It’s easy to get lost with the many exotics available in Destiny 2, especially when you’re new or have been away for a while. After all, there are so many of them, and new ones are added each season. Which Exotics are good and worth grinding for? How good are the latest ones?
As many of the best weapons in Destiny 2 are Exotics, this Tier list covers every single Destiny 2 Exotic in detail, including their main perks, and overall ranking.
Updated as of Season of the Witch (S22).
Best Destiny 2 Exotic weapons: Ranked from Best to Worst
These are the 100+ Exotic weapons currently available as of Season of the Deep (S21), excluding the brand-new Buried Bloodline Exotic sidearm.
What are Exotics?
Exotics are the highest-quality items available to players. Rare and hard to acquire, Exotics are extremely powerful weapons that offer game-changing perks and generally amazing aesthetics. Note that only one Exotic weapon can be equipped at once.
Primary Exotics
Name | Weapons | Type | Archetype | Ammo | Element | Requirements | In loot pool? | Rank | Source | Available? | Tier rank | Source ❘ DLC | Final Verdict | Released | Perks | Best of? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wish-Keeper | ![]() Wish-Keeper | Combat Bow | Exotic | Primary | Strand | Season 23 | Yes | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Exotic Quest![]() Season 23 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Precision hits and final blows build energy towards a Snareweaver arrow that can be fired from the hip. On impact, Snareweaver arrows create a pattern of traps that suspend nearby targets. This weapon deals bonus damage to suspended targets. Gain faster draw time for a short duration when you suspend or damage a suspended target with this weapon." | Season 23 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Precision hits and final blows build energy towards a Snareweaver arrow that can be fired from the hip. On impact, Snareweaver arrows create a pattern of traps that suspend nearby targets. This weapon deals bonus damage to suspended targets. Gain faster draw time for a short duration when you suspend or damage a suspended target with this weapon." | |||
Tarrabah | ![]() Tarrabah | Submachine Gun | Exotic | Primary | Solar | Forsaken Pack | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Forsaken Pack | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon stores power when dealing or receiving damage. Once full, hold reload to unleash the beast." ► With recent buffs to its main perk and stats, Tarrabah is an excellent option for anywhere in the game. If your Exotic slot is open, giving this thing a whirl in The Crucible or with a Solar 3.0 build is a great idea. | Season 4 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon stores power when dealing or receiving damage. Once full, hold reload to unleash the beast." | Top-tier |
Lumina | ![]() Lumina | Hand Cannon | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Forsaken Pack | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Forsaken Pack | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ►Lumina is one of the most unique Exotics in Destiny 2, allowing you to heal allies and spread one of the most potent damage buffs in the game. If you're looking to optimize a DPS phase—or want to play a more significant support role—this is a fantastic pick. This applies to PvP too. | Season 7 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Osteo Striga | ![]() Osteo Striga | Submachine Gun | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | The Witch Queen | Yes | S › Best | The Witch Queen Campaign | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE + PvP | The Witch Queen Campaign![]() The Witch Queen | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► Feeling extremely nice to use, Osteo Striga became an instant favorite for many. Its poison-spreading effect makes it one of the best ad-clear primaries in PVE, and its enemy-tracking bullets make it an easy-to-use option in PVP. Plus, you can craft your own. What's not to love? | Season 16 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Sunshot | ![]() Sunshot | Hand Cannon | Exotic | Primary | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires explosive rounds. Targets killed with Sunshot explode in Solar energy." ► One of very few Lightweight Hand Cannons left in the game, Sunshot feels exceptionally great to use even while disregarding its exotic perk. However, looking at how many explosions you can set off with this weapon, it's clear why the community often regards Sunshot as both fun and a beast at ad clear. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires explosive rounds. Targets killed with Sunshot explode in Solar energy." | Top-tier |
Trinity Ghoul | ![]() Trinity Ghoul | Combat Bow | Exotic | Primary | Arc | Forsaken Pack | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Exotic Engram![]() Forsaken Pack | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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 has always been brilliant for ad-clear, and that doesn't seem to be changing any time soon. Despite the more ability-focused meta we have right now, Trinity Ghoul is still a top contender for ad-clear in all PvE content. | Season 4 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Wish-Ender | ![]() Wish-Ender | Combat Bow | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Forsaken Pack | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Exotic Quest![]() Forsaken Pack | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "While aiming down sights with a fully drawn Bow, combatants behind walls are highlighted, and arrows pierce shields. Strong against Barrier Champions. One shot can over-penetrate multiple targets." ► Wish-Ender has never been this strong, nor popular. With the newfound intrinsic ability to deal with Anti Barrier Champions with ease, even in Master and Grandmaster levels, and the fact that it effectively hits 3 times per arrow due to its piercing perk, Wish-Ender is currently a monster in PvE. | Season 4 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "While aiming down sights with a fully drawn Bow, combatants behind walls are highlighted, and arrows pierce shields. Strong against Barrier Champions. One shot can over-penetrate multiple targets." | Top-tier |
Vex Mythoclast | ![]() Vex Mythoclast | Fusion Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | Vault of Glass Raid | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Vault of Glass Raid![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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 is arguably one of the strongest fusions in the game. Not only does the catalyst grant a 20% damage boost on a kill, but the Overcharge shots do considerable damage to enemies. And thanks to exotic primaries doing 40% more damage to red bars, Vex can also contend in end-game content. | Season 14 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Touch of Malice | ![]() Touch of Malice | Scout Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | King's Fall Raid | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE | King's Fall Raid![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "The final round in the magazine deals bonus damage and then regenerates itself. Rapidly defeating three targets restores health. Precision hits drain combatants' life force and charge up a ball of darkness." ► Touch of Malice is one of the best Scouts in Destiny 2. It is the most accessible backup DPS option in the game making it a favoured pick in DPS situations. While it isn't a must for most players, as far as Scout Rifles go, it is definitely top tier. | Season 18 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "The final round in the magazine deals bonus damage and then regenerates itself. Rapidly defeating three targets restores health. Precision hits drain combatants' life force and charge up a ball of darkness." | Top-tier |
Polaris Lance | ![]() Polaris Lance | Scout Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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 is an excellent pick. Landing back-to-back Perfect Fifth to trigger a Solar explosion is a very straightforward process, making this a simple, but effective, exotic. | Season 3 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Precision hits return ammo to the mag. Landing 4 precision hits loads a delayed Solar explosive round for your next shot." | Top-tier |
Ace of Spades | ![]() Ace of Spades | Hand Cannon | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Forsaken Pack | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Forsaken Pack | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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 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 and the ability to see your radar while zoomed in, this weapon has a bit of everything. | Season 4 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Devil's Ruin | ![]() Devil's Ruin | Sidearm | Exotic | Primary | Solar | Shadowkeep | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Shadowkeep | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Variable trigger. Press and release to fire individual shots. Hold to charge up a high-powered, ![]() ► Able to deal with Unstoppable Champions, this is a fun weapon that does decent damage and melts shotgun apes in PVP when in laser mode. You will rarely see it in the wild, but this weapon deserves more attention, especially now that primary ammo is unlimited. | Season 9 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Variable trigger. Press and release to fire individual shots. Hold to charge up a high-powered, ![]() | Top-tier |
