Pulse Rifles in Destiny 2 The Final Shape are considered to be newbie’s weapons, or “Dad’s choice” because all you need is to aim and burst-fire, which seems to require less skill. However, many of these guns are worth farming due to their versatility and consistent performance.
In PvE, they excel in activities like Nightfalls and Raids where their range and damage make them effective against enemies at mid to long distances. Their burst fire mode helps you land accurate shots and maintain control in tough encounters.
In PvP, Pulse Rifles are great for medium-range fights, giving you an edge on most maps. They can flinch opponents and land consistent bursts, which makes them strong in duels. The stability and precision of Pulse Rifles help you get critical hits more often.
Recent buffs and strong perk options have made Pulse Rifles even better, making them a top choice for many players. While other primary weapons might have higher damage output, the reliability and balance of Pulse Rifles make them a solid choice for any Guardian’s loadout.
In this text, we’ll go over the best Pulse Rifles for PvE and PvP in D2 TFS, their top perks, God rolls, and how to get them in the latest game update.
Best PvP Pulse Rifles (Top-5)
A good Pulse Rifle for PvP should have high stability and range to ensure accuracy at medium to long distances. Perks like Headseeker or Kill Clip can enhance TTK. Handling and reload speed are also important, so perks like Outlaw or Moving Target are valuable.
No Time to Explain: Top-1 PvP Pulse Rifle
| Weapon Name: | No Time To Explain |
| Weapon Type: |  Pulse Rifle |
| Tier Rank: |  A-tier for PvE and PvP |
| Slot: |  Kinetic |
| Ammo: |  Primary |
| Rarity: | Exotic |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Despite receiving several nerfs, No Time to Explain remains a powerful and popular choice in PvP due to its unique perk, Rewind Again, which returns bullets to the magazine on precision shots and shots against slowed or frozen enemies. Its rapid-fire rate and high impact also make it effective in PvE situations. |
| How to Get it? | It is rewarded to all players after finishing the Beyond Light campaign and visiting the Exo Stranger on Europa. |
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Horror’s Least
| Weapon Name: | Horror’s Least |
| Weapon Type: | Pulse Rifle |
| Tier Rank: | A-tier for PvE and PvP |
| Slot: |  Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | Rapid-fire |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Horror’s Least is a strong choice due to its excellent performance, especially in PvP. It has good stats and solid perks that make it a viable option, although it does have some Arc competition in the form of Insidious. |
| How to Get it? | Horror’s Least can be obtained as a Nightfall-exclusive reward. It rotates with other Nightfall weapons, and only one drops each week. You can farm it by running Nightfalls, preferably at the highest difficulty possible, as many times as possible to increase your chances of finding a god roll. |
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Oversoul Edict
| Weapon Name: | Oversoul Edict |
| Weapon Type: | Pulse Rifle |
| Tier Rank: | A-tier for PvE and PvP |
| Slot: | Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | Rapid-Fire |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | It is well-regarded for its diverse perk combinations, with many good rolls available for both PvE and PvP situations.
In PvE, it is effective against champions and has a decent magazine size, while in PvP, it can outgun lower-skilled SMG players and has good range for taking angles. The weapon deals Arc damage, making it a unique option among pulse rifles. Overall, the Oversoul Edict is a versatile and powerful weapon that can be tailored to a variety of playstyles. |
| How to Get it? | There are two ways to obtain Oversoul Edict:
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Graviton Lance
| Weapon Name: | Graviton Lance |
| Weapon Type: | Pulse Rifle |
| Tier Rank: | A-tier for PvE and PvP |
| Slot: |  Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Rarity: | Exotic |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | It is known for its stability and explosive rounds. It is good because its third shot of the burst rips a hole through space-time, dealing high damage and creating a void explosion. This makes it very effective for both PvE and PvP content, particularly for add clear due to its chain explosions that empower ability recharge. |
| How to Get it? | To obtain the Graviton Lance, players can complete the campaign mission “Sacrilege” and choose it as a reward, or they can obtain it through Exotic Engrams or rewards. |
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Nullify
| Weapon Name: | Nullify |
| Weapon Type: | Pulse Rifle |
| Tier Rank: |  S-tier (PvE), A-tier (PvP) |
| Slot: |  Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | Heavy Burst |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | It is a Solar, Legendary Pulse Rifle with the unique perk “Chaos Reshaped,” which provides bonus damage and healing when used in combat for an extended period. Additionally, Nullify has a two-round burst that reduces flinching from incoming fire, making it effective in both PvE and PvP.
