind those buffs, let’s check out some of the Best Fusion Rifles in Destiny 2. I will take a look at the exotic and legendary fusion rifles and compile them in a tier list to show you which weapon is good and which one you should avoid. This list has been formed with The Witch Queen and Season 16 in mind, and will be updated when further seasons are released in the future.

Destiny 2 Tier List: Fusion Rifles (PvE + PvP)

Like our other tier lists, we will divide it into various tiers – six tiers to be exact. Each tier will be properly explained and the reason why the rifle is placed there will also be given. While I know that you won’t agree with all of our picks – since everyone has a different experience and opinion – these Fusion Rifles are usually seen this way by the community.

Plus, I would love to hear your tier lists as well in the comments below! Also, keep in mind that I’ll be discussing all of these weapons with their base stats in mind. You can use any perks or mods to improve these weapons but the results should stay about the same. With that said, let’s get started with our tier list for the Fusion Rifles in Destiny 2.

Tier	Weapons
S Tier	Deliverance (Adept variant), Likely Suspect, Snorri FR5, Trinary System
A+ Tier	Cartesian Coordinate, Deliverance, Main Ingredient, Timeline’s Vertex
A- Tier	Dream Breaker, Plug One, Telesto, Zealot’s Reward
B Tier	Jotunn, Null Composure, Techeun Force
C Tier	Bastion, Coriolis Force, Exile’s Curse, Glacioclasm, Hollow Words
D Tier	Iota Draconis, Merciless

S-Tier

The Fusion Rifles in S-tier are performing the best right now. They are extremely viable and can deal tons of damage while having extraordinary stats. If you can get your hands on these guns, I suggest that you only use them in PvP or PvE since they are unmatched at the moment.

Deliverance (Adept Variant)

When it comes to Kinetic weapons, this is the first-ever Fusion Rifle in this slot. You can pair tons of great Energy weapons with this to enhance your overall combo and damage. In terms of base stats, the Deliverance (Adept version) has insane stats that can be further improved by adding various perks and mods. The only weakness I can see is the low Zoom stat but that’s covered up by almost any other stat.

Plus, the reload time is quite less so it allows you to constantly stay in the action without having to take cover and reload. Thanks to its consistency, the Adept version of Deliverance is the best Fusion Rifle in Destiny 2 right now.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	80
Range	66
Stability	57
Handling	39
Reload Speed	41
Reload Time	2.29s
Aim Assistance	67
Inventory Size	39
Zoom	16
Recoil	80
Bounce Intensity	20
Charge Time	740
Magazine	6

Likely Suspect

Thanks to a few of its perks, you can drop down the already less charge time even lower. It allows you to consistently get tons of kills and deal a lot of damage. On top of that, it also has a low reload time which allows you to spend less time hiding behind cover to reload. If it wasn’t for the Adept variant of Deliverance, Likely Suspect would have easily been the best Fusion Rifle.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	55
Range	26
Stability	38
Handling	53
Reload Speed	51
Reload Time	2.13s
Aim Assistance	32
Inventory Size	52
Zoom	15
Recoil	50
Bounce Intensity	50
Charge Time	460
Magazine	7

Snorri FR5

Snorri has some of the best damage, great perks in the shape of Firmly Planted, and it also has good zoom levels for Fusion Rifles. Depending on which roll you get, this can be one of the most consistent rifles in the game and it becomes even more lethal after each kill.

The reason why you might not see this in more matches is that obtaining it can be quite a hassle. However, once you do get your hands on it, you’ll destroy anything standing in your way easily.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	80
Range	65
Stability	56
Handling	43
Reload Speed	40
Reload Time	2.3s
Aim Assistance	62
Inventory Size	38
Zoom	17
Recoil	79
Bounce Intensity	21
Charge Time	740
Magazine	6

Trinary System

This rifle has an Adaptive Frame from Gambit. You can get this weapon by playing Gambit but you’ll have to really play it to finally unlock this weapon. One of the best parts about this gun is that it comes with a variety of perks. However, having so many potential perks available means that getting the perfect perk pool will be difficult.

