Many Exotic armor effects are so potent you can craft an entire build around them. However, Exotic Perks aren’t created equally in Destiny 2, so let me show you the top 15 Armors for the Hunter, Titan, and Warlock for PvE and PvP.
Table of contents
Best Exotic Armor pieces in Destiny 2 for every class
In this guide, I’ll showcase five Exotic Armor pieces each for the Titan, Warlock, and Hunter. Each class has armor that shines specifically in PvE or PvP, so we have three PvE-centric pieces and two for PvP. With this in mind, here’s what to expect:
- Titan
- Precious Scars (PvE)
- Synthoceps (PvE)
- An Insurmountable Skull Fort (PVE)
- One-Eyed Mask (PvP)
- Abeyant Leap (PvP)
- Warlock
- Speaker’s Sight (PvE)
- Getaway Artist (PvE)
- Sunbreakers (PvE)
- Ophidian Aspect (PvP)
- Transversive Steps (PvP)
- Hunter
- Celestial Nighthawk (PvE)
- Liar’s Handshake (PvE)
- Gyrfalcon’s Hauberk (PvE)
- Knucklehead Radar (PvP)
- St0mp-EE5 (PvP)
How to acquire Exotic Armor in Destiny 2
One of the best features introduced with The Final Shape expansion is how easy it’s made the Exotic grind. There are a few ways to get your mitts on Exotic Armor, but the easiest is to reset your rank with the Cryptarch.
Once you’ve hit level 16 with Master Rahool, you can use his Focused Decoding service to choose any Exotic Armor you like. Each Armor piece costs one Exotic Engram and one Exotic Cypher. The latter can be grabbed from Xur during his weekly visits or from Rahool himself in his ranked rewards.
If you’d prefer to let lady luck decide what Exotics you get, you can earn three Exotic Engrams weekly by completing Vanguard Strikes. You can decode them with the Cryptarch or use them as currency for target farming.
Best Exotic Titan Armor in Destiny 2
Titans have some incredible Exotics, giving the class lethality at any range. If you’re into melee builds, you’re spoiled for choice, as the Titan has several dangerous options for smashing enemies into a pulp.
Precious Scars (PvE)
- Kintsugi: Final blows from weapons with a damage type matching your Super create a burst of healing around you that grants allies Restoration. After reviving or being revived, you gain an aura that provides overshields to you and nearby allies.
I feel gross recommending this helmet, as it’s got to be one of the ugliest pieces of armor in the entire game. What the Precious Scars lack in aesthetics, they make up for in function, and this helmet can grant the Titan an incredible amount of sustain.
The Helmet’s Exotic perk is a little wordy but means you gain Cure and Restoration buffs whenever you score a kill with a weapon that matches your Super type. I typically use this with a Solar build, as the Sunshot is such a dangerous weapon. I’ve also seen other Titans rock the Precious Scars with Stasis and Strand builds to great effect since those subclasses lack the survivability of Void and Solar.
Many Titan builds rely on you getting close to start the party. Precious Scars is one of the few viable Exotics that gives you bonuses at range. If you’re smart with your weapon choices, this ugly duckling will keep you alive when the going gets tough.
And no. The Ornament doesn’t make it look any better (Pictured above).
An Insurmountable Skull Fort (PvE)
- Transfusion Matrix: Kills with Arc melee abilities trigger health regeneration and restore melee energy.
An Insurmountable Skull Fort locks you into using Arc abilities, but it also works incredibly well with the Prismatic subclass, hence the recommendation. Thankfully, this Exotic Helmet is prettier than the Precious Scars and offers a ton of survivability.
Combined with Thunderclap and the Knockout Aspect, you can use An Insurmountable Skull Fort to unleash incredibly powerful charged punches. You’re almost unbeatable while charging the Punch, and your melee energy is refunded if you score a kill.
If you don’t mind the subclass restriction, this is easily one of the Titan’s most formidable Exotic armor pieces.
Synthoceps (PvE)
- Biotic Enhancements: When you’re surrounded, you gain increased melee and Super damage. You also acquire improved weapon handling and reload speed.
Titans are known for their trademark “punch things until they die” play style. Getting close to your enemies can be risky, but the Synthoceps make it a place where Titans can truly shine.
Synthoceps give the Titans a healthy melee damage boost when surrounded by enemies. “Surrounded” simply means in close proximity to three enemies. The damage increase is so substantial that you can rock just about any Melee build you like.
As a Titan main, my money is always on a Strand build, as Grapple Grenades + Frenzied Blades are a potent combo. If the Melee damage isn’t enough to tempt you into a pair of Synthoceps, your Super damage is also boosted for good measure.
One-Eyed Mask (PvP)
- Vengeance: Highlights the target who damage you. You gain an overshield if you defeat the target that hit you.
Exotic abilities can be misleading for the Crucible as many effects you know and love for PvE function differently. That’s not the case with the One-Eyed Mask, which gives valuable intel to turn the tide of battle.
