Weapon Type:	Hand Cannon	Slot:	Kinetic
Ammo:	Primary	Source:	Exotic Quest

Weapon Type:	Rocket Launcher	Slot:	Heavy
Ammo:	Heavy	Source:	Final Encounter

Weapon Type:	Sniper Rifle	Slot:	Arc
Ammo:	Special	Source:	Empire Hunts

Weapon Type:	Sword	Slot:	Heavy
Ammo:	Heavy	Source:	Exotic Quest

Weapon Type:	Grenade Launcher	Slot:	Stasis Heavy
Ammo:	Heavy	Source:	Exotic Quest

Weapon Type:	Shotgun	Slot:	Energy
Ammo:	Special	Source:	Season 12 Pass

Weapon Type:	Pulse Rifle	Slot:	Kinetic
Ammo:	Primary	Source:	Beyond Light Deluxe

Weapon	Tier	Excels in	Drops from / Difficulty	Exotic Perk and Verdict	Type	Slot	Drops from	Requirements
The Lament \| Sword	Best ❘ S	PVE	Exotic Quest ❘ Easy	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Revving the blade increases damage, shield bypass, and adds shield piercing to all attacks. You also gain stacks when dealing damage with revved attacks. Additional stacks increase the damage and damage resistance of heavy attacks." ► Swords, in general, can deal some of the highest damage possible, but The Lament puts all other swords to shame. When used properly, The Lament's can both deal with Anti-Barrier champions and dish some the highest DPS numbers in the game.	Sword	Heavy	Exotic Quest	Beyond Light
Anarchy \| Grenade Launcher	Best ❘ S	PVE	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Grenades stick to surfaces and chain Arc bolts to other mines. It also has the Moving Target perk." ► With its damage over time, Anarchy is arguably the best boss-DPS Power weapon in Destiny 2. Generally speaking, it's often a favorite for raids and Grandmaster Ordeals, as it can deal a lot of tick damage while you and your fireteam use something like a slug shotgun or sniper rifle in parallel.	Grenade Launcher	Heavy	Exotic Kiosk	Forsaken
Xenophage \| Machine Gun	Best ❘ S	PVE	Exotic Quest ❘ Average	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Fires high-powered explosive ammunition. Aiming this weapon increases its effective range and zoom magnification." ► A nerf to snipers and a huge buff to Xenophage made it one of the best DPS weapons. With no precision damage, it's also easy to use and shreds against guardians in Gambit and PVP.	Machine Gun	Heavy	Exotic Quest	Shadowkeep
Ace of Spades \| Hand Cannon	Best ❘ S	PVP	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Precision kills increase reload speed and cause the target to explode. Reloading after a kill increases damage. Grants radar while aiming down sights." ► With a combination of Rampage, Dragonfly and great stats, Ace of Spades is a monster in PVP. It used to be overshadowed by 150 RPM hand cannons, but now that they're gone, Ace of Spades can shine again.	Hand Cannon	Kinetic	Exotic Kiosk	Forsaken
Trinity Ghoul \| Combat Bow	Best ❘ S	PVE	Random Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Fires an arrow that splits when released. Aiming down sights and fully drawing the bow both decrease the spread. Precision kills grant the next shot chain-lightning capabilities." ► Trinity Ghoul was average at best but with its new Catalyst, it became one of the best exotic primaries in this list and potentially the best ad-clear weapon in the entire game.	Combat Bow	Energy	Random Engram	Free-to-Play
Hawkmoon \| Hand Cannon	Best ❘ S	PVP	Exotic Quest ❘ Easy	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Final blows and precision hits with Hawkmoon grant stacks of Paracausal Charge. The final round in the magazine deals bonus damage based on the number of stacks. Stowing Hawkmoon on the final round removes this bonus." ► Many don't like it that Hawkmoon is not the same weapon it was in Destiny 1, but with an extremely lethal Exotic perk and off the charts stats, Hawkmoon is perhaps the best hand cannon we have ever seen.	Hand Cannon	Kinetic	Exotic Quest	Season 12
Divinity \| Trace Rifle	Best ❘ S	PVE	Raid ❘ Very Hard	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Sustained damage with this weapon envelops the target in a field that weakens and disrupts them." ► Able to deal with Overload Champions and to easily apply a huge debuff on everything, Divinity is a must in high-end PVE activities. It may relegate it user to a more "support" role, but it remains one of the most valuable weapons you can have.	Trace Rifle	Energy	Raid	Shadowkeep
Witherhoard \| Grenade Launcher	Best ❘ S	PVE	Unobtainable ❘ NA	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Projectiles fired blight the target or nearby area on impact. Blighted targets take damage over time and blight the nearby area on death." ► With the ability to inflict significant damage over time, Witherhoard acts like a "mini" Anarchy. This weapon has quickly become one of the go-to weapons for PVE, with many using it for the hardest solo feats.	Grenade Launcher	Kinetic	Unobtainable	Unobtainable
No Time to Explain \| Pulse Rifle	Best ❘ S	PVP	Deluxe Edition❘ Easy	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Precision shots and shots against combatants affected by Stasis return to the magazine. At 10 stacks, a small portal will open, shooting bullets from an alternate timeline version of this weapon. Precision hits extend the portal's duration" ► No Time to Explain is a PVP powerhouse. Not only is it part of the most deadly archetype for Pulse rifles (with insanely low TTKs), it also has great base stats and perks that make it nearly unstoppable when activated.	Pulse Rifle	Kinetic	Deluxe Edition	Beyond Light
