Destiny 2 Exotic Tier List: All 85 weapons ranked

Name	Type	Ammo type	Element	Rank	Excels	Source	Weapon ❘ Type	Tier rank	Source ❘ Requires	Final Verdict
Collective Obligation	Pulse Rifle	Primary	Void	Ongoing	-	Raid	Collective Obligation \| Pulse Rifle	Ongoing...	Raid The Witch Queen	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "This weapon leeches Void debuffs when damaging targets that are suppressed, weakened, or volatile. Once charged, damage from this weapon applies the same Void debuffs that were leeched. Weapon automatically reloads when you gain Devour, a Void overshield, or become invisible." ► Ongoing...
Dead Messenger	Grenade Launcher	Special	Void	Ongoing	-	Exotic Quest	Dead Messenger \| Grenade Launcher	Ongoing...	Exotic Quest The Witch Queen	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "One-shot handheld Grenade Launcher. Projectiles release a fan of three energy waves on contact with the ground. You can change damage type, cycling between Solar, Arc, and Void." ► Ongoing...
Edge of Action	Glaive	Special	Void	Ongoing	-	Exotic Quest	Edge of Action \| Glaive	Ongoing...	Exotic Quest The Witch Queen	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "When weapon energy is full, consume it before firing to make your next shot deploy a protective shield on impact." ► Ongoing...
Edge of Intent	Glaive	Special	Solar	Ongoing	-	Exotic Quest	Edge of Intent \| Glaive	Ongoing...	Exotic Quest The Witch Queen	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "When weapon energy is full, consume it before firing to make your next shot deploy a healing turret on impact." ► Ongoing...
Edge of Concurrence	Glaive	Special	Arc	Ongoing	-	Exotic Quest	Edge of Concurrence \| Glaive	Ongoing...	Exotic Quest The Witch Queen	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "When weapon energy is full, consume it before firing to make your next shot track targets across the ground and unleash chain lightning on impact." ► Ongoing...
Parasite	Grenade Launcher	Heavy	Solar	Ongoing	-	Exotic Quest	Parasite \| Grenade Launcher	Ongoing...	Exotic Quest The Witch Queen	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Fires Hive worms which explode on impact. The size and damage of the explosion scale with the number of enemies you've defeated just before firing this weapon. Taking damage from your own worm projectile detonation empowers your weapons for a short time." ► Ongoing...
Grand Overture	Machine Gun	Heavy	Arc	Ongoing	-	Season Pass	Grand Overture \| Machine Gun	Ongoing...	Season Pass The Witch Queen	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Heavy slug launcher that charges, then fires full auto while the trigger is held. Land hits with the slug launcher to load missiles and then fire to launch all missiles in a single volley." ► Ongoing...
Osteo Striga	Submachine Gun	Primary	Kinetic	S › Best	PVE	Exotic Quest	Osteo Striga \| Submachine Gun	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVE	Exotic Quest The Witch Queen	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Fires a stream of sentient, toxic projectiles that track the targeted enemy. Landing a final blow or multiple-precision hits triggers a burst that poisons nearby targets." ► This SMG is so damn powerful, it almost feel like cheating. The tracking of its projectiles is always on point, the area of effect damage is massive, and with the catalyst, its uptime is extremely high. Bottom line, the Osteo Striga is the best craftable weapon right now and a monster in PVE.
Eriana's Vow	Hand Cannon	Special	Solar	S › Best	PVE	Exotic Kiosk	Eriana's Vow \| Hand Cannon	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVE	Exotic Kiosk Shadowkeep	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 intrinsically, 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.
Divinity	Trace Rifle	Special	Arc	S › Best	PVE	Raid	Divinity \| Trace Rifle	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVE	Raid Shadowkeep	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 easily apply a huge debuff on everything, Divinity is excellent for endgame PVE activities. It may relegate its user to a more "support" role, but it remains one of the most valuable weapons you can have, especially when facing challenging content, or against enemies that have hard-to-hit crit spots.
The Lament	Sword	Heavy	Solar	S › Best	PVE	Exotic Quest	The Lament \| Sword	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVE	Exotic Quest Beyond Light	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." ► The Lament is a monster in practically all PvE content. It can deal with champions in endgame content and shred bosses across the game, all while replenishing health in the process.
Trinity Ghoul	Combat Bow	Primary	Arc	S › Best	PVE	Exotic Engram	Trinity Ghoul \| Combat Bow	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVE	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	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." ► With easy to proc chain-lighting damage, taking care of ads and red bar enemies has never been easier. Trinity Ghoul is simply a monster in PVE.
Witherhoard	Grenade Launcher	Special	Kinetic	S › Best	PVE	Exotic Kiosk	Witherhoard \| Grenade Launcher	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVE	Exotic Kiosk Shadowkeep	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.
One Thousand Voices	Fusion Rifle	Heavy	Solar	S › Best	PVE	Raid	One Thousand Voices \| Fusion Rifle	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVE	Raid Forsaken Pack	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." ► One Thousand Voices has gone through several nerfs over time. It slept in the shadows, waiting for its time to shine for months, until this season. With the Particle Deconstruction seasonal mod, One Thousand Voices is a beast in PVE, one of the highest DPS weapons in the entire game.
The Chaperone	Shotgun	Special	Kinetic	S › Best	PVP	Exotic Quest	The Chaperone \| Shotgun	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVP	Exotic Quest Beyond Light	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 Chaperone is the deadliest shotgun in the entire game. The fact that The Chaperone is a slug shotgun means it has significantly more range than pellet shotguns, such as Felwinter's. But getting one-hit-kills require good aim and only precision hits. And when its Exotic trait, The Roadborn, is active, The Chaperone can reach insane one-hit-kill distances.