Traveler's Chosen | ![]() Traveler's Chosen | Sidearm | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Shadowkeep | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Shadowkeep | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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 best time-to-kill numbers, sidearms are considered a safe bet in PVP. And Traveler's Chosen is perhaps one of the best all-around sidearms in Destiny 2. It has the best base stats ever seen on a sidearm AND it features an extremely useful and consistent exotic perk. | Season 11 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
No Time to Explain | ![]() No Time to Explain | Pulse Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Beyond Light | Yes | A › Strong | Beyond Light Campaign | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE + PvP | Beyond Light Campaign![]() Beyond Light | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► An exceptional pick in PVP (and a fun one in PVE), No Time to Explain's ability to provide you with an extra set of bullets continues to be helpful in most areas of the game. | Season 12 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Trespasser | ![]() Trespasser | Sidearm | Exotic | Primary | Arc | The Witch Queen | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() The Witch Queen | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Reloading after defeating a target causes the next burst to be a longer, more powerful superburst. Final blows with Unrepentant superbursts automatically reload your weapon and provide an Unrepentant superburst." ► Our favorite sidearm in the game, Trespasser is a monster with its exotic perk active. While it won't be the best choice in Master or Grandmaster content, it's exceptionally powerful and fun everywhere else, including PvE and PvP. | Season 17 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Reloading after defeating a target causes the next burst to be a longer, more powerful superburst. Final blows with Unrepentant superbursts automatically reload your weapon and provide an Unrepentant superburst." | Top-tier |
Quicksilver Storm | ![]() Quicksilver Storm | Auto Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Strand | Lightfall | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Lightfall | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Landing multiple hits turns your next shot into a homing micro-rocket. Landing multiple rockets loads a grenade." ► Quicksilver Storm is unique, particularly due to its ability to produce homing rockets that transform it into a grenade launcher hybrid. The exotic perks on offer here will be more useful in PvE, but the homing rockets alone will prove effective in PvP as well. | Season 18 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Landing multiple hits turns your next shot into a homing micro-rocket. Landing multiple rockets loads a grenade." | Top-tier |
Riskrunner | ![]() Riskrunner | Submachine Gun | Exotic | Primary | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Exotic Quest![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► Riskrunner can make you unstoppable, assuming you're taking arc damage (which includes throwing your arc grenade at your feet!). When its perk activates, you literally become an unkillable god able to lethal deal chain damage with ease. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Skyburner's Oath | ![]() Skyburner's Oath | Scout Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit (also good: Subsistence) + Rampage PvP God Roll: Surplus (also good: Rapid Hit) + Kill Clip ► After several buffs and reworks, Skyburner's Oath is now a competent option. That said, it feels weird to use. To most, it's a worse option than Polaris Lance, but that doesn't mean it can't get the job done. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() PvE God Roll: Rapid Hit (also good: Subsistence) + Rampage PvP God Roll: Surplus (also good: Rapid Hit) + Kill Clip | Top-tier |
Rat King | ![]() Rat King | Sidearm | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Exotic Kiosk![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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 capable when used by yourself and quite strong when used in a Fireteam with other Rat King users. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
The Huckleberry | ![]() The Huckleberry | Submachine Gun | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► A powerhouse of a weapon, The Huckleberry isn't flashy but can clear ads like nothing else. Without the need to reload and pre-nerf Rampage on your side, nothing will be able to stand in your way. The recent buff to Exotic primary weapons further cemented it as one of the best Exotics in the game. | Season 3 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Outbreak Perfected | ![]() Outbreak Perfected | Pulse Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Exotic Kiosk![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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's theme and great firing feel alone make it a popular PVE choice. And with buffs to Exotic primary weapon damage, it's now an excellent option for casual PVE content. | Season 6 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Bad Juju | ![]() Bad Juju | Pulse Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Forsaken Pack | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Exotic Kiosk![]() Forsaken Pack | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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. And with the recent buffs to Exotic primaries and pulse rifles, it can finally compete with the best. | Season 7 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Ticuu's Divination | ![]() Ticuu's Divination | Combat Bow | Exotic | Primary | Solar | Beyond Light | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Exotic Kiosk![]() Beyond Light | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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. | Season 13 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Cryosthesia 77K | ![]() Cryosthesia 77K | Sidearm | Exotic | Primary | Stasis | Beyond Light | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Exotic Kiosk![]() Beyond Light | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► Now that Stasis can counter Champions, Cryothesia is finally a viable weapon for end-game content. While getting it to freeze champions is easier said than done, it is nevertheless another tool to have in your pocket, especially if you are a sidearm fan. | Season 14 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Collective Obligation | ![]() Collective Obligation | Pulse Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Void | The Witch Queen | Yes | A › Strong | Vow of the Disciple Raid | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Vow of the Disciple Raid![]() The Witch Queen | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► With the ability to debuff everything in sight, Collective Obligation can do things no other weapon can. That being said, you're almost required to create a build with it to make it worth your exotic slot. While this weapon has potential, having to work so hard to make your exotic feel "exotic" isn't great. | Season 16 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Hierarchy of Needs | ![]() Hierarchy of Needs | Combat Bow | Exotic | Primary | Solar | Deluxe Edition | Yes | A › Strong | Spire of the Watcher Dungeon | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Spire of the Watcher Dungeon![]() Deluxe Edition | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Precision hits and final blows build Guidance Ring energy. Arrows fired through a Guidance Ring release seeking projectiles, which do more damage based on distance traveled." ► Hierarchy of Needs is very unique, and it also happens to be excellent at boss damage. It actually beats Outbreak Perfected and Touch of Malice for the top spot in Primary DPS, making it a staple backup weapon. It does a shedload of damage and still has all the benefits of being a bow. | Season 19 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Precision hits and final blows build Guidance Ring energy. Arrows fired through a Guidance Ring release seeking projectiles, which do more damage based on distance traveled." | Top-tier |
Verglas Curve | ![]() Verglas Curve | Combat Bow | Exotic | Primary | Stasis | Season 20 | Yes | A › Strong | Season Pass | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Season Pass![]() Season 20 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Final blows with this weapon grant Stasis arrows. Your next hip-fire shot will fire all of them in a single volley. Stasis arrows freeze targets on contact and create Stasis crystals when affecting the environment." ► While Verglas received minor buffs to make its gameplay loop more consistent, needing to kill a target in order to activate its main trait holds it back from S-tier. However, that's not to say it isn't a monster once it gets going, freezing almost everything it sees. | Season 20 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Final blows with this weapon grant Stasis arrows. Your next hip-fire shot will fire all of them in a single volley. Stasis arrows freeze targets on contact and create Stasis crystals when affecting the environment." | Top-tier |
