Destiny is a game mainly known for its great PvE gunplay and Raids, but there is an equally large player base that swears by Destiny's PvP offerings. Trials of Osiris put Destiny on the competitive scene and made it a commonly viewed title on streaming platforms such as Twitch.

Part of its success was due to the great balance between all weapon categories. Many consider Destiny 2's Crucible to be less balanced, but there is still room for subpar weapon archetypes such as Scout Rifles to shine. As a powerful long-range option, Scouts are great for defending lanes or picking off targets from a distance. Ranging from Exotics to lesser-known Legendaries, here are ten Scout Rifles players should consider using in Destiny 2's PvP game modes.

Updated June 12th, 2022, by Charles Burgar: Now that in-air accuracy saw a rather massive overhaul, many players are sticking to the ground in PvP. This has given Scout Rifles a better chance to shine in this meta, allowing you to lane far better than most other weapon archetypes. We've updated this list to replace unobtainable entries and added some new Scouts introduced this season.

10 Staccato-46

Destiny 2 Staccato-46 Scout

How to obtain: Legendary world Engrams.

Staccato-46 is a special Scout Rifle. This weapon looks terrible on the surface, being part of the worst Scout Rifle archetype in Destiny 2. However, this weapon has a unique perk combination that makes Staccato worth chasing.

That roll is Shoot to Loot and Dragonfly. Killing a Guardian in PvP with a headshot will cause them to explode, damaging nearby targets. More importantly, Dragonfly procs Shoot to Loot, meaning you vacuum up any ammo in the area. This is S-tier for Sniper Rifle and Linear Fusion loadouts that struggle to get ammo after a gunfight. Incandescent is arguably better than Dragonfly, but we can't confirm if Incandescent procs Shoot to Loot. If it does, that is easily the best roll on this gun for PvP. Keep your eyes peeled for a good roll on this gun.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Shoot to Loot
  • Column Two: Incandescent, Dragonfly

9 Tears Of Contrition

Destiny 2 Tears Of Contrition

How to obtain: Season of the Haunted activities, or crafted at The Enclave.

Precision Frame Scout Rifles are off to a rough start, featuring subpar TTK values and mediocre stats. While Tears of Contortion doesn't have Box Breathing, this weapon does have some excellent consistency perks that help it in duels.

No Distractions and Explosive Payload is a great perk combination, granting 35% flinch reduction while your bullets flinch the enemy quite aggressively. With how much more flinch resistance is available in this meta, Explosive Payload is becoming more and more valuable for throwing your opponent's aim off. For anyone that attempts to throw your aim off, you have No Distractions active. This gun can't win 1v1 duels against most meta weapons, but Explosive Payload really helps ensure that your opponent will miss a shot or two. Best of all, this weapon is craftable, so feel free to experiment with rolls.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: No Distractions, Perpetual Motion
  • Column Two: Explosive Payload, Focused Fury

8 Aisha's Embrace

Destiny 2 Aisha's Embrace

How to obtain: Trials of Osiris matches and Engrams.

The Witch Queen expansion released arguably the best 260 RPM Scout Rifle in the game. Aisha's Embrace is a Trials-themed Scout Rifle that has an incredible stat package, clean sight, and some great PvP perks.

Perpetual Motion and Eye of the Storm is a great roll for general gameplay, not requiring any weird gameplay gimmicks to benefit from. If you're good at slaying other Guardians, then you can get a roll with Tunnel Vision and Multikill Clip to go on long killing sprees. And if that wasn't enough, this is the only 260 Scout Rifle that can get High-Caliber Rounds, causing this weapon to dish out some absurd flinch. If you're able to play Trials of Osiris, farm for this gun. You won't be disappointed.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Perpetual Motion, Tunnel Vision
  • Column Two: Eye of the Storm, Multikill Clip

7 Eternal Blazon

Destiny 2 Eternal Blazon

How to obtain: Legendary world Engrams.

Omolon finally has a fantastic non-sunset Scout Rifle that Guardians can use. Eternal Blazon feels just like a Destiny 1 Scout Rifle, combining the lethality of a Hand Cannon with the long-range usability you'd come to expect from a Scout Rifle.

Besides its fantastic Lightweight Frame, this gun comes with a great selection of perks. For PvP, you'll want to aim for a roll with Rapid Hit and Kill Clip. While Kill Clip is active, this gun can down Guardians in three headshots in 0.67 seconds, rivaling the game's meta Hand Cannons. If you prefer a more consistent weapon, a roll with Full Auto Trigger System and Rangefinder is fantastic. Eternal Blazon's only downside is that it's an Energy weapon, meaning you can't pair Truthteller, Felwinter's Lie, or Adored with it. Nevertheless, this gun is so solid that it's worth the sacrifice.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Rapid Hit, Full Auto Trigger System
  • Column Two: Kill Clip, Rangefinder

6 Transfiguration

Destiny 2 Transfiguration

How to obtain: Last Wish raid.

With the right perks, Last Wish's Transfiguration Scout Rifle can become a two-tapping machine after a single kill. This is thanks to its unique ability to roll with Kill Clip and Rampage simultaneously.

A single kill followed by a reload will give you Kill Clip's 33% damage buff on top of Rampage's 11%. Since they're multiplicative with each other, the gun gets around a 47 to 50% damage increase, allowing it to two-tap Guardians with headshots. Couple this with its absurdly high range stat, no Guardian will have a chance to get near you when this weapon's perks are active. It isn't as easy to use as Dead Man's Tale, yet Transfiguration's consistent two-tapping potential makes it worth chasing. If you love Scout Rifles, give this weapon a try.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Rampage
  • Column Two: Kill Clip

5 Servant Leader

Destiny 2 Servant Leader

How to obtain: Gambit matches

Don't let the name or appearance fool you; Servant Leader is Randy's Throwing Knife 2.0. This weapon features the same Rapid Hit and Kill Clip combo that made Randys so devastating, yet this weapon features even better base stats. This gun has slightly more range, zoom, aim assist, and stability over Randy's Throwing Knife.

