Crafting has been introduced to Destiny 2 with The Witch Queen expansion, but which weapons should players craft first?
Crafting is now a full-on feature in Destiny 2, with new craftable weapons introduced every season into the game. This new mechanic allows players to pick and choose the perks they specifically want for their weapon, after unlocking the required number of Patterns by completing Deepsight Resonance on red-border weapons.
Needless to say, this is an extremely grindy aspect of weapon crafting. Thankfully, players don't need to collect every single craftable weapon under the sky, since some of Destiny 2's craftable weapons are worth the effort more than the others. Here's which ones to craft first.
Updated on October 19, 2022, by Anastasia Maillot: Every season since the release of The Witch Queen expansion and the crafting system has introduced brand-new craftable weapons in Destiny 2. In fact, every seasonal weapon is now a craftable one, once players unlock enough Patterns. The real question is: which of these seasonal weapons are actually worth crafting? While there are some, like the Tarnished Mettle scout rifle and Calus Mini-Tool, that are no-brainers, most seasonal weapons are not worth the grind. A few other craftable weapons from raids, missions, and quests, however, have made it onto this list of the best craftable weapons in Destiny 2.
Osteo Striga is an Exotic weapon available for players who unlocked the Deluxe edition of The Witch Queen expansion, and for an Exotic reward-type weapon, it's incredibly powerful. Osteo Striga is a primary, Kinetic SMG that shoots out poisonous projectiles that track targets and poison them. It's also one of the few Exotic weapons that can be crafted and must be leveled to earn a Catalyst for.
Osteo Striga always comes with the same perks, so it's mostly a matter of leveling it up to unlock its Catalyst or Masterwork. This further enhances the poison effect of the weapon, which will spread and linger on nearby enemies when killing targets with it. It's a surprisingly good ad-clearing weapon, and as an Exotic primary, kills with it are more likely to drop Special and Heavy ammo bricks.
One thing that the game was desperately missing at the beginning of season 18 and Arc 3.0 was an Arc scout rifle. Luckily, the new Tarnished Mettle scout rifle is absolutely brilliant and without a doubt the best craftable seasonal weapon from Season of the Plunder.
Not only does it have a whole host of great perks, but it comes with Voltshot, which has been dubbed the Volatile Rounds and Incandescent of Arc 3.0. When players reload after a kill, the next hit will apply jolt on the target. In PVE, it pairs best with Demolitionist.
This returning Opulent weapon was brought back in season 17 and became a favorite among players when it came to Solar 3.0. Calus Mini-Tool is a great Solar SMG that can receive the Enhanced Incandescent perk. When paired with the right Solar 3.0 fragments, this SMG absolutely shreds through ads. Since it's a close-range weapon, Grave Robber works well with it.
To get Patterns for it, players need to prepare for a bit of a grind until they can focus Deepsight weapons at the Crown of Sorrow. Keep opening and farming Opulent chests onboard the Leviathan to get a chance of a Deepsight version of it dropping.
Linear fusion rifles continue to be a dominant force in Destiny 2, and so it's no wonder that Taipan-4FR, introduced in season 18, is a powerhouse. This Void linear fusion can contend with the likes of Cataclysmic, though in the long run, the Solar linear fusion will still beat it by a slim margin.
Taipan-4FR is relatively easy to get, and those who have completed The Witch Queen campaign can get it for free from a quest. When crafting, players can choose between two great perks in the first column, Triple Tap or Clown Cartridge, but the final column should always have Firing Line for that boss DPS boost in PVE.
Fusion rifles are usually a safe pick when it comes to craftable weapons since even after the Season of the Lost, they still do a decent amount of damage in both PVP and PVE. The Epicurean has returned as one of the Opulent weapons this season, but can only be farmed for Patterns if players have access to the Duality dungeon.
Those who unlock all the Patterns should look to apply Feeding Frenzy and Backup Plan to get the most out of this Void fusion. Speaking of Void, it pairs well with any builds that rely on Void wells and damage, so players still running Void builds from last season might want to consider getting this one crafted and leveled.
The Drang sidearm is another returning Opulent weapon for season 17, and no matter what players think of the idea of returning weapons, it's hard to deny Drang's utility with the Enhanced Perks it can get. Yes, it's a sidearm, but with certain perks, it can be beastly in PVP.