Sturm \| Hand Cannon	Best ❘ S	PVP	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Kills fill the magazine of the equipped Energy weapon from reserves. Kills with Drang reload this weapon and provides bonus damage." ► Sturn is perhaps the most surprising weapon this Season. It went from completely forgotten to a top tier weapon in PVP overnight, largely thanks to the huge buff to 120 RPM hand cannons. And as the only 120 RPM exotic hand cannon, it also has insane stats.	Hand Cannon	Kinetic	Exotic Kiosk	Free-to-Play
Eriana's Vow \| Hand Cannon	Best ❘ S	PVE	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Fires special shield-piercing ammunition. Bonus damage when aiming down sights on the opening shot of an attack." ► Able to deal with Barrier Champions intrisically, Eriana's Vow can also dish serious damage. This makes it an excellent choice for high-end PVE content and has the community asking for more Exotics like this.	Hand Cannon	Energy	Exotic Kiosk	Shadowkeep
Thorn \| Hand Cannon	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Rounds pierce targets and deal damage over time. Kills leave behind Remnants which, when absorbed, increase damage." ► Considered a top tier PVP weapon for a long time, Thorn shows no signs of slowling down. It may have some more competition now that 150 RPM hand cannons became 140 RPM, but it remains best in class. Plus, with soul devour active, it can 2 tap guardians!	Hand Cannon	Kinetic	Exotic Kiosk	Forsaken
Izanagi's Burden \| Sniper Rifle	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Holding reload consumes the magazine and loads a round with additional range and damage." ► One of the top DPS weapons in the game, Izanagi's Burden is also easy to use, consistent and it never runs out of ammo (as it doesn't require Heavy ammo). While it no longer dominates as it used to just a few seasons ago, Izi remains a safe bet when facing endgame PVE content.	Sniper Rifle	Kinetic	Exotic Kiosk	Forsaken
MIDA Multi-Tool \| Scout Rifle	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "This weapon boosts move speed. Radar stays active while aiming down sights." ► MIDA Multi-Tool is definitely making a come back! Benefitng from a significant aim assist buff, MIDA has become a real threat in the Crucible. With good a TTK, a mobility bonus and excellent base stats, MIDA is potentially the best PVP Scout right now.	Scout Rifle	Kinetic	Exotic Kiosk	Free-to-Play
Riskrunner \| Submachine Gun	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Exotic Quest ❘ Easy	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "When taking Arc Damage, this weapon becomes more powerful and resists incoming Arc Damage. Shots fired can become chain lightning and return ammo. Kills extend the duration of the effect." ► An underrated primary exotic, Riskrunner shreds when facing arc-damage dealing enemies and makes you nearly invincible.	Submachine Gun	Energy	Exotic Quest	Free-to-Play
Cloudstrike \| Sniper Rifle	Strong ❘ A	PVE + PVP	Empire Hunts ❘ Average	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Precision final blows generate a lightning bolt at the target's location. Rapid precision hits create a lightning storm at the point of impact." ► Cloudstrike may feel like a lesser option for PVP. But once you get those lightning strikes going, it's capable of delivering true "holy sh$t moments" with ease. On PVE, it's hands down one of the strongest DPS options against bosses, something no one could have anticipated.	Sniper Rifle	Energy	Empire Hunts	Beyond Light
The Chaperone \| Shotgun	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Exotic Quest ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Fires a single-slug precision round. Precision kills briefly grant bonus handling, range, and precision damage with this weapon." ► With unparalleled range and accuracy, The Chaperone is the deadliest exotic shotgun in PVP. It certainly requires more skill than your average pellet shotgun, but in the right hands, The Chaperon can reach insane one-hit-kill distance!	Shotgun	Kinetic	Exotic Quest	Free-to-Play
Eyes of Tomorrow \| Rocket Launcher	Strong ❘ A	PVE + PVP	Raid ❘ Very Hard	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "This weapon is capable of tracking and firing at multiple targets simultaneously. Killing four or more combatants in a single volley increases the damage of the next volley." ► Eyes of Tomorrow has a damage reduction against Bosses, which was disappointing. But still, it remains a strong weapon overall, with high multikills potential in PVP and Gambit, and generally good DPS.	Rocket Launcher	Heavy	Raid	Beyond Light
Whisper of the Worm \| Sniper Rifle	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Unobtainable ❘ Unavailable	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Higher base precision damage. Rapidly landing three precision hits refills the magazine and missing a shot has a chance to return ammo." ► Whisper of the Worm is one of the best DPS weapons available, especially if you're a good shot. And since Izanagi's Burden was nerfed, it's again a high-end PVE favorite.	Sniper Rifle	Heavy	Unobtainable	Unobtainable
