Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier List [Patch 6.2.5]

We rate every piece of exotic armor in our Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier List to help players find the best Armor.

Exotic armors are very uncommon and potent pieces of armor that may be acquired through decrypting Exotic Engrams that are located across the globe as task rewards or by buying them from merchants. We rate every piece of exotic armor in our Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier List according to its usability and effectiveness.

Key Highlights
  • Known for its dynamic list of playable characters, Destiny 2 has got an equally worthy Exotic Armor collection that houses more than 35 options.
  • While on-field effectiveness and usability remained our key criterion for ranking Destiny 2 Exotic Armor, stats, synergy potential with other Exotic Gear and characters, and trade with merchants were also considered. 
  • Exotic Armor that fulfilled all criteria with excellence and are recommended for optimum Destiny 2 performance include Raiden Flux, Shards of Galanor, Renewal Grasps, Aeon Swift, and Celestial Nighthawk
  • Options that performed the opposite and therefore warn our and most Destiny 2 fans’ disinterest include The Sixth Coyote, Oathkeeper, and Graviton Forfeit. Because of subpar capability and minimal defensive characteristics, you will not be able to contest decently with these.
Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier List Ranking Table 
TiersExotic Armors 
S-TierRaiden Flux, Renewal Grasps, Shards of Galanor, Aeon Swift, Celestial Nighthawk, Orpheus Rig, Gyrfalcon’s Hauberk, Omnioculus, and The Dragon’s Shadow
A-TierSealed Ahamkara Grasps, Mask of Bakris, St0mp-EE5, Assassin’s Cowl, Foetracer, Lucky Raspberry, Caliban’s Hand, Athrys’s Embrace, Khepri’s Sting, Liar’s Handshake, Fr0st-EE5, Gwisin Vest, and Ophidia Spathe
B-TierBlight Ranger, Wormhusk Crown, Raiju’s Harness, Knucklehead Radar, Gemini Jester, The Bombardiers, Lucky Pants, Shinobu’s Vow, Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves, Young Ahamkara’s Spine Radiant Dance Machines, and Star-Eater Scales
C-TierThe Sixth Coyote, Oathkeeper, and Graviton Forfeit

Five legendary shards can be obtained by disassembling exotic armor. Xur, an agent of the nine, was a dealer in earlier Destiny games who offered unique goods for strange coins: Legendary shards are now the unit of exchange for purchasing exotic gear (23 for armor).

Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier List Criteria

In this tier list, every Exotic Armor from Destiny 2 is included. You may use it to decide which armor is most beneficial—the Exotic Armor Tier List for Destiny 2 rates the usability and perks of each piece of armor.

The four categories listed below comprise the Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier List:

  • S-Tier: The best armor in the game right now, with the most benefits.
  • A-Tier: Outstanding and superior armor that is always beneficial to you.
  • B-Tier: Stable armor that balances your loadout.
  • C-Tier: Exotic armor from Destiny 2 to avoid using.

Here are the complete details of all exotic armors in Destiny 2: 

Armor nameTierMobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
Celestial NighthawkS10.05.020.05.00.010.0
Aeon SwiftS11.06.03.06.011.010.0
Shards of GalanorS20.05.010.00.05.010.0
Renewal GraspsS6.012.06.010.06.06.0
Raiden FluxS10.05.020.00.05.010.0
The Dragon’s ShadowS13.06.08.010.06.06.0
OmnioculusS6.012.06.06.010.06.0
Gyrfalcon’s HauberkS6.012.06.06.010.06.0
Orpheus RigS12.06.06.012.06.06.0
FoetracerA20.05.010.010.00.05.0
Assassin’s CowlA16.06.06.02.02.016.0
St0mp-EE5A30.05.00.05.00.010.0
Mask of BakrisA6.012.06.06.010.06.0
Sealed Ahamkara GraspsA20.05.010.05.00.010.0
Liar’s HandshakeA12.06.06.06.06.012.0
Khepri’s StingA7.06.07.010.06.012.0
Athrys’s EmbraceA6.012.06.010.06.06.0
Caliban’s HandA6.012.06.06.010.06.0
Lucky RaspberryA14.012.07.06.06.06.0
Ophidia SpatheA12.06.06.07.02.016.0
Gwisin VestA10.07.020.00.06.07.0
Fr0st-EE5A18.06.02.06.06.010.0
Gemini JesterB35.05.00.00.05.010.0
Knucklehead RadarB10.05.020.00.05.010.0
Raiju’s HarnessB6.012.06.010.06.06.0
Wormhusk CrownB10.07.010.010.06.07.0
Blight RangerB6.012.06.010.06.06.0
Young Ahamkara’s SpineB10.07.010.010.06.07.0
Mechaneer’s TricksleevesB30.05.00.00.05.010.0
Shinobu’s VowB11.016.07.06.02.06.0
Lucky PantsB7.012.07.010.06.06.0
The BombardiersB6.012.06.010.06.06.0
Star-Eater ScalesB6.012.06.010.06.06.0
Radiant Dance MachinesB6.012.06.010.06.06.0
Graviton ForfeitC10.07.010.010.06.07.0
OathkeeperC20.05.00.010.05.010.0
The Sixth CoyoteC10.05.015.010.05.05.0

S-Tier

Destiny 2 Exotic Armor S-Tier

The highest defensive capabilities in the game are found in the S-Tier on the Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier List.

