For close-quarters combat in Destiny 2, there is no weapon quite like a Shotgun.
If you are looking for the best Shotguns currently available in Destiny 2, this list is for you.
Recommended Read: How to Get Vex Mythoclast in Destiny 2
The best Shotgun in Destiny 2 is Conditional Finality for PvE and Matador 64 for PvP.
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Best Shotgun in Destiny 2
Shotguns are one of the few weapons types that see just about even use inside of both PvE and PvP activities, being great weapons for close-quarters engagements and amazing DPS options for champion and Boss killing.
The best Shotguns for PvP are the ones that have the best Stat spread and combination of Handling and Range Perks to give them an edge over the rest.
The best PvE Shotguns are the ones that can deal exceptional amounts of damage to Bosses that require a close DPS phase. There is one Shotgun that can fulfill both of these roles.
Conditional Finality
This Exotic Shotgun can be slotted into just about every Loadout, and it will fit in just fine.
Conditional Finality is a rare weapon that dominates both the PvP and PvE space, offering Perks that no other weapon does without any compromises.
The Intrinsic Perk Split Decision turns this weapon into a double-barrel Shotgun, with a Stasis shot loaded into the first barrel and a Solar shot loaded into the other barrel.
The Perk Paracausal Pellets take advantage of these elemental shots.
Landing nearly all of your Stasis pellets will freeze targets, while landing nearly all of your Solar pellets will ignite targets for an area-of-effect explosion and begin dealing damage over time to enemies.
In PvE, the freezing and ignition effects make this weapon the ideal Special weapon for dealing with Unstoppable and Barrier Champions, with both effects able to stun Unstoppable Champions.
The Solar pellets are also ideal for taking out large waves of enemies with a single shot when needed.
In PvP, Conditional Finality is the top Shotgun in the meta. The freezing pellets will win you just about every Shotgun duel, allowing you to freeze enemies for a follow-up shot on the off-chance that you do not one-shot them.
This freeze is also one of the few Special weapons in the game that can solo an enemy Super, with one shot freezing the Super and the other igniting them for the kill.
Aside from its Exotic Perks, Conditional Fionality has some amazing base stats, specifically its Handling and reload speed. This Shotgun just feels good to use and will definitely carry you in some of your tougher Crucible matches.
Conditional Finality can only be obtained from the Root of Nightmares Raid. It drops randomly from the final encounter.
You will want to make sure to complete the Raid on all three of your characters every week to unlock this weapon as soon as you can.
Heritage
Ever since its release, Heritage has become a staple PvE Shotgun for raw DPS and Champion kills.
While most weapons will have a few good rolls that players will try for, this Kinetic Pinpoint Slug Frame Shotgun has the perfect Perk combination that every Slug Shotgun dreams of having.
There really is no reason not to go for this roll.
The combo of Reconstruction and Recombination is a deadly one. Reconstruction will constantly reload the weapon from reserves when not in use, overflowing the magazine and giving it double the usual magazine size.
Recombination will increase the damage of Heritage after scoring an elemental final blow, with a maximum of 10 enhanced shot stacks.
It is very easy to keep your Recombination stacks maxed out when killing enemies with Elemental Primary weapons or ability kills.
These Perks, along with the inherent Range that comes with Slug Shotguns, make Heritage the perfect weapon for any DPS phase that calls for close-quarters damage.
Once you reach DPS, you should have a sizable magazine and plenty of enhanced damage shots to dump into the Boss.
Heritage can be farmed from the Deep Stone Crypt Raid. Like all of the Deep Stone Crypt Raid weapons, Heritage is craftable.
Getting the god-roll shouldn’t be too hard after a few weeks of running the Raid. If you are looking for an alternative Slug Shotgun in the meantime, Gunnora’s Axe and Nessa’s Oblation can both fulfill similar roles.
Matador 64
The meta Legendary Shotgun of The Crucible.
Matador 64 is the most used Legendary Shotgun inside of The Crucible, only behind Conditional Finality for most used Shotgun overall.
Being a Legendary weapon, Matador 64 is much easier to slot into Loadouts that take advantage of Exotic Primary weapons such as Ace of Spades or No Time to Explain.
What makes Matador 64 so good is its combination of OK Perks and amazing base stats. It is a Precision Frame Shotgun for one, with a base 65 Range stat and decent Handling.
The first collum of Perks has a few different options you can go for, with Threat Detector, Perpetual Motion, and Pulse Monitor being the best options in order, each increasing handling or Stability in some way.
In the second column, you will, of course, want Opening Shot for the maximum first-shot Range increase, though Killing Wind isn’t a terrible second choice.
Matador 64 can be obtained randomly from the Grasp of Avarice Dungeon. It can be rewarded for beating the first and last encounters of the Dungeon.
You will need to own the Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack in order to play this Dungeon.
Check out our guide on How to get Matador 64 for more info.
Felwinter’s Lie
The used-to-be meta Shotgun that many players still rely on as their daily driver.
When Felwinter’s Lie was released, it quickly became the undisputed best Shotgun inside of The Crucible.
A god roll was given to just about every player, giving everyone the chance to feel just how potent the right type of Shotgun can be.