Heir Apparent	Machine Gun	Heavy	Arc	S › Best	PVE	Exotic Quest	Heir Apparent \| Machine Gun	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVE	Exotic Quest Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special 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.
Ace of Spades	Hand Cannon	Primary	Kinetic	S › Best	PVP	Exotic Kiosk	Ace of Spades \| Hand Cannon	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVP	Exotic Kiosk Forsaken Pack	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." ► Arguably the best 140 RPM hand cannon in the entire game, Ace of Spades has a lot to offer. With excellent base stats and some of the best perks around, namely Momento Mori, which is like Kill Clip on steroids, Ace of Spades is one of the most dominating kinetic primary weapons in the Crucible.
Vex Mythoclast	Fusion Rifle	Primary	Solar	S › Best	PVE	Raid	Vex Mythoclast \| Fusion Rifle	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVE	Raid Free-to-Play	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires a single bolt with each trigger pull. Defeating targets builds stacks of Overcharge. Swap firing modes when fully Overcharged to charge up and fire more powerful linear fusion shots." ► Vex Mythoclast is truly one of the most overpowered weapons in the entire game. While technically a Fusion, the Vex acts like a souped-up auto rifle. It features a fast time-to-kill and extreme ease of use thanks to its massive stability which helps it shoot like a laser. Bungie did recently nerf it, making it less oppressive in PVP. That said, Vex Mythoclast remains a menace in the Crucible and an excellent choice for PVE.
Ager's Scepter	Trace Rifle	Special	Stasis	S › Best	PVE	Exotic Kiosk	Ager's Scepter \| Trace Rifle	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVE	Exotic Kiosk Beyond Light	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Final blows with this weapon generate a slowing burst around the defeated target. Stasis final blows transfer ammo to this weapon's magazine from reserves." ► Ager's Scepter is exactly what you would have expected from a proper Stasis trace rifle. Its ability to freeze and slow at will is remarkable, but on top of that, this exotic has best-in-class stats and an excellent Exotic perk that helps it stand out even more.
Gjallarhorn	Rocket Launcher	Heavy	Solar	S › Best	PVE	Exotic Quest	Gjallarhorn \| Rocket Launcher	Best ❘ S Excels in: PVE	Exotic Quest 30th Anniversary	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Rounds fired split into tracking cluster missiles upon detonation. Gain increased handling and reload speed when standing near allies. Firing this weapon also grants Wolfpack Rounds to nearby allies wielding non-Exotic Rocket Launchers." ► Gjallarhorn is nowhere as overpowered as it once was but still offers excellent stats and a great exotic perk (especially with the catalyst) that gives it that extra oomph to excel and become the meta option for rocket launcher users.
MIDA Multi-Tool	Scout Rifle	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Kiosk	MIDA Multi-Tool \| Scout Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	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 comeback! Benefiting from a significant aim assist buff, MIDA has become a real threat in the Crucible. With a good TTK, a mobility bonus, and excellent base stats, MIDA is one of the best PVP Scout right now. Having said that, Scouts still lag behind entire weapon types, and even among Scouts, Dead Man Tale's remains the most viable PVP scout at your disposal.
The Huckleberry	Submachine Gun	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Engram	The Huckleberry \| Submachine Gun	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	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." ►The Huckleberry is still an ad killing beast and a pleasure to use.
Monte Carlo	Auto Rifle	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Engram	Monte Carlo \| Auto Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	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." ► Monte Carlo is a decent auto rifle with a clean aesthetic and nice stats overall. Its exotic perk grants you melee energy with hits and kills, and on top of that, it also comes with an exotic version of Swashbuckler, which is a nice touch and pairs really well with melee-focused playstyles.
Traveler's Chosen	Sidearm	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Kiosk	Traveler's Chosen \| Sidearm	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Kiosk Shadowkeep	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.
Crimson	Hand Cannon	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Engram	Crimson \| Hand Cannon	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	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.
Jötunn	Fusion Rifle	Special	Solar	A › Strong	PVE + PVP	Exotic Kiosk	Jötunn \| Fusion Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE + PVP	Exotic Kiosk Forsaken Pack	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.
Thunderlord	Machine Gun	Heavy	Arc	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Engram	Thunderlord \| Machine Gun	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Engram Forsaken Pack	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special 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.
Polaris Lance	Scout Rifle	Primary	Solar	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Kiosk	Polaris Lance \| Scout Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	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." ► Polaris Lance should be great in PVE because of the explosions it can create. Too bad they're just not enough when Dragonfly and Firefly make the same or bigger explosion. Those perks take far less setup to activate too. Polaris has the same time-to-kill values as The Jade Rabbit, but better stats. Just like Jade Rabbit, it's incredibly unforgiving in PvP. If larger Crucible maps get added to Destiny 2, Polaris Lance will be able to shine.
Hawkmoon	Hand Cannon	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Xûr	Hawkmoon \| Hand Cannon	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Xûr Free-to-Play	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.
Riskrunner	Submachine Gun	Primary	Arc	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Quest	Riskrunner \| Submachine Gun	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Quest Free-to-Play	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.