Necrochasm | ![]() Necrochasm | Auto Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Crota's End Raid | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Crota's End Raid![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Precision final blows with this weapon trigger a Cursed Thrall explosion. Final blows with Cursed Thrall explosions refill the magazine." ► Necrochasm is a classic that has made a welcome return. The exotic perk on this weapon makes it a great option for crowd control in PvE. Chain explosions via the Cursebringer exotic perk and you will find yourself with a bottomless magazine, high rate of fire, and absurd stability. | Season 22 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Precision final blows with this weapon trigger a Cursed Thrall explosion. Final blows with Cursed Thrall explosions refill the magazine." | Top-tier |
MIDA Multi-Tool | ![]() MIDA Multi-Tool | Scout Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon boosts move speed. Radar stays active while aiming down sights." ► MIDA Multi-Tool is still one of the strongest Scout Rifle picks in PvP. It provides an increased movement speed, High-Caliber Rounds that flinch your opponent, and a reasonably competitive time-to-kill. It isn't the 'best' option because it is out-damaged by High-Impact Scout rifles such as Jade Rabbit or Polaris Lance. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon boosts move speed. Radar stays active while aiming down sights." | Top-tier |
Crimson | ![]() Crimson | Hand Cannon | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires a 3-round burst. Kills with this weapon heal the wielder. Precision kills also refill the magazine." ► Effectively a Hand Cannon version of Red Death from Destiny 1, Crimson is often a misunderstood weapon and typically receives mixed reviews. But just like The Last Word, Crimson can be very good for PvP, provided you're using a controller. | Season 2 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires a 3-round burst. Kills with this weapon heal the wielder. Precision kills also refill the magazine." | Top-tier |
The Jade Rabbit | ![]() The Jade Rabbit | Scout Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Chain body shots to gain bonus damage on your next precision shot, return ammo to the magazine, and increases its stability." ► The Jade Rabbit is a simple, yet effective pick inside of PvP. A clean scope, solid base stats, and Zen Moment all make for a an extremely solid Scout that almost anyone could succeed with. | Season 2 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Chain body shots to gain bonus damage on your next precision shot, return ammo to the magazine, and increases its stability." | Top-tier |
SUROS Regime | ![]() SUROS Regime | Auto Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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 a faster rate of fire can absolutely shred opposing Guardians. This makes SUROS an incredibly oppressive option if used correctly. It has fallen slightly behind, though, especially in this current long-range meta. | Season 3 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Le Monarque | ![]() Le Monarque | Combat Bow | Exotic | Primary | Void | Forsaken Pack | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Forsaken Pack | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Arrows fired quickly after a full draw become poison arrows. Precision hits with poison arrows spread poison to nearby enemies." ► Le Monarque is a ridiculously oppressive pick in PvP as it can be combined with a Hand Cannon to deliver blindingly fast combo kills with relative ease. It also comes with intrinsic Overload Arrows, which, combined with its poison effect, are highly effective against Overload Champions. This makes Le Monarque an incredible pick for PvE too. | Season 5 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Arrows fired quickly after a full draw become poison arrows. Precision hits with poison arrows spread poison to nearby enemies." | Top-tier |
Hawkmoon | ![]() Hawkmoon | Hand Cannon | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Beyond Light | Yes | A › Strong | Xûr | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Xûr![]() Beyond Light | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► Hawkmoon is one of the strongest Exotic Hand Cannons in PvP. It can consistently 2-tap (and even 1-tap) opposing Guardians, provided you are accurate enough. In the hands of an experienced player, Hawkmoon is definitely something to fear. | Season 12 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Dead Man's Tale | ![]() Dead Man's Tale | Scout Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Beyond Light | Yes | A › Strong | Presage | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Presage![]() Beyond Light | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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) ► Dead Man's Tale has been reworked to receive improved stats and an increased rate of fire, instead of the plain increased damage it used to offer. While this lowers the potency of Dead Man's Tale, it remains a powerful option due to its high damage per shot and incredible range. | Season 13 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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) | Top-tier |
Revision Zero | ![]() Revision Zero | Pulse Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | The Witch Queen | Yes | A › Strong | Operation: Seraph's Shield | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Operation: Seraph's Shield![]() The Witch Queen | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Precision hits grant targeting data. Swap to the alternate scope, loading high-damage rounds based on the amount of targeting data. Strong against Barrier Champions. Increased movement speed and target acquisition when moving while aiming down sights." ► Some have called Revision Zero the Pulse Rifle version of the Hawkmoon due to its charge function through precision hits. Charging up Sniper shots makes for quite a versatile weapon, but there will be better options if you just want a solid dueling Pulse Rifle. | Season 19 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Precision hits grant targeting data. Swap to the alternate scope, loading high-damage rounds based on the amount of targeting data. Strong against Barrier Champions. Increased movement speed and target acquisition when moving while aiming down sights." | Top-tier |
Graviton Lance | ![]() Graviton Lance | Pulse Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► Over the summer, Graviton Lance received a whopping 67% PvE damage buff, making it tear through enemies with ease, especially with its AoE detonations. Plus, its catalyst now provides Vorpal Weapon. On the PvP side of things, it can still compete in longer range maps. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
Monte Carlo | ![]() Monte Carlo | Auto Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Shadowkeep | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Exotic Engram![]() Shadowkeep | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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. | Season 8 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
Tommy's Matchbook | ![]() Tommy's Matchbook | Auto Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Solar | Shadowkeep | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Exotic Kiosk![]() Shadowkeep | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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 can be a powerhouse in both Crucible and PvE. It has a charge-up mechanic that will increase your damage at the cost of burning yourself. It pairs with Warlocks using a healing rift / well, and there are Titan exotics that excel here. These are, however, niche use cases. | Season 10 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Sustained fire with this weapon overheats it, increasing damage but burning the user. Overheat damage is reduced while hip firing." | |
Centrifuse | ![]() Centrifuse | Auto Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Season Pass | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Season Pass![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Sprinting, sliding, and firing this weapon builds a temporary electrostatic charge, increasing range and reload speed. Final blows with high charge cause explosions, and maximum charge explosions blind targets." ► Sprinting with Centrifuse will charge up its arc damage output. It works like a toned-down take on Zhalo Supercell from Destiny 1. The weapon is solid in PvE as it is great at crowd control when the perk is charged, but otherwise this is a fairly tame exotic option. | Season 21 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Sprinting, sliding, and firing this weapon builds a temporary electrostatic charge, increasing range and reload speed. Final blows with high charge cause explosions, and maximum charge explosions blind targets." | |
