Exotic armor pieces are truly a unique and important part of Destiny 2. While weapons get most of the attention, your choice of armor plays a crucial role too. This is especially true for Exotic armor, as that one single piece of equipment can elevate your playstyle and lethality to new levels. Destiny 2 is all about finding synergies within your gear, and Exotic armor is often the first piece of the puzzle.
This guide covers every Titan Exotic in Destiny 2. We’ll rank them from best to worst, and explain how to use them for maximum lethality.
Updated as of Season of the Seraph (S19).
Destiny 2 Titan Exotics Tier list
The Tier list below includes every Titan Exotic armor piece in the game. It starts with the S Tier weapons and moves down from there:
Name
Type
Rank
Excels
Subclass
Source
Requirements
Armor
Tier rank
Subclass?
Final Verdict
Class
Heart of Inmost Light
Chest
S › Best
PvE + PvP
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Heart of Inmost Light
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvE + PvP
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Using an ability (grenade, melee, or Barricade) empowers the other two abilities. Empowered means abilities have faster regen, melees and grenades do more damage, and Barricades have more hit points."
► Perhaps the strongest titan exotic in the current sandbox, Heart of Inmost Light's exotic perk results in more powerful abilities more often which makes it almost uncontested in PVE and PVP.
Titan
Dunemarchers
Legs
S › Best
PvE
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Dunemarchers
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvE
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Increases sprint speed. Sprinting builds up a static charge. After melee-attacking an enemy, that charge will chain damage to nearby enemies."
► Whilst the chain lightning created by Dunemarchers can be utilised in PVE, it is best used in PVP with the combination of the enhanced slide to make plays as the 85-damage chain can help win fights.
Titan
Wormgod Caress
Arms
S › Best
PvE
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Wormgod Caress
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvE
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Melee kills increase melee damage for a period of time. Additional kills extend duration and increase effects."
► Whilst taking more set-up compared to Synthoceps, the combination of damage stacking and Wormgod Caress can lead to some of the strongest builds in the game.
Titan
Synthoceps
Arms
S › Best
PvE + PvP
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Synthoceps
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvE + PvP
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Increased melee lunge range. Improved melee and Super damage when you're surrounded."
► Great in both PVE and PVP for melee-focused builds and general gameplay. The extra melee range is very strong in PVP and the damage increase can be used with other perks to one punch.
Titan
Peacekeepers
Legs
S › Best
PvP
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Peacekeepers
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvP
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Reloads stowed Submachine Guns and allows you to ready them instantly. Improves your handling with SMGs and your movement while wielding one."
► Peacekeepers grant numerous buffs to SMGs when equipped allowing for a far more aggressive playstyle inside PVP.
Titan
One-Eyed Mask
Helm
S › Best
PvP
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
One-Eyed Mask
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvP
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Highlights the enemy who dares to damage you. Track down and destroy your enemy for an overshield."
► A well-rounded exotic that excels in PVP and rewards kills allowing for you to easily go on streaks due to the overshield it generates.
Titan
Loreley Splendor Helm
Helm
S › Best
PvE + PvP
Solar
Lost Sectors
The Witch Queen
Loreley Splendor Helm
Best
❘ S
Excels in: PvE + PvP
Solar
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors
Exotic Perk: "When you have Sun Warrior, your Sunspots heal you. When you are critically wounded, create a Sunspot at your location."
► Even after the nerf, Lorely is still one of the strongest builds for endgame content. With the right setup, you can be almost immortal. Check out the Top Titan Builds for an example.
Titan
Citan's Ramparts
Arms
A › Strong
PvP
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Shadowkeep
Citan's Ramparts
Strong
❘ A
Excels in: PvP
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "You and your allies can shoot through your Towering Barricade, which has reduced health and duration."
► Citan's Ramparts is an incredibly strong exotic in the right situation. It excels at high stakes and slower game modes like trials or competitive but is less effective in fast-paced 6s. The enhanced barricade allows for a safe way to control space/get a pick.
