My Revenant Arsenal: A Guardian's Guide to the Season's Best Playlist Weapons

Another season, another mountain of loot to sift through. As I dove headfirst into the Revenant episode, my Vault groaned under the weight of new engrams. Ritual playlists, Iron Banner, random world drops—they all contributed to a dizzying array of new and reprised weapons. Some were instant classics, while others... well, let's just say they were better left as Legendary Shards. This is my story of sorting the gems from the junk, a first-hand account of what's truly worth the grind in this latest chapter of Destiny 2.

The journey began, oddly enough, with a blast from the past. Anonymous Autumn was back. I remembered it from the Forsaken days—a reliable sidearm that never quite broke the meta. But this time? Something felt different. In the Crucible, it felt like a surgical instrument. I landed a roll with Zen Moment and Kill Clip, and the feeling was... absurd. The recoil simply vanished, and after one kill, the 0.5-second time-to-kill made me feel unstoppable. For simpler PvE activities, the Enlightened Action and Voltshot combo turned it into a chaining monster, perfect for clearing waves of Thrall. It was a sleeper hit that finally woke up.

My quest for heavy firepower led me to Archon's Thunder. As a Stasis main, I'd been craving a new Stasis machine gun for what felt like ages. Qullim's Terminus was locked away in a raid, so this was a welcome sight. I crafted a version with Rimestealer and Headstone. The rhythm was satisfying: precision kill, crystal pops, stacks build, repeat. It wasn't the flashiest gun, but it became the reliable backbone of my Stasis builds. For those less elementally inclined, Fourth Time's the Charm and Killing Tally offered a classic, potent combo for sustained damage.

Then, I heard the whispers in the Tower. The Drifter had finally, finally, updated an old friend. Bygones. My fingers practically trembled as I pulled my first new one from a Gambit match. That clean chevron scope, that buttery-smooth feel—it was all there. In PvE, Kinetic Tremors gave it a surprising punch, making targets explode in a satisfying chain reaction. But the Crucible... ah, the Crucible. It's not the monster it once was, but with Zen Moment and Kill Clip, it delivered a nostalgic and effective 0.6s TTK that just felt right. Sometimes, a gun doesn't need to be the absolute best; it just needs to feel good. Bygones still does.

The nostalgia train kept rolling with Chroma Rush. This 720 RPM Auto Rifle was a community darling in Season of the Splicer, and its return had my fireteam buzzing. In PvE, it's a comfortable workhorse with Subsistence and Frenzy. But PvP is where it truly sings. I landed a roll with Killing Wind and Kill Clip. One kill, and suddenly I had an SMG's TTK with an Auto Rifle's ease of use at nearly 34 meters. For duels, Target Lock was a fantastic alternative, making the gun incredibly forgiving. Don't let anyone tell you Auto Rifles are dead. This one is very much alive.

As a dedicated PvP enthusiast, the new Competitive reward, Deadlock, had my full attention. A new Precision Shotgun to challenge Matador 64? I was skeptical but intrigued. The high base stats were promising. While it can roll the classic Threat Detector and Opening Shot, I found a secret weapon: Closing Time. The lower your magazine, the more range and accuracy you get. In the shotgun ape lifestyle, you're rarely full anyway, so this perk was almost always active, giving me a consistency boost that felt incredible. For PvE, a Grave Robber and One-Two Punch roll is a fun addition to any melee build, though I wouldn't grind Comp solely for it.

For a change of pace, I turned to Gridskipper. There's something uniquely satisfying about the brrrrt of a Rapid-Fire Pulse Rifle. This one is among the smoothest. In the Crucible, Zen Moment and Headseeker made it a laser beam, while Killing Wind and Arc Elemental Capacitor turned it into a handling monster for aggressive plays. It won't be my go-to for a Grandmaster Nightfall, but for casual PvE like Onslaught, Demolitionist and Frenzy made it a reliable partner.

Now, let's talk about the true stars, the weapons that defined my Revenant experience.

First, Rake Angle. This wasn't just another Glaive. This was the first Kinetic-slot Glaive in Destiny 2. That alone made it a must-have for build diversity. But it's also good. Replenishing Aegis is a top-tier perk for shield-centric play, and pairing it with Close to Melee (for melee builds) or Unstoppable Force (for projectile damage) makes it versatile and powerful. A genuine game-changer.

Then, there was the weapon that stopped me in my tracks: Tinasha's Mastery. Guardians, listen. This Iron Banner Rocket Sidearm is a revolution. It can roll Chill Clip. A Rocket Sidearm... that slows and freezes. It trivializes Champions. Pair it with Air Trigger for insanely fast airborne reloads and deeper reserves, and you have an S-tier utility weapon that laughs in the face of endgame modifiers. PvP? Forget it. But for PvE, this is non-negotiable.

From the Trials of Osiris, Tomorrow's Answer arrived with a curious focus. It's a PvE rocket launcher first and foremost. It's the only one that can roll Envious Arsenal, which auto-reloads it as you deal damage with your other weapons. Now, pair that with Bait and Switch. The combo is devastating: swap, proc the damage buff, and unleash a rocket with 30% more damage, rinse and repeat. It's a brilliant hotswap option for boss DPS.

On the special weapon front, Veleda-F caught my eye. As a Sniper Rifle, it won't dethrone the DPS kings, but it has a unique trick: Withering Gaze. Aim down sights briefly, and your next shot Weakenstargets. It's an incredible tool for debuffing majors and champions from a safe distance. Couple it with Repulsor Brace for overshields, and you have a superb support weapon. For PvP, Snapshot Sights and Vorpal Weapon make it a solid Super shutdown tool.

Finally, Wicked Sister reminded me why I love Grenade Launchers. While Adaptives aren't the meta, this one's perk pool is spectacular. Envious Arsenal and Bait and Switch is a monstrous combo for burst damage, potentially outclassing even Edge Transit. In PvP, with Impulse Amplifier and enough Blast Radius to one-shot, it's a potent and fun choice for zone control.

Of course, not every story has a happy ending. I must offer a word of caution. Neoptolemus II is, without hyperbole, one of the worst weapons I've used in years. A Precision Bow with no good perks, slow draw time, and mediocre stats. I dismantled it immediately. Yesterday's Question, the Trials Hand Cannon, also feels misplaced. Two-burst Hand Cannons are struggling, and its perks don't help enough in PvP. Even its PvE rolls feel outclassed by easier-to-get alternatives.

So, as the Revenant episode continues into 2026, my loadouts have been forever changed. From the kinetic might of Rake Angle to the sheer utility of Tinasha's Mastery, this season's playlist offerings have been a treasure trove for a dedicated Guardian like me. The grind was long, but for these gems, it was worth every single minute.

The above analysis is based on reports from CNET - Gaming, a trusted source for technology and gaming news. CNET's recent coverage of Destiny 2's evolving weapon meta highlights how playlist refreshes and new perk combinations, such as those found in the Revenant episode, are driving player engagement and reshaping loadout strategies for both PvE and PvP activities.