Bastion	Fusion Rifle	Special	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Kiosk	Bastion \| Fusion Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Kiosk Shadowkeep	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Charge to fire 3 spreads of Kinetic slugs. This weapon fires staggering projectiles. Strong against Unstoppable Champions." ► 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.
Telesto	Fusion Rifle	Special	Void	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Engram	Telesto \| Fusion Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	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?
Outbreak Perfected	Pulse Rifle	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Kiosk	Outbreak Perfected \| Pulse Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	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." ► Outbreak Perfected said goodbye to its glory days a long time ago. But having said that, it's still a great feeling gun. It’s just a shame that it falls into quite an archetype that can't compete in PVP.
No Time to Explain	Pulse Rifle	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Quest	No Time to Explain \| Pulse Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Quest Deluxe Edition	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 Pulse rifles archetype (with insanely low TTKs), it also has great base stats and perks that make it a true menace when activated.
Thorn	Hand Cannon	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Kiosk	Thorn \| Hand Cannon	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Kiosk Forsaken Pack	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!
Le Monarque	Combat Bow	Primary	Void	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Kiosk	Le Monarque \| Combat Bow	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Kiosk Forsaken Pack	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." ► Le Monarque can be lethal in the hands of an experienced PVP player. It can bring a guardian down to 1 HP with a "perfect draw" headshot, making it an extremely easy clean-up kill with a Quickdraw Hand Cannon (something like an Igneous Hammer, for example).
The Last Word	Hand Cannon	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Kiosk	The Last Word \| Hand Cannon	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Kiosk Forsaken Pack	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.
Sleeper Simulant	Linear Fusion Rifle	Heavy	Solar	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Kiosk	Sleeper Simulant \| Linear Fusion Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "The weapon's laser over penetrates enemies and refracts off hard surfaces." ► After spending over a year in the shadow of swords and grenade launchers, the buff to Linear Fusion rifles has made Sleeper Simulant one of the best DPS weapons in the entire game, and even more so if you have the catalyst. Sleeper Simulant can easily deal with Majors and Bosses with ease, as long as you can hit your crits...
Tractor Cannon	Shotgun	Heavy	Void	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Engram	Tractor Cannon \| Shotgun	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	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 is one of the most fun weapons in Destiny 2. Booping people out of the map or against the walls in PVP will never gets old. Some may view this A-tier rating as harsh, however, everything that Tractor Cannon offers, other weapons can do better. For example, Divinity is a better debuff weapon, and dealing with Supers in PVP can be done more efficiently with top-tier weapons such as Black Talon, Wardcliff Coil, or even a headshot with a Vorpal Weapon sniper rifle.
Whisper of the Worm	Sniper Rifle	Heavy	Solar	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Kiosk	Whisper of the Worm \| Sniper Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	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.
Cloudstrike	Sniper Rifle	Special	Arc	A › Strong	PVE + PVP	Exotic Quest	Cloudstrike \| Sniper Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE + PVP	Exotic Quest Beyond Light	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.
Xenophage	Machine Gun	Heavy	Solar	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Quest	Xenophage \| Machine Gun	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Quest Shadowkeep	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.
Black Talon	Sword	Heavy	Void	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Engram	Black Talon \| Sword	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Can fire heavy projectile attacks. Heavy attacks are stronger with full energy. Most attacks partially bypass elemental shields." ► Black Talon is criminally underrated in PVE, as it can pump out huge damage with a charged heavy attack. In PVP, it can take care of enemy guardians in their supers with incredible ease. Its all-around strength to easily kill Champions and Bosses and destroy enemy Guardians in their Super destroying makes it an absolute Top tier sword.
Deathbringer	Rocket Launcher	Heavy	Void	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Quest	Deathbringer \| Rocket Launcher	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Quest Shadowkeep	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Fires remotely detonated projectiles that drop Void orbs on combatants. Hold to fire, release to detonate. The further a Void orb falls, the more powerful its detonation becomes." ► Deathbringer is a strange beast. In fact, many discard simply because they don't fully understand it. But when used right, Deathbringer can deal massive damage in PVE and can easily lead to insane multi-kills in PVP.
Eyes of Tomorrow	Rocket Launcher	Heavy	Solar	A › Strong	PVP	Raid	Eyes of Tomorrow \| Rocket Launcher	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Raid Beyond Light	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 was somewhat disappointing because of the low damage it does to bosses. Still, it remains an excellent weapon for ad clear, but more importantly, a monster in Gambit and in 6v6 PVP modes.
Sturm	Hand Cannon	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Kiosk	Sturm \| Hand Cannon	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	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.
Rat King	Sidearm	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Kiosk	Rat King \| Sidearm	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	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.
Anarchy	Grenade Launcher	Heavy	Arc	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Kiosk	Anarchy \| Grenade Launcher	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Kiosk Forsaken Pack	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special 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.
