Exotic weapons will become your BFF in Destiny 2. These are the weapons that you will want to strive to get above all else. For those that don’t know what they are, they are essentially upgradeable weapons.
This means that even if you were to receive one at say, level four, you could still upgrade it beyond its current power by sacrificing more powerful weapons of the same category.
Also: Destiny 2 – Complete Weapons Guide
We’ve compiled a list of the current 18 Exotic weapons that are available in Destiny 2 in alphabetical order. Make sure to note what type of weapon it is and whether it’s exclusive to a specific class or not:
Destiny 2 Exotic Weapons Guide
Coldheart
Pre-order exclusive Power Weapon/Trace Rifle
Perks:
- Cold Fusion- This weapon shoots a steady beam of cold energy.
- Extended Barrel- Increases range, decreases handling speed.
- Enhanced Battery- Increases magazine size.
- Longest Winter- The longer Coldheart’s beam is on an enemy, the more damage it does.
- Hand-Laid Stock- Increases stability.
D.A.R.C.I.
Power Weapon/Sniper Rifle
Perks:
- Personal Assistant- Aim at an enemy to view its health and other critical information on the scope.
- Target Acquired- When Personal Assistant is active this weapon has better target acquisition and deals more Precision damage.
- Extended Barrel- Weighty barrel extension. Increases range. Decreases handling speed.
- Extended Mag- This weapon has a greatly increased magazine size, but reloads much slower.
- Short-Action Stock- This weapon is especially easy to grip. Greatly increases handling speed.
Fighting Lion
Energy/Grenade Launcher
Perks:
- Delayed Gratification- Grenade projectiles will bounce off surfaces. Hold [fire] to fire, and release to detonate.
- Thin the Herd- Direct hits with this weapon do more damage to shielded enemy combatants. Rapid kills against grenade-damaged enemies will refill the magazine.
- Countermass- This weapon is weighted for vertical recoil. Greatly controls recoil. Increases stability. Increases handling speed.
- Implosion Rounds: Grenades travel faster and have controlled explosion. Increase Projectile speed. Greatly increases stability. Decreases blast radius.
- Short-Action Stock: This weapon is especially easy to grip. Greatly increases handling speed.
Graviton Lance
Energy/Pulse Rifle
Perks:
- Black Hole- Third shot of a burst rips a hole through spacetime, doing high damage and recoil with no fall-off.
- Cosmology- Kills with this weapon cause enemy targets to detonate.
- Hammer-Forged Rifling- Durable ranged barrel. Increases range.
- Accurized Rounds- this weapon can fire longer distances. Increases Range.
- Fitted Stock- This stock makes the weapon stable but heavy. Increases stability. Improves recoil direction. Slightly decreases handling speed.
Hard Light
Energy/Auto Rifle
Perks:
- Volatile Light- Rounds fired from this weapon have no damage falloff over-penetrate targets, and richochet off hard surfaces.
- Variable Arc Core/ Solar Core/ Void Core- Modifies this weapons damage type.
- Polygonal Rifling- Barrel optimized for recoil reduction. Increases stability.
- Alloy Magazine- Faster reloads when the magazine is empty.
- Composite Stock- This weapon has a versatile dual-purpose stock. Slightly increases stability. Slightly increases handling speed.
Legend of Acrius
Power/Shotgun
Perks:
- Shock Blast- This weapon fires blasts of high-damage Arc energy that overpenetrates enemies.
- Long March- Detect enemies on your radar from farther away.
- Full Bore- Barrel optimized for distance. Greatly increases range. Decreases stability. Slightly decreases handling speed.
- Accurized Rounds- This weapon can fire longer distances. Increases range.
- Fitted Stock- This stock makes the weapon stable but heavy. Increases stability. Improves recoil direction. Slightly decreases handling speed.
Merciless
Power/Fusion Rifle
Perks:
- Conserve Momentum- Non-lethal hits with projectiles make this weapon charge faster until its wielder gets a kill.
- Impetus- Reloading immediately after a kill increases weapon damage for a short time.
- Chambered Compensator- Stable barrel attachment. Increases stability Improves recoil and direction. Slightly Decreases handling speed.
- Extended Mag- This weapon has a greatly increased magazine size, but reloads much slower.
- Fitted Stock- This stock makes the weapon stable but heavy. Increases stability. Improves recoil direction. Slightly decreases handling speed.
MIDA Multi-Tool
Kinetic/Scout Rifle
Perks:
- MIDA Multi-Tool- This weapon boosts move speed.
- MIDA Radar- Radar stays active while aiming down sights.
- Corkscrew Rifling- Balanced Barrel. Slightly increases range and stability. Slightly increases handling speed.
- High-Caliber Rounds- Shots from this weapon knock the target back farther. Slightly increases range.
- Hand-Laid Stock- This weapon is optimized for recoil control. Increases stability. MIDA Multi-Tool grants additional benefits when the legendary submachine gun MIDA Mini-Tool is equipped in your energy weapon slot.
Rat King
Kinetic/Side Arm
Perks:
- Rat Pack- This weapon becomes stronger when nearby fireteam members also have it equipped.
- Vermin- Reloading immediately after a kill grants a brief period of invisibility. Stacks up to six times.