Aside from that, its stats are quite nice and allow you to win against most other Fusion Rifles. However, due to the randomness and unpredictability of the perks, it barely manages to enter the S-tier.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	70
Range	45
Stability	49
Handling	41
Reload Speed	45
Reload Time	2.22s
Aim Assistance	54
Inventory Size	40
Zoom	15
Recoil	55
Bounce Intensity	45
Charge Time	660
Magazine	6

A+ Tier

The A+ tier represents weapons that are quite strong and that can almost make their way into the S-tier after getting a buff or two. These weapons are great alternatives to S-tier guns. So, if you cannot get your hands on the S-tier weapons, I highly recommend that you try some of these Fusion Rifles mentioned below.

Cartesian Coordinate

Since this is a Rapid-Fire rifle, it will fire extremely quickly while charging up swiftly as well. The best part about this rifle is that it supports a hip-fire grip. That allows you to fire it without using ADS and still hit your target consistently. This also means that you won’t be slowed down like you do when aiming down sights.

Thanks to all the buffs to the hip-fire grip this rifle sits comfortably at the top of the A+ tier. It’s almost S-tier if some of the weapons there get nerfed or this gets buffed just a little bit.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	55
Range	29
Stability	33
Handling	55
Reload Speed	51
Reload Time	2.13s
Aim Assistance	60
Inventory Size	49
Zoom	15
Recoil	52
Bounce Intensity	48
Charge Time	460
Magazine	7

Deliverance

Since I’ve already talked about the Adept variant above, there isn’t much else to say about this. It has the same strengths – albeit a bit lower stats than that version – and performs almost just as well.

Deliverance has amazing base stats that allow it to perform better than most Fusion Rifles. However, due to the high recoil and bad zooming capabilities, it isn’t in the S-tier. Keep in mind that it still is a solid weapon and will allow you to perform much better than most of your enemies.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	80
Range	66
Stability	57
Handling	39
Reload Speed	41
Reload Time	2.29s
Aim Assistance	67
Inventory Size	39
Zoom	16
Recoil	80
Bounce Intensity	20
Charge Time	740
Magazine	6

Main Ingredient

This rifle is the most used Energy weapon in Trials of Osiris as of right now. One of the main reasons it is used that much is because Xur was giving out the perfect rolls of this weapon for free. This weapon is extremely strong and has great stats. However, it isn’t worthy of being in the S-tier in my opinion.

Since you didn’t have to farm for it or have any RNG involved, players are using this weapon a lot as they got it for free. Still, not to take away from its great reload time and high impact damage.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	80
Range	63
Stability	54
Handling	38
Reload Speed	32
Reload Time	2.4s
Aim Assistance	59
Inventory Size	40
Zoom	15
Recoil	73
Bounce Intensity	27
Charge Time	740
Magazine	5

Timeline’s Vertex

The Timeline’s Vertex has access to some amazing perks that allow it to stay in the A+ tier. Thanks to these perks, you not only gain additional damage and zoom abilities, but you can also stabilize your weapon much better. In my opinion, the Timeline’s Vertex is one of the most consistent Fusion Rifles in Destiny 2.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	70
Range	41
Stability	46
Handling	41
Reload Speed	46
Reload Time	2.21s
Aim Assistance	60
Inventory Size	50
Zoom	15
Recoil	60
Bounce Intensity	40
Charge Time	660
Magazine	6

A- Tier

This tier hosts good Fusion Rifles that can perform well in certain situations. While they aren’t the best weapons out there, they certainly do pack a mean punch. If you use one of the rifles mentioned in this tier, you’ll have a good time in both PvP and PvE.

Dream Breaker

While you can easily obtain this weapon, the stats and the zoom aren’t all that good. Don’t get me wrong, it is much better than most Fusion Rifles in this tier list, but there are better options out there as well. On top of that if you’re one for looks, then this rifle looks straight up ugly.

