MIDA Multi-Tool (Exotic Kinetic Scout)
It’s no secret that scout rifles, particularly the MIDA Multi-Tool, have taken over Destiny 2’s Crucible, and that includes activities within the PvP side of the game such as Trials of the Nine and the newly available Iron Banner. The weapons offer a simple and efficient way to take out opponents from a distance, so they’re a no-brainer. Have a few of your teammates running a MIDA, and you can team-shoot down a lane and eliminate even the toughest Guardians (even while they’re in their super).
MIDA Multi-tool is popular for more than just being a scout rifle though. First, is the ease of obtaining such a great weapon. While this gun is far from the most powerful, it’s quite versatile, has useful perks, and is a guaranteed drop from a pretty simple quest. Those perks, by the way, are increased movement speed and the MIDA radar, which lets you aim down sights and keep your radar (quite useful for catching enemies unawares as they run around corners).
Alternatives
Every great weapon in Destiny 2 has an alternative, and the Multi-tool is no exception. There are some damn good options for Iron Banner if you really need them and they include:
- Nameless Midnight (Kinetic) – Very high impact and explosive rounds make each shot hit like a truck. Solid range and stability make it one of the best scouts in the game.
- Does Not Compute(Kinetic) – Another scout with the High-Impact Frame, this weapon offers great stability and, thanks to Moving Target, helps your shots hit home more often while also granting you increased movement speed.
- Pleiades Corrector (Energy) – This Future War Cult weapon has maxed handling, so you can ready the weapon and start firing much quicker, and you even get a speed boost from it. Throw in High-Caliber Rounds and Rampage and you have one dangerous, long-range killing machine. Also, since it’s an energy rifle, it will do more damage against shields and enemies in their super.
- Haunted Earth (Kinetic) – Like it or not, this is the Faction Rally weapon we got, and despite its slower firing speed, it’s actually pretty darn good. It does an insane amount of damage and has one of the best ranges out of all available scout rifles. Field Prep means you carry more ammo and can reload faster as well. Definitely a gun built for PvP and Iron Banner.
- The Guiding Sight (Kinetic) – This is an Iron Banner weapon that has a High Impact frame, resulting in tons of damage from an extended range. Plus, Pulse Monitor means extra rounds when you’re close to death.
Uriel’s Gift (Energy Auto)
There’s a very good chance that you have died to this weapon during Iron Banner. It’s one of the best auto rifles currently available in Destiny 2 and for several good reasons. For starters, it has the Precision Frame intrinsic perk which grants it more controllable recoil. It also has range that rivals some of the best scout rifles and packs a serious punch thanks to High-Caliber Rounds. Tying that all up is the Tap the Trigger perk which grants even great stability when the trigger is first pulled. Feathering the trigger leads to a stream of death with great accuracy.
Uriel’s Gift also happens to be one of Destiny 2’s energy weapons, meaning that not only is this a deadly weapon, but it also excels at shutting down players in their super, so there’s no surprise that it’s seeing so much use in Iron Banner’s Control. After all, you need to be ready for anything when holding down a zone.
Alternatives
- Prosecutor (Trials Energy) – This weapon beats Uriel’s Gift in almost every way, lacking only slightly in the range department. If you can give up a bit of distance, you get all the same perks here with better handling speed and stability.
- Ghost Primus (Raid Kinetic) – A lot of Guardians have been sleeping on this auto rifle which is obtainable by completing (or having your clan complete) the Leviathan Raid. It’s a great all-around weapon that deals extra damage with the end of the clip, and increases its accuracy when the clip gets low as well. Definitely more of a mid-range weapon, though, as it lacks the range its energy alternatives offer.
- Origin Story (Kinetic) – With solid range and stability, plus the Rampage perk, this weapon is perfect for the current Iron Banner. It gains damage for each kill, so since most players are running groups, that makes the Origin Story quite useful. Just manage to pick off one and the next becomes easier.
Last Hope (Energy Sidearm)
Some players have jokingly called this sidearm the best pulse rifle in the game. It dwarfs so many other weapons thanks to very high damage, high range for a sidearm, solid accuracy, and impressive handling speed. Zen Moment just proves to be overkill as well, as with each shot landed you get even higher stability (it’s difficult to miss a shot with this gun). A skilled player can get close to a full group and wipe them out using this small firearm. It’s a nightmare to go up against, and, if all goes well, an absolute joy to use. Seeing as how the current Iron Banner is using Control as its mode, having something like this that can excel in close-range scuffles is advised.
Alternatives
- Rat King (Exotic Kinetic) – Okay, so many of you may be thinking we lost our marbles. But the Rat King is actually a pretty solid sidearm. Great stability, decent range and impact, and solid handling speed are on offer. Plus, you can go invisible if you reload right after a kill, which makes navigating PvP a lot more… interesting. On top of that, if you happen to have Fireteam members willing to use the gun as well, you get noticeably increased damage.
- Dead Man Walking (Energy)- While lacking in the range department, this weapon has Armor-Piercing Rounds, great handling speed, and stability. Plus, it’s full auto.
- Minimum Distance (Kinetic) – Single shot, but thanks to the Opening Shot perk, you get one hell of a first bullet in a fight. It increases the accuracy and range of that shot, letting you pick off unsuspecting enemies. That’s on top of the already impressive range of this Destiny 2 sidearm, putting it up there with some of the best.