One Thousand Voices \| Fusion Rifle	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Raid ❘ Very Hard	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Charging this weapon unleashes a giant continuous beam of death. The beam superheats its targets upon impact, causing delayed explosions." ► Previously S Tier, this weapon has suffered from buffs and nerfs overall but it's still a DPS powerhouse.	Fusion Rifle	Heavy	Raid	Forsaken
Monte Carlo \| Auto Rifle	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Random Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Dealing damage with this weapon reduces melee cooldown and can fully charge your melee with each kill. Melee kills and kills with this weapon increase damage." ► On top of dealing a lot of damage, it's a mandatory part of any decent melee build out there.	Auto Rifle	Kinetic	Random Engram	Free-to-Play
Jötunn \| Fusion Rifle	Strong ❘ A	PVE + PVP	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Hold down the trigger to charge up a tracking shot that explodes and burns on impact. Energy matched shield explosion disorients enemies." ► My favorite Black Armory weapon, Jötunn is so powerful and easy to use, it almost feels like cheating. Experienced players may know how to counter it, but most will burn.	Fusion Rifle	Energy	Exotic Kiosk	Forsaken
Bastion \| Fusion Rifle	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Charge to fire 3 spreads of Kinetic slugs. A portion of this weapon's damage bypasses elemental shields." ► Each Bastion shot is like a shotgun shot with even more range. Most Fusion rifles are completely outmatched by shotguns in PVP, except Bastion, who can still hold its own.	Fusion Rifle	Kinetic	Exotic Kiosk	Shadowkeep
Thunderlord \| Machine Gun	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Random Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Kills with this weapon generate lightning strikes from above and increase reload speed for a short time." ► An absolute beast at killing ads, Thunderlord's lighting effects are both lethal and impressive to behold. It also has tons of ammo.	Machine Gun	Heavy	Random Engram	Forsaken
Sunshot \| Hand Cannon	Strong ❘ A	PVE + PVP	Random Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires explosive rounds. Targets killed with Sunshot explode in Solar energy." ► One of my personal favorites, Sunshot is not only stable and consistent, but it can also blow up entire waves of ads and make you feel like a god.	Hand Cannon	Energy	Random Engram	Free-to-Play
Traveler's Chosen \| Sidearm	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Unobtainable ❘ NA	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Final blows grant stacks of Gathering Light. Consuming stacks, grant melee, grenade, and class ability energy based on the number of stacks. Each stack of Gathering Light improves this weapon's reload, handling, and target acquisition." ► Capable of inflicting some of the highest DPS, sidearms are considered a safe bet in PVP. And Traveler's Chosen, the newest exotic in the game, is perhaps the best sidearm ever created. It has the best base stats ever seen on a sidearm AND it features an extremely useful and consistent exotic perk.	Sidearm	Kinetic	Unobtainable	Unobtainable
Outbreak Perfected \| Pulse Rifle	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Quest removed ❘ Unavailable	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "This weapon creates SIVA nanite swarms on rapid hits and precision kills and does more damage to enemies based on the number of SIVA nanites that attach to them." ► With its SIVA nanites, Outbreak Perfected does excellent damage, especially if others in your team are using it too.	Pulse Rifle	Kinetic	Unavailable	Forsaken
The Last Word \| Hand Cannon	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires full auto. Hip-fire shots deal bonus precision damage while increasing reload speed and accuracy." ► This weapon is hard to rank as it could be considered S Tier on console, but perhaps B-tier on PC. Either way, it's still strong and effective in spite of a nerf last season.	Hand Cannon	Kinetic	Exotic Kiosk	Forsaken
Heir Apparent \| Machine Gun	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Unobtainable ❘ NA	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "This weapon can be fired only when fully spun up. While at full health, spinning up this weapon protects you with an Arc Shield." ► Heir Apparent is one of the most original Exotics in Destiny 2. It's also a fun to use weapon that shreds. It may not have the best DPS but delivers good total DPS due to its huge magazine.	Machine Gun	Heavy	Unobtainable	Unobtainable
Crimson \| Hand Cannon	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Random Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires a 3-round burst. Kills with this weapon heal the wielder. Precision kills also refill the magazine." ► A pulse rifle in a hand cannon body, Crimson is dangerous weapon in the Crucible. The only reason you don't see it more often is that some of the other exotic hand cannons are excellent.	Hand Cannon	Kinetic	Random Engram	Free-to-Play