Look for Quickdraw and Rampage perks on this one, though Rampage is more of a preference pick while Quickdraw is a must-have. It won't be the best weapon in PVE, but for players passionate about PVP and sidearms, it's definitely worth the grind.
This pulse rifle was introduced in season 16 as one of the seasonal weapons, and it's much more than meets the eye. Piece of Mind, when fully crafted and leveled, has even seen some love in PVP thanks to its powerful Land Tank Origin Trait, which boosts Resilience.
Heating Up is a must-have perk for the first Enhanced Perk column. For the second one, players can go for Moving Target, but there are some other spicy choices that can be handy in PVP; such as Vorpal Weapon. There's a bit more flexibility here, so players can just go with their gut on the second perk and choose something that fits their playstyle.
Looking for a solid primary SMG? Head to the Vow of the Disciple raid to unlock the pattern for Submission, a powerful SMG found exclusively in The Witch Queen raid. Not only is the Souldrinker Origin Trait quite unique and interesting for PVE due to its health regen effect when reloading after kills, but it also comes with powerful perks.
Subsistence and Frenzy are the must-have combination here, and players will be hard-pressed trying to justify any other perks when these two are available as Enhanced Perks. It's a beastly SMG for players who enjoy mid-range gameplay in PVE.
Insidious is also a weapon exclusive to the Vow of the Disciple raid. This Arc pulse rifle just might be the next best thing come season 18 and Arc 3.0, which is why it's highly recommended that players get their hands on it to ensure they have at least one Arc weapon that takes primary ammo.
Insidious comes with some decent perks, with Heating Up being a solid choice and Rampage another fantastic one for PVE. However, overall, it's almost as flexible as Piece of Mind in terms of its Enhanced Perks, so players can experiment with different combinations based on their preferences.
Another beautiful raid weapon is the Forbearance grenade launcher, found in the very same Vow of the Disciple raid. Similar to Insidious, it's an Arc grenade launcher that may see some increased use next season with Arc 3.0, and that idea alone increases its value tenfold.
Moreover, it does feature some interesting Enhanced perks that can turn it into a powerhouse weapon. Players need to try the Ambitious Assassin and Chain Reaction Enhanced perk combination for maximum results.
Looking for a solid rocket launcher with good damage? The Palmyra-B is one of the few weapons that can be unlocked from Legendary engrams, so grinding it shouldn't be too tricky for players. It was briefly the king of DPS in season 16 when paired with Gjallarhorn thanks to its impressive perks.
Players will absolutely need to put on the Enhanced Auto-Loading Holster perk to get the most out of this weapon. The second column can either take Lasting Impression or if the player has a Charged with Light build, they can go for Explosive Light instead. Either way, the Palmyra-B will be a beastly DPS weapon.
The era of rocket launchers may have passed for now, which is why Cataclysmic is on this list. It's considered the second-best DPS weapon in PVP as of now and will hold its own even in endgame PVP content such as Grandmaster Nightfalls. That s, until the player gets their hands on Stormchaser.
Cataclysmic will benefit from a few key perks, such as No Distractions to reduce flinch during those intense boss damage phases when hitting critical shots is important. In the second column, players can go for Clown Cartridge or High-Impact Reserves, with Clown Cartridge being slightly more preferable in PVE.
Returning in season 17 is the famous sniper rifle Beloved, which can now be crafted with Enhanced Perks. For Crucible-loving players, this sniper rifle is a must-have in their weapon collection, though it will take some serious grinding and good RNG to unlock.
The classic Enhanced perk choices will be Snapshot Sights and Quickdraw, but players can replace the first column with something else if they are concerned with the recent nerfs to Snapshot Sights.
No doubt the most popular weapon to craft right now, Austringer also made a comeback in season 17 as a craftable weapon. With Enhanced perks, some argue this hand cannon might even be better than the infamous Eyasluna, though in the end, it all comes down to preference and playstyle.
Austringer's must-have perks will be Outlaw and Rangefinder. That said, some players will enjoy a more aggressive playstyle and perhaps go for something like Eye of the Storm. Either way, this beastly hand cannon is worth crafting for every player, especially those who take PVP seriously.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Tea lover and video game-obsessed writing enthusiast, Anastasia writes about games that leave an impression on her and make her come back time and time again.