Titan
Doom Fang Pauldron
Arms
A › Strong
PvE
Void
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Doom Fang Pauldron
Strong
❘ A
Excels in: PvE
Void
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Void melee kills give Super energy. While Sentinel Shield is active, melee kills recharge Shield Throw, which extends your Super on hits."
► With the addition of Void 3.0, Doomfang allows for some great melee builds that can use both the shield throw and bash. Check out the Top Titan Builds for an example.
Titan
Crest of Alpha Lupi
Chest
A › Strong
PvE + PvP
Void
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Crest of Alpha Lupi
Strong
❘ A
Excels in: PvE + PvP
Void
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Generates an additional Orb of Power from Supers and a healing pulse when Barricade is activated."
► The small healing pulse when casting barricade can come in handy both in PVP and PVE. The ability to generate an extra orb can also be very valuable on certain subclasses like Ward of Dawn.
Titan
Aeon Safe
Arms
A › Strong
PvE
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Aeon Safe
Strong
❘ A
Excels in: PvE
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk? Instead of an Intrinsic perk, Aeon Exotics have an additional mod socket which is used for Aeon Cult mods.
► An extremely valuable exotic for end game Fireteam based activities such as Raids and GMs, and the ability to tailor the exotic perk to the situation makes it a very strong choice in a team setting.
Titan
Precious Scars
Helm
A › Strong
PvE
Neutral
Lost Sectors
Beyond Light
Precious Scars
Strong
❘ A
Excels in: PvE
Neutral
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors
Exotic Perk: "Final blows from weapons with a damage type matching your subclass energy create a burst of healing around you. After reviving or being revived, you gain an aura that provides overshields to you and nearby allies."
► After the rework, the exotic perk provides a great source of healing both after resurrections and in general combat. The only downside is having to match the weapon and subclass element.
Titan
The Path of Burning Steps
Legs
A › Strong
PvE + PvP
Solar
Lost Sectors
Beyond Light
The Path of Burning Steps
Strong
❘ A
Excels in: PvE + PvP
Solar
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors
Exotic Perk: "Solar final blows periodically grant you an escalating bonus to weapon damage. You are harder to slow or freeze with Stasis, and when you break out, you take no damage from doing so, creating a burst of Solar energy around yourself."
► With the addition of Solar 3.0 and Radiant, it has become a lot easier to make this exotic work. The damage bonus stacks with Radiant making weapons hit a lot harder.
Titan
Hoarfrost-Z
Chest
A › Strong
PvE
Stasis
Lost Sectors
The Witch Queen
Hoarfrost-Z
Strong
❘ A
Excels in: PvE
Stasis
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors
Exotic Perk: "When using the Stasis subclass, your Barricade becomes a wall of Stasis crystals that slows nearby targets when created. Standing behind this barricade will grant you and your allies increased weapon reload speed, stability, and range."
► Stasis has been a viable option in both PVE and PVP. Most titan builds revolve around energy generation using crystal, making Hoarfrost-Z an ideal choice for stasis builds.
Titan
An Insurmountable Skullfort
Helm
B › Average
PvE
Arc
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
An Insurmountable Skullfort
Average
❘ B
Excels in: PvE
Arc
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Kills with Arc melee abilities trigger health regeneration and restore melee energy."
► With the addition of Arc 3.0, the ability to chain the new arc melees makes An Insurmountable Skullfort a great option for early to mid-game content. When you can guarantee that you can maintain the exotic perk, it allows you to easily clear waves of ads without using any ammo.
Titan
Lion Rampant
Legs
B › Average
PvE + PvP
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Lion Rampant
Average
❘ B
Excels in: PvE + PvP
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Provides additional aerial maneuverability and enables accurate hipfire while you're in the air during Lift."
► Always helpful for jumping puzzles found in raids and dungeons, its good to always have a pair in your inventory.
Titan
Helm of Saint-14
Helm
B › Average
-
Void
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Helm of Saint-14
Average
❘ B
Void
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Enemies that enter Ward of Dawn are blinded, while allies that pass through gain an overshield. Guarding with Sentinel Shield blinds nearby enemies."
► Helm of Saint-14 is a very niche exotic that is easily outdone by others. The overshield and blinding are not worth trading the exotic slot when bubble is already very strong.