Vigilance Wing | ![]() Vigilance Wing | Pulse Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvP | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires a 5-round burst. When a nearby ally is killed, gain health regeneration, and increased movement speed." ► Vigilance Wing has always been a solid choice for PVP; in recent times, however, it's gotten outclassed. Without a buff soon, Vigilance Wing may drop down into the lower half of pulse rifles. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires a 5-round burst. When a nearby ally is killed, gain health regeneration, and increased movement speed." | |
Fighting Lion | ![]() Fighting Lion | Grenade Launcher | Exotic | Primary | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvP | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► The Fighting Lion can be one of the most fun weapons to use but also one of the most annoying weapons to fight against. Mastering the Fighting Lion playstyle in the Crucible can yield excellent results. However, it takes time to master and it requires quite a niche playstyle. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
Hard Light | ![]() Hard Light | Auto Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvP | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► The days of Hard Light's domination over the Crucible are long gone, and these days it sits in the middle of the pack. It does have its niche uses and fun ways to ricochet kill enemies, but many Legendary alternatives surpass it in both PvE and PvP. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
The Last Word | ![]() The Last Word | Hand Cannon | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Forsaken Pack | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Forsaken Pack | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires full auto. Hip-fire shots deal bonus precision damage while increasing reload speed and accuracy." ► The Last Word is notorious for being way better on a controller than on mouse and keyboard. These days, it's much less common in The Crucible; however, it's still an alright pick for controller players who don't have much else to run. | Season 5 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon fires full auto. Hip-fire shots deal bonus precision damage while increasing reload speed and accuracy." | |
Thorn | ![]() Thorn | Hand Cannon | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Forsaken Pack | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Forsaken Pack | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Rounds pierce targets and deal damage over time. Kills leave behind Remnants which, when absorbed, increase damage." ► Once one of the greats, Thorn has slowly drifted out of the meta. While it can still be strong in the hands of a skilled PvP player, it is outmatched by other exotic Hand Cannons like Ace of Spades and Hawkmoon, and can't hold a candle to options like The Immortal or No Time to Explain. | Season 6 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Rounds pierce targets and deal damage over time. Kills leave behind Remnants which, when absorbed, increase damage." | |
Symmetry | ![]() Symmetry | Scout Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Arc | Shadowkeep | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Shadowkeep | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► Symmetry is an unique weapon that can easily catch opponents off guard. However, its main perk will be less effective against better players, neutering its value in more challenging PvP settings. That said, you can still frag out with it in more casual settings. | Season 9 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
Final Warning | ![]() Final Warning | Sidearm | Exotic | Primary | Strand | Lightfall | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvP | Exotic Quest![]() Lightfall | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Holding down the trigger marks targets and loads multiple bullets, which fire in a burst with increased stability on trigger release. Hitting a marked target with a fully charged burst will unravel them. Hipfiring Projectiles will track marked targets and deal increased body shot damage. Aiming Projectiles have greatly increased velocity and deal extra critical hit damage." ► While Final Warning may be a fun option inside of the Crubile, it isn't meta-defining and doesn't change the game too much. There are better options that don't take up your exotic slot. | Season 20 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Holding down the trigger marks targets and loads multiple bullets, which fire in a burst with increased stability on trigger release. Hitting a marked target with a fully charged burst will unravel them. Hipfiring Projectiles will track marked targets and deal increased body shot damage. Aiming Projectiles have greatly increased velocity and deal extra critical hit damage." | |
Sweet Business | ![]() Sweet Business | Auto Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Average ❘ B | Exotic Quest![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Larger magazine. Increased accuracy when firing from the hip. Picking up ammo for this weapon immediately reloads it." ► Sweet Business is fun, but that's about it. It can have an excellent TTK when it's ramped up, but when enemies hear a revved-up Sweet Business, they will simply either take cover or peek shoot. This renders the Sweet Business mostly ineffective. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Larger magazine. Increased accuracy when firing from the hip. Picking up ammo for this weapon immediately reloads it." | |
Sturm | ![]() Sturm | Hand Cannon | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Average ❘ B | Exotic Kiosk![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Kills fill the magazine of the equipped Energy weapon from reserves. Kills with Drang reload this weapon and provides bonus damage." ► Sturm is a pretty niche pick. Even if you play into the gameplay loop of using this gun by equipping Drang, it just feels like a lot of work for not too much payoff. While unique and fun at times, Sturm can't be considered a top-tier pick right now. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Kills fill the magazine of the equipped Energy weapon from reserves. Kills with Drang reload this weapon and provides bonus damage." | |
Cerberus+1 | ![]() Cerberus+1 | Auto Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Average ❘ B | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Shoots erratic bullets from all gun barrels at the same time. Aiming this weapon reduces the spread of its projectiles." ► To say Cerberus+1 is a niche option is an understatement. Cerberus is excellent at dealing with Titan Barricades, especially Citan's Rampart barricades, but other than that, this is a poor weapon, too erratic to do anything notable with. | Season 4 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Shoots erratic bullets from all gun barrels at the same time. Aiming this weapon reduces the spread of its projectiles." | |
Malfeasance | ![]() Malfeasance | Hand Cannon | Exotic | Primary | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Average ❘ B | Exotic Quest![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► One of the more interesting Hand Cannons on this list, Malfeasance still really hasn't found a solid place in the game. While it does excel at killing Taken and invaders in Gambit, that's an incredibly small niche. Plus, it's a part of the most lacking archetype, making it a poor choice everywhere else. | Season 4 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
The Manticore | ![]() The Manticore | Submachine Gun | Exotic | Primary | Void | The Witch Queen | Yes | C › Weak | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Weak ❘ C | Exotic Kiosk![]() The Witch Queen | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Dealing damage while grounded charges antigrav repulsors. Dealing damage while airborne extends antigrav repulsors. Dealing damage while airborne increases this weapon's damage output." ► The Manticore can completely catch opponents off guard if they refuse to take its airborne damage buff seriously. However, skilled players will quickly adapt and catch on to the Manticore's strategy and use you as a sitting duck when in the air. | Season 19 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Dealing damage while grounded charges antigrav repulsors. Dealing damage while airborne extends antigrav repulsors. Dealing damage while airborne increases this weapon's damage output." | |
Wicked Implement | ![]() Wicked Implement | Scout Rifle | Exotic | Primary | Stasis | Free-to-Play | Yes | - | Exotic Quest | ![]() | - | Exotic Quest![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Rapidly landing precision hits causes targets to become slowed. Precision final blows create a Stasis shard that returns to you. Collecting Stasis shards refills the magazine." ► | Season 21 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Rapidly landing precision hits causes targets to become slowed. Precision final blows create a Stasis shard that returns to you. Collecting Stasis shards refills the magazine." |
ℹ️ Did you know that Primary ammo Exotics deal +40% more damage to Minor (red bar) enemies than their Legendary counterparts?
