Destiny 2: An Expert’s Guide On BEST Gambit Weapons

The Best Destiny 2 Gambit weapons in 2023 can be diversely categorized, as some weapons are great primarily for their DPS on the Primeval bosses, while others are great for general ad clear or defeating Invaders. Hence, choosing the best weapon can come down to your playstyle and what role you want to play for your team, as Gambit’s “PvPvE” gameplay can be overwhelming to get used to, especially if you’re a new or returning player.

Destiny 2 Best Gambit Weapons Comparison

Following is a summary of the 12 best Gambit weapons to use in Destiny 2, all compared to each other:

1. Xenophage

If you can ask me who’s a veteran player of Destiny 2, Xenophage is easily one of the best weapons for Gambit in 2023, as it shoots like a truck to enemies and invading Guardians. The only caveat here is that (as of Season 22) the Xenophage is only obtainable via an Exotic quest.

Following are the special traits and perks of the Xebophage:

• Pyrotoxin Rounds: Fires high-powered explosive ammunition.

Pros

• Xenophage is overpowered in Gambit, specifically one-shotting enemy Guardians during invasions.
• Pyrotoxin Rounds for high DPS on Primeval bosses.
• The high range stat makes it versatile on all Gambit maps.

Cons

• To compensate for its slug-shot-like rounds, the Xenophage doesn’t have a large magazine size and overall ammo capacity.
• Xenophage can be very slow to use as it has low handling and reload speed stats.

2. Witherhoard

The Witherhoard was introduced with the Season of the Arrivals. Witherhoard is an extremely potent weapon for Gambit solely due to its AOE damage ability, making it a capable weapon for both new and veteran players. It can be acquired from the Tower’s Exotic Archive kiosk.

Following are the special traits and perks of the Witherhoard:

• Primeval’s Torment: Projectiles fired by this weapon blight the target or nearby area on impact.
• Break the Bank: Blighted targets take damage over time and blight the nearby area on death.
• Silent Alarm (Exotic Catalyst): Increases Handling stat and holstering auto-reloads it after a short period of time.

Pros

• Primeval’s Torment AoE damage clears waves efficiently in Gambit.
• Catalyst auto-reloads the weapon with Silent Alarm.
• Apply the DoT effect on Gambit bosses for maximum damage.

Cons

• Witherhoard is not suitable for invading or countering enemy invaders in Gambit.
• AOE damage over time doesn’t stack when multiple teammates use it on bosses.

3. Gjallarhorn

Since Destiny 1, the Gjallarhorn has been a renowned weapon of the franchise, and despite the balancing it has gone through over the years, in Destiny 2, this Exotic Rocket Launcher remains a force to be reckoned with as the best PVE weapon. You can acquire the Gjallarhorn with the Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack and complete the “And Out Fly the Wolves” quest.

Pros

• Gjallarhorn is excellent for Primeval boss damage in Gambit, enhancing Rocket Launcher damage with Wolfpack rounds.
• Exotic catalyst allows up to 2 rockets in the magazine.
• Tracking shots makes it suitable for invasions in Gambit.

Cons

• Legendary Rocket Launchers like Apex Predator are competitive with Gjallarhorn for continuous DPS cycles.
• In my personal opinion, the Gjallrhorn is only suitable for DPS in Gambit but not an ideal selection for PVP/invasions.

4. Thunderlord

The Thunderlord is notably popular to use in recent Seasons due to the buff to the current meta balancing in PVE and, of course, the exotic catalyst. Much like other exotic gear, the Thunderlord is a random drop from exotic engrams that can drop periodically by playing endgame activities in Destiny 2, like Grandmaster Nightfalls.

Pros

• Reign Havoc perk’s Lightning strike effects shreds ads in Gambit, especially when grouped.
• Thunderlord offers excellent DPS against Primeval bosses.
• Good Range and Aim Assistance stats for countering Invaders.
• Exotic catalyst boosts Thunderlord’s DPS with auto magazine reload triggered from lightning strikes.

