Part of the allure of shotguns in Destiny 2 has been their ability to one-hit in Crucible. However, with the advent of Forsaken and that winter’s Go Fast update, shotguns suddenly became more relevant in PvE content as well. They’ve always had a learning curve and leave little room for error, but with the right high-resilience build, a shotgun can become a competent add-clearer or Major destroyer. With perks like Demolitionist, Destiny 2 shotguns have unique abilities that synergize with most any build- if you can use them effectively.

Personally, because of the lack of Special ammo in Crucible, I’d never use an Exotic shotgun in PvP; hence, there won’t be any exotics in the PvP list. However, Exotic shotguns are fun and effective in PvE and will certainly feature in the list.

Top 5 PvE Shotguns

5. Mindbender’s Ambition

MA is a pretty common gun in PvP and PvE, and it’ll feature on both lists. You can grind out perks for either game mode, and this is all-in-all a great beginner shotgun.

Stats:

• Great base range
• Average Impact
• Poor Stability but surprisingly good Aim Assist

Why it’s great:

• The range is spectacular
• The rollable perks span the gamut for the necessary strong PvE and PvP perks
• It’s easy to grind, so you can get your perfect roll

Get it from the Hollowed Lair Nightfall Strike!

See Mindbender’s Ambition in action:http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sNSiXJLtmw

4. Dust Rock Blues

Again, easy to grind and can roll with great stats. If one drops, hold onto it. Both this and MA are great legendary choices in PvE, especially paired with an auto rifle for mid-range fights or a SMG for CQC.

Stats:

• All around well rounded
• Above-average Range
• Surprisingly controllable Recoil

Why it’s great:

• The Range is spectacular
• It can drop with Slideshot, which rewards pretty much any playstyle relevant in the endgame.
• It’s easy to grind, so you can get your perfect roll

Get it from random world drops!

See Dust Rock Blues in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4GE4RU3xfA

3. The Legend of Acrius

This gun is an all-around flex. It’s extremely hard to secure but oh-so worth it. The lore is really neat as well, basically about an ancient Cabal legend and how the Cabal have no word for hubris. I highly recommend it for any endgame PvE arsenal or for intense Gambit matches.

Stats:

• Great Range- this gun functions more like a hand cannon than a shotgun
• Great Stability
• Almost backward Recoil; very easy to control

Why it’s great:

• Shock Blast, the over penetrating Exotic perk, shreds enemies of every health level.
• Your radar is greatly boosted
• Did I mention it’s basically a hand cannon?

Get it from the Invitation Quest Line!

See The Legend of Acrius in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwEXvuTI8_Y

2. Lord of Wolves

Thanks to random world drops, I didn’t get my hands on this gun until last week. However,n less than an hour of play, it has become my go-to PvE shotgun. It’s responsive, has little recoil, and it basically acts like the shotgun version of Crimson. Plus, it looks awesome and has a lore tab about the coolest character in Destiny, Mithrax.

Stats:

• Average Range
• Top-of-the-line Impact
• Top-of-the-line Aim Assist

Why it’s great:

• The Aim Assist is unparalleled
• The modular firing system fits all playstyles
• It looks so cool

Get it from random world drops (Sadly)!

See Lord of Wolves in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVfDhxoFLAo

1. IKELOS SG V1.0.1

As great as this gun is, it’s a nightmare to get- but not impossible, it just takes a long time. Some might say it’s lost its crown. However, since the Go Fast update, melee damage has become more important and as I’ll get into, more melee damage means more damage from the IKELOS.

Stats:

• Best-in-class Reload Speed, massive Magazine
• High Stability
• Average Range

Why it’s great:

• Melee hits increase damage (Trench Barrel perk)
• Basically, an Exotic, but it’s a legendary
• Even though it’s a fixed rolls gun, it can’t get any better.

Get it from (hundreds of) runs of Escalation Protocol!

See the IKELOS SG in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLKKd_xns6g

Top 5 Shotguns for PvP

5. Gunnora’s Axe (Best for precision CQC)

I really, really like this gun. It is powerful, the slugs have amazing range, and it’s not super hard to get ahold of. Also, again, it looks really cool.

Stats:

• Best-in-Class Range
• Above-average Impact
• Above-average Handling

Why it’s great:

• The Range is spectacular
• The sights are perfectly managed so you can easily aim in CQC
• It’s easy to grind, so you can get your perfect roll

Get it from Iron Banner Packages or match drops!

See Gunnora’s Axe in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K70C-M-vCqE

4. Dust Rock Blues

Nothing more to add on the PvP side of this gun, but you should get this rolled with Slideshot. It’s almost necessary in PvP and the fact that this gun can roll Slideshot makes it a force to be reckoned with.

3. Mindbender’s Ambition

Again, nothing more to add other than this needs to roll Slideshot. Anecdotally, I’ve seen more people kill me with this gun in Crucible than almost anything else. Great gun, more-than-solid choice.

2. Emperor’s Courtesy/Imperial Decree

Either of these fills the same niche but Imperial Decree is much easier to acquire. They have fantastic perks that make them uniquely suited for multi-Guardian engagements in Crucible.

Stats:

• Stellar Impact
• Stellar Handling
• Above-Average Reload

Why it’s great:

• Both of them aren’t terribly hard to acquire and fill a unique rusing niche in PvP
• The rollable perks span the gamut for the necessary strong PvE and PvP perks
• It’s easy to grind, so you can get your perfect roll

Get it from the Crown of Sorrows Raid or the Menagerie!

See Emperor’s Courtesy and Imperial Decree in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NF2gBI5VPM

1. Threat Level

Threat Level is a primary shotgun, which lets you run the meta Hard Light or any other dominant energy weapon. It’s rated as the best PvP legendary shotgun- but I’m not clear why. However, the community adores it and finds great success, so godspeed if you like this one!

Stats:

• Middling Impact
• Great Handling
• Amazing Handling and RPM

Why it’s great:

• Trench Barrel and Grave Robber maximize damage per round
• The rollable perks span the gamut for the necessary strong PvE and PvP perks

Get it from the Scourge of the Past Raid!

See Threat Level in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrW6Sxs81w8

You may also be interested in:

• Destiny 2 Class Tier List: The Best Destiny 2 Classes and Subsclasses
• Top 10 Best Destiny 2 Auto Rifles Right Now
• Top 10 Destiny 2 Best Exotic Weapons for PvP
• 10 Best Destiny 2 Hand Cannons (Ranked)
• [Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Shotguns And How To Get Them
• [Top 10] Destiny 2 Best Pulse Rifles And How To Get Them
• [Top 15] Destiny 2 Best PvE Weapons And How To Get Them
• [Top 5] Destiny 2 Best Sniper Rifles And How To Get Them