The reason why it’s so high up is thanks to the perks Firmly Planted. You can mix it with some other good perks to make the most of this weapon.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	70
Range	37
Stability	42
Handling	34
Reload Speed	37
Reload Time	2.35s
Aim Assistance	43
Inventory Size	31
Zoom	15
Recoil	57
Bounce Intensity	43
Charge Time	660
Magazine	6

Plug One

In my opinion, this weapon has been under the radar for the majority of the time. However, thanks to some buffs and changes, you can now equip more perks with this. Due to this, its stability and consistency have gone up. Plus, the faster charge time is much appreciated.

If you get the Adept version, you’ll be getting a weapon that is worth at least an A+ tier. However, the base variant sits comfortably in this tier thanks to its stats and recent buffs.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	80
Range	62
Stability	54
Handling	42
Reload Speed	38
Reload Time	2.34s
Aim Assistance	66
Inventory Size	40
Zoom	17
Recoil	75
Bounce Intensity	25
Charge Time	740
Magazine	6

Telesto

Next up, we’ve got Telesto, an exotic energy fusion rifle that incorporates a couple of exciting perks. First up is Unplanned Reprieve, which allows fusion projectiles to attach and detonate with a delayed void blast. The Harbinger’s Pulse reloads your kinetic and energy weapons from reserves immediately if you get multi-kills.

Telesto has been quite problematic for Bungie as it has caused dozens of bugs despite being fixed in almost every patch. Aside from those bugs, this weapon is extremely effective. To get this one; you can pick it up from Xur when he sells it or you can get it from random exotic engrams. Put on a mod like the Targeting Adjuster on this rifle, and you’ll be taking out enemies left and right.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	85
Range	33
Stability	81
Handling	57
Reload Speed	82
Reload Time	1.73s
Aim Assistance	46
Inventory Size	55
Zoom	20
Recoil	66
Bounce Intensity	34
Charge Time	780
Magazine	4

Zealot’s Reward

While the overall stats of this weapon are quite decent, the perk pool isn’t anything to write home about. On top of that, there are so many better options available that it is almost not worth it to pick this weapon up. The main reason why it’s this low in A- tier is because you have to rely on RNG to get it in the Garden of Salvation raid.

Since you can simply craft the Likely Suspect, it is rarely worth it to farm for this weapon. However, if we ignore that aspect, then this is a good Fusion that is fun to use.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	55
Range	30
Stability	35
Handling	60
Reload Speed	53
Reload Time	2.1s
Aim Assistance	37
Inventory Size	52
Zoom	15
Recoil	49
Bounce Intensity	51
Charge Time	460
Magazine	7

B-Tier

B-tier weapons are decent but they do not stand out in terms of damage or any other stat. If you use one of these weapons, it would be better if you upgraded and got a gun from the above tiers as soon as possible.

Jotunn

First of all, let’s talk about its appearance. This Fusion Rifle has a unique appearance that some find to be great while others will want to avoid it. Regardless of whether you prefer its looks or not, this thing can one-shot your enemy with mild aim requirements.

Since it has such high damage, why isn’t it ranked higher? The main reason for that is that most players can easily dodge its relatively slow projectile. On top of that, you don’t even need to use any abilities to dodge it. You can simply sprint away.

Another upside of this is that the range is quite good which can allow you to fire from far away without worrying too much. In terms of Fusion Rifles, this has the highest range.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	95
Range	52
Stability	31
Handling	33
Reload Speed	31
Reload Time	2.45s
Aim Assistance	67
Inventory Size	26
Zoom	15
Recoil	77
Bounce Intensity	23
Charge Time	780
Magazine	5

Null Composure

This Rapid-Fire rifle is quite easy to obtain which is a good thing. While it is a decent weapon for PvE, I won’t suggest it in PvP. You can try it out and use it for fun, but it won’t give you positive results due to its low damage and even lower range. Overall, it’s a decent weapon that can be useful in certain situations.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	55
Range	36
Stability	42
Handling	60
Reload Speed	53
Reload Time	2.25s
Aim Assistance	38
Inventory Size	55
Zoom	16
Recoil	55
Bounce Intensity	34
Charge Time	460
Magazine	6

