Destiny 2 Exotic & Legendary Weapons

Exotic Weapons are Destiny 2's version of mythical, storied arms, each of which provide a unique twist to the game's gunplay through their Exotic Perks, which can heavily influence both how you use the gun itself, and your character overall.

Almost every single exotic is so powerful that it can both be used as a standalone weapon, or built around to minmax its damage or utility potential. For instance, Euphony, the latest Raid Exotic added during the Final Shape, is an absolutely beastly weapon for PvE due to its sustained damage capabilities. What's more, its unique Threading-based Exotic Perks have made it a mainstay in most Strand builds today since it can chew through big enemies' damage resistance like its paper.

Such is the case with pretty much every Exotic from Gjallahorn to Microcosm; they're big, they're grindy, and they're some of the best weapons in the entire game. If you're looking for a weapon that's no longer available as it originally was, you should check out the Monument of Lost Lights, as many sunsetted exotics end up there.

Legendary Weapons are the bread and butter of Destiny 2's gunplay. They're the second strongest tier of weapons after Exotics, and are the overall most widely used category of weapons. Since there are over 500 Legendaries currently available in the game, with hundreds more existing in veteran Guardians inventory despite being sunsetted, and thus currently unavailable, there's bound to be a gun somewhere in there that's the perfect fit for every player.

But being second place doesn't automatically mean they're somehow worse than their Exotic Counterparts. Sometimes, they can actually be even better. When matched with a well made build, like the Song of Ir Yut + Arc Bolts, or Bold Endings if hand cannons and percision final blows are more your style, their ability to deal damage can easily outscale even some of the more popular exotics in the game.

Suffice it to say, you can't go wrong when you've got a few legendaries to choose from.

Despite there being more than 120 exotics in the game, a few of them will always rise above the rest to dominate the meta. Here's a little exotic tier list of our own to set you down the right path:

• Khvostov 7G-0X
• Red Death Reformed
• Graviton Lance
• Sunshot
• Trinity Ghoul
• Wish Ender
• Malfeasance

These Exotics are currently at the tippy top of every tier list, making them a perfect fit for both PvP and PvE content.

While there's no one single 'best weapon for PvP', there are a few you couldn't go wrong with trying out:

• Hung Jury SR4
• Midnight Coup
• Rose
• The Messenger
• Defiance of Yasmin
• Conditional Finality