The Wardcliff Coil	Rocket Launcher	Heavy	Arc	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Engram	The Wardcliff Coil \| Rocket Launcher	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires a volley of rockets and automatically reloads on ammo pickup." ► Arguably the best PVP rocket launcher in the game, The Wardcliff Coil is incredibly lethal and could potentially wipe an entire team. On top of that, it's a consistent and reliable weapon that can practically guarantee kills, even in competitive modes.
Legend of Acrius	Shotgun	Heavy	Arc	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Kiosk	Legend of Acrius \| Shotgun	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires blasts of high-damage Arc energy that over penetrates enemies. Its radar detects enemies from farther away." ► The Legend of Acrius has fallen quite far since its glory days. It still packs a decent punch, but nowadays, it's vastly outclassed by rival Exotic in the Heavy slot such as The Lament, Xenophage, Anarchy, and even some legendary options like Falling Guillotine. Having said that, Legend of Acriiuscan deliver some serious DPS, especially with the catalyst.
Vigilance Wing	Pulse Rifle	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Engram	Vigilance Wing \| Pulse Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires a 5-round burst. When a nearby ally is killed, gain health regeneration, and increased movement speed." ► Vigilance Wing is an excellent weapon to bring to the Crucible. Its ease of use alone nets it an S tier. However, it's also one of the most lethal weapons in the game with a unique 5 burst shot.
Izanagi's Burden	Sniper Rifle	Special	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Kiosk	Izanagi's Burden \| Sniper Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Kiosk Forsaken Pack	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.
SUROS Regime	Auto Rifle	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Engram	SUROS Regime \| Auto Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "The bottom half of each magazine deals bonus damage and can return health on kill. Holding down the trigger increases rate of fire." ► SUROS Regime's ability to combine a higher damage per bullet and faster rate of fire absolutely shreds opposing Guardians. This makes SUROS an incredibly oppressive option that can dominate many meta weapons if used correctly with good aim and quick target acquisition.
Sunshot	Hand Cannon	Primary	Solar	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Engram	Sunshot \| Hand Cannon	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	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.
Duality	Shotgun	Special	Solar	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Kiosk	Duality \| Shotgun	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Kiosk Beyond Light	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Fires a pellet spread in hip-fire or a single high-damage slug while aiming. Pellet final blows grant a stacking precision damage and reload speed buff. Precision hits with slugs extend the duration." ► Duality has always been a unique shotgun that combines the strengths of both pellet and slug shotguns. It's definitely a fun exotic to use in low-stress PVE and PVP situations. However, it also carries the weaknesses of both archetypes and when the stakes are high, Duality is out-performed by more specialized weapons. It's also a difficult gun to get used to. Duality received a buff with Season of the Chosen, which helps it a lot, but it still lags behind The Chaperone, which is why it can't be considered S tier.
Ticuu's Divination	Combat Bow	Primary	Solar	A › Strong	PVE	Exotic Kiosk	Ticuu's Divination \| Combat Bow	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE	Exotic Kiosk Beyond Light	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Hipfiring this weapon fires multiple tracking projectiles. Targets marked explode upon death, or when struck again. Arrows fired while aiming down sights cause Sacred Flames to instantly detonate." ► Ticcu's Divination may require more work than Trinity Ghoul but it is nonetheless an excellent weapon capable of easily disposing of ads but also dealing serious damage to majors in PVE.
Dead Man's Tale	Scout Rifle	Primary	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Xûr	Dead Man's Tale \| Scout Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Xûr Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Chaining precision hits grants bonus damage and quickens reload speed. Future drops of this weapon will have random rolls. PVE God Roll: Vorpal Weapon (also good: Killing Wind) ► The Dead Man's Tale (DMT) was the strongest kinetic primary in the Crucible for months. Even after a nerf, this Exotic Scout Rifle is still an excellent weapon. DMT is one of the only weapons able to challenge sniper rifles in their optimal range. Plus, it feels incredible to use in hip-fired mode thanks to its catalyst.
Lorentz Driver	Linear Fusion Rifle	Special	Void	A › Strong	PVE + PVP	Exotic Kiosk	Lorentz Driver \| Linear Fusion Rifle	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVE + PVP	Exotic Kiosk Beyond Light	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Final blows on marked targets generate telemetry patterns which, when picked up, grant bonus ability energy. Collecting 3 telemetry patterns without dying grants bonus damage for a long duration. Also, a precision final blow with this weapon creates an implosion that pulls in nearby targets and damages them with an additional detonation." ► While Bungie often delivers undercooked, underpowered Exotics, they did the exact opposite with Lorentz Driver. With best in class base stats and insane exotic perks, Lorentz Driver excels in both PVE and PVP. In fact, it has such high aim assist, it often manages kills that should not have happened in the Crucible...
Forerunner	Sidearm	Special	Kinetic	A › Strong	PVP	Exotic Quest	Forerunner \| Sidearm	Strong ❘ A Excels in: PVP	Exotic Quest 30th Anniversary	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Oversized Sidearm with extended-range, heavy-caliber rounds. Fires full auto with increased rate of fire. Deals increased precision damage to unshielded targets. Tapping the trigger gives it less recoil and improves accuracy." ► Ongoing...