Overall, Nullify is praised for its high damage potential, healing capabilities, and synergy with other perks such as Incandescent and Firefly. |
| How to Get it? | Nullify can be obtained from the Salvation’s Edge Raid. It can be found as a reward in three encounters: Substratum, Repository, and The Witness. It can also be purchased from the Raid cache upon completing the Raid, or crafted after obtaining the Deepsighted version. |
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Best PvE Pulse Rifles (Top-5)
A good Pulse Rifle for PvE should have high DPS and perks like Rampage or One for All that can boost damage after kills, making it easier to farm groups of enemies. Reload speed and ammo efficiency are also important, so perks like Feeding Frenzy or Subsistence can be very helpful. A reliable Pulse Rifle can be a great asset for clearing ads and dealing with tougher enemies.
BxR-55 Battler: Top-1 PvE Pulse Rifle
| Weapon Name: | Bxr-55 Battler |
| Weapon Type: | Pulse Rifle |
| Tier Rank: | A-tier for PvE and PvP |
| Slot: | Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | Legacy PR-55 |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | It is a highly versatile and unique weapon in Destiny 2. It is an Energy Pulse Rifle that deals Solar damage and is popular for its stability, accuracy, and overall performance in both PvE and PvP. It has a unique 450 RPM frame, which significantly increases its accuracy, stability, and hip-firing capabilities. |
| How to Get it? | To obtain the BxR-55 Battler, you need to open the treasure chest in front of Xur in his new Treasure Hoard location, which can be reached by visiting Eternity. It is a guaranteed drop from the Legend Dares pinnacle rewards in Dares of Eternity. |
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Outbreak Perfected
| Weapon Name: | Outbreak Perfected |
| Weapon Type: | Pulse Rifle |
| Tier Rank: | A-tier for PvE and PvP |
| Slot: | Kinetic |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Rarity: | Exotic |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Outbreak Perfected has a unique Exotic perk and archetype that set it apart. The Corruption Spreads creates SIVA nanite swarms on rapid hits and precision kills, while Parasitism does more damage to enemies based on the number of SIVA nanites that attach to them. |
| How to Get it? | You can acquire the Outbreak Perfected by completing The Zero Hour Exotic Mission on any difficulty setting. Zero Hour is free to all players and can be accessed through the Into the Light tab. |
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Revision Zero
| Weapon Name: | Revision Zero |
| Weapon Type: | Pulse Rifle |
| Tier Rank: | A-tier for PvE and PvP |
| Slot: | Kinetic |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Rarity: | Exotic |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Revision Zero is a meta weapon due to its unique Exotic perks, including Hunter’s Trace, which fires shield-piercing ammunition and deals increased damage to Barrier Champions. Its buffs in Update 7.0.5 and the combination of increased PvE damage for its Hunter’s Trace rounds and Häkke Heavy Burst rounds make it a strong competitor for endgame content, particularly in PvE activities with numerous Champions. |
| How to Get it? | It can be acquired by completing the Operation: Seraph’s Shield mission on any difficulty setting. The mission is part of the Exotic Mission Rotator and can be farmed every three weeks. To access the mission, players need to own either The Witch Queen or Season of the Seraph. |
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Elsie’s Rifle
| Weapon Name: | Elsie’s Rifle |
| Weapon Type: | Pulse Rifle |
| Tier Rank: | A-tier for PvE and PvP |
| Slot: | Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Archetype: | High-Impact |
| Rarity: | Legendary |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | In PvP, Elsie’s Rifle has slightly less range than The Messenger but makes up for it with 10 more recoil direction, making it very stable with the right mods. It also has access to stat-boosting perks, making it a strong energy slot contender in 3v3 modes.
In PvE, while high-impact pulses are less common and can be clunky, Elsie’s Rifle can still be enjoyable for add clear and short work of most enemies. |
| How to Get it? | It can be obtained as a reward from the Onslaught activity in Destiny 2. Players can also increase their chances of getting it by completing the associated weapon quest from Arcite-44. |
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Red Death Reformed
| Weapon Name: | Red Death Reformed |
| Weapon Type: | Pulse Rifle |
| Tier Rank: | A-tier for PvE and PvP |
| Slot: | Energy |
| Ammo: | Primary |
| Rarity: | Exotic |
| What Makes it a Meta Weapon? | Red Death Reformed is considered a meta weapon due to its powerful perks, such as Redemption and Inverse Relationship, which provide healing, increased reload speed, and damage boosts. Its catalyst further enhances its capabilities by adding Helping Hand, which creates a healing burst and restoration remnant upon getting final blows. These perks make it an excellent choice for both PvE and PvP activities. |
| How to Get it? | It is the season pass exotic for Episode: Echoes. You can claim it instantly from the season pass if you purchase Episode 1: Echoes, or once you reach level 40 on the pass if you’re a free-to-play Guardian. |
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