KEY POINTS

  • Pellet shotguns now deal more damage against PvE combatants
  • Legend of Acrius is now a viable option
  • Trench Barrel remains an S-tier perk when it comes to dealing damage

One of the patches in “Season of the Haunted” gave pellet shotguns some much-needed love in “Destiny 2.” While they aren’t as powerful as they were back in “Forsaken’s” era, a flat boost to their damage output is nothing to scoff at.

Ever since the buff, pellet shotguns now deal 25% more damage against combatants in PvE. Of course, this means that shotgun damage can reach crazy levels when all the right buffs and effects are stacked on top of each other. Here are four of the strongest shotguns in the game that benefited most from this patch.

Fourth Horseman

The meme-worthy quad-barreled shotgun is now officially back on the menu as far as PvE boss killers are concerned. Its short range still limits its overall usage, but in those ideal scenarios, the Fourth Horseman can dish out tons of damage in a short amount of time, all while using Special Ammo.

With its high rate of fire and staggering damage-per-shot values, the Fourth Horseman benefits greatly from a well-coordinated team of Solar and Void Guardians that can mesh the Radiant and Weakened effects together.

The Fourth Horseman is an exotic shotgun with high damage and a fast rate of fire - Destiny 2
The Fourth Horseman is an exotic shotgun with high damage and a fast rate of fire Destiny 2

Legend of Acrius

Much like the Fourth Horseman, expect to see more of the Legend of Acrius in niche scenarios. This exotic raid shotgun now deals surprisingly high damage with every trigger pull on top of its unique Shock Blast perk, which deals even more damage per shot.

Legend of Acrius isn’t exactly a must-have, especially since it costs Spoils of Conquest to purchase, but it's definitely a must-try for players who have one in their collection.

Compass Rose

Solstice 2022’s version of the Compass Rose rolls with the Incandescent perk, which synergizes extremely well with Solar subclasses. More importantly, it can come with Trench Barrel and Golden Tricorn, which both grant 50% more damage when active.

Pair these perks with Lead From Gold or Turnabout for sustainability in combat in terms of health and ammunition.

Ikelos SG

The classic Ikelos shotgun makes a triumphant return thanks to the buff. With Vorpal Weapon, Trench Barrel and Rampage to choose from in the final perk slot, as well as Lead From Gold and Feeding Frenzy in the third slot, players will be hard-pressed to find another shotgun with as much versatility as this one.

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