Titan
Ursa Furiosa
Arms
B › Average
PvE
Void
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Ursa Furiosa
Average
❘ B
Excels in: PvE
Void
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Move faster while guarding when Sentinel Shield is active. Guarded damage converts to Super energy when the Super ends."
► After the general nerfs to super regeneration, this exotic has lost value. Whilst it can be good in niche situations, it is often better to run another more powerful exotic.
Titan
Armamentarium
Chest
B › Average
PvE + PvP
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Armamentarium
Average
❘ B
Excels in: PvE + PvP
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Gain an additional grenade charge."
► A strong exotic that can be used effectively for all subclasses. It benefits from the ability-focused sandbox in both PVE and PVP but gets outshined by other ability-based exotics like Heart of Inmost Light.
Titan
Peregrine Greaves
Legs
B › Average
PvE + PvP
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Peregrine Greaves
Average
❘ B
Excels in: PvE + PvP
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "All shoulder charge abilities (Seismic Strike, Hammer Strike, or Shield Bash) deal bonus damage when activated in the air."
► Peregrine Greaves can allow for some unexpected one-shots in PVP. In PVE they are a viable choice, especially when combined with a 1-2 punch build.
Titan
Hallowfire Heart
Chest
B › Average
-
Solar
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Hallowfire Heart
Average
❘ B
Solar
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Improves the recharge rate of your Solar abilities. Greatly improves recharge rate while your Super is charged."
► Hollowfire Heart is easy to use/build around and be used as a gateway into build-crafting. However it is easily outshined by Heart of Inmost Light.
Titan
Phoenix Cradle
Legs
B › Average
PvE
Solar
Exotic Engrams
Shadowkeep
Phoenix Cradle
Average
❘ B
Excels in: PvE
Solar
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Sun Warrior lasts twice as long. Allies who pass through your Sunspots are granted Sun Warrior."
► After Solar 3.0 and the addition of Restoration, Phoenix Cradle has become a viable option for early to mid-game content. However, they only find use in fireteam content and don't get value in solo content.
Titan
Antaeus Wards
Legs
B › Average
PvP
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Antaeus Wards
Average
❘ B
Excels in: PvP
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Improved slide. Sliding after sprinting for a short time reflects incoming projectiles."
► Antaeus Wards allow you to adopt a more aggressive playstyle due to the brief period of reflection when sliding. They excel the most in PVP however the reflection time is small and needs great timing to get value.
Titan
Stronghold
Arms
B › Average
PvE
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Stronghold
Average
❘ B
Excels in: PvE
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Maximizes Guard stats on equipped Swords. Shots blocked immediately after guarding will heal you."
► Stronghold buffs using a sword greatly and allows for sword-based loadouts in higher-level content. However, endgame activities such as raids and GMs are often not suitable for swords.
Titan
Actium War Rig
Chest
C › Weak
-
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Actium War Rig
Weak
❘ C
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Steadily reloads a portion of your equipped Auto Rifle's or Machine Gun's magazine from reserves."
► When the seasonal champion mods benefit from Actium War Rig, this exotic allows for long durations of sustained fire whilst combating tougher enemies. However, due to the ability heavy sandbox and its role as an exotic that helps with ad-clear, it falls behind other exotics that can enhance your abilities even further .
Titan
Ashen Wake
Arms
C › Weak
-
Solar
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Ashen Wake
Weak
❘ C
Solar
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Fusion Grenades now explode on impact and gain increased throw speed. Final blows with Fusion Grenades grant grenade energy."
► A very niche exotic that requires a lot of setup to gain value. With the addition of Solar 3.0, it has seen an increase in effectiveness but not enough to make it worth choosing.
Titan
No Backup Plans
Arms
C › Weak
-
Neutral
Lost Sectors
Beyond Light
No Backup Plans
Weak
❘ C
Neutral
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors
Exotic Perk: "When you have full melee energy, Shotgun final blows activate your Defensive Strike and consume your melee energy. Shotgun final blows also give you melee energy."