- Smallbore- Dual strength barrel. Increases range. Increases stability.
- Tactical Mag- This weapon has multiple tactical improvements. Slightly increases stability. Slightly increases reload speed. Slightly increases magazine size.
- Smooth Grip- This weapon is slightly easier to hold and aim. Slightly increases stability. Slightly increases handling speed.
Riskrunner
Warlock exclusive Energy/SMG
Perks:
- Arc Conductor- When taking Arc damage, this weapon becomes more powerful and resists incoming arc Damage. Kills extend the time in this overcharged state.
- Superconductor- When Arc Conductor is active, shots fired have the chance to become chain lightning and return ammo.
- Arrowhead Break- Lightly vented barrel. Greatly controls recoil. Increases handling speed.
- Extended Mag- This weapon has a greatly increased magazine size, but reloads much slower.
- Short-Action Stock- This weapon is especially easy to grip. Greatly increases handling speed.
Skyburner’s Oath
Energy/Scout Rifle
Perks:
- Slug Rifle- This weapon fires solar slugs that get stronger when aiming down sights.
- For the Empire- This weapon is Full Auto, does extra damage to Cabal and penetrates Phalanx Shields.
- Extended Barrel- Weighty barrel extension. Increases range. Decreases handling speed.
- Extended Mag- This weapon has a greatly increased magazine size, but reloads much slower.
- Short-Action Stock- This weapon is especially easy to grip. Greatly increases handling speed.
Sturm
Kinetic/Hand Cannon
Perks:
- Accomplice- Kills with this weapon fill the magazine of the equipped Energy Weapon from reserves.
- Storm and Stress- Kills with Drang grant bonus precision damage until the next reload.
- Extended Barrel- Weighty barrel extension. Increases range. Decreases handling speed.
- Extended Mag- This weapon has a greatly increased magazine size, but reloads much slower.
- Combat Grip- This weapon causes much less vertical recoil.
Sunshot
Hunter exclusive Energy/Hand Cannon
Perks:
- Sunburn- This weapon fires explosive rounds and highlights targets that take damage from Sunshot.
- Sun Blast- Targets killed with Sunshot explode in Solar Energy.
- Chambered Compensator- Stable barrel attachment. Increases stability Improves recoil and direction. Slightly Decreases handling speed.
- Accurized Rounds- this weapon can fire longer distances. Increases range.
- Textured Grip- Friction on this weapon’s grip is particularly strong. Greatly increases handling speed. Slightly decreases stability.
Sweet Business
Titan exclusive Kinetic/Auto Rifle
Perks:
- Payday- Larger Magazine. Increased accuracy when firing from the hip.
- Business Time- Holding down the trigger boosts this weapon’s range and rate of fire and automatically loads ammo pickups into the magazine.
- Polygonal Rifling- Barrel optimized for recoil reduction. Increases stability.
- High-Caliber Rounds- Shots from this weapon knock the target back farther. Slightly increases range.
The Prospector
Power/Grenade Launcher
Perks:
- Excavation- Hold [Fire] to fire grenades. Release to detonate all live grenades simultaneously.
- Full Auto Trigger System- Holding down the trigger will fire this weapon at full auto.
- Volatile Launch- This weapon is optimized for an especially explosive payload. Greatly Increased Blast radius. Slightly decreases handling speed. Slightly decreases projectile speed.
- Augmented Drum- Heavy, high capacity drum. Greatly increases magazine size. Greatly decreases reload speed.
- Hand-Laid Stock- This weapon is optimized for recoil control. Increases stability.
The Wardclif Coil
Power/Rocket Launcher
Perks:
- Mad Scientist- This weapon fires a volley of rockets.
- Mechanized Autoloader- This weapon automatically reloads on ammo pickup.
- Volatile Launch- This weapon is optimized for an especially explosive payload. Greatly Increased Blast radius. Slightly decreases handling speed. Slightly decreases projectile speed.
- Extended Mag- This weapon has a greatly increased magazine size, but reloads much slower.
- Composite Stock- This weapon has a versatile dual-purpose stock. Slightly increases stability. Slightly increases handling speed.
Tractor Cannon
Power/Shotgun
Perks:
- Repulsor Force- This weapon fires a powerful impulse to push enemies away.
- The Scientific Method- Damaging an opponent temporarily increases speed and handling.
- Extended Barrel- Weighty barrel extension. Increases range. Decreases handling speed.
- Particle Repeater- Constrains recoil for every bolt. Increases stability.
- Composite Stock- This weapon has a versatile dual-purpose stock. Slightly increases stability. Slightly increases handling speed.
Vigilance Wing
Kinetic/Pulse Rifle
Perks:
- Harsh Truths- This weapon fires a five-round burst. When a nearby ally is killed, gain health regeneration and increased movement speed.
- Last Stand- Improved weapon performance when its wielder is the last living member of a fireteam.
- Corkscrew Rifling- Balanced Barrel. Slightly increases range and stability. Slightly increases handling speed.
- Alloy Magazine- Faster reloads when the magazine is empty.
- Composite Stock- This weapon has a versatile dual-purpose stock. Slightly increases stability. Slightly increases handling speed.
