What Are The Best Rocket Launchers in Destiny 2?

A popular ornament for the fan-favorite Rocket Launcher, Gjallarhorn.

Rocket Launchers are a staple and signature weapon type in the Destiny universe. Whether its for wiping opposing Guardians off the map or for melting bosses, you really can’t go wrong with a good old-fashioned rocket. Unless of course, you prefer a new-fangled fancy tracking rocket that splits into countless tiny homing projectiles of death. We’ve got those, too.

10. Truth (Great for PvP)

The Exotic Rocket Launcher renowned for its aggressive tracking, Truth.
               
Truth in Action

A fan favorite in the original Destiny, Truth was reintroduced to Destiny 2 in Season of Opulence.

This thing has a lot going for it. Thanks to its signature Grenades and Horseshoes trait and its highly-aggressive tracking, Truth is unmatched in the ease-of-use department.

What Truth Excels In:

• Hitting its Shots – Nothing feels worse than finally snagging Heavy Ammo in the Crucible just to miss your shot. It can give you this sinking feeling in your stomach like you’ve let your entire team down. Truth, however, is about as close as it gets to a guaranteed kill. Thanks to Grenades and Horseshoes (and of course tracking), you really only have to shoot in the general direction of the opponent and the kill is yours.
• Shutting Down Supers – There are a lot of different Supers in Destiny 2, and some of them sport some pretty crazy movement techniques. All this to basically say, they’re pretty tough to kill. Truth can simplify matters, however. Thanks to its superb tracking, it can even keep up blinking Warlocks or missile Titans zooming across the battlefield.
• Invading in Gambit – When it comes to playing Invader in Gambit, Truth is second to none. Make sure to stock up on some Heavy Ammo before stepping through that portal. With unparalleled tracking, you’ll be an Army of One and remind them – the Truth hurts.  

Weapon Stats:

• Blast Radius - 90
• Velocity - 42
• Stability - 62
• Handling – 65
• Reload Speed – 39
• Aim Assistance – 73
• Airborne Effectiveness – 9
• Rounds Per Minute - 15

How to Get:

Truth is obtainable at the Exotic Archive in the Tower.

9. Royal Entry (Great for PvE & PvP)

The Void Rocket Launcher from the Vanguard, Royal Entry.

Royal Entry in Action

Originally introduced in Season of the Chosen, Royal Entry is the Vanguard Rocket Launcher. With a huge perk pool, chasing God Rolls on this thing has been a thorn in the side of many Guardians for a long time. When Zavala received the focused-engram treatment, however, chasing down specific rolls on this powerhouse became far more viable.

The great thing about Royal Entry is that it is a Precision Frame Rocket Launcher. This means that it gets tracking built right into its frame without wasting another perk slot. Speaking of perk slots, there are a ton of different options on this launcher including top-tier choices like Cluster Bomb, Clown Cartridge, Auto-Loading Holster, Field Prep, and more.

What Royal Entry Excels In:

• Taking Out Champions – As one of the few Rocket Launchers in the game that can roll Clown Cartridge, Royal Entry excels at decimating Champions. In most cases, you’ll want to stun the Champion with the corresponding weapon, then quickly switch to Royal Entry for cleanup duty.  
• Add-Clear – There aren’t many things more satisfying than shooting one rocket into an enormous horde of baddies just to watch them all blow up. If you opt for a Chain Reaction or a Cluster Bomb roll, Royal Entry will not disappoint.  
• PvP – Combine Royal Entry’s built-in tracking with your choice of Impulse Amplifier or Rangefinder for increased velocity and Chain Reaction or Cluster Bomb for powerful area-of-effect detonations to pencil this powerful launcher into your loadout long-term.

Weapon Stats:

• Blast Radius - 30
• Velocity - 41
• Stability - 49
• Handling – 42
• Reload Speed – 29
• Aim Assistance – 65
• Airborne Effectiveness – 3
• Rounds Per Minute - 15

How to Get:

Vanguard Ops playlist and from Zavala in the Tower.

8. Bump in the Night (Great for PvE)

The spooky and stylish Stasis Rocket Launcher, Bump in the Night.

Bump in the Night in Action

Bump in the Night is an Aggressive-Frame Rocket Launcher introduced in Season of the Haunted. As a seasonal weapon, it brings with it the personalization of weapon crafting and a particularly unique roll that helped establish itself as a top-DPS contender.  

