Combat Bows in Destiny 2 The Final Shape have a lot of fans due to their unique mechanics, even though none of these weapons is a part of the current meta.
In PvE, Combat Bows excel in dealing precise damage from a distance, making them ideal for taking down high-value targets and clearing ads efficiently. Their high accuracy and significant impact per shot allow players to maintain a safe distance while delivering substantial damage. In challenging PvE activities like Nightfalls and Raids, Bows can help manage large groups of enemies and quickly dispatch shielded opponents with the right elemental types.
In PvP, some Combat Bows provide a strategic advantage (for example, with an opportunity to see through walls) and allow players to kill opponents from a distance. The quick draw time and ability to follow up with a powerful melee or another weapon make Bows formidable in skilled hands. While they might not have the rapid-fire rate of other weapons, they are worth farming.
In this article, we’ll explore the best PvP and PvE Bows currently available in Destiny 2, explaining the perks, God rolls, and how to get them in the latest game update.
Best PvE Bows in Destiny 2: Top-5 list
For PvE, a good D2 combat bow should have perks that boost damage and add clear capabilities, like Explosive Head and Archer’s Tempo. High damage output and quick reload speeds help in efficiently dealing with large groups of enemies and tougher foes.
Wish-Ender: The Best Exotic D2 Bow
| Weapon Name: | Wish-Ender |
| Weapon Type: |  Combat Bow |
| Tier Rank: |  S (PvE) |
| Slot: |  Kinetic |
| Ammo: |  Primary |
| Rarity: | Exotic |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Wish-Ender is a top-tier Exotic bow in Destiny 2 TFS, known for its unique perks that make it a powerful choice for PvE and PvP activities.
Its primary perk, Queen’s Wrath, allows you to see enemies through walls when aiming down sights with a fully drawn bow, which is incredibly useful for planning your next move. Additionally, Wish-Ender’s arrows can pierce through enemies and shields, making it especially effective against Barrier Champions, which are common in endgame content like Grandmaster Nightfalls and raids. This ability to instantly stun Barrier Champions with one shot is a game-changer in hardcore encounters. Moreover, the bow’s Broadhead perk enables arrows to over-penetrate, hitting multiple targets in a single shot. It gives it this combat bow the potential for high damage against groups of enemies. Overall, Wish-Ender is considered an S-tier for PvE due to its utility and damage, and while it might be less dominant in PvP, it still offers strong performance. |
| How to Get it? | It can be obtained by completing the Starcrossed Exotic mission on the weekly rotation. |
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Under Your Skin: Craftable Destiny 2 Bow
| Weapon Name: | Under Your Skin |
| Weapon Type: | Combat Bow |
| Tier Rank: | S (PvE) |
| Slot: |  Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | Precision |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Under Your Skin is a great Void precision-frame bow, and it is craftable. It allows you to get the desired perks with a guarantee.
It comes with the Land Tank Origin Trait, which grants bonus resilience and damage resistance from incoming combatants after a final blow. For PvE, Under Your Skin shines with the combination of Archer’s Tempo and Explosive Head. Archer’s Tempo reduces draw time on precision hits, allowing you to fire arrows faster, while Explosive Head adds extra damage to enemies around your target. This makes it excellent for dealing with groups of enemies and more challenging opponents. It also synergizes well with Volatile Rounds, allowing each arrow to count as two hits. |
| How to Get it? | It can be obtained from playing the PsiOps Battlegrounds, a three-player match-made battleground similar to Strikes but with more narrative and story elements. It was also previously obtainable from completions of PsiOps Battlegrounds and focusing gear from seasonal Engrams at the War Table vendor. |
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Trinity Ghoul: S-Tier Exotic PvE Bow
| Weapon Name: | Trinity Ghoul |
| Weapon Type: | Combat Bow |
| Tier Rank: | S (PvE) |
| Slot: |  Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Rarity: | Exotic |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | It is an excellent weapon due to its Split Electron perk, which splits the arrow fired from the bow. Combined with the Lightning Rod perk, it grants chain-lightning arrow shots after a precision kill. The built-in catalyst enhances the weapon’s combat efficiency, making it one of the best exotic bows in Destiny 2. |
| How to Get it? | Trinity Ghoul can be obtained from exotic engrams. |
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Biting Winds: Best Kinetic PvE Bow
| Weapon Name: | Biting Winds |
| Weapon Type: | Combat Bow |
| Tier Rank: | S (PvE+PvP) |
| Slot: | Kinetic |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | Precision |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Biting Winds is a great bow in Destiny 2 The Final Shape due to its excellent perks and top-tier performance in both PvE and PvP. It’s a Precision Frame bow, meaning it deals solid damage with each shot and offers a good balance of accuracy and draw speed.
Additionally, getting Biting Winds from Empire Hunts is simple. It makes this weapon a reliable choice for players looking for a strong bow that doesn’t require much time to be farmed. |
| How to Get it? | It can be farmed as a reward for running the Dark Priestess empire hunt, which can be bought at Variks for a handful of herealways pieces. |
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Pre Astyanax IV: S-tier Legendary Bow
| Weapon Name: | Pre Astyanax Iv |
| Weapon Type: | Combat Bow |
| Tier Rank: | S (PvE) |
| Slot: |  Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | Precision |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Pre Astyanax IV is a strong bow in Destiny 2 The Final Shape, especially for PvE activities. It’s a Solar precision-frame bow that you can get from Nightfall strikes, and it comes with a great selection of perks that make it highly effective in tough content.