The One-Eyed Mask highlights targets that damage you, essentially giving you wall-hacks in a 1v1. You can use this to your advantage in a gunfight and relentlessly pursue targets who try to disengage. I love this helmet, as it doesn’t tie you into any specific weapons or subclasses. You can bring your best PvP godrolls to the Crucible, knowing your helmet will only add to the carnage.
Abeyant Leap (PvP)
- Puppeteer’s Control: Improves Drengr’s Lash. Projectiles track targets more aggressively and travel farther. You gain Woven Mail when you suspend a target.
I have a ton of success with the Abeyant Leap in PvE, so it’s also worth using there. I’ve put the Abeyant Leap in the PvP section because it’s so obnoxious to deal with.
The Abeyant Leap Boots launch three suspending Threadlings whenever you deploy your Barricade. With practice, you can lock down Control points and suspend any Guardians who get in the way.
Crowd Control abilities are a death sentence in PvP, and I’ve killed countless players while they are immobilized. Even if you can’t score the kill, there’s a good chance a teammate will seize the opportunity.
The Towering Barricade is a decent Class Ability in PvP by default. The Abeyant Leap boots make it even better, making it a solid choice for an objective-focused Titan.
Best Exotic Warlock Armor in Destiny 2
As a Titan main, I’m in awe of the build diversity for Warlocks. The space wizards are eating well in The Final Shape, and you’ve got Exotic Armor pieces to suit every situation. Whether you want to play a support role or incinerate your foes with a never-ending inferno, there’s something in the Warlock wardrobe for you.
Speaker’s Sight (PvE)
- The Lost Voice: Healing grenades spawn a Restorative Turret. When you heal allies, you occasionally spawn an Orb of Power.
I’m thrilled to be able to recommend such a unique Exotic armor piece on this list. The Speaker’s Sight is arguably the coolest Final Shape Exotic armor piece and fills a niche you can’t find elsewhere.
The Speaker’s Sight augments Warlock Healing Grenades so they spawn Healing turrets. If you’ve ever been interested in assuming a support role for your Fireteam, nothing will enable the play style quite like this.
As a Warlock, you can even go full healer and rock the No Hesitation Auto Rifle or the Lumina Handcannon. If you’re with newcomers or just need to keep the squad alive at all costs, the Speaker’s Sight is in a league of its own.
Getaway Artist (PvE)
- Dynamic Duo: Convert your Arc grenade into an Arc Soul and become amplified. The Arc Soul functions as an autonomous turret.
The Getaway Artist has never been a bad Exotic choice, but it’s utterly busted with the Prismatic subclass. Warlocks can create turrets with the Bleak Watcher Stasis Aspect. You can also do the same with the Getaway Artist and Storm Grenades. The latter makes you Amplified and converts the Storm Grenade into another turret.
We don’t have pet builds in Destiny 2, but the Getaway Artist almost lets the Warlock fill this niche. This Exotic effect is more than just a gimmick, too, as Amplified is a superb buff. You can also combine Bleak Watcher with the Feed the Void aspect to add Devour into an already potent build.
Sunbracers (PvE)
- Helium Spirals: Increases the duration of Solar Grenades. Solar melee kills grant unlimited Solar Grenade energy for a brief time.
Solar builds aren’t as powerful as during Season of the Wish, but they are still potent. If you want to see the Subclass at full power, check out the Sunbracers. These Exotic Gauntlets increase the Duration of Solar Grenades and let you spam them like crazy.
If you score a Solar Melee kill, you can throw unlimited Solar Grenades for a short while. Incinerator Snap is a decent melee ability, so this will often happen. The Warlock Solar Subclass has many great build options, including the Touch of Flame Aspect, making our Solar Grenades even better.
You must use a Solar weapon to make any Sunbracers build pop off. My recommendation is the Sunshot or Polaris Lance. The incredible No Hesitation Auto Rifle is another superb choice, as you can heal your Fireteam with it.
Ophidian Aspect (PvP)
- Cobra Totemic: Weapons ready and reload very quickly. Provides a small benefit to the airborne effectiveness of all weapons.
Nothing is more frustrating in PvP than dying because your Guardian wouldn’t raise their weapon fast enough. If you’re no stranger to this scenario, the Ophidian Aspect gauntlets are for you.
You can raise your weapon blindingly fast with this Exotic armor, which makes sprinting around much safer. The perk may not sound like much, but if you can ADS and start landing critical shots faster than your opponent, you will almost always win the fight.
If you don’t like jumping around in PvP, the Ophidian Aspects offer a way around that while staying competitive.
Transversive Steps (PvP)
- Strange Protractor: Sprint Speed Increased. Your currently equipped weapon is automatically reloaded after sprinting for a short duration.
Warlocks aren’t known for their speed, but the Transversive Steps give them enough to keep up in PvP. These Exotic boots increase your Sprint speed and automatically reload your weapon after a short run.
The additional speed has offensive and defensive applications. You can also cycle through your weapons, so you rarely have to manually reload. The Transversive Steps are another superb PvP Exotic you can run with any gun or Subclass. Many hard-hitting weapons are balanced by a harsh recoil time, and the Transversive Steps mean you never have to deal with it.
