Coming into Lightfall, the smart money was on Rocket Launchers replacing Linears in the META. That’s exactly what happened, and you’re probably here because you weren’t prepared for that. Well, I was, so let me help you out. I’ll be going over the 12 best Rocket Launchers in Destiny 2 as of Lightfall, for both PvE and PvP. If you’re looking to play the META, these are the weapons you want.
The Hothead
Element: Arc
Source: NightfalL Strikes
Best For: PvE
Hothead is one of the best Rocket Launchers in Destiny 2 for PvE, and it has been for quite a while now. Even when Rockets weren’t exactly META, Hothead saw high usage rates thanks to a powerful god roll, its farmability, and its synergy with the ever-popular Starfire Protocol build. Ever since Rockets got a buff, though, Hothead has only gotten better.
There are plenty of usable rolls on offer, but what you’re really looking for is Auto-Loading Holster/Explosive Light. Auto-Loading is going to let you combo Hothead with something like Izinagi’s, pushing your DPS through the stratosphere. Explosive Light complements that by being the best Rocket Launcher damage perk in the game. When this is in the Nightfall rotation – go farm it.
Gjallarhorn
Element: Solar
Source: 30th Anniversary Exotic Quest
Best For: PvE and PvP
You really don’t need me to tell you why Gjallarhorn gets a spot on this list. This storied Rocket Launcher has so much history across Destiny 1 and 2 that video documentaries have been made on it. It’s a phenomenon and has been META every time it’s been available, since year one of Destiny 1. Even now in Lightfall, it’s part of the current top PvE DPS strat in the game – Starfire Protocol hot-swapping.
These days Gjallarhorn is used as a support option. You run one of them on a team, with everyone else running a Legendary Launcher. That’s because Gjallarhorn’s outright DPS isn’t too out of this world. However, it gives nearby Legendary Launchers Wolf-Pack Round Cluster Bombs, dramatically increasing their damage. It also tracks targets – so it rocks PvP, too.
Bump in the Night
Element: Stasis
Source: No longer obtainable
Best For: PvE
Back in Season of the Haunted, I doubt anyone expected Bump in the Night to ever become META. It was a mediocre Stasis Launcher, and despite being craftable wasn’t exactly at the top of anyone’s to-craft list. Since Season 19, though, Bump in the Night has seen play in high-damage PvE strats – temporarily by running six of them and taking advantage of Stasis Shatter damage with Chill Clip.
That Shatter damage has since been nerfed, but running one Chill Clip/Auto-Loading Bump in the Night on a team with Hotheads and a Gjallarhorn will let you take advantage of that Shatter damage for higher DPS than if you were just using a regular Rocket. That damage drops off with more than one, though – so this is a tech option.
Eyes of Tomorrow
Element: Solar
Source: Deep Stone Crypt Raid
Best For: PvP
Despite doing Deep Stone Crypt fairly regularly since Beyond Light, I have yet to get an Eyes of Tomorrow drop. I want one, though, on account of its frankly absurd tracking. Compared to other Tracking Module Rockets in Destiny 2, using Eyes of Tomorrow might as well be cheating.
Eyes fires a volley that tracks multiple targets, and its tracking is the stickiest I’ve ever seen. Whether it’s Gambit of PvP, if someone points this thing at you – you’re dead. It doesn’t matter where you are or what you do. Any Launcher that guarantees a kill like that is going to earn a spot on this list, regardless of whether or not I’m salty over not having it.
Wardcliff Coil
Element: Arc
Source: Exotic Engrams
Best For: PvP
With the exception of the Gorgons in Vault of Glass, Wardcliff Coil has never been used for any top-tier PvE strategies. It simply doesn’t have the damage for it. It shoots out a whole bunch of small tracking rockets, which would be cool if those rockets didn’t tickle bosses. Well, Guardians aren’t bosses, and those rockets do a lot more than just tickle in the Crucible.
Honestly, getting heavy ammo in PvP with this thing practically guarantees you a free kill. You’re sacrificing your Exotic slot for it, but it’s worth it depending on the map and mode. You can easily take yourself out with your target using Wardcliff, though, so just be careful anytime you pull that trigger.
Ascendancy
Element: Solar
Source: Monument to Lost Light
Best For: PvE
I’ve always looked at Ascendency as a poor man’s Hothead. It has Explosive Light and can be bought – meaning you don’t have to grind for one. However, it doesn’t have Auto-Loading Holster, hence the whole “poor man’s” part. The perks that replace it aren’t too great, either, making Ascendency a good alternative if you can’t run Nightfalls to farm Hothead.
Column three has Impulse Amplifier and Ambitious Assassin. You might think Ambitious is the better of the two, but Rockets are best used for boss DPS – and you won’t be triggering it that often when you’re shooting at a single target. Impulse Amplifier will increase your reload speed and projectile velocity, though, which will increase the rate at which you’re putting out damage, granted not your overall damage.