Cons

• Unfortunately, Thunderlord’s exotic catalyst is random, and you can only get it from activities like Strikes.
• Regarding PVP in Gambit, Xenophage is usually faster at killing you than Thunderlord.

5. Tractor Cannon

The Tractor Canon is one of the most unique weapons in Destiny 2, mainly due to its properties as a utility exotic that can debuff targets, essentially weakening them for extra damage. It is Destiny 2’s Year 1 exotics, so if you’ve been a veteran player like me, you’ll most likely already have the weapon, but if you haven’t, you can still get the Tractor Cannon as a random drop in-game or via Xur’s weekly changing inventory.

Pros

• Tractor Cannon debuffs the target by 30% for 10 seconds.
• It’s now the best utility exotic for weakening bosses and major enemies, especially in Gambit after the Nerf to Divinity from last year.
• Tractor Cannon can push enemies, facilitating control or elimination.
• Effective for melting Primeval Envoys to start boss damage phases in Gambit.

Cons

• Tractor Cannon’s debuff doesn’t stack with multiple players in Gambit, so it’s best to have only one player in your fireteam using it.

6. Quicksilver Storm

The Quicksilver Storm is an exotic Auto Rifle that initially supports kinetic damage but can transform the element type into the Strand element after completing and equipping the exotic catalyst. It also supports an Alt-firing mode, which can be activated after holding down the reload button, turning it into a grenade launcher. The Quicksilver Storm was given to you for free if you pre-ordered the Lightfall Expansion’s Deluxe Edition.

Pros

• Quicksilver is among the best primary exotics post-buff introduced in the Patch Update 7.0.5.0 of Destiny 2.
• Micro-homing rockets are effective against major enemies in Gambit.
• Synergizes well with the Strand subclasses, considering you have the exotic catalyst activated.

Cons

• In my personal experience using Quicksilver Storm, it has a slow animation when switching to the grenade launcher.
• It is effective for clearing trash mobs but unsuitable for Primeval boss DPS in Gambit.

7. Heritage

The Heritage is a kinetic slug shotgun that is available from the Deep Stone Crypt raid, part of the Beyond Light expansion. It is quite honestly one of my favorite Destiny 2 Legendary weapons solely due to its versatile god roll combination and being extremely easy to farm when on the featured raid rotation of the week. You need to farm the Atraks-1 encounter to obtain the Heritage shotgun.

Pros

• PVE god roll of Heritage consists of Reconstruction and Recombination, which allows it to have a large magazine size and boosted damage.
• Effective against Major enemies and high-value targets in Gambit.
• Upgrade with deep-sight weapon patterns for enhanced perks.
• Heritage is a great secondary DPS option for Gambit Primeval bosses when out of heavy ammo.

Cons

• Unfortunately, Heritage is not ideal for PVP invasions in long-range Gambit scenarios.
• Due to learning raid mechanics and LFG difficulties, farming for Heritage can be tough for new players.

8. Apex Predator

Don’t let my ranking deceive you here because, as of Season 22, Apex Predator is easily the best boss DPS weapon in Destiny 2 due to its strong and reworked perk pool. Rocket Launchers, in general, are the meta for PVE damage against enemies right now, so you definitely want to obtain the god roll as soon as possible. The Apex Predator can be acquired via the Last Wish Raid, available as part of the Forsaken DLC pack for Destiny 2.

Pros

• Apex Predator’s Godroll consists of Quick Launch, Impact Casing, Reconstruction, “Bait and Switch” (35% damage boost for 10 sec).
• Craft with Deepsight weapon patterns for 20x Spoils of Conquest.
• Effective for melting Primeval bosses in Gambit with consistent Bait and Switch activation.

Cons

• Apex Predator is decent for taking down Invaders, although not encouraged if you ask me.