Techeun Force

In terms of looks, this weapon has good aesthetics but average base stats. Plus, the perk pool isn’t nice which makes it difficult to say good stuff about this weapon. The only reason why it’s not ranked lower is thanks to its consistency perk. However, there are tons of better options out there so it’s rarely worth it to get this gun.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	70
Range	45
Stability	45
Handling	34
Reload Speed	41
Reload Time	2.29s
Aim Assistance	44
Inventory Size	29
Zoom	15
Recoil	60
Bounce Intensity	40
Charge Time	660
Magazine	6

C-Tier

The weapons in C-tier are below average and are not recommended to use right now. Most of these weapons used to be better than this but due to the nerfs, their state is quite bad right now. I suggest avoiding any weapons in this tier for the most part – especially in PvP.

Bastion

The Bastion is an exotic kinetic fusion rifle that is unique and a great choice in PvP. It’s got hammer forge rifling, liquid coils, and composite stock as the standard perks. But then it’s also got saints fists so you charge to fire three spreads of kinetic slugs.

You also got Breakthrough, so a portion of this weapon’s damage bypasses elemental shields. This perk makes it extremely strong and viable in every situation as you have insane amounts of damage. You can even stop supers right in their track with this weapon.

In PvE, this is a good weapon, but there are better alternatives available. Although if you’re looking at fusion rifles, this one is really good. However, after getting hit with a few nerfs a while back, Bastion has not been performing well recently. That is why it is in the C-tier for now.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	80
Range	33
Stability	52
Handling	34
Reload Speed	32
Reload Time	2.44s
Aim Assistance	65
Inventory Size	30
Zoom	15
Recoil	75
Bounce Intensity	25
Charge Time	740
Magazine	5

Coriolis Force

Coriolis Force is a legendary energy fusion rifle with an aggressive fusion frame, meaning it’s got high damage. It fires a horizontal volley with a moderately decent charge time. This weapon comes with a rangefinder for that increased range and killing wind where final blows increase mobility, range, and handling for a short duration.

For PvP, under pressure and eye the storm would be the ideal perks. If you are looking to use this rifle in PvE, feeding frenzy and thresh would be some good perks to look out for. You have to run through the selectable empire hunts from Variks to acquire this weapon.

To unlock the empire hunts, you have to complete post-campaign missions then you’ll see three empire hunts selectable at Variks. Another way to get this weapon is to kill high-value targets around Europa as they have a chance to drop a weapon or armor when you kill them. Keep an eye on the bottom left of the screen to get that high-value target notification so you don’t miss out.

If you want to remove that randomness from the process, I recommend going through the empire hunt and killing the technocrat.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	70
Range	40
Stability	43
Handling	33
Reload Speed	41
Reload Time	2.29s
Aim Assistance	45
Inventory Size	34
Zoom	15
Recoil	50
Bounce Intensity	50
Charge Time	660
Magazine	6

Exile’s Curse

This high-impact rifle is not currently obtainable. However, if you have it, you’ll know that it doesn’t perform as well due to the nerf to the high-impact frame. Now, you can only shoot 5 bullets and out of those 5, you need to land at least 4 to get a confirmed kill. Not landing most of your hits will result in the opponent living with just a little bit of HP.

On top of that, the charge time was also nerfed so it feels quite slow to use this rifle. If you are a new player, you might not notice a massive difference but compared to before, this weapon is nowhere close to its former glory.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	95
Range	53
Stability	34
Handling	34
Reload Speed	27
Reload Time	2.52s
Aim Assistance	61
Inventory Size	26
Zoom	15
Recoil	79
Bounce Intensity	21
Charge Time	1000
Magazine	5

Glacioclasm

The next weapon on the list is a legendary energy fusion rifle that delivers void damage. It’s a high-impact frame; meaning high damage at the cost of a slow fire rate. On top of that, it is accurate when stationary or aiming down sight.