Right out of the gate, Bump in the Night has advantages over some competitors as an Aggressive Frame Rocket Launcher – the highest damaging subclass of rocket. With its signature roll of Demolitionist and Chill Clip, Bump in the Night quickly cemented itself into the upper echelon of DPS choices. In fact, it got to the point where almost any raid team using rockets would call out “Does someone have Chill Clip?”

What Bump in the Night Excels In:

• Boss Damage – When paired with a teammate’s Gjallarhorn, Bump in the Night with Chill Clip can out-damage top-tier Rocket Launcher perks like Explosive Light and Lasting Impression thanks to the impressive power of Shatter damage that Chill Clip provides.  
• Grenade-Focused Builds – Bump in the Night is incredible even outside of boss encounters. When fighting regular enemies, it has an awesome and satisfying gameplay loop thanks to Demolitionist. Kills with the Rocket Launcher recharge your Grenade ability, and using your Grenade ability reloads your Rocket Launcher. Rinse and repeat.  
• Stasis Builds – By combining the power of Chill Clip with various Stasis Grenades, Aspects, and Fragments, Guardians can quickly lock down entire battlefields, allowing them to prioritize troublesome targets from safety.

Weapon Stats:

• Blast Radius - 20
• Velocity - 69
• Stability - 23
• Handling – 19
• Reload Speed – 58
• Aim Assistance – 33
• Airborne Effectiveness – 7
• Rounds Per Minute - 25

How to Get:

If you got its pattern during Season of the Haunted, you can craft it. Otherwise, you will have to wait for Xur to sell it.

7. Hezen Vengeance (Great for PvE & PvP)

     
The powerful Rocket Launcher from the Vault of Glass, Hezen Vengeance.      

Hezen Vengeance in Action

Hezen Vengeance is another returning favorite from Destiny 1. Reintroduced alongside its source raid, Vault of Glass, in Season of the Splicer, Hezen is back with a… vengeance (sorry).

As the first launcher to roll with the Overflow perk, Hezen can do some pretty cool things to circumvent the usual ammo-economy for rockets. In addition, the Cluster Bomb and Lasting Impression perks offer excellent damage boosting potential. On top of all that, the Timelost variant earned from the Master raid has access to the full suite of Adept mods as well.

What Hezen Vengeance Excels In:

• Breaking the Rules – Masters of this weapon will know how to exploit Overflow to its maximum potential. Sometimes this means starting your damage phase near ammo bricks on the ground, other times it can mean planning strategic repositions around dropped bricks to avoid reloading altogether.  
• PvP – With the classic Tracking Module and Cluster Bomb combination available, plus the possibility of adding Adept mods for maximum stats, Hezen Vengeance is an excellent and consistent Rocket Launcher to take up residence in your heavy slot.  
• Solar 3.0 Builds – Since the subclass 3.0 system was introduced, builds have started leaning more and more into the synergy that comes from matching your weapon and subclass damage types. Hezen fits nicely into Solar builds since it can take full advantage of Surge, Reserve, and Finder mods without the need to split them across multiple damage types.

Weapon Stats:

• Blast Radius - 20
• Velocity - 79
• Stability - 29
• Handling – 23
• Reload Speed – 60
• Aim Assistance – 35
• Airborne Effectiveness – 3
• Rounds Per Minute - 25

How to Get:

Vault of Glass raid.

5. Blowout (Great for PvE & PvP)

       
The Arc Adaptive Frame Rocket Launcher from the Crucible, Blowout.    

Blowout in Action

Blowout is a Legendary Adaptive-Frame Rocket Launcher introduced into Destiny 2 in Season of the Seraph. As an Arc Rocket Launcher, it often draws comparison to another famous launcher, the Hothead, which we’ll get to a bit later.

With an absolutely enormous perk pool, getting just what you want on the Blowout can be a little difficult; however, it can also be worth it. There are some truly excellent rolls available on this one with perks like Field Prep, Demolitionist, Tracking Module, Explosive Light, Vorpal Weapon, and Cluster Bomb all available.

What Blowout Excels In:

• Boss Damage – Blowout is often overlooked, but it is no joke. If you can get your hands on an Impact Casing, Tracking/Field Prep, and Explosive Light roll, you’ve got your heavy slot covered for most of your endgame activities and boss-melting needs.
• PvP – The Impulse Amplifier and Cluster Bomb combination is top-notch in PvP as the added velocity and area-of-effect detonations make getting quick multikills extremely easy.  
• Add-Clear – With Cluster Bomb and Chain Reaction available, Blowout is a natural killer. When you start mixing Arc 3.0 fragments into things as well, there’s a lot of added synergy that makes it truly excel.  