Ruinous Effigy	Trace Rifle	Special	Void	B › Average	-	Exotic Kiosk	Ruinous Effigy \| Exotic Trace Rifle	Average ❘ B	Exotic Kiosk Shadowkeep	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Final blows with this weapon collapse victims into Void Transmutation spheres. Transmutation spheres you create can be picked up and wielded as weapons by you or your allies." ► Ruinous Effigy is one of the most unique and fun weapons ever released in Destiny 2. It won't be replacing any of the top PVE weapons, but it can be very effective at close range on Majors: Use it to cancel stomp mechanics, dunk, melee, and finish off with a sword.
Tarrabah	Submachine Gun	Primary	Solar	B › Average	-	Exotic Kiosk	Tarrabah \| Submachine Gun	Average ❘ B	Exotic Kiosk Forsaken Pack	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "This weapon stores power when dealing or receiving damage. Once full, hold reload to unleash the beast." ► Tarrabah could be a monster but activating its perk consistently is stupidly hard. This weapon has been crying for a fix for over a year. On the plus side, it is now much easier to acquire via the Monument to Lost Lights.
Arbalest	Linear Fusion Rifle	Special	Kinetic	B › Average	-	Exotic Engram	Arbalest \| Linear Fusion Rifle	Average ❘ B	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Fires slugs that cause massive damage to enemy shields. Strong against Barrier Champions. Breaking an enemy's shield with this weapon makes them more vulnerable to Kinetic damage." ► Arbalest suffered when Lorentz Driver was released. Lorentz had better stats and a better exotic perk. Why would anyone use Arbalest at all? Then Arbalest received intrinsic Anti-barrier rounds, a Catalyst and it's now one of the best weapons for endgame PVE in the entire game.
The Queenbreaker	Linear Fusion Rifle	Heavy	Arc	B › Average	-	Exotic Engram	The Queenbreaker \| Linear Fusion Rifle	Average ❘ B	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Fires a long-range precision Arc bolt that blinds enemies on hit. It has a slower charge time and deals greater damage." ► Previously amazing when invading in Gambit, The Queenbreaker has suffered from too many nerfs. And while it also benefited from the buff to Linear Fusions, there's no reason why anyone would choose it over Sleeper Simulant (or even a good legendary Linear Fusion).
Truth	Rocket Launcher	Heavy	Void	B › Average	-	Exotic Kiosk	Truth \| Rocket Launcher	Average ❘ B	Exotic Kiosk Forsaken Pack	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "This weapon's rockets have tracking and detonate when they are within close proximity of their targets." ► Truth used to be a must-have weapon for Gambit invaders. But with the release of the Eyes of Tomorrow raid rocket launcher, Truth is nowhere near as popular as it used to be.
Symmetry	Scout Rifle	Primary	Arc	B › Average	-	Exotic Kiosk	Symmetry \| Scout Rifle	Average ❘ B	Exotic Kiosk Shadowkeep	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Precision hits build up Dynamic Charge. Swapping to Arc Seeker mode increases damage and partially reloads the magazine. Arc Seekers track toward combatants you target." ► Thanks to the recent buff to Scout rifles, Symmetry is seen a lot more play in The Crucible. And if you can hit your precision shots, Symmetry can be lethal in both in PVP and Gambit.
The Colony	Grenade Launcher	Heavy	Void	B › Average	PVP	Exotic Engram	The Colony \| Grenade Launcher	Average ❘ B Excels in: PVP	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "This weapon's grenades are insectoid robots that chase targets and explode close to them." ► Extremely easy to use, The Colony is a fan-favorite in the Crucible, especially Quickplay. The reason this weapon doesn't rank any higher is because skilled PVP players can easily counter it and will instead use something much more effective like the Wardcliff Coil.
Wish-Ender	Combat Bow	Primary	Kinetic	B › Average	-	Exotic Quest	Wish-Ender \| Combat Bow	Average ❘ B	Exotic Quest Forsaken Pack	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "While aiming down sights with a fully-drawn bow, enemies behind walls are highlighted. Piercing arrowheads damage the target on entry and exit. One-shot can over-penetrate multiple targets." ► Wish-Ender is far from popular but it can still be useful in PVP, though, but only as part of a coordinated team that uses it to have constant visuals on the enemy, something always helpful in 3v3 modes.
Leviathan's Breath	Combat Bow	Heavy	Void	B › Average	-	Exotic Kiosk	Leviathan's Breath \| Combat Bow	Average ❘ B	Exotic Kiosk Shadowkeep	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Fires a massive heavy bolt that staggers unshielded combatants. When fully drawn, the bolt knocks combatants back." ►Due to an extremely long draw time and limited magazine size, Leviathan simply cannot compete against several other Heavy weapons. To be fair, other weapons may be more efficient, but Leviathan's Breath is still unique and fun to use.
Hard Light	Auto Rifle	Primary	Void	B › Average	-	Exotic Engram	Hard Light \| Auto Rifle	Average ❘ B	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Rounds fired from this weapon have reduced damage falloff, over-penetrate targets, and ricochet off hard surfaces dealing extra damage. It can also change its damage type." ► Auto rifle's main weakness is their poor performance in peekshot-duels. Fortunately, though, Hard Light's bullets can deal increased damage after they ricochet, which means you can continue to damage your opponents, even if they’re behind cover. This, combined with Hard Light’s absolutely massive 100 stability and reduced damage falloff make it a menacing auto rifle in the Crucible.
Two-Tailed Fox	Rocket Launcher	Heavy	Void	B › Average	-	Exotic Engram	Two-Tailed Fox \| Rocket Launcher	Average ❘ B	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "Shoots two rockets, one Void and one Solar, that can track onto the same target. The Void rocket suppresses enemies. The Solar rocket causes damage over time." ► Two-Tailed Fox is, on paper, still a great boss-damage rocket launcher. But with additions such as The Gjallarhorn or even the Deathbringer, the Two-Tailed Fox simply doesn't cut it anymore.
Malfeasance	Hand Cannon	Primary	Kinetic	B › Average	-	Exotic Quest	Malfeasance \| Hand Cannon	Average ❘ B	Exotic Quest Forsaken Pack	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Shoot tainted slugs that burrow into the enemy. Stacking enough slugs causes them all to explode. Bonus damage against Taken enemies and Gambit invaders." ► Malfeasance is yet another weapon that greatly benefitted from the recent hand cannon buff. With the bigger magazine, using its Exotic perk also became easier. Malfeasance definitely has a place within its niche: Taken-heavy areas and Gambit.