► Whilst it can be valuable in its niche, the current sandbox doesn't favour the playstyle required to get the most from this exotic.
Titan
Second Chance
Arms
C › Weak
PvE
Void
Lost Sectors
The Witch Queen
Second Chance
Weak
❘ C
Excels in: PvE
Void
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors
Exotic Perk: "Gain a second charge of your Shield Throw melee, which becomes shield-piercing and stuns Barrier Champions."
► Whilst the second shield throw is valuable, its main role of stunning anti-barrier champs is easily outshined by the seasonal mods and exotic weapons.
Titan
Mask of the Quiet One
Helm
D › Worst
-
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Mask of the Quiet One
Worst
❘ D
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Grants ability energy when you're damaged. When critically wounded, regain maximum health on kills."
► Both parts of the exotic perk grant very small amounts of abilities and health respectively. Whilst it does heal you to maximum health, this is not maximum shields which makes it far less significant.
Titan
Khepri's Horn
Helm
D › Worst
-
Solar
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Khepri's Horn
Worst
❘ D
Solar
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Solar damage kills recharge your Barricade, which unleashes a blast of Solar energy when summoned."
► A very niche exotic that can sometimes be used inside PVP to surprise opponents. Heavily outclassed by other exotics.
Titan
Mk. 44 Stand Asides
Legs
D › Worst
-
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Mk. 44 Stand Asides
Worst
❘ D
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Grants an overshield when you're sprinting at full health with Seismic Strike, Hammer Strike, or Shield Bash equipped and charged. Hits with these abilities recharge a portion of your melee energy."
► Not only does this exotic only work with a shoulder charge melee, but the overshield it grants can also easily be destroyed and struggles for value.
Titan
Severance Enclosure
Chest
D › Worst
-
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Shadowkeep
Severance Enclosure
Worst
❘ D
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Powered melee final blows unleash a damaging explosion. Finishers and final blows against more powerful targets increase the radius and damage of the explosion."
► There are many sources of weakening in the game currently, and the size of the explosion plus the set-up required to generate puts Severance Enclosure in a weak spot.
Titan
ACD/0 Feedback Fence
Arms
D › Worst
-
Neutral
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
ACD/0 Feedback Fence
Worst
❘ D
Neutral
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Melee hits build energy. Being struck by a melee attack reduces incoming damage and unleashes the energy in a devastating explosion."
► A very situational exotic that requires you to be within close range of lots of ads to get value. As an exotic that aids with ad-clear, there are far better options that do both ad-clear and extra.
Titan
Icefall Mantle
Arms
D › Worst
-
Stasis
Lost Sectors
Beyond Light
Icefall Mantle
Worst
❘ D
Stasis
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors
Exotic Perk: "Replaces your Barricade ability with a personal overshield. When you activate your Barricade, you create a burst around yourself that slows combatants. While you have the overshield, you are slowed and Barricade does not recharge."
► The drawbacks of Icefall Mantle outweigh the positives it grants. The slowed movement speed is a hindrance in both PVE and PVP.
Titan
Point-Contact Cannon Brace
Arms
D › Worst
-
Arc
Lost Sectors
The Witch Queen
Point-Contact Cannon Brace
Worst
❘ D
Arc
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors
Exotic Perk: "Defeating targets with your Thunderclap melee restores melee energy. Targets near you when you use your Thunderclap suffer lightning strikes; being amplified increases the range of these lightning strikes."
► With the lightning strikes that it generates being negiable and the fact it only works with Thunderclap, its a hard choice to take it over other options like An Insurmountable Skull Fort.
Titan
Eternal Warrior
Helm
Swap
PvP
Arc
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Eternal Warrior
Swap
Excels in: PvP
Arc
Source: Exotic Engrams
Exotic Perk: "Gain an overshield when activating Fists of Havoc."
► Eternal Warrior is a great exotic to swap to in PVP before casting Fists of Havoc. The bonus overshield can be critical in closing down the gap.