Celestial Nighthawk

Over many other Hunter Exotics, the Celestial Nighthawk distinguishes out. In Lost Sectors, you will defeat most adversaries using yellow bars. Celestial Nighthawk can one-shot kill several bosses even during boss stages in playlist strikes as well as during some lower-level Nightfalls. But don’t wear it to the Crucible.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
105205010

Aeon Swift

Pretty awesome, particularly with the rewards modifications. Regardless if your allies are Aeon Cult members, it is a fantastic choice.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
116361110

Shards of Galanor

The Shards of Galanor are great. They won’t give you back your entire Super, but if you defeat enough opponents or a large enough boss, they will make sure you are near to receiving another one.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
205100510

Renewal Grasps

With the correct Stasis build, Hunters may essentially transform into a support class by using the Renewal Grasps.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
61261066

Raiden Flux

Amazing. You may eliminate whole rooms of foes with this together with the Arc Staff Super without running out of power. In the Leviathan raid, these can wipe out a Royal Beast, and during the Whisper mission for the Whisper of the Worm Sniper Rifle, they can clear out a chamber.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
105200510

The Dragon’s Shadow

Amazing in PvP since it provides benefits like Enhanced Reload, Snapshot Sights, and Quickdraw. It also gives 50 Mobility and reloads all weapons, whether they are equipped or stored. At 100% Mobility, Hunters gain the Dodge back in just nine seconds, and these bonuses endure for ten seconds.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
13681066

Omnioculus

Great. You can sneak in, revive a fallen comrade, and then sneak out again, thanks to Omnioculus. Outstanding for end-game content.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
61266106

Gyrfalcon’s Hauberk

Excellent. You also get a significant damage increase, and the over shield may be used whenever necessary.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
61266106

Orpheus Rig

Amazing. You regain your Super ability more quickly the more foes you anchor with Shadowshot. These will still grant you a sizable portion of your Super, albeit being less effective than when they were launched, which is useful for wave clears in raids.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
12661266

A-Tier

Destiny 2 Exotic Armor A-Tier

Exotic armors from Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier List A-Tier are excellent options because they are stronger than other armors.

Foetracer

When playing Competitive Crucible, Foetracer is fantastic since a small increase in damage dealt might make the difference between leaving a fight and waiting for a revive. Target those adversaries with low health for a slight damage boost.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
205101005

Assassin’s Cowl

For hunters that need to leave right away, the Assasin’s Cowl Exotic is fantastic. You can sneak away unnoticed while healing if you use your finisher at the proper time.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
16662216

St0mp-EE5

Depending on how you play, these boots can be, at best situational. The added height can provide you with more safety when jumping problems. It might be tempting for those perspiring Trials players to confound their adversaries with their in-air antics.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
30505010

Mask of Bakris

Good. A Hunter’s DMG output can be increased by using the Mask of Bakris in combination with arc weapons like Anarchy. The Shift is a side Blink that has the advantage of being invisible.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
61266106

Sealed Ahamkara Grasps

The Sealed Ahamkara Grasps are quite potent for individuals that approach close range in Crucible. You can go on battling if you can strike an adversary and keep firing without having to change positions by using a dodge. Though not quite as fantastic as they had been in the initial Destiny, they are nonetheless worthwhile.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
205105010

Liar’s Handshake

The Liar’s Handshake enables you to kill an opponent in one hit after getting hit and launching a counterattack. This is quite effective in PVP since it enables you to end fights quickly. This will be a popular pick for Hunters who adore their Arcstrider subclass.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
12666612

Khepri’s Sting

Having your Smoke Bomb detonate on a melee strike may be excellent for those close-quarters fighting situations, but being far from as stunning as the initial Khepri’s Sting from Destiny.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
76710612

Athrys’s Embrace

A Good Choice for an Exotic Armor. There is Athrys’s Embrace for individuals who don’t want to be constrained to utilize the weapon-specific Champion customizations of the Seasonal Artifact. Effectively, warriors may be stunned by throwing knives. Worth taking into account, even when something exotic can be more alluring.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
61261066

Caliban’s Hand

For those who wish to learn more about the improvements in Gunslinger Solar 3.0, this is an intriguing pair of gauntlets. Proximity Knife isn’t often my go-to PVE or PVP weapon. Thus the Caliban’s Hand might not be the best exotic option.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
61266106

Lucky Raspberry

The Lucky Raspberry can be useful in the appropriate PvE circumstance, although it does require a higher skill level. When you have a complete chain in Crucible, you may hurl another grenade and be sure to get the kills.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
14127666

Ophidia Spathe

Having two throwing knives is enticing now that they can kill you in one hit in Crucible. Put them on and take advantage of the increased damage.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
12667216

Gwisin Vest

The Gwisin Vest continues to be a formidable weapon, although being far less potent than it formerly was. In PVE, you may keep your Super active for a while, and in the Crucible, you’ll constantly be annoying the whole team by continually slicing them.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
10720067

Fr0st-EE5

The Fr0st-EE5 accelerates the already quick speed of hunters. These are excellent for PVE and Crucible, where you’ll be running a lot. Worth it for gamers that are interested in ability building.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
18626610

B-Tier

Tier-B

The B-Tier of the Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier List has some of the greatest armor pieces, although they have certain limitations.