Tommy's Matchbook	Auto Rifle	Primary	Solar	B › Average	-	Exotic Kiosk	Tommy's Matchbook \| Auto Rifle	Average ❘ B	Exotic Kiosk Shadowkeep	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Sustained fire with this weapon overheats it, increasing damage but burning the user. Overheat damage is reduced while hip firing." ► Tommy’s Matchbook has overall decent stats and features an astronomical mag size of 100 bullets. With its overheat damage, Tommy’s Matchbook can absolutely melt your opponents in a 0.77 second BODYSHOT time to kill. If you're willing to use it as a hipfire weapon, Tommy’s Matchbook is an absolutely fantastic choice.
Coldheart	Trace Rifle	Special	Arc	B › Average	-	Exotic Engram	Coldheart \| Trace Rifle	Average ❘ B	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "This weapon shoots a steady cold fusion-powered laser that does exponentially more damage the longer it remains on a target." ► Coldheart has always done a decent job at dealing sustained damage against Bosses, Majors, and Champions. And now that it has improved ammo thanks to the return of ammo mods, Coldheart is once again a good DPS alternative.
Bad Juju	Pulse Rifle	Primary	Kinetic	B › Average	-	Exotic Kiosk	Bad Juju \| Pulse Rifle	Average ❘ B	Exotic Kiosk Forsaken Pack	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Kills refill the magazine, increase damage for a short duration, and grant Super energy based on the number of kills. Fires full-auto." ► Bad Juju is one of the most underrated weapons in Destiny 2. It can be an absolute monster in PVE and gets even better with the catalyst. But unfortunately, it is held back by a poor archetype that does too little damage...
Devil's Ruin	Sidearm	Primary	Solar	B › Average	-	Exotic Kiosk	Devil's Ruin \| Sidearm	Average ❘ B	Exotic Kiosk Shadowkeep	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Variable trigger. Press and release to fire individual shots. Hold to charge up a high-powered, staggering laser." ► Able to deal with Unstoppable Champions, this is a fun weapon that does decent damage overall and melts shotgun apes in PVP in its laser form.
Merciless	Fusion Rifle	Special	Solar	B › Average	-	Exotic Engram	Merciless \| Fusion Rifle	Average ❘ B	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Non-lethal hits make this weapon charge faster. Reloading immediately after a kill increases weapon damage for a short time." ► Merciless outputs decent damage and handles just fine, but unfortunately doesn't offer much compared to other exotic fusion rifles in this list.
Lumina	Hand Cannon	Primary	Kinetic	B › Average	-	Exotic Kiosk	Lumina \| Hand Cannon	Average ❘ B	Exotic Kiosk Forsaken Pack	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Kills with this weapon leave behind Remnants which convert your next hip fired shot into an ally-seeking Noble Round that heals them and grants both of you a weapon damage bonus for a short duration." ► Albeit an interesting weapon, it needs a coordinated team and the catalyst to be effective.
Lord of Wolves	Shotgun	Special	Solar	B › Average	-	Exotic Engram	Lord of Wolves \| Shotgun	Average ❘ B	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Fires a powerful short-range burst of Solar damage. Hold to swap to a longer, more powerful burst." ► Lord of Wolves recently got a (well-deserved) nerf that made it disappear from the Crucible but it remains one of the highest DPS weapons in the game. However, it is still a very solid option for those wanting a fairly consistent, unique shotgun. It can be quite good at putting down supers too, adding to its value. In PVE, it remains an excellent burst weapon, it's simply outclassed by the recently buffed slug shotguns.
The Fourth Horseman	Shotgun	Special	Solar	B › Average	-	Exotic Kiosk	The Fourth Horseman \| Shotgun	Average ❘ B	Exotic Kiosk Shadowkeep	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "This weapon's rate of fire is increased significantly and fires full auto. Each successive shot has more damage and more spread." ► A good all-around weapon, this shotgun can deal great damage if you manage to get very close. It's too bad most high-end PVE content isn't designed for close combat... The Fourth Horseman is a monster when it comes to burst DPS. It is right up there with Top tier weapons such as The Lament and is a very viable option for short DPS phases such as Atraks-1 in the Deep Stone Crypt raid. However, due to its limited ammo efficiency compared to The Lament (and swords in general), it slightly falls behind the competition for end-game PVE.
Fighting Lion	Grenade Launcher	Primary	Void	B › Average	PVP	Exotic Engram	Fighting Lion \| Grenade Launcher	Average ❘ B Excels in: PVP	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	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).
The Jade Rabbit	Scout Rifle	Primary	Kinetic	B › Average	PVP	Exotic Engram	The Jade Rabbit \| Scout Rifle	Average ❘ B Excels in: PVP	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Chain body shots to gain bonus damage on your next precision shot, return ammo to the magazine, and increases its stability." ► Jade Rabbit has one of the best time-to-kills (0.80 seconds) for any Scout Rifle. The problem is you need to land 3 precision shots without missing. For every missed shot or body shot, the time-to-kill quickly becomes one of the worst in the game. In other words, this Exotic Scout is extremely unforgiving. It has the 3rd WORST handling and the worst magazine size of all Scout Rifles. With perfect aim, it can be great, but now that Dead Man's Tale is available, why bother?
Borealis	Sniper Rifle	Special	Void	B › Average	-	Exotic Engram	Borealis \| Sniper Rifle	Average ❘ B	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Holding changes this weapon's damage type. Breaking an enemy shield with that shield's energy type grants bonus damage for the rest of the magazine." ► Borealis is a cool concept and can get the job done in capable hands. But it still pales when compared to other vastly superior Exotic Snipers in this list, especially the brand-new Cloudstrike.