Titan
Cuirass of the Falling Star
Chest
Swap
PvE
Arc
Lost Sectors
Beyond Light
Cuirass of the Falling Star
Swap
Excels in: PvE
Arc
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors
Exotic Perk: "Greatly increases your Thundercrash impact damage. Gain an overshield that lasts longer the farther you travel before striking a target."
► The damage boost granted to Thundercrash is very strong in PVE and is best used as a SWAP exotic.
Titan
Cadmus Ridge Lancecap
Helm
Stasis
Lost Sectors
Lightfall
Cadmus Ridge Lancecap
Stasis
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors
Exotic Perk: "Diamond Lances create Stasis crystals on impact when thrown, with more crystals created by hitting bosses and vehicles. While using a Stasis subclass and behind your rally barricade, rapid precision hits and combatant final blows with a Stasis weapon creates a Diamond Lance near you."
►
Titan
Abeyant Leap
Legs
Strand
Lost Sectors
Lightfall
Abeyant Leap
Strand
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors
Exotic Perk: "Drengr's Lash spawns two additional projectiles, tracks targets more aggressively, and travels farther. Gain Woven Mail when suspending targets."
►
Titan
These are the different Tier levels used for this ranking:
S Tier – Best: Highest ranking armor.
A Tier – Strong: Very strong armor, but not on the same level as S Tier Choices.
B Tier – Average: Decent choices that can be lethal in the hands of a skilled player.
C Tier – Weak: The middle of the pack, somewhat mediocre.
D Tier – Worst: Lagging behind the competition, these don’t have much to offer.
Swaps: You’ll see a couple of armor pieces ranked as “Swap.” Swap refers to those armor pieces that are generally not great but can be excellent in very specific situations, namely when using your Super. For that reason, these deserve a different ranking as they still have a place in your loadout.
This section not only covers the top Exotic armor pieces for Titans currently in the game, but it also tells you where you can find them. On top of being top-tier options for PvE and PvP, some of them look great. So much so that they are often seen in Destiny 2 fashion contests.
Overall, these are our Top 10 favorite Titan Exotics for PVE and PVP.
10. Aeon Safe
Excels in PvE
For most of their life, the Aeon Cult exotics have been extremely lackluster. However, they got a substantial rework in Season of the Chosen, allowing the user to benefit both their fireteam and themselves in various ways.
Aeon Soul doesn’t have a normal exotic perk. To replace it, it has three different unique mods you can select. These allow you to customize what the exotic does for you and your team, while also staying as powerful as any other exotic.
The most popular of the three mods is “Sect of Insight” by far. This mod allows you to generate ammo for the rest of your fireteam (not yourself) by finishing different types of enemies. Finishing Elites (things like Honored Legionaries or Quantum Goblins) gives special ammo, and finishing minibosses or bosses (like Champions) gives heavy.
While Sect of Insight is widely regarded as the strongest of the three mods, each one is extremely unique and can benefit your team in a variety of ways. Overall, this exotic gives strong benefits to the rest of your team and is a great option to run in any team-based PVE activity.
How to get it: Aeon Safe can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
Armor
Class
Type
Requirements
Source
Released
Requires
Exotic Perk
Aeon Safe
Titan
Arms
Free-to-Play
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Exotic Perk? Instead of an Intrinsic perk, Aeon Exotics have an additional mod socket which is used for Aeon Cult mods.
9. Hoarfrost-Z
Excels in PvE
Most of the time when an exotic is tied to a subclass it means it is very good in that area. That is the case for the combination of Hoarfrost-Z and Stasis.
Glacial Fortification turns your barricade into a wall of stasis crystals. Not only does this wall have a lowered area to shoot through, but it also acts as both a rally barricade and a source of stasis crystals. The best stasis Titan builds revolve around generating and maintaining as many stasis crystals as possible. Hoarfrost-Z helps to provide an additional source of stasis crystals, making these builds easier to sustain.
It can also be paired with certain stasis aspects and fragments to help give damage reduction when you are near it and provide energy to your other abilities when you destroy a crystal. This way it can function in a similar way to Heart of Inmost Light and allow for a high ability uptime.
How to get it: Hoarfrost-Z can only via acquired via solo Legend/Master Lost Sectors.
