After three years, Destiny 2 received a new element in the form of Strand. Strand is the second darkness element to be added to the game, and like Stasis, there’s only a handful of weapons for players to use. However, with the arrival of Season of the Wish, many new Strand weapons were added to the game. So today, we’re going over the Top 10 best Strand weapons in Destiny 2 during Season of the Wish.
Best Strand Weapons In Destiny 2 (January 2024)
10. Kept Confidence
Kicking off the list is a Strand Hand Cannon, the Kept Confidence, which released last Season during Season of the Witch. This weapon had some tough shoes to fill, given the on-going success of the Round Robin, but it didn’t disappoint.
Given its perk pool and being a 140 RPM Hand Cannon, PvP players enjoy the overall better feel and flexibility of the gun compared to the Round Robin.
Overall, this weapon has become popular in PvP over the last few months, and has quickly dethroned its predecessor.
9. Fang of Ir Yut
Like the Swordbreaker, the Fang Of Ir Yut Scout Rifle has been reprised and re-imagined into a Strand Scout Rifle. The recent streak of Strand Scout Rifles hasn’t been remarkable, as our only “good” one is currently unavailable until next summer.
However, with the addition of the Fang of Ir Yut, long-range Strand gameplay is more realistic now. The perk pool it has access to makes it great for PvE and PvP while having an excellent stat distribution.
8. Cataphract GL3
Every once in a while, we get PvP weapons that are fantastic for PvE, and the Cataphract GL3 is no exception.
This weapon may be better than the first Strand Heavy Grenade Launcher, the Koraxis’s Distress, given that it has access to Auto-Loading Holster and Bait & Switch. Auto-Loading Holster will automatically reload the gun when stowed, and Bait & Switch is currently the best damage-dealing perk in the game.
While Heavy Grenade Launchers aren’t the best for dealing damage to bosses currently, given the state of the meta, with some buffs, this gun may very well become the next DPS king.
7. Rufus’s Fury
Strand Auto Rifles are in no shortage these days, and the Rufus’s Fury from the Root of Nightmares Raid is an excellent option for Strand builds. With a fantastic perk selection, such as Demolitionist and Hatchling, this weapon will be great for virtually any Strand setup for all classes.
Demolitionist will grant more grenade energy for every kill, while Hatchling will create a Threadling on every other kill. Every class always appreciates more grenade energy. Whether you’re a Titan who suspends everything or a Warlock creating an army of Threadlings, this weapon will be perfect for you.
6. Quicksilver Storm
The Exotic Auto Rifle, Quicksilver Storm, was the first revealed Strand weapon. Despite that, it is still one of the best in Destiny 2. Released as a Kinetic weapon during the Season of Plunder, the Lightfall DLC upgraded it to a Strand weapon with a fantastic catalyst.
Post-catalyst, this weapon becomes the most potent primary weapon to use for PvE activities. With the ability to deal solid damage, create tangles, and then shoot grenades that can easily chunk Champions, it’s no secret how strong this gun truly is. It’s going to be tough to dethrone this weapon anytime soon.
5. The Immortal
Anybody who has played PvP in the past four Seasons knows the terror that is The Immortal SMG. Introduced as the second Strand SMG and the new weapon featured in Trials of Osiris, The Immortal wasted no climbing the leaderboards in usage.
Two key factors contributed to its success. Those being a 750 rpm SMG and having access to the Target Lock and Rangefinder perks. In the current sandbox, 750 rpm SMGs have a higher damage output and faster time to kill over other SMG types. Meanwhile, Target Lock increases the weapon’s damage the more prolonged the trigger is held. Rangefinder gives the gun a flat boost in range when aiming down sights.
These factors led to one of the most oppressive Seasons to play PvP in the game’s history. Even after a nerf, the gun is still quickly shredding opposing Guardians. Another nerf may be warranted, but until then, the gun will continue its reign as one of the most potent Strand weapons currently used.
4. Wish-Keeper
Easily one of the highlights of the Season was the release of a brand new Strand Exotic Bow, Wish-Keeper. The Wish-Keeper is the weapon that every Suspend-based build has been waiting for.
After landing multiple precision hits, this bow can shoot an AOE shot that traps and Suspends any enemy that walks through it. On top of that, the Bow deals extra damage to those Suspended enemies. The synergy it has with our Aspects and Fragments is simply outstanding, and while Suspend isn’t as potent as it once was, it’s still a powerful method of clearing out enemies.
In particular, Strand Titans with Abeyant Leap make for one of the most powerful Strand builds with near-infinite uptime on your ability to Suspend enemies.
Players can obtain this weapon by completing the new Exotic mission: Star-crossed.
3. The Navigator
The first Exotic Strand Trace Rifle, The Navigator, is undoubtedly an odd weapon. It’s by no means an enemy-clearing monster like some of the other Exotic Trace Rifles. However, this weapon is unique in its own right as it can fill more of a support role, which is not really seen in today’s sandbox.
The user can shoot an ally and grant Woven Mail for 10 seconds by holding down the trigger. Woven Mail is still a 40% reduction to incoming damage when this post is published. On top of that, with the Exotic catalyst, the gun can even shoot a grapple point so players can swing from it. As mentioned before, this gun won’t clear waves of enemies, but it can fill the position of a long-forgotten role in the game.
This role was recently filled in the reprised Crota’s End Raid. As with the Catalyst, this weapon can shoot Grapple points, which is fantastic for the Abyss encounter.
However, its actual ability has risen to the surface with the introduction of Banner of War Strand Titans and their ability to increase melee damage from the Grapple ability. The gun allows Titans to demolish any boss standing in their way by shooting a Grapple point with the Navigator. That said, this gun has quite a skill gap, so this method might not be the best for everyone.
2. Swordbreaker
Recently added with the reprised Crota’s End Raid, the Swordbreaker Shotgun has been re-imagined into the second Strand Shotgun. This weapon was solid in Destiny 1, but with new perks and access to Strand, the Swordbreaker has become a borderline must-run weapon for all activities. In particular, Strand Titans will make full use of it with their new Banner of War builds. The gun has the One-Two Punch perk, making their Melee damage even stronger.
On top of that, it also has a suite of solid perks for PvP, making it a fantastic option for the Kinetic slot, which is desperately needed these days. Overall, the re-imagined Swordbreaker Shotgun has arguably become one of the best weapons in the game to use for any activity.
1. Scatter Signal
Wrapping up the list is a brand new Strand Fusion Rifle from Season of the Wish, Scatter Signal. Essentially a sleeper weapon that took the playerbase a few weeks to realize how good it truly was, the Scatter Signal has quickly filled the role that has been desperately needed for over a Season now.
Previously, one of the “go-to” guns for basically every PvE activity was the Riptide Stasis Fusion Rifle, as it was great for dealing with formidable enemies while being able to reload itself when stowed automatically. However, Riptide’s effectiveness has been weakened with the recent nerf to “Slow” effects, so now, the Scatter Signal has risen to take its place.
With Overflow, the weapon will automatically reload itself when you pick up ammo, and the Controlled Burst pick deals extra damage to enemies when landing every pellet on them. Simply put, this weapon is fantastic for dealing with annoying Orange or Yellow Bar enemies. It’s a must-run weapon for pretty much every PvE activity in the game. Players will have until June to acquire it before The Final Shape DLC arrives.