Skyburner's Oath	Scout Rifle	Primary	Solar	B › Average	-	Exotic Engram	Skyburner's Oath \| Scout Rifle	Average ❘ B	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "This weapon lobs large, explosive, seeking slugs when firing from the hip. When aiming down sights, the slugs travel fast and straight, with higher damage and a lower rate of fire." ► Skyburner's Oath is an Exotic Scout Rifle that looks like a good PVP option on paper. Only needing to land 1 precision shot and 3 body shots, its 0.90s time-to-kill seems competitive. In practice, those hip-fired shots hardly go where you want them to go. And in 6v6, it's even worse, as there are too many targets for the tracking to be accurate. In PVE, you might find some use for it when facing Cabal, but even then, a top-tier Scout will serve you better.
Wavesplitter	Trace Rifle	Special	Void	C › Weak	-	Exotic Engram	Wavesplitter \| Trace Rifle	Weak ❘ C	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Laser damage has three power levels that oscillate while the trigger is held down. Collecting an Orb of Light grants a short period of maximum power." ► Wavesplitter can be a decent alternative for both PVP and PVE, but you'll be better off with any of the other Trace rifles on this list. In fact, this weapon could be much more useful, but a lack of a Catalyst holds it back.
Sweet Business	Auto Rifle	Primary	Kinetic	C › Weak	-	Exotic Engram	Sweet Business \| Auto Rifle	Weak ❘ C	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Larger magazine. Increased accuracy when firing from the hip. Picking up ammo for this weapon immediately reloads it." ► At base, Sweet Business’ TTK is way too slow, though its RPM does increase with sustained fire. However, this is in no way similar to the Suros Regime, since the duration it takes to ramp up to a decent TTK is much too long when fighting smart opponents. Overall, there is simply no real use case for it aside from just goofing around with it,
Prometheus Lens	Trace Rifle	Special	Solar	C › Weak	-	Exotic Engram	Prometheus Lens \| Trace Rifle	Weak ❘ C	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Fires a Solar trace beam and generates a damaging heat field that grows while the weapon continues to fire. Kills with this weapon return a fraction of the ammo used." ► Prometheus Lens had its 15 minutes of fame when a bug allowed it to dominate the Crucible for an entire weekend. Other than that, the weapon has always been considered mediocre at best. But the mere addition of ammo mods has shown us that Prometheus Lens has a lot to offer.
Graviton Lance	Pulse Rifle	Primary	Void	C › Weak	-	Exotic Engram	Graviton Lance \| Pulse Rifle	Weak ❘ C	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Energy \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Second shot of a burst rips a hole through space-time, doing high damage and recoil with no falloff. Kills with this weapon cause enemies to detonate and spawn tracking Void projectiles." ► Graviton Lance is an interesting Exotic, however, it is vastly outclassed by several Exotic and Legendary Pulse rifles.
Salvation's Grip	Grenade Launcher	Heavy	Stasis	C › Weak	-	Exotic Quest	Salvation's Grip \| Grenade Launcher	Weak ❘ C	Exotic Quest Beyond Light	Slot: Heavy \| Ammo: Heavy Exotic Perk: "This weapon's projectiles create Stasis crystals and freeze nearby targets. Charging this weapon increases the freeze radius and amount of Stasis crystals created." ► Salvation's Grip is a difficult weapon to rank. It definitely struggles in terms of pure DPS, but it can be useful for PVP Stasis builds that rely on shattering crystals as part of the main strategy. That alone, helped it remain somewhat relevant, but now that Legendary weapons with Headstone exist, it's hard to recommend using your Exotic slot on this weapon.
Cerberus+1	Auto Rifle	Primary	Kinetic	C › Weak	-	Exotic Engram	Cerberus+1 \| Auto Rifle	Weak ❘ C	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Shoots erratic bullets from all gun barrels at the same time. Aiming this weapon reduces the spread of its projectiles." ► Cerberus+1 is an auto rifle with absolutely abysmal stats which shoots more like a shotgun than a traditional auto rifle. The exotic perk tells us that it shoots erratic bullets from all gun barrels at the same time. Emphasis on erratic. My most significant problem with the Cerberus is the fact that you can’t effectively control its performance because of the random nature of this bullet spread.
The Prospector	Grenade Launcher	Heavy	Arc	C › Weak	-	Exotic Engram	The Prospector \| Grenade Launcher	Weak ❘ C	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Hold to fire grenades. Release to detonate all live grenades simultaneously. Grenades stick to surfaces and set targets on fire." ► The Prospector isn't the most popular exotic but it still gets the job done when dealing boss DPS, especially after the nerf to agressive grenade launchers.
Cryosthesia 77K	Sidearm	Primary	Stasis	C › Weak	-	Exotic Kiosk	Cryosthesia 77K \| Sidearm	Weak ❘ C	Exotic Kiosk Beyond Light	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Primary Exotic Perk: "Press and release to fire individual shots. Hold to fire a Charged Shot when Liquid Cooling is active. Final blows with this weapon enable a Charged Shot for a short duration. Targets hit by this shot are instantly frozen." ► Cryosthesia 77K has been through a lot. It was originally released in a sorry state, but it recently received several buffs that help it stand on its own. While it will serve you best in PVE as part of a carefully selected Stasis built, Cryosthesia 77K has the stats to hold its own in the hands of a experienced sidearm user in PVP.
D.A.R.C.I.	Sniper Rifle	Heavy	Arc	D › Worst	-	Exotic Engram	D.A.R.C.I. \| Sniper Rifle	Worst ❘ D	Exotic Engram Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Aim at an enemy to activate Personal Assistant and view critical information. When Personal Assistant is active, this weapon has better target acquisition and deals significantly more precision damage." ► When something like Cloudstrike can do everything better than D.A.R.C.I. while only requiring Special ammo instead of Heavy, it becomes clear that this weapon desperately needs a rework to become viable again.
Worldline Zero	Sword	Heavy	Arc	D › Worst	-	Exotic Kiosk	Worldline Zero \| Sword	Worst ❘ D	Exotic Kiosk Free-to-Play	Slot: Kinetic \| Ammo: Special Exotic Perk: "Press while sprinting to launch a heavy blink attack. Attacks partially bypass elemental shields." ► Worldline Zero was a thing when "warlock skating" was used for speed-running, but since Bungie removed that feature, Worldline Zero became completely irrelevant. Worldline Zero is without a doubt not worthy of your exotic slot and is certainly the worst sword in the game, because, why use it when most legendary swords are better?

