Most popular / successful (?) guns on each Trials map
I am always looking to see if I can improve my chances of getting to the Lighthouse. Aswell as practicing pvp, learning map location callouts, I wondered whether maps had a noticeable effect on weapon loadout (specifically Primary and Special).
Do maps override the meta and should I consider my loadout for every single pvp Trials map?
Please note:
1) This is not necessarily a list of the best guns you could /should use. This is because (as you know) apart from Exotic weapons, legendary weapons have many different perks /rolls. The same legendary gun is not necessarily equal or as desirable.
2) Great players (this will never be me) can make any loadout work. This is really a quick look at what the vast majority of players are using on each map.
3) The data I have looked at is limited in that some maps have not been used since the last weapons balancing on the 09/08/2016. The weapons that were most used on the maps before this date are not necessarily best now. I am still going to list them but the current meta on these maps may well have changed.
4) Although Trials is competitive, you should always use the guns you are most comfortable with.
Methodology
I went to http://destinytrialsreport.com/ and looked at all the maps they had data on. I then made a list of the most used weapon (Primary and Special) on each map. I have also listed additional weapons when the usage percentages were close. All the maps that are in Bold are maps that have been used since the latest weapons balance on the 09/08/2016
| Map(A-Z) | Primary | Special |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Asylum | Hand Cannon (38.30%) | Shotgun (48.65%) / Sniper (47.88%) |
| 2) Bannerfall | Scout Rifle (30.06) / Auto-Rifle (29.48%) | Sniper (68.47%) |
| 3) Black Shield | Pulse Rifle (31.02%) | Sniper (68.09%) |
| 4) Blind Watch | Pulse Rifle (33.69%) | Sniper (59.17% ) |
| 5) Burning Shrine | Pulse Rifle (45.94%) | Shotgun (53.65%) |
| 6) Exodus Blue | Hand Cannon (40.69%) | Sniper (52.41%) / Shotgun (43.86%) |
| 7) Firebase Delphi | Hand Cannon (33.05%) | Shotgun (47.80%) / Sniper (47.25%) |
| 8) First Light | Scout Rifle (57.26%) | Sniper (77.46%) |
| 9) Floating Gardens | Pulse Rifle (46.13%) | Shotgun (65.46%) |
| 10) Frontier | Scout Rifle (37.02%) | Sniper (63.59%) |
| 11) Memento | Scout Rifle (38.71%) | Sniper (58.74%) |
| 12) Pantheon | Hand Cannon (41.76%) | Sniper (62.73%) |
| 13) Rusted Lands | Scout Rifle (35.91%) | Sniper (67.17%) |
| 14) The Anomaly | Pulse Rifle (44.49%) | Shotgun (85.94%) |
| 15) The Cauldron | Pulse Rifle (44.61%) | Shotgun (81.55%) |
| 16) The Drifter | Pulse Rifle (35.42%) | Sniper (52.05%) / Shotgun (44.55%) |
| 17) The Last Exit | Pulse Rifle (35.43%) | Shotgun (56.59%) |
| 18) The Timekeeper | Auto-Rifle (35.45%) | Sniper (56.24%) |
| 19) Thieves’ Den | No data available | No data available |
| 20) Twilight Gap | Pulse Rifle (42.23%) | Shotgun (66.54%) |
| 21) Widow’s Court | Scout Rifle (41.90%) | Sniper (77.09%) |
Of the 20 maps so far used in Trials (excluding Thieves’ Den with no data available)
Most used primaries Pulse rifles were the most popular gun in 9 of the 20 maps. Scout Rifles followed closely - being the most popular in 7 out of 20 maps. Most used secondaries Sniper Rifles were the most popular secondary in 12 out 20 maps. Shotguns were the most popular in 8 out of 20 maps.
Post-patch analysis We can also look at the maps only used post patch, which suggests a change to the meta. We have seen 7 maps used since the update (Bold maps above).
Out the 7 maps, the most used Primary was a Pulse Rifle in 6 out of 7 (Scouts were preferred by the majority guardians on First Light.).
The most used Special was a Shotgun in 6 out of 7 maps (Snipers were preferred by the majority of guardians on First Light.).