Best Exotic Hunter Armor in Destiny 2
It’s no secret that Hunters are in a class of their own in PvP, but they are equally as strong in PvE. Hunters have a stylish wardrobe with enough fancy options to make Titans and Warlocks jealous. Here’s some of the best Exotic Armor available for our cape-wearing Guardians.
Liar’s Handshake (PvE)
- Cross Counter: Using your Arc melee ability or being hit by a melee attack will allow you to follow up with a powerful melee counterpunch that heals you.
The Liar’s Handshake Gauntlets make Hunters so dangerous up close that they almost make Titan melee obsolete. If you don’t mind running the Arc Melee ability, the Liar’s Handshake is a phenomenal Exotic for the Hunter.
You can output an absurd amount of damage with Liar’s Handshake and Combination Blow. Your DPS numbers are ridiculous, but you also gain healing and Class Ability regeneration when you score a melee kill.
If you take Liar’s Handshake for a spin, I recommend using Gambler’s Dodge, as it recharges your Combination Blow instantly. Punch everything you see into submission and try to spot your Titan teammates crying in the corner.
Gyrfalcon’s Hauberk (PvE)
- See me, Feel me: Your Void weapons gain Volatile Rounds after you emerge from being invisible. When you are invisible and use a finisher, your weapons gain bonus damage; you and your nearby allies gain a reserve overshield and improved class ability regeneration.
I find this Exotic fascinating because it looks like multiple people brainstormed perks for it, and instead of keeping just one, they added them all. I’ve paraphrased this armor’s effects above, but in short, the Gyrfalcon’s Hauberk does it all.
Invisibility builds are always popular for Hunters, and this armor adds Volatile Rounds to those. If you’re wondering what to trigger those with, the Graviton Lance remains one of the best guns in the game to do so. Invisible Finishers grant bonus weapon damage and even give you and your friends Void Overshields.
The Gyrfalcon’s Hauberk boasts unrivaled utility because it does so many different things. If you don’t mind using a Void weapon, this is an Exotic armor piece you simply have to try.
Celestial Nighthawk (PvE)
- Hawkeye Hack: Precision final blows reduce the cooldown of your Super. Modifies Golden Gun to fire a single, high-damage shot. Targets defeated by that shot explode and grant Super Energy.
The Celestial Nighthawk is one of the most recognizable and iconic armor pieces in Destiny 2. It’s fitting that it absolutely slaps and is the centerpiece of some of the highest DPS builds in the game.
This Exotic Helmet augments the Hunter’s Golden Gun to fire one supercharged shot instead of three weaker ones. The result is a Superattack that can punch holes in anything regardless of level deficit or content.
I love this Exotic as it’s simple to use and build around. It’s a solid choice for any PvE activity, although it’s useless in PvP. I recommend pairing it with Still Hunt for mega damage.
Regular Golden Gun shots are strong enough to kill Guardians in the Crucible. With this in mind, save your PvP Exotic choices for the next piece of armor in this guide.
Knucklehead Radar (PvP)
- Upgraded Sensor Pack: Provides radar while you’re aiming. Enhances radar resolution while crouched. Visually marks targets. Deals more damage to low-health marked targets. Provides a small benefit to your weapon’s airborne effectiveness.
The Knucklehead Radar is a Hunter PvP Exotic that’s survived the test of time. The intel the Helmet provides is powerful, and it’s remained a top-tier Crucible Exotic for many years.
As I mentioned with the Titan’s One-Eyed Mask, Exotic abilities are often muted in PvP. That’s not the case with the Knucklehead Radar, as it marks targets so you can track them more easily. You also gain 100% radar uptime, so you’ll always know if someone is behind you. Finally, you have a slight increase in airborne effectiveness, which is great when you’re bouncing around the map.
The Knucklehead Radar is a top-tier PvP Exotic and a solid choice regardless of your weapon and subclass.
St0mp-EE5 (PvP)
- Hydraulic Boosters: Increases sprint speed and slide distance and improves all Hunter jumps. Take less damage from targets when airborne.
Any competitive shooter player will tell you that mobility wins games. If you can make your opponent miss, you’ll win gunfights. Knowing this, it’s easy to see why the St0mp-EE5 are so deadly in PvP. These Exotic boots grant mobility upgrades across the board, and you will take less damage while airborne.
You can run faster, slide further, and jump higher than any other Guardian in The Crucible (unless they are also St0mp-EE5 enjoyers). If you’re not usually a PvP player, a little extra agility may not sound like much. All I can say is, don’t take my word for it. Give the St0mp-EE5 a try, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them!
There are plenty of other viable Exotic Armor pieces, and many fit nicely into deadly Prismatic builds. Many of the armor pieces above are parts of the strongest meta-builds, but don’t let that dissuade you from rocking quirky loadouts. If you’re running something like Dungeons for the first time, you can use anything if you have a keen eye and a solid trigger finger.
Published: Jul 9, 2024 04:00 pm