Weapon Stats:

• Blast Radius - 50
• Velocity - 53
• Stability - 39
• Handling – 41
• Reload Speed – 44
• Aim Assistance – 58
• Airborne Effectiveness – 10
• Rounds Per Minute - 20

How to Get:

Crucible matches or from Shaxx in the Tower.

5. Hothead (Great for PvE and PvP)

    
One of the most trusted DPS weapons in Destiny 2, Hothead, sporting its Adept ornamentation.

Hothead in Action

Hothead was reintroduced into Destiny 2 in Season 15 and quickly became one of, if not the, best Rocket Launchers in the entire game. As a Nightfall weapon, it is available in both standard and Adept versions. This means it has access to the entire suite of Adept mods, like the popular Adept Big Ones Spec.

This thing has such powerful rolls and is so good that I honestly can’t believe I’m rating as low as fifth overall. If this article was being written before Lightfall’s release, it would have almost certainly been number one. Power creep is a real thing, but more on that later. Hothead is still a beast. There’s a reason it’s been the measuring stick by which all Rocket Launchers are gauged for some time now.

What Hothead Excels In:

• Melting Champions – Like Royal Entry before it, Hothead is one of the few Rocket Launchers that can roll the Clown Cartridge trait. This gives extremely easy access to a double-loaded launcher capable to taking down priority targets in the blink of an eye.  
• Boss Damage – Whether you like Explosive Light for maximum damage per shot or Clown Cartridge for top-end burst damage potential, Hothead is a go-to choice in boss encounters for its insane damage output and speed.  
• Ammo Economy – With Field Prep and Ammo Reserve mods, Hothead is capable of packing 11 rockets going into an encounter.

Weapon Stats:

• Blast Radius - 50
• Velocity - 57
• Stability - 40
• Handling – 47
• Reload Speed – 45
• Aim Assistance – 67
• Airborne Effectiveness – 8
• Rounds Per Minute - 20

How to Get:

Nightfall Strikes or from Zavala in the Tower.

4. Wardcliff Coil (Great for PvP)

The Exotic Rocket Launcher known for its Crucible dominance, Wardcliff Coil.

Wardcliff Coil in Action

There are those weapons that carry such a reputation that simply hearing their name can cause automatic reactions in people. Wardcliff Coil is one of those weapons. Having launched way back alongside the original release of Destiny 2, Wardcliff has been wreaking havoc on the Crucible since the very beginning.

Capable of firing off massive volleys of tracking rockets, each one strong enough to kill a Guardian, Wardcliff has made quite a name for itself. It’s so good that many people consider it a “crutch” or “cheap” to bring it into matches. That’s a classic hallmark of a good choice.

What Wardcliff Coil Excels In:

• Multikills – Wardcliff is one of those weapons that feels like cheating. You can just point it in the general direction of a Guardian or two, fire it, and then sit back and watch the kill feed erupt.  
• Shutting Down Supers – With extremely high damage output per shot, Wardcliff has long been relied upon by Guardians to shutdown problematic roaming Supers in the Crucible.  
• Mayhem – A classic Crucible mode with excess Heavy Ammo running around, Mayhem is like heaven for Wardcliff Coil. Fire off a volley to quickly take out a couple of enemies, pick up their heavy (which triggers an automatic reload for Wardcliff), rinse, and repeat.  

Weapon Stats:

• Blast Radius - 10
• Velocity - 100
• Stability - 50
• Handling – 80
• Reload Speed – 50
• Aim Assistance – 80
• Airborne Effectiveness – 1
• Rounds Per Minute - 60

How to Get:

Exotic Engrams or extremely rare World Drop.

3. Gjallarhorn (Great for PvE and PvP)

Arguably the single most iconic weapon in the history of the Destiny franchise, Gjallarhorn.

Gjallarhorn in Action

Gjallarhorn is the Father of All Rocket Launchers. An absolute icon from Destiny 1, Gjallarhorn was reintroduced into Destiny 2 as part of Bungie’s 30th Anniversary Celebration in December 2021.

I could honestly make a real case for Gjallarhorn being number one on this list. Upon its release, it absolutely reshaped the entire PvE meta, especially for endgame content. With tracking, multi-target rockets, two-in-the-tube, and excellent support capabilities, Gjallarhorn really does do it all.