- MIDA Mini-tool (Energy Submachine Gun) – Yes, we’re aware that this isn’t a sidearm, but it does a lot of what Last Hope does. It’s difficult to beat in close range, creates a panic, and decimates groups when used correctly. There’s a lot of spray and pray involved, but when an enemy is close enough to have to use this weapon, that’s just fine.
Vigilance Wing (Exotic Kinetic Pulse)
It has taken some time for players to warm up to this Destiny 2 exotic, but it’s been making a name for itself in the Iron Banner. This weapon was built for team play, which Iron Banner requires, so its perk actually stands out. Harsh Truths grants health regeneration and increased movement speed if one of your allies dies nearby. Since team shooting is all the rage, you’ll always have this perk when you need it, as long as you’re moving with someone else to push zones and defend. The fact that it fires 5-round bursts and has some solid range isn’t too shabby either. Oh, and did we mention that it does even better if you’re the only person alive? Though that rarely happens during Iron Banner.
Alternatives
- Lincoln Green (Kinetic) – This pulse rifle shoots very quickly, letting you burn down opponents before they can get a shot off. It doesn’t have the best range, but it makes up for it with decent stability.
- Nightshade (Kinetic) – Kill Clip and Lightweight Frame make this a potent weapon. Reloading after a kill increases damage, while the frame makes you move faster with the weapon equipped. With decent range and stability, this is a force to be reckoned with.
- Three Graves (Kinetic) – This Dead Orbit pulse rifle has a High-Impact Frame which means it fires slowly but hits really hard. With good stability, you can pick off headshots from a sizable distance, even rivaling certain scout rifles. And, thanks to Outlaw, you’ll reload much faster after those precision kills.
- Agenda 5 (Energy) – Brought to you by the same company that made Uriel’s Gift, this is a solid energy option for pulse rifle users. It’s a bit lacking in range, but it has great reload speed, handling, and stability. Zen Moment is what makes this a must-have, as you’ll get more accurate with each shot you land (and it’s not that difficult to land a shot).
Sins of the Past (Raid Power)
Cluster Bomb. That’s really the only reason you need to take this weapon into Iron Banner, as it’s perfect for clearing a zone. Even rocket launchers with large blast radiuses can be dodged as long as you jump or move to the side just enough. But the Cluster Bombs from Sins of the Past (which is a power weapon obtainable from Destiny 2’s Leviathan raid), paint an entire area. No, they’re not like the Gjallarhorn’s Wolfpack Rounds (which we miss dearly), but they’re potent. Pair that with Smart Drift Control, and firing this powerful weapon while on the move becomes a breeze, letting you run around and take over zones (or just wipe out the opposition) with ease.
Possibly my favorite perk is the Auto-Loading Holster. Get off a shot, switch to Uriel’s or some other great weapon, then switch back and have a rocket waiting for you without having to have gone through the reload animation.
Alternatives
For power weapons, we’re going to do things a bit differently. Instead of just looking at other rocket launchers (not too many compete against Sins of the Past) we’ll be looking at just some solid power weapon options.
- Sword – There are several different swords, but they’re all quite useful. You’ll need to get close, of course, but the speed of these weapons, and the fact that one hit gets the job done, is pretty useful. Also, they have a bit of a lunge to them, letting you take out a jumping enemy or someone sneaking around a corner. A personal fave is the Quickfang, but that’s just for hunters, so find which one suits you and give it a try.
- Main Ingredient (Fusion) – Fusion Rifles are great, long-range power weapons. The only drawback is the charge time, but some practice will get you used to that in no time. Thanks to Rampage, this weapon gets stronger with each kill, letting you kill opponents much easier, even if they don’t get the full blast.
- A Single Clap (Sniper) – There are a lot of good sniper rifles in Destiny 2, and you’ve likely seen a few in the Iron Banner. It fires explosive rounds (seriously), has great range and accuracy, shoots fairly quickly, and reloads pretty fast for a power weapon. Plus, you can stay far away from the opposition as you take them out.
- The Wardcliff Coil (Rocket Launcher) – Yes, this is a weird option. Most players know that you can’t exactly aim this weapon, and if you’re looking for a ranged weapon, you tend to look in the opposite direction of the Coil. But that’s part of its charm. If you can get within mid-range of an enemy (or a group of them), this is a difficult weapon to avoid. You can spread out the rockets, and not all have to hit in order to get a kill. Since the rockets fly in totally random directions, they’re surprisingly difficult to dodge.
- Berenger’s Memory (Grenade Launcher) – Most people avoid grenade launchers because basically if you’re going to use something explosive you’d probably prefer a rocket launcher. Berenger’s Memory, however, fires sticky grenades that act as proximity mines. Perfect for cutting off lanes while playing Iron Banner.
- Hawthorne’s Field-Forged Shotgun (Shotgun) – Shotguns are still a blast to play with as they can one shot just about anything in close range. Seeing as how Iron Banner is utilizing objectives, you can bank on players being in certain places, ready for you to take down.
Of course, there are a lot more weapons in Destiny 2 that you should try out, but these are some solid alternatives for some of the most popular currently in the Iron Banner. For more on Destiny 2, be sure to check out our wiki.
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