Killing wind and unrelenting would be extremely beneficial for PvP, whereas ambitious assassins and demolitionists would be great for PvE. However, high-impact frames aren’t doing all that great right now so that’s why it’s in the C-tier.

On top of that, the recoil on this bad boy is quite a lot, which makes it difficult to aim it properly against moving targets. In PvP, I’d suggest that you avoid it for the time being.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	95
Range	67
Stability	36
Handling	40
Reload Speed	24
Reload Time	2.58s
Aim Assistance	55
Inventory Size	26
Zoom	16
Recoil	78
Bounce Intensity	22
Charge Time	1000
Magazine	5

Hollow Words

This is a legendary fusion rifle that deals arc damage and sits in the energy slot. Initially introduced in season 11, it was sunset in season 15. So, the curated role for this one comes with unrelenting; rapidly defeated targets trigger health regeneration. Guardians and powerful combatants account for more than one kill.

The Feeding Frenzy, where each rapid kill progressively increases the reload speed for a short duration. For PvE, the perks you want to look out for are something like surrounded and feeding frenzy or maybe even lead from gold. Perks that go well in PvP are killing wind and vorpal weapons.

This weapon is a random drop from activities and occasionally is in the world loot pool. To acquire this, you must complete the various activities spread throughout the world of Destiny 2. It is relatively convenient to get, so it shouldn’t be a hassle – unlike something like Thorn; where you have to complete the lengthy Independent Study quest.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	80
Range	54
Stability	44
Handling	31
Reload Speed	28
Reload Time	2.51s
Aim Assistance	63
Inventory Size	26
Zoom	18
Recoil	75
Bounce Intensity	25
Charge Time	740
Magazine	6

D-Tier

These weapons should be avoided at all costs. If you do not have any other choice in terms of Fusion Rifles, you should only then use them. Otherwise, they will disappoint you a lot. If your favorite weapon is in this tier, I’m sorry but these guns desperately need some buffs to stay relevant.

Iota Draconis

This is a high-impact Fusion Rifle that looks nice and – who am I kidding, that’s the only good thing about it. This weapon is in the worst archetype and the only way to get the three-bolt kill is to use its high-impact reserve.

Other than that, the poor base stats are what hold this weapon back. After using this weapon for quite some time, it did not yield the results that I was hoping for; leaving it in the D-tier. Hopefully, Bungie buffs it a bit so it can climb its way on this tier list. But for now, it sits comfortably here.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	95
Range	51
Stability	32
Handling	30
Reload Speed	25
Reload Time	2.56
Aim Assistance	59
Inventory Size	18
Zoom	15
Recoil	73
Bounce Intensity	27
Charge Time	1000
Magazine	5

Merciless

Another exotic energy fusion rifle on the list; Merciless, has some interesting perks. We’ve got conserved momentum, which makes non-lethal hits with projectiles and makes the weapon charge faster until its wielder gets a kill. We also have Impetus 2, so reloading immediately after a kill increases the overall damage for a short time.

This weapon has a 1040-charge time, but it gets faster with kills, so you will decimate your enemies without any problems once you get a few kills. However, due to the high initial charge time, you’ll probably die most of the time by the time you are ready to fire the weapon. You can get it from Xur when he sells it, or you can get it from random exotic engrams.

Stats

Name	Stats
Impact	75
Range	45
Stability	39
Handling	47
Reload Speed	49
Reload Time	2.16s
Aim Assistance	69
Inventory Size	55
Zoom	15
Recoil	64
Bounce Intensity	36
Charge Time	1040
Magazine	8

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Verdict

At the time of writing, the Deliverance (Adept) and Likely Suspect are the best Fusion Rifles in Destiny 2. On the other hand, the Merciless and the Iota are not performing like they used to. Merciless was one of my favorite Fusion Rifles once upon a time so this is quite disappointing for me.

Those are the best Fusion Rifles in Destiny 2. We would love to know what you think and do you agree with our picks? Let us know in the comments below if you think that some other Fusion Rifle should be in S-tier or which one should be lower. For all the latest tips, tier lists and patch notes, stay tuned to our Destiny 2 section.