A higher zoom stat might be a negative for some Scout Rifle users, yet it does wonders for Servant Leader's effective range. It does mean you can't use it as close as Trustee lets you, so your enjoyment of this gun is really going to boil down to your playstyle.

As for perks, this weapon has a massive pool to pull from. Kill Clip, Rampage, and new Harmony perk are a few highlights in the second column. You can support those perks with Rapid Hit, Tunnel Vision, Surplus, or even Killing Wind. Those that loved Randy's Throwing Knife will have a blast with Servant Leader. It's just a shame that chasing a perfect roll of this gun is incredibly difficult.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Killing Wind, Surplus, Tunnel Vision
  • Column Two: Kill Clip, Rampage, Harmony

4 Trustee

Destiny 2 Trustee Scout Rifle

How to obtain: Deep Stone Crypt raid (Crypt Security encounter).

The Deep Stone Crypt's Solar Scout Rifle is a beast of a weapon. This gun is the spiritual successor to Randy's Throwing Knife, firing at the same 260 RPM that Randy's was infamous for.

Perks for this weapon might not be on par with Kill Clip's lethality, although High-Impact Reserves comes close. When you reach the last third of your magazine, High-Impact Reserves will allow this weapon to three-tap, giving it a TTK that exceeds most Primaries. Pair this with Under Pressure for a laser beam of a gun. It even has a clear scope to track targets with. Trustee has it all.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Killing Wind, Zen Moment, Under Pressure
  • Column Two: High-Impact Reserves, Eye of the Storm

3 Contingency Plan

Destiny 2 Contingency Plan

How to obtain: Legendary world Engrams

Black Scorpion's cousin has returned from the long-forgotten time of Destiny 2's first year, complete with random rolls for players to chase. It's fairly similar to Gambit's new Servant Leader, except this weapon has less zoom and a much smaller perk pool—making the god roll chase much less frustrating. This weapon also resides in the Energy slot, so your preferred gun will also depend on your Special weapon of choice.

This is a double-edged sword for PvP. On one hand, being in this gun's optimal range makes it feel like a dream. On the other, its range is pitiful for a Scout Rifle, meaning your mileage with this gun will vary wildly based on your stat-related perks. At least this weapon is incredibly accessible and doesn't have a massive perk pool.

As far as core traits go, Contingency Plan can roll with some nasty combos. Tunnel Vision and Kill Clip make this weapon a headshot machine with a rather fast TTK. For a more neutral roll, you can use Surplus in place of Tunnel Vision for a laser beam of a Scout. If you love Scout Rifles, give Contingency Plan a try. Should you dislike its rather low range, you might enjoy Servant Leader more.

Recommended Traits:

  • Column One: Tunnel Vision, Surplus
  • Column Two: Kill Clip
Destiny 2 MIDA Multi-Tool

How to obtain: Exotic Engrams found through Xur or world drops.

Back when Destiny 2 was first released, Crucible and Trials of the Nine were filled with MIDI Multi-Tool users. Its boost to mobility and always-active radar was too good to pass up.

With Beyond Light's changes to aim assist on Scout Rifles, MIDA is easily one of the easiest Scouts to use in the entire game. Better yet, this weapon's fast fire rate and stable recoil pattern make it a solid choice at medium-range engagements in any PvP scenario. Should someone get close to you, you'll be notified by your radar that persists even while aiming. It won't beat a 120 RPM Hand Cannon at close range, but MIDA is surprisingly lethal at medium ranges and beyond. Don't sleep on this gun.

1 Dead Man's Tale

Destiny 2 Dead Man's Tale

How to obtain: Sold by Xur during weekend visits.

Dead Man's Tale needs no introduction. This is the Last Word of Scout Rifles, featuring perfect hip-fire accuracy and a fast TTK for this weapon archetype. While aiming, you'll fire at 120 RPM, capable of three-tapping a Guardian from over 70 meters away. With the Catalyst, you can hip-fire DMT to fire at 130 RPM with a minor range reduction, allowing you to chain headshots up-close while retaining your radar. Constant radar pings mid-combat is a much larger boon than you might expect.

If that wasn't enough, this weapon ramps up its damage with each precision hit. At x5 Cranial Spike stacks, DMT can two-tap Guardians to the head at a slightly faster RPM than 120 Hand Cannons. In essence, DMT is a 120 RPM Hand Cannon with nearly double the range, perfect hip-fire accuracy that retains your radar, and can have the notorious two-tap potential that got all 120s nerfed in Year 4.

Oh, did we mention that this weapon comes with random rolls? Just like Hawkmoon, Dead Man's Tale can get a second trait and miscellaneous perks at random. Some of these perks are absurd, mainly High-Caliber Rounds and Vorpal Weapon. With Vorpal, you can two-tap Golden Gun or three-tap every other Super in the game. And thanks to High-Caliber Rounds, most enemies will struggle to hit you in a 1v1 duel. If it wasn't clear, Dead Man's Tale is the ultimate Scout Rifle. It fulfills every role, does so exceptionally well, and has a unique aesthetic you'd come to expect from Tex Mechanica. If you love Scout Rifles, get this gun immediately. If you hate Scout Rifles, get this weapon anyway to deal with Supers. Dead Man's Tale can solve just about every problem you can face in the Crucible.

Recommended Trait:

  • Column One: Vorpal Weapon, Moving Target, Killing Wind

Next: Destiny 2: The Witch Queen Complete Guide And Walkthrough