With the nerfing of linear fusion rifles during the start of the Lightfall year, rockets have remained a top pick for the vast majority of content. Weather it be raids, dungeons, nightfalls or even PvP, guardians can’t go wrong with a rocket in their heavy slot.
But not all rockets are made equal, and as Bungie continues to add more and more rocket launchers to the game. It has become increasingly more challanging to decide what weapons to persue, keep, or dismantle. This list is for guardians wanting to persue higher tier content or to be the one with the highest damage number on their fireteam.
So without further ado, join me as we take a look at the pinnicale of the rocket launcher meta of Destiny 2: Season of the Witch.
10. Deathbringer — Source: Shadowkeep DLC
Deathbringer is a unique rocket launcher. Instead of shooting directly at your targets, you shoot above them and have balls of void energy fall down and hit them for tremedous damage. In fact, this weapon has the highest dps and total damage out of every rocket laucher in the game.
So why is it at the tenth spot? Well, the unfortunate reality is that getting that damage is almost impossible if not straight up impossible in most content. Trying to time when to release the void orbs as well as predicting where your target will move to makes Deathbringer just too unreailable to be any higher.
9. BrayTech Osprey — Source: Nightfalls
BrayTech Osprey is not a bad rocket launcher and by the looks of it, it should be good. It has the right perks (envious and bipod) and its a nightfall weapon so it has access to an adept version with adept mods and an increase to base stats. But there is one MAJOR flaw that keeps it from placing higher, and that’s its frame.
In Destiny 2, rocket launcher frames are not too different from one another, but there are differences. For example, precision frames have built in tracking and as a way for them to be balanced they deal 10% less damage then high impact frames.
And for some reason, adaptive frames and aggressive frames do 10% more damage then high impact frames leaving BrayTech Osprey the best high impact frame but still just the 9th best rocket in the game.
8. Hezen Vengeance — Source: Vault of Glass Raid
This rocket could have been great, but the reason its not higher is that the best damage perk on this rocket is lasting impression which gives a 20% increase in rocket damage. Not bad at all, but falls short of newer perks that give the rockets later in this list an advantage. But if your in need of a solar rocket and you dont have the Forsaken Pack then this is a solid weapon to have.
7. Bump in the Night — Source: Presage (Exotic Mission Rotator)
Once a seasonal weapon from Season of the Haunted this rocket was reintroduced into the loot pool with the new addition of a exotic rotator, specifically the exotic mission Presage. Bump in the Night (or BITN for short) has a solid perk pool and with the ability to be crafted and have access to enhanced perks, albeit with a weaker perk pool comparatively it still sits solidly at the 7th spot.
6. Blowout — Source: The Crucible (Lord Shaxx)
If you never got a good Hothead or started playing after The Hothead left rotation, Blowout’s got your back. Sporting an insane number of perks you’ll be focusing tons of crucible engrams to get the roll you want. Strangly Blowout has a unique trait of having one less rocket in reserve then the Hothead making it slightly worse even with the god roll. Good luck with Lord Shaxx and may he bless your RNG.
5. Two-Tailed Fox — Source: Exotic Kiosk (Forsaken Pack)
What Two-Tailed Fox brings to the table is ease of use and easy to abtain. This exotic rocket shoots two rockets instead of one, one being solar damage and causing Scorch and the other being Void and causing the target to become volitile. And not to long ago Two-Tailed Fox recieved a catalyst which added a third Arc rocket that jolts targets. All combined to make a great option if you don’t have a god rolled legendary rocket launcher. And if you want to shoot a kawaii rocket launcher for fun, it checks that box too.
4. The Hothead — Source: Zavala
The Hothead was blessed with a godly perk pool. There are several rolls that would make a guardian happy. Weather it be Clown Cartrage-Explosive Light or demolitionist and Lasting Impression. Even though it lacks the newer rocket launcher perks, it makes up for it with being the best of the best of the older rocket launchers. The only unfortunate thing is that the Adept version of The Hothead is currently unobtainable but the non-adept version is available at Zavala under the legacy focusing tab.
3. Gjallarhorn — Source: Grasp of Avarice Dungeon
This is the Destiny weapon. The most iconic and well known exotic Gjallarhorn slides comfortably into the 3rd slot. If your fireteam is running rockets, always have someone rock the G’horn. Now its far from its glory days of completely dominating the first year of Destiny’s life. And when it was released during Destiny 2’s 30th anniversary event, it dominated again. While it received nerfs throughout its time in D2, it still remains a requirement for rocket launcher DPS as a support weapon.
2. Apex Predator — Source: Last Wish Raid
What hasent been said about the Apex Predator, craftable, and rolling with perks like reconstruction and Bait and Switch. Not to mention a bug on its release which allowed guardians to get double loot drops for last wish weapons.
But with Bipod getting a buff this season, and the math wizards doing the calculation, it turns out that Bipod now matches the damage of Bait and Switch and with it being easier to use makes Bipod the go-to perk. Having Bipod and Reconstruction means you’ll start every damage phase with 4 rockets in the mag. Making this rocket launcher second to one.
1. Cold Comfort — Source: Ghosts of the Deep Dungeon
Now this rocket is a beast, having both envious assassin and bipod on this rocket will allow it to hold five rockets in its magazine. Pretty good right? However, what truly makes this beast of a weapon take that number one slot off the craftable Apex Predator is its origin trait. “Restoration Ritual” when proc’d fully reloads your magazine which allows you to shoot another two rockets.
Combined with a auto-reload like a Hunter’s dodge ability, this means you can get up to six rockets fired without a reload. There are even strats to push it even further, making Cold Comfort the best rocket launcher in the game.