Special Exotics
Name | Weapons | Type | Archetype | Ammo | Element | Requirements | In loot pool? | Rank | Source | Available? | Tier rank | Source ❘ DLC | Final Verdict | Released | Perks | Best of? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Buried Bloodline | ![]() Buried Bloodline | Sidearm | Exotic | Special | Void | Deluxe Edition | Yes | Warlord's Ruin Dungeon | ![]() | Warlord's Ruin Dungeon![]() Deluxe Edition | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires two tracking bolts that leech health from the target. Rapid final blows with this weapon grant Devour to the wielder." | Season 23 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires two tracking bolts that leech health from the target. Rapid final blows with this weapon grant Devour to the wielder." | |||
Witherhoard | ![]() Witherhoard | Grenade Launcher | Exotic | Special | Kinetic | Shadowkeep | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Shadowkeep | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► Even a few nerfs to this GL couldn't knock it out of the top spot. A true fire-and-forget weapon, Witherhoard can deal with all manner of enemies in just a few shots. Whether it is used as part of a damage rotation, or just to lock an area down, Witherhoard reigns supreme. | Season 11 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Cloudstrike | ![]() Cloudstrike | Sniper Rifle | Exotic | Special | Arc | Beyond Light | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Quest![]() Beyond Light | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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 is a monster in all areas of the game. It pumps out substantial damage in PvE compared to other snipers, and it can easily eliminate an entire team of Guardians in The Crucible. Plus, it's super fun and satisfying to use. What's not to love? | Season 12 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Ager's Scepter | ![]() Ager's Scepter | Trace Rifle | Exotic | Special | Stasis | Beyond Light | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Beyond Light | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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 one of the strongest kinetic special weapon choices right now, allowing you to slow and freeze with ease. With its absurd stats, perks, and an S-Tier catalyst, this trace rifle is a staple for anyone wanting to create a Stasis build or just clear ads. | Season 15 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Forerunner | ![]() Forerunner | Sidearm | Exotic | Special | Kinetic | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Quest![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "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." ► What was once a PvP menace has now found its way into PvE as a result of the recent sidearm buffs. While most classes can find usability, Hunters will appreciate this sidearm even more when paired with Mechaneer's Tricksleeves. | 30th Anniversary event | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "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." | Top-tier |
The Navigator | ![]() The Navigator | Trace Rifle | Exotic | Special | Strand | Deluxe Edition | Yes | S › Best | Ghost of the Deep Dungeon | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE + PvP | Ghost of the Deep Dungeon![]() Deluxe Edition | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Firing this weapon at an ally grants Woven Mail to both the user and the target. Dealing sustained damage severs the target." ► The Navigator is exceptionally unique. Its ability to continuously grant you and your allies Woven Mail is invaluable and rivals the support capabilities of Lumina and Divinity. Regardless of whether or not you're running a Strand build, The Navigator is an absurd support weapon that's extremely powerful in high-end PvE content. | Season 21 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Firing this weapon at an ally grants Woven Mail to both the user and the target. Dealing sustained damage severs the target." | Top-tier |
Merciless | ![]() Merciless | Fusion Rifle | Exotic | Special | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Non-lethal hits make this weapon charge faster. Reloading immediately after a kill increases weapon damage for a short time." ► Merciless is unmatched in the Fusion Rifle department. With the changes to the Conserve Momentum perk lasting through reloading, Merciless became a beast overnight and can put out some ridiculous burst damage. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Non-lethal hits make this weapon charge faster. Reloading immediately after a kill increases weapon damage for a short time." | Top-tier |
Izanagi's Burden | ![]() Izanagi's Burden | Sniper Rifle | Exotic | Special | Kinetic | Forsaken Pack | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Exotic Kiosk![]() Forsaken Pack | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Holding reload consumes the magazine and loads a round with additional range and damage." ► A powerhouse of a weapon, Izanagi's Burden can reach some incredible DPS numbers, especially when combined with an Auto-Loading Holster Rocket Launcher. While this combo is slightly more demanding than some other DPS options, it is well worth the effort to unlock this beast's potential. | Season 5 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Holding reload consumes the magazine and loads a round with additional range and damage." | Top-tier |
Arbalest | ![]() Arbalest | Linear Fusion Rifle | Exotic | Special | Kinetic | Lightfall | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Exotic Quest![]() Lightfall | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires slugs that cause massive damage to enemy shields. Strong against ![]() ► Arbalest continues to dominate in every area of the game, even through nerfs to both its damage and aim assist. With the ability to bypass Barrier Champion and elemental shields in 1-2 shots (even on Grandmaster difficulty), Arbalest will remain an unstoppable force. | Season 6 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires slugs that cause massive damage to enemy shields. Strong against ![]() | Top-tier |
Divinity | ![]() Divinity | Trace Rifle | Exotic | Special | Arc | Shadowkeep | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Exotic Quest![]() Shadowkeep | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Sustained damage with this weapon envelops the target in a field that weakens and ![]() ► Divinity has been a great choice since it was released back in Shadowkeep. Even though a recent nerf reduced its debuff potential to 15%, this trace rifle still proves its worth through the ability to make crits way easier to hit. Plus, it's still considered the best Overload weapon in the game. | Season 8 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Sustained damage with this weapon envelops the target in a field that weakens and ![]() | Top-tier |
Dead Messenger | ![]() Dead Messenger | Grenade Launcher | Exotic | Special | Void | The Witch Queen | Yes | S › Best | Vox Obscura | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Vox Obscura![]() The Witch Queen | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► While its potency in PvP was toned down, Dead Messenger continues to excel in PvE. Lacking the range of a typical wave frame, the tri-shot allows for a more direct approach, and the ability to swap between three energy types means perfect synergy with any Light subclass! | Season 16 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Conditional Finality | ![]() Conditional Finality | Shotgun | Exotic | Special | Stasis | Lightfall | Yes | S › Best | Root of Nightmares Raid | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvE | Root of Nightmares Raid![]() Lightfall | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Dual barrels split into Stasis and Solar damage. Landing nearly all Stasis pellets will freeze targets; landing nearly all Solar pellets will ignite targets." ► Conditional Finality is remarkable. In PvE, it has Champion stunning capabilities and excellent potential damage with a hot-swap setup, rivaling even Izanagi's Burden. In PvP, it has great handling, solid 1-hit kill range, and can take down supers with its Freeze-Ignite effect. | Season 20 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Dual barrels split into Stasis and Solar damage. Landing nearly all Stasis pellets will freeze targets; landing nearly all Solar pellets will ignite targets." | Top-tier |
