A couple things to note:
- I will add recommended Perks to the guns which can be purchased from Vendors. These do NOT account for any drops you get with random rolls, and only take into account the Perks the weapons are sold with.
- Fusion Rifles are divided up into Impact sub-classes.
- All Pros and Cons are determined by comparing weapons within the same class, not by all weapons in general.
- I'll give a final recommendation for each Impact sub-class.
Legendary Fusion Rifles
High-Impact (90-100)
Hitchhiker FR4 - Available from the Dead Orbit Representative. Recommended Perks: Reflex, Hidden Hand, Braced Frame, Hot Swap.
Pros - Very high Impact.
Cons - Very low Charge Rate and Aim Assist. Average Mag Size and Range. Below average Stability. Low Reload Speed.
- Charge Rate: 10
- Impact: 100 (4 Bolts to Kill)
- Range: 40
- Stability: 36
- Reload Speed: 52
- Mag Size: 5
- Aim Assist: 30
Darkblade's Spite - Available from the Sunless Cell Strike.
Pros - Very high Impact. High Range.
Cons - Average Mag Size. Low Aim Assist, Reload Speed, and Stability. Very low Charge Rate.
- Charge Rate: 12
- Impact: 97 (4 bolts to kill)
- Range: 47
- Stability: 33
- Reload Speed: 55
- Mag Size: 5
- Aim Assist: 36
The Vacancy - Available from the Future War Cult Representative. Recommended Perks: Torch HS2, Hot Swap, Braced Frame, Rangefinder.
Pros - Above average Mag Size and Aim Assist. High Impact. Very high Stability.
Cons - Low Charge Rate and Reload Speed. Average Range.
- Charge Rate: 16
- Impact: 95 (5 Bolts to Kill)
- Range: 40
- Stability: 72
- Reload Speed: 55
- Mag Size: 6
- Aim Assist: 60
Midha's Reckoning - Available from the King's Fall Raid. Recommended Perks: Accurized Ballistics, Cocoon, Braced Frame, Hot Swap.
Pros - High Impact.
Cons - Average Mag Size. Low Aim Assist and Charge Rate. Below average Range. Very low Stability and Reload Speed.
- Charge Rate: 16
- Impact: 94 (4 bolts to kill with Barrel Perks that increase Impact)
- Range: 40
- Stability: 20
- Reload Speed: 45
- Mag Size: 5
- Aim Assist: 39
Thesan FR4 - Available from the Gunsmith.
Pros - Above average Aim Assist. High Impact and Reload Speed. Very, very high Stability.
Cons - Average Mag Size. Low Charge Rate. Below average Range.
- Charge Rate: 18
- Impact: 94 (5 bolts to kill)
- Range: 38
- Stability: 81
- Reload Speed: 68
- Mag Size: 5
- Aim Assist: 69
Elevating Vision - Available from the Trials of Osiris. Recommended Perks: SureShot IS, Last Resort, Braced Frame, Hot Swap.
Pros - High Impact and Range.
Cons - Average Mag Size and Reload Speed. Low Aim Assist and Charge Rate. Below average Stability.
- Charge Rate: 16
- Impact: 94 (5 bolts to kill)
- Range: 47
- Stability: 36
- Reload Speed: 61
- Mag Size: 5
- Aim Assist: 39
Mid-Impact (80-89)
Ashraven's Flight - Available from the Iron Banner.
Pros - Above average Mag Size, Stability, and Aim Assist. High Reload Speed.
Cons - Average Charge Rate, Range, and Impact.
- Charge Rate: 22
- Impact: 87 (5 bolts to kill)
- Range: 40
- Stability: 46
- Reload Speed: 71
- Mag Size: 6
- Aim Assist: 63
Panta Rhei - Available from the Crucible Quartermaster. Recommended Perks: Your choice of sight, Kneepads, Rifled Barrel, Rangefinder.
Pros - Above average Mag Size. High Stability.
Cons - Below average Aim Assist and Reload Speed. Average Charge Rate and Impact. Low Range.
- Charge Rate: 24
- Impact: 86 (5 Bolts to Kill)
- Range: 36
- Stability: 54
- Reload Speed: 59
- Mag Size: 6
- Aim Assist: 51
Susanoo - Available from the Gunsmith for completing the Back in the Saddle Quest, Warlocks only. Recommended Perks: Linear Compensator, Hot Swap, Braced Frame, Elemental Transfusion.
Pros - Above average Charge Rate and Stability. High Reload Speed.
Cons - Average Mag Size. Below average Aim Assist, Range, and Impact.