9. Commemoration

The Commemoration is a void LMG, which has been my favorite weapon due to its strong PVE potential and can serve as a legendary heavy weapon for Gambit in Destiny 2. It is available to earn from the Deep Stone Crypt raid like the Heritage, but specifically speaking; you can target farm Commemoration and its Deepsight patterns via the Taniks encounter, who is the raid’s final boss.

Pros

• The Godroll for the Commemoration includes Reconstruction and Killing Tally.
• Killing Tally grants a stackable weapon damage buff (up to 3x) for effective DPS.
• Good range for Invasions and countering enemy Invaders.
• Crafting Commemoration allows you to improve the perks by creating the Godroll manually at the Enclave.

Cons

• Commemoration farms can be limited due to Deep Stone Crypt being locked to weekly raid rotations.
• It is not suitable as a burst DPS option for boss damage phases in Gambit.

10. The Lament

The Lament is an Exotic sword that was introduced with the Beyond Light expansion in Destiny 2. Like other exotic swords across Destiny 1 and 2, it features unique properties, with The Lament specifically functioning like a revved-up chainsaw. You can obtain this weapon by completing the “Lost Lament” exotic questline, which has a total of twelve different quest steps.

Pros

• Lament excels against specific bosses like Atraks-1 and Ecthar.
• Synergizes with Solar subclass builds and Restoration/Radiant effects.
• Ideal combo (2x Light, 1x Heavy) effectively deals with Primeval envoys and Gambit bosses.

Cons

• Lament can be used for boss battle DPS in Gambit but leaves you vulnerable to enemy Invaders.
• Effective usage of Lament requires aggressive close-quarters engagement with the target/boss.

11. Sunshot

The Sunshot is an exotic solar hand cannon that has gained notable popularity after the 3.0 Solar Subclass changes in Destiny 2. As a random exotic drop, the weapon has been available since the Year 1 of Destiny 2, back in the Red War saga. It has received some specific buffs/tweaks from Bungie in Season 20 that ultimately make the Sunshot feel like a fun weapon to use, especially if you’re using a Solar subclass in Gambit.

Pros

• Sunshot’s explosions and scorch stacks on the Solar subclass make it great for clearing Gambit’s trash fodder ads.
• Sunshot synergizes greatly with a Scorch/Ignition Solar subclass build.
• Fast reload speed and extended range with exotic catalyst.

Cons

• In my opinion, the Sunshot is not viable against majors or any orange health bar enemies of Destiny 2.
• Consider using an exotic heavy weapon for maximum damage against Gambit Primeval bosses, as only one exotic can be equipped at a time.

12. Parasite

Lastly, it brings me to the final weapon on my list of the best Destiny 2 Gambit weapons in 2023, Parasite, which is a unique exotic grenade launcher that essentially launches out exploding Hive Worms that, if utilized properly, can decimate targets in its wake. You can acquire the Parasite via the “Of Queens and Worms” exotic questline in the Witch Queen DLC.

Pros

• Worm’s Hunger exotic perk at 20x stacks delivers quick burst damage to Gambit Primeval bosses.
• Multiple teammates using Parasite can boost overall damage output.

Cons

• The Parasite won’t offer suitable counter-attack options against enemy invaders, especially if those players use Xenophage.

Best Gambit Weapons Ranking Criteria

The list above of the best Gambit weapons in Destiny 2 was written by me (Steam ID: LIONT4MER) with careful research of the current meta weapons in Season 22, along with discussions with my closest in-game friends/clanmates and several experienced players from Discord.

So with over roughly 3200+ hours across both Destiny titles and my endgame completionist stats as seen on Raid Report, you can remain rest assured that these weapons will serve you well in Gambit provided that they befit with your playstyle or usage and until they get nerfed or buffed again with a future balancing patch or update.

This brings me to the end of my extensive list of Destiny 2’s best Gambit weapons in 2023, but aside from these, if you want similar reads, then I strongly recommend checking out the best bows as well as the best Linear Fusion rifles in Destiny 2 which are important for both old and new players. If you have any concerns or questions about the guide, please let me know in the comments below! As always, eXputer wishes you luck!

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