Best Destiny 2 Exotic weapons for PvE & PvP

❘ Updated: 2024-06-07T15:11:04

Bungie

The Exotic Weapons in Destiny 2 are the franchise’s signature guns, but just because they’re unique doesn’t make them all good. To help you narrow down which are worth using, these are the best Exotic weapons in The Final Shape for both PvE & PvP.

Destiny’s Exotic weapons have always stood out as some of the most coveted items in the looter shooter. Dating back to the start of the franchise, these unique weapons can be collected by purchasing them from Xur, completing Exotic missions, or even as rare World Loot Pool drops.

Players can only equip one Exotic gun at a time, so it’s important to know which are meta to not waste this slot. To see what to partner your Exotic with check out these dedicated guides on the best PvE and PvP Weapons, or see which new Exotic Weapons were added in Destiny’s latest expansion.

Best Destiny 2 Exotic Kinetic Weapons

These are the best top slot Exotic weapons to use in Destiny 2 The Final Shape to be competitive in the current meta:

Primary Weapons

Monte Carlo

Weapon Type: Auto Rifle
Element: Kinetic
Exotic Perks: Monte Carlo Method, Markov Chain
Catalyst: Stochastic Vengeance
Debut Season: Season 8
Best Use: PvE

Adding a bayonet catalyst elevated Monte Carlo from meme gun to mean gun. This Auto Rifle is especially potent because the bayonet’s melee damage stacks with Exotic armor like Synthoceps. It can hit enemies for well over 200,000 damage, making it possible to one-shot Champions. With the right build, this is a fantastic primary weapon for burst damage.

Necrochasm

Weapon Type: Auto Rifle
Element: Kinetic
Exotic Perks: Cursebringer, Desperation
Catalyst: One For Thrall
Debut Season: Season 22
Best Use: PvE

When Necrochasm was first released as the Raid Exotic for Crota’s End, it was decent, but nothing too special. However, it has received a massive buff in The Final Shape, getting a new Exotic Catalyst, which is a unique spin on One For All that boosts damage by 35%. It’s easy to trigger too, as Desperation’s explosions can activate it. The result is that Necrochasm is now a top-tier add-clear weapon.

Osteo Striga

Weapon Type: SMG
Element: Kinetic
Exotic Perks: Screaming Swarm, Toxic Overload
Catalyst: Enhanced Toxic Overload
Debut Season: Season 16
Best Use: PvE/PvP

It’s hard to ignore the nerf in The Final Shape that added a four second cooldown to Osteo Striga’s poison bursts. That sucks and does affect the SMG, but it’s still really good. The truth is that most of the time, you weren’t triggering this Exotic’s poison bursts every second anyway, so the nerf doesn’t feel too bad in practice. It’s still an incredible add-clear weapon that excels with Necrotic Grips.

Outbreak Perfected

Weapon Type: Pulse Rifle
Element: Kinetic
Exotic Perks: The Corruption Spreads, Parasitism
Catalyst: Rewind Rounds, Headseeker, Rapid Hit, or Outlaw
Debut Season: Season 23 (Reissued)
Best Use: PvE

Pulse Rifles received a massive buff in The Final Shape, seeing an effective damage increase of over 35% in PvE. Since Outbreak Perfected was strong beforehand, especially with its craftable variant available from Zero Hour, it’s incredible now. This Primary Exotic shreds through both Red Bar and Yellow Bar enemies alike, making it as versatile as it is hard hitting.

Quicksilver Storm

Weapon Type: Auto Rifle
Element: Kinetic
Exotic Perks: Rocket Tracers, Grenade Chaser
Catalyst: Nano-entanglement
Debut Season: Season 18
Best Use: PvE

Before its nerf, Quicksilver Storm was the best Strand weapon by far. These days it isn’t quite as powerful, but it’s still far from useless. Post-nerf, it takes longer to charge up grenades, but once they are charged, the damage dealt by them is as impactful as ever. You just need to be more selective about when to use them to maximize their value.

Thorn

Weapon Type: Hand Cannon
Element: Kinetic
Exotic Perks: Mark of the Devourer, Soul Devourer
Catalyst: Refined Soul
Debut Season: Season 6
Best Use: PvP

Three things are certain in life: Death, taxes, and Thorn being great in PvP. This iconic Destiny 2 Hand Cannon was already strong, but the addition of a new catalyst in Season 23 took it to another level. It is the best primary Exotic in PvP, offering a highly competitive TTK, and the effective range to outgun just about anything.