What Gjallarhorn Excels In:

• Add-Clear – Its signature Wolfpack Rounds split off upon initial impact, chasing down and eliminating everything in sight.  
• Champion Melting – Without even needing Clown Cartridge or similar, Gjallarhorn always has 2 shots in the magazine thanks to its catalyst, breaking a fundamental unspoken rule of rockets.  
• Boss Damage/Team Support – A big change to Gjallarhorn compared to its Destiny 1 counterpart is that it now shares its Wolfpack Rounds with other Legendary Rocket Launchers on the fireteam. While the Gjallarhorn wielder himself likely won’t have the highest damage output of the fireteam, he will boost the damage of everyone else using a Legendary Rocket Launcher.  

Weapon Stats:

• Blast Radius - 90
• Velocity - 45
• Stability - 64
• Handling – 66
• Reload Speed – 37
• Aim Assistance – 76
• Airborne Effectiveness – 6
• Rounds Per Minute - 15

Where to Get:

“And Out Fly the Wolves” Exotic Quest.

2. Apex Predator (Great for PvE & PvP)

The back, better-than-ever, and craftable Apex Predator.

Apex Predator in Action

Apex Predator originally launched alongside the Last Wish raid back in the Forsaken expansion and has always been a decent enough launcher. In Season 21, however, everything changed. Last Wish saw its weapons reprised and become craftable. Suddenly, Apex Predator finds itself at the top of the food chain.

When the Last Wish weapons got reprised, they also gained access to perks that were previously locked behind other raids like Deep Stone Crypt and Vow of the Disciple. Apex Predator is no exception. While some universally good choices like Explosive Light and Tracking Module are here, the real power that sets Predator apart comes from Reconstruction and Bait and Switch.

What Deliverance Excels In:

• Boss Damage – With an absolute best-in-the-game trait combo of Reconstruction and Bait and Switch, Apex Predator is capable of putting out some of the highest single-target damage in the entire game.  
• Ammo Economy – With Reconstruction, Apex Predator is able to take advantage of the top-end effects like Auto-Loading Holster and Overflow effectively merging into one perk. This means Guardians don’t have to waste their time reloading, but still get the benefits of having two rockets in the tube whenever they need it.  
• Reliability – As a craftable weapon, Apex Predator isn’t subject to random rolls. Guardians can, with enough grinding, acquire and shape the exact Rocket Launcher they want, making this a reliable S-Tier damage weapon for anyone to go after.

Weapon Stats:

• Blast Radius - 50
• Velocity - 49
• Stability - 43
• Handling – 44
• Reload Speed – 44
• Aim Assistance – 68
• Airborne Effectiveness – 3
• Rounds Per Minute - 20

Where to Get:

Last Wish raid.

1. Cold Comfort (Great for PvE and PvP)

 
The strongest Rocket Launcher in Destiny 2 - Cold Comfort.

Cold Comfort in Action

Here we are – the best Rocket Launcher in Destiny 2. Introduced in Season 21 alongside the Ghosts of the Deep dungeon, Cold Comfort is the current king of DPS in Destiny 2.

While it isn’t craftable like Apex Predator, it does bring a superior perk combination to the table, even if it will require a bit of farming for Guardians to get their hands on it. With unmatchable damage output, however, they can be sure they’ve got a future-proof DPS behemoth once they do.

What Cold Comfort Excels In:

• Boss Damage – Impact Casing, Envious Assassin, and Bait and Switch is the single highest-damaging trait combo in the entire game. On top of this, it sports the exceptional Origin Trait, Restoration Ritual, allowing you to shoot off up to four rockets without having to reload at all.
• Boss Damage – I know I already said it, but it just excels so much at boss damage, I thought it would be worth listing again. Cold Comfort is truly unmatched when it comes to boss DPS. You can feel confident taking this into any raid team, knowing you won’t just hold your own, but you’ll be setting the bar.  
• Solo Content – Since Bait and Switch is its optimal damage-boosting perk, as opposed to Explosive Light on most rockets, Cold Comfort is an excellent choice for doing difficult solo-challenges like Dungeons. Since it doesn’t depend on picking up Orbs of Power or other benefits from fireteam members, Guardians can easily activate this best-in-class buff all on their own.

Weapon Stats:

• Blast Radius - 20
• Velocity - 69
• Stability - 28
• Handling – 23
• Reload Speed – 62
• Aim Assistance – 39
• Airborne Effectiveness – 10
• Rounds Per Minute - 25

Where to Get:

Ghosts of the Deep Dungeon.

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