The Chaperone | ![]() The Chaperone | Shotgun | Exotic | Special | Kinetic | Beyond Light | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvP | Exotic Quest![]() Beyond Light | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires a single-slug precision round. Precision kills briefly grant bonus handling, range, and precision damage with this weapon." ► 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. Because of its excellent base stats and Precision-slug frame, The Chaperone has the longest one-hit kill distance of any shotgun in the game, provided you can hit your headshots. | Season 4 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires a single-slug precision round. Precision kills briefly grant bonus handling, range, and precision damage with this weapon." | Top-tier |
Duality | ![]() Duality | Shotgun | Exotic | Special | Solar | Beyond Light | Yes | S › Best | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Best ❘ S Excels in: PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Beyond Light | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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 is still, to this day, one of the most potent Special Weapons in the game. It is the king of shotgun versatility, and in the hands of a skilled player, it can turn any lobby upside-down with its unique Pellet/Slug Shotgun playstyle. It's also a very stylish weapon netting it some bonus points. | Season 12 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Coldheart | ![]() Coldheart | Trace Rifle | Exotic | Special | Arc | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon shoots a steady cold fusion-powered laser that does exponentially more damage the longer it remains on a target." ► Originally, Coldheart's exotic perk was simply that it was a trace rifle. But finally, after years and years of community persuading, Bungie added a unique trait to it: the ability to generate Ionic Traces. While this doesn't put it on the level of Divinity or Ager's Scepter, it provides an excellent addition to those on an Arc subclass. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon shoots a steady cold fusion-powered laser that does exponentially more damage the longer it remains on a target." | Top-tier |
Bastion | ![]() Bastion | Fusion Rifle | Exotic | Special | Kinetic | Shadowkeep | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvE | Exotic Kiosk![]() Shadowkeep | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Charge to fire 3 spreads of Kinetic slugs. This weapon fires ![]() ►While not the PvP menace it used to be, recent changes have made Bastion a powerhouse in end-game PvE. As a Kinetic fusion, it can also take advantage of the 10% extra damage to Kinetic weapons. Still outclassed by other exotics, these changes make it more justifiable than before. | Season 9 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Charge to fire 3 spreads of Kinetic slugs. This weapon fires ![]() | Top-tier |
Telesto | ![]() Telesto | Fusion Rifle | Exotic | Special | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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. And now that it can synergize with Void 3.0 it's even more usable. You'll find a place for it in any loadout. | Season 2 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | Top-tier |
Jötunn | ![]() Jötunn | Fusion Rifle | Exotic | Special | Solar | Forsaken Pack | Yes | A › Strong | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Strong ❘ A Excels in: PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Forsaken Pack | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Hold down the trigger to charge up a tracking shot that explodes and burns on impact. Energy matched shield explosion disorients enemies." ► Jötunn's tracking shots have long been a menace in casual PvP, and with its catalyst granting it Cornered, there's never been a better time to pick up the Terrifying Toaster. On the PvE side, Jotuun has Incandescent via its catalyst, making a perfect Solar 3.0 weapon to toy around with. | Season 5 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Hold down the trigger to charge up a tracking shot that explodes and burns on impact. Energy matched shield explosion disorients enemies." | Top-tier |
Lorentz Driver | ![]() Lorentz Driver | Linear Fusion Rifle | Exotic | Special | Void | Beyond Light | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Kiosk![]() Beyond Light | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► A true menace in PVP when it was first released, Lorentz Driver has become a fun but off-meta choice in all areas of the game. While it can still excel in niche scenarios, newer weapons have taken the meta away from Lorentz. | Season 15 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
Vexcalibur | ![]() Vexcalibur | Glaive | Exotic | Special | Void | Lightfall | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE + PvP | Exotic Quest![]() Lightfall | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Blocking damage with your shield gradually bestows Void overshields to yourself and nearby allies. Deal additional melee damage while protected by an overshield. Defeating targets with melee final blows while the overshield is active will refresh it." ► While the weapon does have tons of potential, Vexcalibur doesn't hold up while wielding it. Having a Void Overshield can be nice, but other support-based weapons like Lumina and The Navigator (or other non-exotic glaives) are much better. | Season 20 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Blocking damage with your shield gradually bestows Void overshields to yourself and nearby allies. Deal additional melee damage while protected by an overshield. Defeating targets with melee final blows while the overshield is active will refresh it." | |
Wavesplitter | ![]() Wavesplitter | Trace Rifle | Exotic | Special | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► Especially after the armor mod changes that came with Lightfall, Wavesplitter is hugely underrated. While it still falls in the middle of the pack on this list, its ability to suppress large groups of enemies is unparalleled, making it extremely valuable in any PvE activity. | Season 4 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
Eriana's Vow | ![]() Eriana's Vow | Hand Cannon | Exotic | Special | Solar | Shadowkeep | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Exotic Kiosk![]() Shadowkeep | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires special ![]() ► Previously a no-brainer in activities with Barrier Champions, Eriana's Vow now sits in the shadow of its main competitor: Arbalest. While still an extremely fun and unique gun that's worth using once in a while, this weapon just hasn't been able to keep up with the meta. | Season 8 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires special ![]() | |
The Fourth Horseman | ![]() The Fourth Horseman | Shotgun | Exotic | Special | Solar | Shadowkeep | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Exotic Kiosk![]() Shadowkeep | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon's rate of fire is increased significantly and fires full auto. Each successive shot has more damage and more spread." ► Boasting some of the highest burst DPS in the entire game, The Fourth Horseman is an "all or nothing" weapon. It can deal with Majors easily, but as you delve into more challenging content, the Fourth Horseman can become quite a risky weapon to opt for, making it a pretty middle-of-the-pack option. | Season 10 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon's rate of fire is increased significantly and fires full auto. Each successive shot has more damage and more spread." | |