Wish-Ender

Weapon Type: Bow
Element: Kinetic
Exotic Perks: Queen’s Wrath, Broadhead
Catalyst: N/A
Debut Season: Season 4
Best Use: PvE

Wish-Ender is not only the best way to counter Barrier Champions, but also one of the hardest-hitting Exotic Primary weapons in Destiny 2. Its non-existent damage fall-off, and its ability to hit multiple times with each shot make it deadly. The Exotic Bow is especially strong in high-end content, where it’s often better to play slow and pick off enemies from a safe distance.

Special Weapons

Ager’s Sceptre

Weapon Type: Trace Rifle
Element: Stasis
Exotic Perks: Ager’s Call, Rega’s Refrain
Catalyst: Will Given Form
Debut Season: Season 15
Best Use: PvE

The Stasis Rework in The Final Shape has given Destiny 2 Exotics like Wicked Implement a new chance to shine. However, it’s Ager’s Sceptre which benefits most, with this excellent Trace Rifle becoming a freezing machine. It also received a 20% damage buff against Yellow Bar enemies which applies to Will Given Form. This makes it effective for burning down groups of tanky adds, albeit at the cost of Super energy.

Arbalest

Weapon Type: Linear Fusion Rifle
Element: Kinetic
Exotic Perks: Compounding Force, Disruption Break
Catalyst: Genesis
Debut Season: Season 6
Best Use: PvE

Arbalest is the Special ammo alternative to Wish-Ender. Much like the Exotic Bow, this LFR destroys barriers and shields. It’s even capable of one-shotting the massive shields seen in infamous encounters like Ghost of the Deep’s first boss. Even outside of that role, Arbalest deals great precision damage making it a strong option where applicable.

Conditional Finality

Weapon Type: Shotgun
Element: Stasis
Exotic Perks: Split Decision, Paracausal Pellets
Catalyst: N/A
Debut Season: Season 20
Best Use: PvE/PvP

Forget One-Two Punch, Conditional Finality lands a one-two blow like no other. One barrel shoots ice and the other shoots fire. In PvE, this makes it a good utility weapon that can stun Champions and one-shot most regular enemies. In PvP, Conditional Finality is the best shotgun with no exceptions. Its unmatched consistency gives it a clear edge over the competition.

Izanagi’s Burden

Weapon Type: Sniper Rifle
Element: Kinetic
Exotic Perks: Honed Edge, No Distractions
Catalyst: Peerless Edge
Debut Season: Season 5
Best Use: PvE

It takes some practice, but Izanagi’s Burden is an elite DPS option when used correctly. By combining the effects of Honed Edge and Peerless Edge, it’s possible to hit shots for over 150,000 damage. Weave those into either a Rocket Launcher or Heavy Grenade Launcher rotation, and you’ll be dealing the best DPS possible in the current meta.

Witherhoard

Weapon Type: Grenade Launcher
Element: Kinetic
Exotic Perks: Primeval’s Torment, Break the Bank
Catalyst: Silent Alarm
Debut Season: Season 11
Best Use: PvE/PvP

Witherhoard’s biggest strength is that it has no real weakness. This Grenade Launcher can be used to deal damage over time, blight enemies, and is even a solid enough add-clear weapon. The addition of a Legendary equivalent has hurt it slightly, but if you find yourself wondering what top slot Exotic to use, there’s still a good chance Witherhoard is the right choice.

Best Destiny 2 Exotic Energy Weapons

These are the best Energy slot Exotic weapons to use in Destiny 2 The Final Shape to be competitive in the current meta:

Primary Weapons

Graviton Lance

Weapon Type: Pulse Rifle
Element: Void
Exotic Perks: Block Hole, Cosmology
Catalyst: Vorpal Weapon, Turnabout
Debut Season: Season 1
Best Use: PvE/PvP

At one stage, Graviton Lance was the most used weapon in PvP. This led to a much-needed nerf, but even after that, it’s still a magnificent weapon in the Crucible. The main reason to use Graviton Lance is that it’s incredibly easy to use and is extremely consistent. It’s even viable in PvE, where it serves as one of the best Void primaries for both general use and add-clear.

Le Monarque

Weapon Type: Bow
Element: Void
Exotic Perks: Poison Arrows, Snapshot Sights
Catalyst: Unrelenting
Debut Season: Season 5
Best Use: PvE/PvP

You know Le Monarque is strong in PvP because Bungie keeps trying to nerf it. Its fast handling and overtime poison damage make it the perfect candidate to pair with a Hand Cannon. Land a precision shot with Le Monarque, and then quickly switch to a Hand Cannon to finish the job. It’s that simple. As for PvE, it is a strong counter against Overload Champions and has great add-clear which is rare for a Bow.