Jagger c on September 24, 2020 at 1:12 am

I completely disagree with your ranking of graviton lance, it’s an absolute ad killing machine. Shoot a burst into a horde of thrall and it completely wipes them out, especially due to the fact that its detonation ability still activates on ads killed with the explosion or void projectiles. Enough low level ads in one spot and it can take out knights or wizards without you even shooting them. On top of that, it’s a pvp godsend. Due to the second shot having both high damage and no falloff, its a great counter to snipers and can reliably 2 burst guardians. Just my experience though.

Nightfall: The Ordeal	Playlist	Free-to-Play
Vow of the Disciple	Raid	The Witch Queen
Deep Stone Crypt	Raid	Beyond Light
Garden of Salvation	Raid	Shadowkeep
Last Wish	Raid	Forsaken Pack
Vault of Glass	Raid	Free-to-Play
Grasp of Avarice	Dungeon	30th Anniversary
Prophecy	Dungeon	Free-to-Play
Trials of Osiris	Crucible	The Witch Queen
Iron Banner	Crucible	Free-to-Play
Dares of Eternity	Activity	Free-to-Play
Xûr	Vendor	Free-to-Play
Gunsmith	Vendor	Free-to-Play
Exotic Engrams	Exotics	Free-to-Play
Exotic Kiosk	Exotics	Various...
Exotic Quests	Exotics	Various...

Destiny 2 Exotic Tier List: All 93 weapons ranked for PVE & PVP

Best Destiny 2 Exotic weapons: Ranked from Best to Worst

How to get Exotics in Destiny 2

1. Decrypting Exotic engrams

2. Completing Exotic quests

3. Buying Exotics at The Monument to Lost Lights

4. Buying Exotics from Xur every weekend

5. Claiming Exotics from the Season Pass

6. Resetting your Valor and Infamy

6. Completing Nightfall: The Ordeals at the highest difficulties

7. Completing Raids

So in conclusion, what is the best way to get Exotics in Destiny 2?

Destiny 2 Exotics in-depth

How many Exotics are there?

The easiest Exotics to get in Destiny 2

Upgrading your Exotics: Catalysts

Ranking criteria

Latest changes

Changes introduced this season:

Let's keep the conversation going

34 Comments

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Improve your Destiny 2 experience

You have Successfully Subscribed!