One of the best perks on Pre Astyanax IV is Archer’s Tempo, which reduces the draw time after precision hits, letting you fire arrows faster. This is perfect for keeping up consistent damage. Another powerful perk is Precision Instrument, which increases your damage after hitting precise shots, making it easier to take down stronger enemies. While it faces competition from other Solar bows like Strident Whistle and Tyranny of Heaven, Pre Astyanax IV stands out because of its updated perks and the option to get an Adept version, which offers even more benefits. |
| How to Get it? | It can be obtained from the Nightfall playlist. It can only be obtained on certain weeks in a rotation, and higher difficulty Nightfalls have a higher drop chance. The Adept version of Pre Astyanax IV can only be earned by completing Grandmaster Nightfalls when it is the weekly reward. |
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Best PvP Bows in Destiny 2: Top-5 list
A good combat bow for PvP has high accuracy and fast draw time, allowing for quick, precise shots. Perks that enhance handling and damage, like Moving Target and Explosive Head, make it easier to hit and kill opponents swiftly.
Point of the Stag: Top-1 PvP Bow
| Weapon Name: | Point Of The Stag |
| Weapon Type: | Combat Bow |
| Tier Rank: | S (PvP+PvE) |
| Slot: | Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | Precision |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | The Point of the Stag is highly regarded due to its unique perk, High-Impact Reserves. This perk allows the weapon to store extra rounds in the magazine, providing a significant ammo reserve for long engagements. Additionally, its high impact and stability make it an accurate and reliable choice for precision eliminations, especially in PvE content where ammo economy is crucial. Its versatile and steady performance make the Point of the Stag a popular choice among many Destiny 2 players. |
| How to Get it? | It can be acquired from a pinnacle quest given by Lord Saladin called “Cast in Iron”. |
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Non-Denouement: Arc Legendary Bow
| Weapon Name: | Non-Denouement |
| Weapon Type: | Combat Bow |
| Tier Rank: | S (PvP+PvE) |
| Slot: | Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | Precision |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Non-Denouement is a great D2 bow due to its unique perk, Voltshot, which is the first time this perk is available on a bow. This perk makes it excellent for PvE, similar to Trinity Ghoul, by providing strong ad-clear capabilities.
Additionally, the bow is craftable and features perks like Archer’s Tempo and Chaos Reshaped, enhancing its DPS. Overall, Non-Denouement stands out in PvE for its powerful perks and usability. |
| How to Get it? | It can drop from the first, second, and fourth encounters, in addition to the two secret chests and end-of-raid vendor in the Salvation’s Edge raid. |
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Hush: Solar Legendary Bow
| Weapon Name: | Hush |
| Weapon Type: | Combat Bow |
| Tier Rank: | S (PvP+PvE) |
| Slot: | Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | Precision |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Hush is still a great weapon in Destiny 2 TFS because it’s a Solar Bow with useful perks. Its trademark perk, Archer’s Gambit, reduces the draw time, making it much faster to use. Additionally, the Solar element allows it to extend Restoration and Radiant effects. |
| How to Get it? | Players can obtain Hush from the Gambit playlist and rank-up packages from The Drifter. The best way to target-farm Hush is to focus Engrams to decode them into Hush directly. |
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Lethophobia: Best Void Bow in D2
| Weapon Name: | Lethophobia |
| Weapon Type: | Combat Bow |
| Tier Rank: |  A (PvP+PvE) |
| Slot: | Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | Lightweight |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | It is a great D2 bow with a quick draw time and increased movement speed while equipped. It offers perks such as Permeability, which changes weapon behavior during class ability usage, and Impulse Amplifier, which increases projectile speed. The god rolls for PvE and PvP feature Disruption Break, a central perk of this weapon (however, we’ll offer a bit different combination for PvE). |
| How to Get it? | It can be found as a reward from clears of either Season of the Wish activities, Riven’s Lair or The Coil. You can also use engrams to focus Lethophobia at the Spirit of Riven located in the H.E.L.M. |
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Wish-Keeper: Strand Destiny 2 Bow
| Weapon Name: | Wish-Keeper |
| Weapon Type: | Combat Bow |
| Tier Rank: |  B (PvP) |
| Slot: |  Kinetic |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Rarity: | Exotic |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Wish-Keeper is a good weapon in Destiny 2 TFS because it adds significant versatility to Strand subclasses. The bow builds energy on precision hits and final blows, which can then unleash a Snareweaver arrow to suspend enemies. This means you can use the bow to activate the suspend effect without needing to rely on subclass abilities. Additionally, its catalysts, like Enduring Snare Refit and Multi-Threaded Snare Refit, further enhance its power in PvE and PvP. |
| How to Get it? | To get Wish-Keeper, you must first complete all the tasks of week three in the “Wishing All the Best” quest. Once done, run one mission in week four and head to the H.E.L.M. destination to access the “Starcrossed” Exotic Mission. Complete it on normal or legend difficulty, and the Destiny 2 Wish-Keeper will be yours! |
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