The Best Destiny 2 Exotics
The Best Destiny 2 Exotics
Destiny 2 Exotics: Exotics are yellow/golden class weapons and armor with unique perks and stats. These powerful and unique items have a catch; you are only able to equip one Exotic weapon or armor at the same time. To clarify, only one yellow item can be available on each side of the load-out screen.
As well as changes to the way all armor works – increasing agility and damage recovery similar to how sub-classes worked in the original Destiny – Bungie also separately confirmed there are no unique weapon rolls, so each individual weapon will be the same stats as another (so no need to collect several Sunshot’s – they will all behave the same).
Destiny 2 Titan Exotics
- The base Attack/Defense cap for Exotic equipment depends on the expansions owned by the player.
- For Curse of Osiris owners, the cap is 330 Attack/Defense. For other players, the cap is 300 Attack/Defense.
- Exotic equipment can be Infused to improve its Attack or Defense value.
- Exotic equipment can be Infused into Legendary or Exotic equipment.
- Most Exotic equipment cannot be recolored with Shaders.
- Exotic Weapons and some Exotic Armor pieces can have their appearance changed using specific Ornaments.
- Exotic equipment can be altered with Mods.
- Exotic Weapons are always looted with a (Legendary) Kinetic Attack Mod already installed. Elemental mods cannot be installed on Exotic Weapons.
- Exotic Armor pieces are always looted with a Legendary Armor Mod already installed.
- Most Exotic equipment cannot be purchased directly from Faction Vendors.
- The inferior Legend of Acrius can be purchased from Benedict 99-40 while the player is working on specific steps of the Legend of Acrius quest.
- Exotic engrams must be taken to a Cryptarch to be decrypted.
- Collecting a piece of Exotic equipment permanently adds it to the account’s collection.
- Exotic equipment in the account’s collection can be purchased at one’s vault for 10 Legendary Shards.
- Quests that reward the player with a choice among several Exotic equipment items will not allow the player to choose items that are already in the account’s collection.
Acquisition – Exotic Equipment
- Exotic equipment may be obtained upon completion of certain quests.
- Exotic equipment may be purchased from Xur, Agent of the Nine for Legendary Shards.
Acquisition – Exotic Engrams
- Exotic engrams may drop randomly from defeated enemies.
- Exotic engrams may drop randomly from planetary chests.
- Exotic engrams may drop randomly from region chests.
- Exotic engrams may drop randomly from High-Value Target chests.
- Exotic engrams may drop randomly from Public Event chests.
- Exotic engrams may drop randomly from Lost Sector chests.
- Exotic engrams may drop randomly from Cayde’s loot stashes.
Acquisition – Non-Equipment Exotic Items
- Non-equipment Exotic items may be obtained upon completion of certain quests.
- Non-equipment Exotic items may be obtained randomly from decrypting seasonal Bright Engrams.
- Non-equipment Exotic items may be obtained randomly from the usage of Gleaming Boon of the Vanguard or Gleaming Boon of the Crucible consumables.
- Non-equipment Exotic items may be obtained from Tess Everis for Bright Dust.
Destiny 2 Warmind Exotics
Destiny 2 Exotics are the most sought-after items in the game and its expansions. They’re harder to get, they look sexier, and they have unique perks that will change your whole playstyle (or are just good fun). Here is every exotic weapon and armour piece in Destiny 2 and all its expansions so far, along with advice on how to get them, and our thoughts about whether they’re any good.
While Legendary gear is the meat of your build, Exotics are the spice. Their perks shake things up so dramatically that you can only have one Exotic weapon or armour piece equipped at a time, for the sake of balance (or sanity). Some are so impactful that they should be considered the linchpin of your build, and will have game-changing interplay with your subclass tree or certain Legendary weapons.

Like Legendaries, Exotics can be upgraded into masterworks, but there are some differences. Weapons require a special Exotic Masterwork Catalyst, which only drops under specific conditions that vary with each gun. All Exotics can be infused, but they don’t take shaders – instead they have special skins called ornaments, which you can get from Eververse.