Polaris Lance

Weapon Type: Scout Rifle
Element: Solar
Exotic Perks: The Perfect Fifth, Zen Moment
Catalyst: Dragonfly
Debut Season: Season 3
Best Use: PvE

Polaris Lance is yet another Exotic that has remained meta even after getting nerfed in The Final Shape. The main strength of this hard-hitting Scout Rifle is that it is effective at any range and triggers an unholy number of Ignitions. These Ignitions melt even the tankiest of targets, making this one of the few Primary weapons capable of both stunning and defeating Champions efficiently.

Red Death Reformed

Weapon Type: Pulse Rifle
Element: Solar
Exotic Perks: Redemption, Inverse Relationship
Catalyst: Helping Hand
Debut Season: Season 24
Best Use: PvE

Destiny’s newest Exotic Pulse Rifle is meta. In fact, it might be the best Pulse Rifle in the sandbox. Redemption is Heal Clip cranked up to 11, providing the same healing bonuses, but without the need to reload. When you do need to reload though, it also speeds up reload speed, and even heals allies. What’s crazy is that Red Death Reformed’s catalyst isn’t even available yet, and it’s already this good.

Sunshot

Weapon Type: Hand Cannon
Element: Solar
Exotic Perks: Sunburn, Sun Blast
Catalyst: +20 Stability, +20 Range
Debut Season: Season 1
Best Use: PvE

Regardless of what season it is, Sunshot is always strong. You can’t go wrong with a Hand Cannon that spreads fire everywhere, especially when all you have to do is get final blows to set enemies ablaze. In The Final Shape, Sunshot remains a great choice when using Solar, though a 10% nerf to its splash damage has slightly reduced its overall impact.

Trinity Ghoul

Weapon Type: Bow
Element: Arc
Exotic Perks: Split Electron, Lightning Rod
Catalyst: Forked Lightning
Debut Season: Season 4
Best Use: PvE

To be frank, if you need an add-clear Exotic weapon, you should be using Trinity Ghoul. That is at least if you are playing lower to medium-difficulty content. In high-end content, its inability to kill in one shot hurts Trinity Ghoul big time, but if it can do that, there’s simply no better option. For true chaos, consider partnering it with an Arc build and be shocked by its electrifying AOE damage.

Special Weapons

Buried Bloodline

Weapon Type: Sidearm
Element: Void
Exotic Perks: Hungering Quarrel, Violent Reanimation
Catalyst: Splitvein Lineage
Debut Season: Season 23
Best Use: PvE

Buried Bloodline is one of just five Special Sidearms in The Final Shape. While the others focus on damage, this Exotic is all about sustainability. Damaging enemies steals health from them, and stringing kills together with Buried Bloodline grants the Devour buff. Even better, the catalyst weakens enemies when Devour is active, giving this already stacked Exotic even more utility.

Cloudstrike

Weapon Type: Sniper Rifle
Element: Arc
Exotic Perks: Mortal Polarity, Stormbringer
Catalyst: Triple Tap
Debut Season: Season 12
Best Use: PvP

Most Sniper Rifles don’t see too much use in PvE these days, but they are dominant in PvP. Cloudstrike is certainly no exception, with this Exotic weapon having the potential to produce some crazy plays. After landing a headshot on an enemy Guardian, a lightning bolt will slam the ground, striking anyone nearby. If multiple players are all standing next to one another, it’s your big chance to make a montage-worthy play.

Dead Messenger

Weapon Type: Grenade Launcher
Element: Void
Exotic Perks: Trinary Vision, The Fundamentals
Catalyst: Enhanced Trinary Vision
Debut Season: Season 22 (Reissued)
Best Use: PvE

Dead Messenger is one of the most underrated Exotics on this list. It is effectively a super-powered Wave Frame that can switch between three elements. Its capabilities as an add-clear weapon are incredible, but it often gets overlooked in favor of Forbearance and Undercurrent. With those two getting nerfed in The Final Shape though, there’s room for a new alternative, and Dead Messenger is just that.

Divinity

Weapon Type: Trace Rifle
Element: Arc
Exotic Perks: Judgment, Penance
Catalyst: N/A
Debut Season: Season 8
Best Use: PvE

Divinity is not a complicated weapon. You shoot an enemy with it, and then they take 15% more damage from all sources. Additionally, it makes landing precision hits much easier, helping your teammates be more consistent on damage phases. A big nerf in The Final Shape can make it more difficult to upkeep Judgment, but that’s not enough to knock it out of the meta.