Delicate Tomb | ![]() Delicate Tomb | Fusion Rifle | Exotic | Special | Arc | The Witch Queen | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvE | Exotic Kiosk![]() The Witch Queen | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires a wide horizontal spread when shot from the hip. Final blows with this weapon have a chance to generate Ionic Traces. Collecting an Ionic Trace overcharges this weapon's next shot, jolting targets on hit." ► Even though Jolt's damage is getting reigned in, Delicate Tomb continues to be a solid pick for Arc 3.0 builds, especially now that Jolt stuns Overload Champions. While there are certainly better options, with the right build, Delicate Tomb can put in serious work. | Season 18 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires a wide horizontal spread when shot from the hip. Final blows with this weapon have a chance to generate Ionic Traces. Collecting an Ionic Trace overcharges this weapon's next shot, jolting targets on hit." | |
Lord of Wolves | ![]() Lord of Wolves | Shotgun | Exotic | Special | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Average ❘ B Excels in: PvP | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires a powerful short-range burst of Solar damage. Hold to swap to a longer, more powerful burst." ► Lord of Wolves dominated the meta for a good part of early 2022. But Season 17's changes to the Special ammo economy and a specific nerf to the weapon, hurt the Lord of Wolves. However, despite the nerfs, it remains an extremely easy shotgun to use with very high levels of lethality. | Season 4 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "Fires a powerful short-range burst of Solar damage. Hold to swap to a longer, more powerful burst." | |
Edge of Action | ![]() Edge of Action | Glaive | Exotic | Special | Void | The Witch Queen | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Average ❘ B | Exotic Quest![]() The Witch Queen | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "When weapon energy is full, consume it before firing to make your next shot deploy a protective shield on impact.." ► Edge of Action slowly became the best of the three class-specific glaives. That's because of its interactions with Helm of Saint-14 and its general ease of use. All that said, it still can be hard making the call to use your exotic slot on a glaive, and the exotic perk can be tedious to proc at times, making it average on our list. | Season 16 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "When weapon energy is full, consume it before firing to make your next shot deploy a protective shield on impact.." | |
Edge of Intent | ![]() Edge of Intent | Glaive | Exotic | Special | Solar | The Witch Queen | Yes | B › Average | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Average ❘ B | Exotic Quest![]() The Witch Queen | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "When weapon energy is full, consume it before firing to make your next shot deploy a healing turret on impact." ► Warlocks have the most average of the three Exotic glaives: It doesn't offer as many build opportunities as the Titan one does, but it's also not utterly useless as the Hunter one. Sure, the healing turret is a nice tool in your kit to have, but there are way more powerful synergies you can experiment with for more potent effects. | Season 16 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "When weapon energy is full, consume it before firing to make your next shot deploy a healing turret on impact." | |
Tessellation | ![]() Tessellation | Fusion Rifle | Exotic | Special | Kinetic | The Final Shape | Yes | B › Average | Pre-order bonus | ![]() | Average ❘ B | Pre-order bonus![]() The Final Shape | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon adapts its damage type to match your equipped subclass. Final blows grant grenade energy. Consume your grenade to load a large projectile that generates an elemental explosion on impact." ► As far as pre-order exotics go, Tessellation is continuing the trend of them being OP. Not only does it come with built-in Demolitionist, but the projectile fired after consuming your grenade can deal near rocket levels of damage. All for the cost of a grenade and a shot of special. | Season 22 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon adapts its damage type to match your equipped subclass. Final blows grant grenade energy. Consume your grenade to load a large projectile that generates an elemental explosion on impact." | |
Borealis | ![]() Borealis | Sniper Rifle | Exotic | Special | Void | Free-to-Play | Yes | C › Weak | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Weak ❘ C | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► You would think that Borealis would succeed now that Match Game is an important part of endgame content. However, Dead Messenger and Arbalest do a way better job at this, and Borealis has almost nothing else going for it, making it a subpar option. | Season 1 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
Prometheus Lens | ![]() Prometheus Lens | Trace Rifle | Exotic | Special | Solar | Free-to-Play | Yes | C › Weak | Exotic Engram | ![]() | Weak ❘ C | Exotic Engram![]() Free-to-Play | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► Other than the notorious "Laser Tag Weekend" that it caused, Prometheus Lens has never seen much use. While it can be a fun alternative to other special weapons at times (and can excel, to a certain extent, with ammo-based mods), there aren't many scenarios where Prometheus is utilized. | Season 2 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
Ruinous Effigy | ![]() Ruinous Effigy | Trace Rifle | Exotic | Special | Void | Shadowkeep | Yes | C › Weak | Exotic Kiosk | ![]() | Weak ❘ C | Exotic Kiosk![]() Shadowkeep | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► One of the most "exotic" feeling weapons Destiny 2 has to offer, Ruinous Effigy easily beats out most other options in terms of fun factor. Plus, with various buffs to this weapon's special abilities (such as its drain and ball slam), Ruinous can be an excellent major-killing option in low-tier PVE. | Season 11 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
Edge of Concurrence | ![]() Edge of Concurrence | Glaive | Exotic | Special | Arc | The Witch Queen | Yes | D › Worst | Exotic Quest | ![]() | Worst ❘ D | Exotic Quest![]() The Witch Queen | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." ► Hunters are known to sometimes get the short end of the stick, and this happens to be one of those times. Edge of Concurrence and its chain lightning abilities are exceptional in theory, but other exotics already do this significantly better (namely Trinity Ghoul and Riskrunner). All that said, it's hard to recommend Edge of Concurrence, even with Arc 3.0. | Season 16 | Slot: ![]() ![]() 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." | |
Ex Diris | ![]() Ex Diris | Grenade Launcher | Exotic | Special | Arc | Season 22 | Yes | - | Season Pass | ![]() | - | Season Pass![]() Season 22 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon enrages when dealing or taking sustained damage, gaining increased rate of fire while enraged. Final blows with this weapon create a loyal moth. The moth will seek out nearby targets and detonate, damaging and blinding them." | Season 22 | Slot: ![]() ![]() Exotic Perk: "This weapon enrages when dealing or taking sustained damage, gaining increased rate of fire while enraged. Final blows with this weapon create a loyal moth. The moth will seek out nearby targets and detonate, damaging and blinding them." |
Heavy Exotics
These are the different Tier levels used for the list:
- S Tier – Best: Highest ranking weapons in our Tier List.