- Charge Rate: 28
- Impact: 81 (5 bolts to kill)
- Range: 38
- Stability: 50
- Reload Speed: 71
- Mag Size: 5
- Aim Assist: 51
Low-Impact (70-79)
Long Far Gone - Available from the Vanguard Quartermaster. Recommended Perks: Reflex, Hidden Hand, Enhanced Battery, Hot Swap.
Pros - Above average Mag Size and Stability. High Aim Assist, Reload Speed, and Charge Rate.
Cons - Low Impact. Very low Range.
- Charge Rate: 32
- Impact: 76 (5 Bolts to Kill)
- Range: 31
- Stability: 48
- Reload Speed: 73
- Mag Size: 6
- Aim Assist: 70
The Vortex - Available from the Future War Cult Representative. Recommended Perks: Reflex, Hip Fire, Braced Frame, Eye of the Storm.
Pros - High Mag Size, Reload Speed, and Charge Rate. Very high Aim Assist.
Cons - Low Impact. Below average Range and Stability.
- Charge Rate: 32
- Impact: 76 (5 Bolts to Kill)
- Range: 38
- Stability: 37
- Reload Speed: 73
- Mag Size: 7
- Aim Assist: 79
Split Shifter Pro - Available from the Crucible as a random drop.
Pros - Above average Mag Size and Stability. High Charge Rate. Very high Reload Speed.
Cons - Below average Aim Assist. Low Impact and Range.
- Charge Rate: 34
- Impact: 74 (6 bolts to kill)
- Range: 35
- Stability: 46
- Reload Speed: 86
- Mag Size: 6
- Aim Assist: 50
Techuen Rage - Available from the Prison of Elders.
Pros - Very high Aim Assist. Above average Charge Rate. High Mag Size.
Cons - Low Range, Impact, and Reload Speed. Average Stability.
- Charge Rate: 26
- Impact: 71 (6 bolts to kill)
- Range: 35
- Stability: 42
- Reload Speed: 56
- Mag Size:7
- Aim Assist: 80
Exotic Fusion Rifles
Mid-Impact (80-89)
Plan C - Available from Xur and random drops. Recommended Perks: CQB Ballistics, Hip Fire, Perfect Balance, Plan C.
Pros - Above average Impact. Very high Range and Reload Speed. High Stability. Charge speed is very fast shortly after equipping this weapon.
Cons - Average base Charge Rate and Mag Size. Below average Aim Assist.
- Charge Rate: 22
- Impact: 87 (5 bolts to kill)
- Range: 52
- Stability: 50
- Reload Speed: 100
- Mag Size: 5
- Aim Assist: 50
Low-Impact
Pocket Infinity - Available from Xur and random drops. Recommended Perks: Soft Ballistics, Surplus, Extended Mag, Pocket Infinity.
Pros - High Reload Speed. Fires in full auto, and can return rounds that missed directly to the magazine.
Cons - Very low Charge Rate, Range, Stability, Mag Size, and Aim Assist. Below average Impact.
- Charge Rate: 10
- Impact: 78 (5 bolts to kill)
- Range: 28
- Stability: 14
- Reload Speed: 86
- Mag Size: 3
- Aim Assist: 30
Telesto - Available from Xur and random drops. Recommended Perks: CQB Ballistics, Battle Runner, Lightweight, Harbinger's Spark.
Pros - Very high Charge Rate and Stability. High Reload Speed. Bolts attach to targets and detonate with explosive force.
Cons - Low Impact, Aim Assist, Mag Size, and Range.
- Charge Rate: 37
- Impact: 71 (5 bolts to kill)
- Range: 35
- Stability: 82
- Reload Speed: 79
- Mag Size: 4
- Aim Assist: 40
TL;DR - If I had to make recommendations for each Impact sub-class, they would be as follows:
- High-Impact - The Vendor Hitchhiker FR4 is my first choice, simply because the roll is outstanding and it only takes 4 bolts to kill. Next is The Vacancy, also from the Vendor, with the recommended perks, which is an amazing choice, better overall stat-wise, even though it takes 5 bolts to kill. If you can get a similarThesan FR4 roll from the Gunsmith, then that would be another excellent option.
- Mid-Impact - Susanoo with the Recommended Perks is really the best option here, so lucky if you're a Warlock. If not, try to get a Panta Rhei with Accelerated Coils or Braced Frame, and you can make yourself a poor man's Susanoo.
- Low-Impact - The Vortex from the Vendor, with the recommended perks.
- Exotic - Plan C with recommended perks, or, for those of you who like the besto of the resto, Telesto with the recommended pesto.