Fighting Lion \| Grenade Launcher	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Random Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Grenade projectiles will bounce off surfaces. Hold to fire, and release to detonate. Direct hits do more damage to enemy shields. Rapid kills against grenade-damaged enemies refill the magazine." ► Fighting Lion us one of the most fun weapons in the game and can perform in the hands of an experienced player (especially after some recent buffs).	Grenade Launcher	Energy	Random Engram	Free-to-Play
Legend of Acrius \| Shotgun	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Hard	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires blasts of high-damage Arc energy that over penetrates enemies. Its radar detects enemies from farther away." ► It can deliver some serious DPS, especially with the catalyst, but it could use a little buff to make it more relevant compared to the top DPS weapons.	Shotgun	Heavy	Exotic Kiosk	Free-to-Play
Rat King \| Sidearm	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "This fully automatic weapon becomes stronger when nearby allies also have it equipped. Reloading immediately after a kill grants a brief period of invisibility." ► One of the most unique primary weapons available, Rat King is strong using it by yourself and very strong using it with others.	Sidearm	Kinetic	Exotic Kiosk	Free-to-Play
The Wardcliff Coil \| Rocket Launcher	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Random Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires a volley of rockets and automatically reloads on ammo pickup." ► Rocket launchers are always out-DPSed by grenade launchers and are therefore rarely used in PVE. In PVP though, the Wardcliff Coil is one of the most effective weapons in Destiny 2.	Rocket Launcher	Heavy	Random Engram	Free-to-Play
Polaris Lance \| Scout Rifle	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Precision hits return ammo to the mag. Landing 4 precision hits loads a delayed Solar explosive round for your next shot." ► Definitely underrated, this is one of the best scout rifles in the game. And now that Scout rifles are finally viable in PVP, Polaris Lance can finally shine a little more.	Scout Rifle	Energy	Exotic Kiosk	Free-to-Play
Telesto \| Fusion Rifle	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Random Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Fusion projectiles attach and detonate with a delayed Void blast. Multikills with this weapon immediately reload your equipped Kinetic and Energy weapons from reserves." ► Telesto is a menace in PVP: Setting traps, getting multikills and shutting down Supers are all possible?	Fusion Rifle	Energy	Random Engram	Free-to-Play
Le Monarque \| Combat Bow	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Exotic Kiosk ❘ Average	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Arrows fired quickly after a full draw become poison arrows. Precision hits with poison arrows spread poison to nearby enemies." ► One of the best bows in the game, Le Monarque can be lethal in the hands of an experienced PVP player, especially when coupled with a Quickdraw hand cannon.	Combat Bow	Energy	Exotic Kiosk	Forsaken
The Huckleberry \| Submachine Gun	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Random Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Increased rate of fire and recoil while you're holding down the trigger. Kills with this weapon temporarily grant increased damage and partially reload the magazine." ► SMGs may be outperformed by Assault Rifles right now but The Huckleberry is still an ad killing beast and a pleasure to use.	Submachine Gun	Kinetic	Random Engram	Free-to-Play
Tractor Cannon \| Shotgun	Strong ❘ A	PVE	Random Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "This weapon emits a powerful impulse that pushes enemies away, suppresses their abilities, and makes them more vulnerable to all incoming damage." ► Tractor Cannon was Top tier just a few seasons ago, but now that buffs and debuffs don't stack, it's no longer a must-have.	Shotgun	Heavy	Random Engram	Free-to-Play
Black Talon \| Sword	Strong ❘ A	PVP	Random Engram ❘ Average	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Can fire heavy projectile attacks. Heavy attacks are stronger with full energy. Most attacks partially bypass elemental shields." ► Swords are definitely back since their were buffed during Season of the Worthy. And while Black Talon may not excel in PVE compared to other swords, it remains fun to use and potentially lethal in PVP when used right.	Sword	Heavy	Random Engram	Free-to-Play

Destiny 2 Exotic Tier List

Last Updated Dec 17, 2020

Changes introduced today:

Destiny 2 Best Exotic Weapons (as of Beyond Light)

How to get the best Exotics in Destiny 2

Exotic quests

Exotic Kiosk: The Monument to Lost Lights

Raid drops

Destiny 2 Beyond Light Exotics

Ranking criteria

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