Armor
Class
Type
Requirements
Source
Released
Requires
Exotic Perk
Hoarfrost-Z
Titan
Chest
The Witch Queen
Lost Sectors
Season 16
The Witch Queen
Exotic Perk: "When using the Stasis subclass, your Barricade becomes a wall of Stasis crystals that slows nearby targets when created. Standing behind this barricade will grant you and your allies increased weapon reload speed, stability, and range."
8. Cuirass of the Falling Star
Excels in PvE
Cuirass of the Falling Star is perhaps the best example of a “Swap” Exotic. It turns Thundercrash from a mid-tier super to an S-tier super.
This exotic doubles the damage of Thundercrash and provides an overshield after the super ends. Glorious Charge makes Thundercrash one of the best DPS supers in the game due to how much damage it adds. The super can be used quickly for some instant damage, and then you can retreat to use your DPS weapons. This is made easier by the overshield that it generates when you strike someone. This overshield lasts longer based on the duration of your flight so even if the target is far away, the overshield will last until you can get back in cover.
It only adds value to your Thundercrash exotic and hence is best used as a “Swap” Exotic. This means it doesn’t cost your neutral game anything and you can still use other exotics, only swapping to Cuirass for super damage.
How to get it: Cuirass of the Falling Star can only via acquired via solo Legend/Master Lost Sectors.
Armor
Class
Type
Requirements
Source
Released
Requires
Exotic Perk
Cuirass of the Falling Star
Titan
Chest
Beyond Light
Lost Sectors
Season 13
Beyond Light
Exotic Perk: "Greatly increases your Thundercrash impact damage. Gain an overshield that lasts longer the farther you travel before striking a target."
7. Wormgod Caress
Excels in PvE
Wormgod Caress got its time in the spotlight with the introduction of the 3.0 subclasses and the 1-2 Punch perk. By stacking the exotic perk and using certain melees, it is possible to one-hit bosses and even solo raid encounters.
Burning Fists is the name of the exotic perk and grants a scaling increase to your melee damage whenever you get a melee kill. The full potential was unlocked when Bungie allowed separate keybinds for your charged and normal melee. This allows you to build up the stacks with normal melees before using your charged melee to deal the big final blow. Other abilities and melee buffs can also be stacked on top of this for some of the highest one-shot damage in the game.
A good example of a strong Wormgod Caress loadout would be Void 3.0 sentinel with Bastion and Offensive Bulwark aspects. These work together to increase melee damage when you have an overshield which is granted by casting your barricade. A 1-2 Punch shotgun can also be used with the Sheild Bash melee to nuke bosses.
How to get it: Wormgod Caress can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
Armor
Class
Type
Requirements
Source
Released
Requires
Exotic Perk
Wormgod Caress
Titan
Arms
Free-to-Play
Exotic Engrams
Season 5
Free-to-Play
Exotic Perk: "Melee kills increase melee damage for a period of time. Additional kills extend duration and increase effects."
6. Synthoceps
Excels in PvE and PvP
An exotic that excels at what titan does best: punching things. Used effectively in both PVE and PVP, Synthoceps offer a great base to build a melee-focused build.
As the game has changed Synthoceps have gotten stronger since when they first released. Additions such as 1-2 punch and surrounded weapons are ideal to pair with Synthoceps. This is because the exotic perk, Biotic Enhancements, increases your melee and super damage if you are close to 3 or more enemies. This works hand in hand to create a front-line brawler playstyle.
Synthoceps also find great value inside the crucible as the extra lunge range they grant can be helpful when paired with a shotgun for a longer-than-normal shotgun-melee combo. The 7m can catch people off guard and can allow you to easily win melee fights by punching from out of their reach.
How to get it: Synthoceps can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
Armor
Class
Type
Requirements
Source
Released
Requires
Exotic Perk
Synthoceps
Titan
Arms
Free-to-Play
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Exotic Perk: "Increased melee lunge range. Improved melee and Super damage when you're surrounded."
5. Peacekeepers
Excels in PvP
SMGs are currently very strong in the sandbox and have been a viable choice for a while. Peacekeepers take SMGs to the next level by granting a large number of buffs to make SMGs even more deadly.