Not only did Felwinter’s Lie come with the god-roll Perk combo of Slideshot and Opening Shot, but it even had the best-in-slot Barrel and Magazine Traits, along with a modified version of the Aggressive Frame for more reliability.
For a decent Shotgun that you don’t have to grind for rolls, the Felwinter’s Lie is a great choice, especially for Quickplay gamers who don’t need the best of the best to complete their matches and enjoy the game.
Felwinter’s Lie can be obtained from the Monument to Lost Lights near the Vault in the Tower. It will cost 75,000 Glimmer, 2 Enhancement Prisms, and an Ascendant Shard.
Tractor Cannon
A must-have Exotic Shotgun for many Raid teams.
Tractor Cannon is one of the few Exotic Shotguns in the Power weapon slot. It has been around since Destiny 2’s release and has seen regular use within Raids and Dungeons.
Tractor Cannon has the Intrinsic Perk Repulsor Force, firing a wave of energy forward that pushes enemies away, suppressing them and making them vulnerable to all incoming damage. It is this Perk alone that makes this weapon so good.
No matter what type of Boss you are facing, you will always need two things for the DPS phase, a damage buff for your Fireteam and a debuff for the Boss.
For the longest time, Tractor Cannon has been the debuff of choice for many Fireteams as it is easy to continually apply on most Bosses.
This debuff results in a 30% increase in total damage for you and your Fireteam for a total of 10 seconds.
While there are plenty of other methods for rebuffing Bosses at range, such as the Hunter’s Tether, TRactor Cannon still sees regular use to this day.
This Exotic can be randomly obtained by decrypting Exotic Engrams. Long-time players will surely already have this Exotic unlocked, while new players may have to rely on a bit of luck before they see one drop.
The Chaperone
One of the most rewarding Shotguns to master inside of The Crucible.
The Chaperone is an Exotic Shotgun with the Intrinsic Perk Precision Slug, causing the weapon to fire a single, high-precision Slug shot.
The Roadborn Perk causes precision kills to grant The Chaperone bonus Handling, Range, and precision damage.
Like other Slug Shotguns in PvP, a single shot to the head will kill a Guardian outside of the traditional Shotgun range, making Slug Shotguns superior in the right hands.
The Chaperone takes this a step further, maxing out on its Range stat and outperforming every other Slug Shotgun in the game in terms of one-shot kill range.
This weapon can comfortably kill from about 10 meters away, with a single precision kill activating The Roadborn and extending that Range even further. In the right hands, this Shotgun will win every Shotgun duel.
The downside to Slug Shotguns is how unforgiving they can be. If you don’t land a perfect headshot, you will lose the fight to even a subpar Shotgun once they get in one-shot kill range.
If you don’t have a good Legendary Shotgun and are confident in your aim, consider picking up The Chaperone. It is obtained by completing the Exotic Quest Holliday Family History.
Wastelander M5
One of the few non-Precision Frame Shotguns that is used inside of PvE content.
Wastelander M5 is a Lightweight Frame Shotgun, giving it amazing Handling and increasing your movement speed while wielding the weapon.
While its Range isn’t the best, this Shotgun has some Perk combos that no other Shotgun has.
It is one of the only good Shotguns to roll with Subsistence, constantly reloading this weapon for every kill you get.
Perks like this, along with Slideshot, make Shotguns a lot more viable inside of PvE, as you don’t have to worry about reloading them as much.
In the second column, you have some great Perks that will change the way you use this weapon depending on your choice.
You have Trench Barrel and One-Two Punch for Melee builds, as well as Vorpal Weapon for Major, champion, and Boss damage.
If you happen to get a roll with Slideshot and Opening Shot, then this can potentially be a good Shotgun for PvP, though you will definitely need some additional Range from your TRaits and Masterwork to make it a viable choice.
Wastelander M5 can be obtained from Xur’s Treasure Hoard, meaning you will need to run Dares of Eternity to unlock one. It is craftable, so a god roll shouldn’t be too hard to get after you unlock the crafting pattern.
Imperial Decree
One of the few good Agressive Frame Shotguns still worth using.
Players who started Destiny 2 during the Season of Defiance should be familiar with Imperial Decree, as it was immediately picked up by PvP players and considered one of the greats.
It still holds up in the meta to this day, with many players preferring it over the other options.
Aggressive Frame Shotguns are notorious for their high damage and Range while suffering from low RPM and reload speeds. This weapon comes with some great Perk options.
In the first column, you have Slideshot and Threat Detector to choose between, with either resulting in a boost to Stability and Handling that you need with Aggressive Frame Shotguns.
The second column contains Opening Shot, a range-increasing Perk that every Shotgun needs, though you could also use Snapshot Sight.
Two things that make this Shotgun a great pick are that it is a Kinetic weapon, meaning you can pair it with your favorite Energy Primary, and the fact that this weapon is craftable.
Getting a god-roll Imperial Decree should be much easier than other entries on the list, especially if you played the game during the Season of Defiance.
This weapon was originally only available from Defiant Battlegrounds. Now, you will need to decrypt Defiant Engrams at the War Table in the H.E.L.M. for a chance of getting Imperial Decree to drop.
These are some of the best Shotguns in Destiny 2 for both PvE and PvP.
How many of these Shotguns do you already have unlocked? Which of these Shotguns are you still trying to obtain? Let me know in the comments!