Still Hunt

Weapon Type: Sniper Rifle
Element: Solar
Exotic Perks: Cayde’s Retribution
Catalyst: N/A
Debut Season: Season 24
Best Use: PvE

Still Hunt is Golden Gun, but a Sniper Rifle. It’s a simple premise that doesn’t need much more of an explanation, and the result is a fantastic gun for DPS rotations. The best part is that it works with Celestial Nighthawk, hitting almost 500,000 damage without surges against Primus Cal’aug (Carl). Follow that up with a regular Golden Gun, and you’ve just deal over 1,000,000 damage in just a few seconds.

Best Destiny 2 Exotic Heavy Weapons

These are the best Heavy slot Exotic weapons to use in Destiny 2 The Final Shape to be competitive in the current meta:

Dragon’s Breath

Weapon Type: Rocket Launcher
Element: Solar
Exotic Perks: Composite Propellant, High Octane
Catalyst: Pyromancer
Debut Season: Season 23
Best Use: PvE

Dragon’s Breath is a true Exotic in every meaning of the word. It’s unique, powerful, and versatile. This Rocket Launcher is both a great add-clear weapon and a strong option for boss DPS. Fire away, switch to another weapon, switch back, and repeat. It’s that easy, yet the overtime damage it produces is some of the best that’s possible in Destiny 2.

Gjallarhorn

Gjallerhorn exotic rocket launcher from Destiny 2.

Weapon Type: Rocket Launcher
Element: Solar
Exotic Perks: Wolfpack Rounds, Pack Hunter
Catalyst: More Wolves
Debut Season: Season 15
Best Use: PvE/PvP

Before Dragon’s Breath became a thing, Gjallarhorn was all the rage. Even now, it’s still a great weapon that justifies using up your lone Exotic slot. While not a good DPS weapon in its own right, Gjallarhorn empowers your teammate’s Legendary Rocket Launchers, making them deal much more damage. If coordinated properly, this can increase a Raid team’s damage by over 50%.

Leviathan’s Breath

Weapon Type: Bow
Element: Void
Exotic Perks: Big-Game Hunter, Leviathan’s Sigh
Catalyst: Colossal Quiver, Archer’s Tempo
Debut Season: Season 8
Best Use: PvE

Full disclaimer, you need the catalyst to use this. Don’t bother equipping Leviathan’s Breath until you have it. Assuming you do though, it is a fantastic option. This heavy-duty Bow deals great damage and can stagger bosses, leaving them effectively stun-locked. Add in its ability to stun Unstoppable Champions plus its incredible ammo economy. and it becomes obvious why so many players love Leviathan’s Breath

Thunderlord

Weapon Type: Machine Gun
Element: Arc
Exotic Perks: Reign Havoc, Feeding Frenzy
Catalyst: Return Stroke
Debut Season: Season 4
Best Use: PvE/PvP

Thunderlord is never a bad choice. Although it doesn’t excel at anything, this Arc Machine Gun has decent damage, good add-clear potential, solid ammo economy, and is stylish as hell. Your teammates probably won’t appreciate you bringing it to DPS in a Raid, but otherwise, you can’t go wrong with this fan-favorite Exotic.

Tractor Cannon

Weapon Type: Shotgun
Element: Void
Exotic Perks: Repulsor Force, The Scientific Method
Catalyst: Magazine +3, Inventory Size +50
Debut Season: Season 1
Best Use: PvE/PvP

Tractor Cannon is used for one reason and one reason only, it makes enemies take 30% more damage from all sources. That is the biggest damage debuff currently available from any Destiny 2 weapon, bettering even Divinity. Against basically any boss with a large health pool, someone on your team should be using this Exotic Shotgun.

Whisper of the Worm

Weapon Type: Sniper Rifle
Element: Solar
Exotic Perks: White Nail, Mulligan
Catalyst: Whispered Breathing
Debut Season: Season 23 (Reissued)
Best Use: PvE

It isn’t always the easiest Exotic weapon to use, but in situations where this sniper excels, nothing can beat Whisper of the Worm. If you can land constant precision hits over and over, this is the DPS weapon you should be using. The addition of Field Prep with its new craftable variant has helped a lot too, as it can now hold enough ammo reserves for long damage phases.

Looking for a meta Destiny 2 loadout to pair with these meta Exotic Weapons? Check out the best Hunter builds, Titan builds, and Warlock builds to use in The Final Shape. You’ll also want to keep on top of the current Dungeon and Raid rotation to make sure you don’t miss out on Exotics from those encounters.