Peacekeepers add a total of 7 different buffs when you are using an SMG, more than any other exotic. They passively grant 40 Airborne Effectiveness, 50 mobility, increased sprint speed and slide distance, bonus FOV when ADS, and 100 Handling with a 0.6x animation. This adds up to make SMGs have almost instant swapping speeds and the mobility bonus plays a huge role in closing the gap to get within SMG ranges.
Peacekeepers also reload your SMG when it is not equipped making this exotic provide lots of value even without holding an SMG. Peacekeepers are a game changer for SMGs and create a far more aggressive and powerful playstyle when using them.
How to get it: Peacekeepers can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
Armor
Class
Type
Requirements
Source
Released
Requires
Exotic Perk
Peacekeepers
Titan
Legs
Free-to-Play
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Exotic Perk: "Reloads stowed Submachine Guns and allows you to ready them instantly. Improves your handling with SMGs and your movement while wielding one."
4. One-Eyed Mask
Excels in PvP
Ever since its debut in Forsaken, the One-Eyed Mask has become an infamous exotic inside the crucible. Even after receiving multiple nerfs it still manages to hold its own and be a great choice for PVP.
One-Eyed Mask’s exotic perk is Vengeance. This works by granting you an overshield for defeating a target that had damaged you. Whilst it no longer possesses the tracking through walls, it still highlights the target that damaged you making it easy for you to track them. The 95HP overshield is incredibly useful inside PVP as the extra health can alter the TTK of weapons giving you a clear advantage in 1v1 situations.
Despite not being as strong as its prime, the One-Eyed Mask is a great choice for PVP if you want to play an aggressive playstyle and get rewarded for chaining kills.
How to get it: One-Eyed Mask can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
Armor
Class
Type
Requirements
Source
Released
Requires
Exotic Perk
One-Eyed Mask
Titan
Helm
Free-to-Play
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Exotic Perk: "Highlights the enemy who dares to damage you. Track down and destroy your enemy for an overshield."
3. Loreley Splendor Helm
Excels in PvE and PvP
When it was first released in Season 16, Loreley was nothing groundbreaking and an average choice at best. However, when Solar 3.0 came out Loreley quickly became one of the strongest exotics in the game.
Cauterizing Flame is the perk of this exotic and generates a sunspot when you reach critical health with your barricade charged or when you cast your barricade. With Solar 3.0 these sunspots granted Restoration, an extremely powerful healing ability. This is a solid foundation to make a variety of builds upon helping Loreley to cover a wide range of roles by using Solar 3.0 to the maximum.
Even after receiving a nerf, Loreley is still one of the go-to exotics for high-light-level activities as the easy source of Restoration makes harder-hitting enemies more manageable.
How to get it: Loreley Splendor Helm can only via acquired via solo Legend/Master Lost Sectors.
Armor
Class
Type
Requirements
Source
Released
Requires
Exotic Perk
Loreley Splendor Helm
Titan
Helm
The Witch Queen
Lost Sectors
Season 16
The Witch Queen
Exotic Perk: "When you have Sun Warrior, your Sunspots heal you. When you are critically wounded, create a Sunspot at your location."
2. Dunemarchers
Best PvP Titan Exotic in Destiny 2
Dunemarchers have been an iconic exotic inside the crucible ever since the game first came out. Whilst there have been occasions where another exotic has temporarily taken the top spot, Dunemarchers have always been a reliable pick that has withstood the test of time.
Dunemarchers grant an increased sprint speed and slide distance that works in tandem with the main part of the exotic perk. Linear Actuators build an arc charge when sprinting for more than 1.5s. When you then melee someone, this charge is released in the form of chain lightning that does 85 damage to enemies within 20m. This is incredibly strong inside PVP as the extra damage can allow for easier clean-ups when paired with a CQC weapon like a shotgun or one of Titan’s many buffed melees.
The overall utility of Dunemarchers makes them the go-to pick for Titans looking for a fast-paced and aggressive playstyle within the crucible.
