by Greg on Mar 23, 2015
When it comes to armaments, Destiny's guardians have a wide assortment of destruction at their disposal. From high powered rocket launchers to precision sniper rifles, for every situation there is a gun to answer. Players can only have three different weapons equipped at one time, and only one from each of the three categories: Primary, Secondary, and Heavy.
The primary slot gives you the option of equipping Auto Rifles, Pulse Rifles, Hand Cannons, and Scout Rifles, while the secondary slot can be filled with Sniper Rifles, Shotguns, and Fusion Rifles. For a real blast of firepower we have the Heavy slot which is capable of holding either a Machine Gun, or a Rocket Launcher.
Auto Rifle - The auto rifle is one of the most common primary weapons found throughout Destiny. While individual rounds lack the punch of the pulse rifle, hand cannon or scout rifle, they excel at putting a large amount of bullets on target in a short period of time. Because of their higher rate of fire they are especially favored in PvP.
Pulse Rifle - Pulse rifles are similar in appearance to auto rifles but have a larger range and impact. This is of course at the expense of the rate of fire, which as the name suggests, comes from the pulse rifle in bursts. Because the rifle fires in a semi automatic burst mode it is easier to aim (especially at range) than it's auto rifle counter part.
Scout Rifle - The Scout Rifle is a semi automatic single shot rifle that excels at range. Scout rifles also use a higher caliber of projectile meaning each shot deals much more damage than the Pulse Rifle or Autorifle. Pick the Scout Rifle if you are looking for primary weapon with range.
Hand Cannon - A high caliber Magnum type hand gun, the Hand Cannon is extremely powerful when wielded accurately. While each shot deals a large amount of damage, the typical magazine only holds 6 - 10 rounds so you will need to make sure each shot counts. Magnums also function better at close range, and can be quite difficult to aim the further away the target.
Fusion Rifle - A high powered energy rifle, the Fusion Rifle requires a short charging period before it's deadly beam can be unleashed at it's target. They have similar characteristics of a shotgun in that they are not very effective at long range, and are best used when up close and personal with the intended target.
Shotgun - If you've played an FPS before you're probably already familiar with the shotgun. Close range, the shotgun almost always delivers one shot kills and if it somehow doesn't manage to take the enemy down in one blast, leaves them low enough for a quick followup beatdown. The downside is that shotguns have an extremely short range and relatively slow rate of fire.
Sniper Rifle - A headshot from a sniper rifle is a guaranteed kill on most guardians. The heavy hitting round is made even more deadly by the sniper rifles extremely long range. Perfect for long range warfare, most sniper rifles suffer from a slow rate of fire and very small ammunition clip.
Machine Guns - The ultimate masters of high speed fire power, the machine gun is capable of putting out large amounts of powerful rounds extremely quickly. This deadly combination of speed and power means it will quickly shred any guardian caught within the hail of bullets. The large magazine means you can continue this barrage for long periods of time before having to reload.
Rocket Launcher - Highly explosive rounds are the ammunition of the rocket launcher, which deals large amounts of damage over it's explosive area. This weapon is perfect for taking out vehicles or dealing with groups of guardians holding out in tight spaces. Use with caution however, as the blast can impact the person who fired the rocket if they are too close.