Destiny 2’s Beyond Light expansion is set to release on November 10 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One following a delay. Set on the ice planet of Europa, players will get to finally wield The Darkness and are facing off against some fearsome Fallen foes. While there will be a ton of new pieces of gear to collect, others are getting left behind and won’t receive a Power increase going into the next season. Thankfully, this doesn’t impact exotics which will always be useful regardless of what season or expansion you’re playing in.
The catch is, a bunch of exotics will need new quests and ways to obtain them, as multiple planets tied to exotic quests are vanishing in September. You can see the full list of exotics and catalysts here and we strongly recommend grabbing them before they’re all gone. That being said, below is a list of exotic weapons and armor you will want to have going into Beyond Light. We will mainly be focusing on PVE gear since there is a lot more flexibility when it comes to what you bring into the Crucible.
Remember, this list is not for all you veterans out there. We already know you have every exotic in the game and none of this is new information. However, for those that are new or just returning, these are the exotics we recommend hunting down during the rest of Season of Arrivals.
Exotic Weapons
Kinetic
- Izanagi’s Burden
- The Chaperone
- Outbreak Perfected
- Witherhoard
- Lumina
- Ace of Spades
- Jade Rabbit
Energy
- Eriana’s Vow
- Divinity
- Trinity Ghoul + Catalyst
- Ruinous Effigy
- Riskrunner
Heavy
- Tractor Cannon
- Whisper of the Worm
- Anarchy
- Xenophage
- One Thousand Voices
- Leviathan’s Breath
For weapons, we wanted to focus on solid exotic guns that will most likely not receive any nerfs and offer solid utility going into Beyond Light. Izanagi’s Burden and Whisper of the Wurm are still superb long-range damage options, even if sniper rifles aren’t the go-to choice. Xenophage has proven itself to be one of the best boss killing exotics in the game, while Anarchy’s sheer utility cannot be overlooked. Both Divinity and Tractor Cannon are great for debuffing enemies, making them a staple of any endgame player’s fireteam. Eriana’s Vow is always good thanks to its ability to stop Barrier Champions and Trinity Ghoul with its catalyst is a mob killing machine.
One that might be surprising is Riskrunner. We are adding this not only because people will be looking for a good replacement for The Recluse, but the Fallen use a lot of arc weapons. The Chaperone is also a PVE monster thanks to the slug shotgun buff this season and One Thousand Voices continues to be a solid choice for anyone looking for a flexible Heavy weapon. Jade Rabbit is only on this list thanks to the recent buffs announced for scout rifle’s aim assist, along with the perk change coming to this weapon. While I don’t expect this gun to break the meta, these alterations will make it far more viable in the Crucible.
Exotic Armor
Hunter
- Liar’s Handshake
- Wormhusk Crown
- Raiden Flux
- The Dragon’s Shadow
- Orpheus Rig
- St0mp-EE5
- Gemini Jester
- Shards of Galanor
- Celestial Nighthawk
For Hunters, the PVP exotics you’ll want to pick up are Wormhusk Crown, The Dragon’s Shadow, and Gemini Jester. All three of these are superb utility items that will give you more engagement options or survivability in the Crucible, which is always important. St0mp-EE5 is only here because who knows what kind of crazy jumping puzzle Bungie has in Beyond Light, while Shards of Galanor is here solely because I believe it will get a buff. Additionally, Celestial Nighthawk, Orpheus Rig, Raiden Flux, and Liar’s Handshake are all superb PVE exotics that typically are seen in endgame activities.
Titan
- Actium War Rig
- Ashen Wake
- Synthoceps
- Dunemarchers
- Helm of Saint-14
- Hallowfire Heart
- Doom Fang Pauldron
- Stronghold
- Khepri’s Horn
- Lion Rampart
For Titans, there’s a nice balance of PVE and PVP exotics you’ll want to seek 60+ stat rolls of. Helm of Saint-14, Hallowfire Heart, and Actium War Rig are our PVE exotics of choice, however, An Insurmountable Skullfort is a good pick for those who prefer to use the Striker subclass. Stronghold is on our list mainly because of the insane Ruinous Effigy build and rest are all great in the Crucible. Special nod to Lion Rampant, which is our go-to platforming exotic for Titans and works wonders when combined with a sword.
Warlock
- Nezarec’s Sin
- Felwinter Helm
- Sunbracers
- Ophidian Aspect
- Contraverse Hold
- Pheonix Protocol
- Lunafaction Boots
- Geomag Stabilizers
- Crown of Tempests
Finally, Warlocks have debatable the best PVE exotic armor pieces in the entire game right now. Sunbracers Geomag Stabilizers, Crown of Tempests, Pheonix Protocol, Nezarec’s Sin, and Felwinter’s Helm are all top tier exotics that you’ll see a lot of Warlock mains using. Lunafaction Boots continues to be bound for eternity whenever a Warlock is using Well of Radiance. For PVP, Contraverse Hold and Ophidian Aspect are popular choices, while Void Warlocks typically go for Astrocyte Verse to improve their Blink movement ability.
Now get out there and start farming Guardian! That loot isn’t going to find itself!