Two-Tailed Fox
Element: Void
Source: Exotic Engrams
Best For: PvE and PvP
Recently, Two-Tailed Fox got a brand new Catalyst. Previously, it fired Void and Solar Rockets, Scorching and Suppressing the target. Now, with its Catalyst, it fires a third Arc rocket that Jolts. That’s three rockets for the price of one, with tracking, and debuffs from three different subclasses.
On paper, that would make Two-Tailed Fox the best Launcher in the game, but it doesn’t have the damage to compete with Explosive Light options. Despite that, this thing slaps in Legendary/non-Raid activities. It melts Champions, has good boss damage, decent Add-clear, and is a great “press me to kill everything” button. Just experiment with it in Defiant Battlegrounds and you’ll see what I mean.
Hezen Vengeance
Element: Solar
Source: Vault of Glass Raid
Best For: PvP
Like most of the Vault of Glass weapons, Hezen Vengeance hasn’t aged too well on paper. It doesn’t have Explosive Light, which is a big hit compared to most other Launchers in the game. That was only amplified when Vorpal got nerfed, effectively eliminating Hezen Vengeance as a viable end-game PvE option. However, its PvP god roll is still as good as ever.
You’re looking for Tracking Module and Cluster Bomb. Even saying that perk combination sounds devious – it’s possibly the easiest source of multikills in the entirety of Destiny 2’s PvP sandbox. You don’t even have to aim. Point, shoot, and not only will your rocket laser in on some poor Guardian, but anyone near them is going to get wiped out too. It’s one of the best PvP Rocket Launchers in Destiny 2, despite its age.
Palmyra-B
Element: Stasis
Source: World loot pool
Best For: PvE
Palmyra-B is a still-obtainable craftable Rocket Launcher, which all but guarantees it a spot on this list. It’s a Precision Frame Launcher, though, meaning it’s always going to put out less damage than its alternatives. However, for how easy it is to get a great Palmyra god roll, I’m giving it a spot on the list.
It might surprise you to learn that the top god roll on this launcher is Auto-Loading Holster/Explosive Light. Shocking, I know. Pretty much any Launcher that can roll with those perks is going to use them and be considered top-tier because of it. Again, Palmyra is suboptimal thanks to its archetype, but it’s craftable – so if you don’t already have a god-rolled Launcher, go put one of these together real quick.
Deathbringer
Element: Void
Source: Shadowkeep Exotic Quest
Best For: Niche PvE
Deathbringer barely scrapes by as one of the best Rocket Launchers in Destiny 2, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun. This unique Rocket’s ability to effectively turn itself into a Void airstrike is a blast to play around with, especially when you’re throwing Volatile Rounds on top of that mix.
Beyond the fun factor, Deathbringer does actually have some use as a niche-PvE tech option, primarily for Lost Sectors. You’ll never see one of these brought on a Raid, but there are certain Legendary-upwards encounters that are uniquely suited to this weapon. You won’t bring it out often, but you’ll have one hell of a time when you do.
Tracking Module/Cluster Bomb. I want to get that out of the way early. Roar of the Bear has that roll, and that’s why it’s incredible in PvP – no other reason. Now, for PvE, you’ve actually got a couple of interesting options, granted there’s no Explosive Light so Roar of the Bear’s potential is very much capped.
Demolitionist is an interesting column three perk, as is Amibitous Assassin. I wouldn’t bother with Impulse Amplifier as this isn’t really a DPS Launcher. What I mean by that is in column four, your best options are Chain Reaction and Incandescent. You may not be accustomed to using a Rocket Launcher for Add-clear, but don’t knock it until you try it.
Why Blowout? Because it’s remarkably easy to get a whole bunch of them very quickly, and it has a ludicrous number of perks in columns three and four. You don’t have to be good at Crucible to get a Blowout to drop, making it perfect for newer players not ready to make the jump to Nightfalls, or something similar.
Wait until Iron Banner or double Crucible week is on, and play your day away. You’ll get a stupid number of these things, which is good because there are a lot of good rolls. In particular, keep an eye out for Tracking Module/Cluster Bomb, anything with Explosive Light, and anything with Chain Reaction. If you’re a veteran, Blowout is useless to you. If you’re new – this is a great first Rocket Launcher.
Conclusion
Those were the 12 best Rocket Launchers in Destiny 2. Rockets are all the rage these days post-Lightfall, much to the dismay of all you Wendigo farmers out there. Whether you like it or not, Hothead is META, and you’ll have to get one if you want to compete. Otherwise, you’ll DPS will always suffer compared to your LFG teammates, and nobody wants that.