How to get it: Dunemarchers can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
Armor
Class
Type
Requirements
Source
Released
Requires
Exotic Perk
Dunemarchers
Titan
Legs
Free-to-Play
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Exotic Perk: "Increases sprint speed. Sprinting builds up a static charge. After melee-attacking an enemy, that charge will chain damage to nearby enemies."
1. Heart of Inmost Light
Best PvE Titan Exotic in Destiny 2
The Heart of Inmost Light has always been a solid option for all PVE content ranging from Strikes to Raids. With the addition of Stasis and the 3.0 subclasses, Heart of Inmost Light has become one of the most powerful exotics in the game.
Heart of Inmost Light’s exotic perk, Overflowing Light, buffs both the regeneration speed and strength of your abilities. It does this by giving you a stacking buff when you cast one of your abilities that empowers the others. This can stack up to 2x. With the combination of the in-depth customisation offered by the 3.0 subclasses and certain mod setups, Heart of Inmost Light can allow you to spam empowered abilities.
This exotic pairs perfectly with mods that reduce ability cooldowns such as bomber, kickstart, and well mods. Abilities in this current sandbox are incredibly strong and Heart of Inmost Light takes this to another level. Its greatest strength is in PVE, but it can also be used extremely well inside the crucible. More frequent and powerful abilities can easily dominate and provide a great way to take control of space.
How to get it: Heart of Inmost Light can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
Armor
Class
Type
Requirements
Source
Released
Requires
Exotic Perk
Heart of Inmost Light
Titan
Chest
Free-to-Play
Exotic Engrams
Free-to-Play
Exotic Perk: "Using an ability (grenade, melee, or Barricade) empowers the other two abilities. Empowered means abilities have faster regen, melees and grenades do more damage, and Barricades have more hit points."
Destiny 2 Titan Exotics sources: How to get them
Unlike Exotic weapons, finding Exotic armor is a straightforward affair. This is not to say it’s easy to farm for specific armor pieces. It, unfortunately, isn’t. To be fair, if you’re starting out and just want to find as many different exotics as possible, it can be done. Things become difficult when you are looking for good rolls of armor.
Exotic Engrams
Most Exotic armor can be found within Exotic Engrams: These can be found in the Season pass, they are sold by Xur and can also drop randomly at any time.
There isn’t much more to say about Exotic engrams, only that they have a higher chance to drop from end-game activities. If collecting exotics is your priority, Nightfall: The Ordeals are for you. And the higher the difficulty, the higher the chance to get one.
Lost Sectors
A few specific armor pieces can only be found in Legend and Master Lost Sectors when completed solo. Lost Sectors are on a daily rotation (with only one Legend and one Master available each day), as well as their rewards (one day will reward Legs pieces, the next day only Arms pieces, etc). You can find the daily rotation and list of exclusive Lost Sector Exotics here.
Ranking criteria
For the record, as much as we tried to keep this list as objective as possible, it’s still based on our personal experience playing the PC version of the game.
Finally, if you’re wondering what criteria was used to build this Tier list, these are the main factors I took into account:
Consistency: Some armor pieces may not have the highest DPS potential, but they are so consistent, they more than make up for their lower burst damage numbers.
Ease of use: Similar to the point above, some pieces are very effective because they are easy to use and don’t require too much skill or setup. This is also rewarded with higher rankings.
PVE/PVP Performance: High lethality in either PVE or PVP is equally valuable. However, an armor piece that is good at both PVE and PVP should rank higher than one that is slightly better on only PVE or PVP.
Fun factor: Not the most important factor, but it also helps if the weapon is damn fun to shoot with!
If you strongly disagree with some of the rankings here, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. By the way, what is your personal favorite?
This is absolutely amazing in both content and delivery… This is going to go a long way in helping me clean up the duplicate exotics that I might use one day but don’t know what super to pair them with… or the ideal distribution of stats…
Is there a spreadsheet of this available anywhere?
This is absolutely amazing in both content and delivery… This is going to go a long way in helping me clean up the duplicate exotics that I might use one day but don’t know what super to pair them with… or the ideal distribution of stats…
Is there a spreadsheet of this available anywhere?