- A Tier – Strong: Very strong weapons, 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.
The list starts with S Tier and moves down until it reaches the Bottom Tier. Also, you can filter and sort the list however you prefer!
How to get Exotics in Destiny 2
There are several ways you can find Exotic weapons in Destiny 2. Some Exotics require you to complete a very specific quest or challenge, while others can be randomly found in the wild. This post covers all the new Exotics and explains how to easily get them. But if you’re looking for older Exotics, this is how you can acquire them all:
1. Decrypting Exotic engrams
Exotic engrams can randomly drop when playing the game. Your luck will certainly play a role here, but the more you play, the more chances you’ll have to find an Exotic in the wild. Random Exotic engrams can drop either from defeated enemies or when completing activities.
If you want to increase your odds, you’ll want to tackle more specific, difficult activities. Most Year 1 Exotics, such as Merciless and Trinity Ghoul, can be acquired via Exotic engrams.

An Exotic engram found in the wild
2. Completing Exotic quests
Quest Exotics: The most iconic exotics are often tied to Exotic quests of varying degrees of difficulty and length. Exotic quests are, for the most part, long and complicated, each deserving a good tutorial. Be warned that several Exotic quests were recently removed from the game and put into the DCV (Destiny Content Vault).
To get started, you can head to our comprehensive guide featuring every Destiny 2 exotic quest still available (including video guides).
3. Buying Exotics at The Monument to Lost Lights
The Monument to Lost Lights (aka, the “Exotics Kiosk”) is a fairly new method to acquire Exotics weapons that were previously connected to old Season Passes and Exotic quests that are no longer available in-game. Either way, the Monument to Lost Lights has all of those exotics for sale.
You can read all about it in our Monument to Lost Lights guide, including the cost to acquire each Exotic and a complete tier list to help you decide what to get next.

The Monument to Lost Lights
4. Buying Exotics from Xur every weekend
Xur is an infamous NPC that appears every weekend (from Friday’s reset to Tuesday’s reset) and offers a different Exotic weapon and Exotic armor (one per class) every weekend. Xur also sells a random Exotic Engram that can contain either a weapon or armor piece.
5. Claiming Exotics from the Season Pass
The easier Exotics available to you can be found in the Season Pass. Both the Paid and Free tracks of the Season Pass offer a handful of Exotic engrams. All you need do is earn the XP to unlock them before the season is over.
6. Resetting your Valor and Infamy
Resetting your Valor and Infamy will reward you with an Ascendant Shard for the first reset of the Season each, and then Exotic engrams for every subsequent reset that same season.
7. Completing Nightfall: The Ordeals at the highest difficulties
As mentioned before, Exotic engrams have a higher chance of dropping from end-game activities. If collecting exotics is your priority, Nightfall: The Ordeals are for you. There isn’t a single activity that rewards as many Exotic engrams as high-difficulty Nightfalls do.
Farming Master and Grandmaster Nightfalls are no easy feat, but if you find the right team, research the best strategies, and can pull it off, you won’t know what to do with so many Exotic engrams.
8. Completing Raids & Dungeons
A select handful of exotics can only drop from raid or dungeon bosses, such as the brand-new the Collective Obligation pulse rifle, which can only drop from the Vow of the Disciple raid, or The Navigator trace rifle, which can only drop from the Ghost of the Deep dungeon.
Note that Bungie has introduced a system that allows you to complete specific triumphs and/or challenges to improve your Exotic drop rates.
So, in conclusion, what is the best way to get Exotics in Destiny 2?
The best method to get Exotics in Destiny 2 will depend on your (and your team’s) skill level. If you’re a seasoned player able to easily put together a competent Fireteam, farming Nightfall: The Ordeals will net you the fastest results. If you’re a new player who mostly plays solo, you’ll want to visit Xur religiously every weekend and ensure you unlock all of your Season Pass Exotic engrams.
Destiny 2 Exotics in-depth
How many Exotics are there?
Despite being the rarest and most powerful items available, the game has been receiving a healthy quantity of new Exotics each season. As of Season of the Lost (Season 15), a total of 83 Exotic weapons have been released so far.
The easiest Exotics to get in Destiny 2
As you start your adventures, you’ll want to focus on the most accessible Exotics first. Luckily, all but a few raid and quest-exclusive Exotics are fairly easy to acquire, as long as you’re prepared to grind. Most exotics can be found via Exotic engrams, which means that every method that rewards Exotic engrams (Season Pass, Xur, Rank resets, etc) will help you find new Exotic weapons and armor easily.
Upgrading your Exotics: Catalysts
Unlike Legendary weapons that can be upgraded by simply spending some resources, Exotics require specific items called Catalyst. Not every Exotic has a catalyst, and finding the catalysts that do exist are lengthy and difficult affairs, but most of them grant significant improvements and can sometimes transform average weapons into powerhouses.
Our Catalyst guide covers every catalyst in the game, including how to find them, their benefits, and how to unlock them.
Latest changes
Things change fast in Destiny 2, especially the Meta. The weapons we call the best one day can completely change the next. All it takes are a few minor changes on Bungie’s end. For that reason, this ranking will be updated at least once per season.
Changes introduced this season:
The following exotics were added to the ranking:
- Touch of Malice
- Quicksilver Storm
- Delicate Tomb
The following weapons significantly moved in the ranking as a result of recent buffs/nerfs:
- Dead Man’s Tale nerfed
- Le Monarque, Wish-Ender buffed
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.
I stand with you on this matter.
Ruinous Effigy?
Since the S18 update, this page doesn’t seem to display properly; no matter what, it snaps to the bottom of the page as soon as I start to scroll.
Never mind. Apparently it’s all me.
The fk is going on with this webpage, there’s a script pushing me to the bottom and I can’t see the list at all. Please fix it.
Is this website ever getting fixed? All of the rank lists are auto scrolling down the very bottom of the page ??? Whole blueberries.gg is broken.
Thanks I thought the weapon tier list was really helpful.🥞
Totally disagree with your ranking of Hard Light; it can literally change its damage type! Definitely my 2nd favorite exotic (after Thunderlord, which you were right about. my first exotic, and always favorite)
Monte-carlo is free but
Malfeasance
Trinity Ghoul
The Queenbreaker
Worldline Zero
Wavesplitter
Cerberus+1
Lord of Wolves
Two-Tailed Fox
and Black Talon
are not free
Le Monarque needs to be updated to “excels in PVE + PVP”.