Destiny 2 Hunter Exotics
Destiny 2 offers weapons and armor for players to add to their arsenal. The rarest of these is called Exotics. Exotics have unique perks, operating differently from their Legendary brethren. Players can equip only one piece of Exotic armor and one Exotic weapon at a time.
Exotics vary in their acquisition. Bungie locked some behind hard quests, ot hers behind events, and most behind random loot drops.
We’ve collected all of Destiny 2’s Exotics in one place to help you keep track of what they do and where you can find This guide is up to date as of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep’s release in October 2019. As Destiny 2 adds more Exotics and changes the effects or acquisition of existing gear, we’ll update the information below.
SEASON OF THE UNDYING EXOTIC WEAPONS
- Eriana’s Vow (Solar Special hand cannon)
- Monte Carlo (Kinetic auto rifle)
- Leviathan’s Breath (Heavy Void bow)
- Shadowkeep Exotic weapons
- Deathbringer (Void rocket launcher)
- Divinity (Arc Trace Rifle)
SHADOWKEEP EXOTIC ARMOR
- Assassin’s Cowl (Hunter helmet)
- Phoenix Cradle (Titan legs)
- Stormdancer’s Brace (Warlock chest)
SEASON OF OPULENCE EXOTIC WEAPONS
- Bad Juju (Kinetic pulse rifle)
- Lumina (Kinetic hand cannon)
- Tarrabah (Solar submachine gun)
- Truth (Void rocket launcher)
SEASON OF OPULENCE EXOTIC ARMOR
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Khepri’s Sting (Hunter gauntlets)
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Peregrine Greaves (Titan legs)
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Astrocyte Verse (Warlock helmet)
SEASON OF THE DRIFTER EXOTIC WEAPONS
- Arbalest (Kinetic linear fusion rifle)
- Outbreak Perfected (Kinetic pulse rifle)
- Thorn (Kinetic hand cannon)
SEASON OF THE DRIFTER EXOTIC ARMOR
- Liar’s Handshake (Hunter gauntlets)
- Stronghold (Titan gauntlets)
- Getaway Artist (Warlock gauntlets)
Destiny 2 All Exotics

With so many different armour and weapons to choose from, we know it can be overwhelming, Guardian, and we know all too well that what you equip can make all the difference as you take on the alien hordes in Destiny 2.
That’s why we’ve put together this definitive list of the best Destiny 2 Exotics in the game right now, coupled with our suggestions as to why it might – or might not – be the perfect Exotic option for you. See you out there, Guardian…
Why should you use it? You can select whatever elemental damage you want with the Borealis, which makes it great for Nightfalls. Breaking an enemy shield will return a bullet to your map, and breaking one of the same shield energy type as you grants bonus damage for the rest of the magazine, too.
Name: Cerberus+1
Type: Auto rifle
Gained by: Drops, Engrams, Vendor
Why should you use it? What it lacks in looks, the Cerberus+1 makes up for in power. Named after the hellhound itself, it has not three heads but four, and shoots 360 RPM in four directions. Four bullets are fired from the quad-barrelled gun at once, while aiming down sights tightens the bullets spread.
How many exotics can you equip in Destiny 2?
You can also only equip one exotic armor piece and one exotic weapon at a time, although there are also exotic emotes, Sparrows and ships that are only cosmetic. So technically you can have up to five exotics equipped, although only two will give you any in-game advantage.
How do you get old exotics in Destiny 2?
If you previously owned one, go to it and then press X/A to reacquire it. There’s two important things to keep in mind about accessing your collection of armor and weapons in Destiny 2: Forsaken. First, it will cost you legendary shards, glimmer, and in the case of exotics, gunsmith materials, in order to get it back.
What is the best exotic in Destiny 2?
- Graviton Lance.
- Skyburner’s Oath.
- Sleeper Simulant.
- Riskrunner.
- Tractor Cannon.
- Sunshot.
- Vigilance Wing.
- Prometheus Lens. Don’t look now, but this thing is a total monster in PvE, between burning through trash mobs with auto-reload and sizzling threw yellow bar enemies.