The bread and butter of any First Person Shooter are the firearms that are available to you, and in Destiny's Rise of Iron DLC, this maxim is especially true considering how many possible firearm permutations there are. However, this wide variety of firearms does mean that it can be hard to determine which weapon is going to be your weapon of choice. Fortunately, there are plenty of options that are available to you that should fit almost any playstyle. Check back on part 1 for the best Hand Cannons, Sidearms, and Auto-Rifles. Look out for Part 3 for Machine Guns, Rocket Launchers, Shotguns, and Fusion Rifles.
Part 2 of this guide covers Pulse Rifles, Scout Rifles, and Sniper Rifles. Due to their consistency and availability, the weapons featured in this guide are vendor weapons and thus cost 150 Legendary Marks.
Sniper Rifles
Event Horizon
Available from: Crucible Quartermaster
Perks: Grenadier/Spray and Play, Explosive Rounds/Smallbore, Hidden Hand
You may notice that there are no other Sniper Rifles in the Sniper Rifles section of this guide, and there's a good reason for that: Event Horizon is simply the best sniper rifle that you can get in Destiny's Rise of Iron DLC. With an Impact rating that puts it in the same category as the Black Hammer/Spindle, you can reliably kill most normal sized enemies in PvE with a single shot. The magazine size and low rate of fire makes the Event Horizon somewhat unwieldy in the Crucible, but by no means should you discount the fact that its high impact makes it much more effective at finishing people off with a body shot than most other sniper rifles. The perks are just extra icing on the cake.
Scout Rifles
The Hero Formula
Available from: Crucible Quartermaster
Perks: Life Support/Who's Next?, Explosive Rounds/Braced Frame, Third Eye
With its relatively high fire rate and Third Eye, The Hero Formula is essentially a poor man's MIDA Multi-tool. While the initial perks are incredibly lackluster, it does possess Explosive Rounds. Needless to say, this makes The Hero Formula much more well suited for clearing trash mobs than most other Scout Rifles. It's highly recommended for Crucible usage if you prefer Scout Rifles and not for those who have slow or lazy trigger fingers.
The Wounded
Available from: Future War Cult
Perks: High Caliber Rounds/Quickdraw, Perfect Balance/Outlaw, Zen Moment
With rather middle of the road base states, The Wounded may seem rather average at first, but in reality it can be quite lethal if you manage to land your shots. With Zen Moment and Perfect Balance, The Wounded is incredibly similar to the Vision of Confluence, possessing very low recoil for its Impact rating. Without Full Auto, your finger might experience some discomfort or become weary, especially in Raid-like situations where extended firefights are a given.
Pulse Rifles
B-29 Party Favor
Available from: Crucible Quartermaster
Perks: Rodeo/Partial Refund, Rifled Barrel/Smallbore, Glass Half Full
The closest you can get to Halo's iconic Battle Rifle, the B-29 Party Favor is very accurate, features low recoil, and can kill in just a handful of bursts (in the Crucible at least). Obviously it's not recommended for extensive PvE as its high rate of fire and relatively low damage means that you're probably going to end up reloading a lot.
Parthian Shot
Available from: Vanguard Quaretermaster
Perks: Rodeo/Life Support, Rifled Barrel/Perfect Balance, Headseeker
The Parthian Shot is effectively a combination of Pulse Rifles and Scout Rifles: low rate of fire, high Impact, and weighty recoil. This makes it well-rounded in both Crucible and PvE, although it's extraordinarily poor at close range or when fighting multiple enemies.
The Waltz
Available from: Future War Cult
Perks: Armor-Piercing Rounds/Lightweight, Eye of the Storm/Perfect Balance, Rangefinder
The Waltz is the end result of trying to disguise an Auto-Rifle as a Pulse Rifle: stupidly high rate of fire that borders on automatic, very little recoil, and very little range. However, it is one of Destiny's better choices for close range fighting, being much more controllable than some Auto-Rifles while possessing some of the effective range that one expects from a Pulse Rifle.
Part 3 of this guide will focus on Machine Guns, Rocket Launchers, Shotguns, and Fusion Rifles; weapons for those situations where something really needs to die.