Gemini Jester

Competent Hunters inside the Crucible should find this to be advantageous, specifically if they are employing the Arcstrider sub-class with the Arc-Staff Super. Even better, We’d pair it alongside the Way of the Wind perk tree.

While avoiding, you’ll suffer less damage and disorient your opponent by taking away their radar. Arc Staff would become especially lethal as a result. But in PvE, Gemini Jester would be practically worthless.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
35500510

Knucklehead Radar

It’s not that the Knucklehead Radar is horrible; it’s simply that there are a plethora of better exotics available. Although handy, the inherent benefit of the Enhanced Sensor Pack does not make the Knucklehead Radar superior to other options. Whether you’re playing PvP or PvE, leave this in your vault.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
105200510

Raiju’s Harness

An intriguing exotic that fails to pay off is Raiju’s Harness. Even though you don’t run out of energy while protecting, deactivation of a Super early leaves you without a Super for a predetermined period. There are not many circumstances in which this would be preferable to another piece.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
61261066

Wormhusk Crown

In many situations, immediate healing and protection are really useful. It can help you escape combat in Crucible. Although there are undoubtedly superior Exotics, this may still be deemed valuable.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
107101067

Blight Ranger

The Blight Ranger is not as excellent as you may assume. The “massively enhanced damage” is greatly exaggerated, at least during The Witch Queen’s release. Select Renewal Grasps, the alternative campaign prize.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
61261066

Young Ahamkara’s Spine

We don’t want to label anything as awful because the appropriate player could find a purpose for it in the proper situation. However, there are always better choices when it comes to the Exotic Hunter gear.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
107101067

Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves

The Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves could be useful if you’re a side-arm enthusiast in Crucible. You can do a lot of damage with these gauntlets if you have the appropriate Side-arm and a handful of certain upgrades. It’s usually better to utilize something different because the settings must be just ideal.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
30500510

Shinobu’s Vow

The Shinobu’s Vow won’t make Skip Grenades more common among Hunters to use. Although having an additional grenade is convenient, there are other, preferable solutions.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
11167626

Lucky Pants

Users of Hand Cannons should rejoice since the Lucky Pants have improved slightly from their previous design. You will gradually fill up a stored Hand Cannon as you make accurate hits.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
71271066

The Bombardiers

Although not the greatest, the Bombardiers will increase your lethality in PVE or the Crucible or assist you in clearing more troops.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
61261066

Star-Eater Scales

The Star-Eater Scales are merely alright today; they’re not as fantastic as they once were. You gain a great boost in damage from your Super, and even though it is fully charged, you may still utilize the Orbs, which are located on the ground.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
61261066

Radiant Dance Machines

If you intend to keep dodging, the Radiant Dance Machines are the perfect pair of boots!

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
61261066

C-Tier

Tier-C

These armor parts are ranked lower on the Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier List due to their limited capability and subpar defensive characteristics.

Graviton Forfeit

It’s disappointing that the Graviton Forfeit helmet isn’t better. Although remaining invisible has some strength, there aren’t many instances in Destiny 2 where it matters. There are superior Exotics available.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
107101067

Oathkeeper

The Oathkeepers are simply awful. These are essentially useless. Due to Destiny 2’s rapid-fire speed, keeping a shot for any longer than what is presently available puts you in a very vulnerable position.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
205010510

The Sixth Coyote

It’s not as crucial as it may appear to have a second dodge. The Sixth Coyote Exotic doesn’t have a lot of room in the meta or our Tier List of Destiny 2 Exotic Armor.

MobilityDisciplineResilienceRecoveryIntellectStrength
105151055

Best Destiny 2 Exotic Armor

Exotics are essential to making Hunters strong since they provide advantages like ability restoration and a potent follow-up punch attack. Here are the top exotic armors in Destiny 2 for Guardians seeking an advantage over both Traveler and Guardian foes.

Mask of Baskris

The Shift short-range teleportation ability that the Mask of Bakris grants you in place of your Stasis dodge cloaks you while it is active. You get a 10% damage increase to arc weapons after shifting that lasts for ten seconds. You will additionally deal 10% greater damage to any enemies who are slowed.

While both boosts are in effect, your Shift ability can’t replenish since both effects pile with buffs and debuffs. For aggressive players, the uncertainty this helmet generates in PvP is outrageously strong. You can utilize your dodge to evade an aggressive player, rush opponents with a shotgun, or deflect super missiles.

The Winter Shroud Feature and Mask of Bakris together have the power to turn a shootout in your favor. However, if you misuse this gift, there will be no way out for what seems like an eternity. It’s an exotic with a high reward-to-risk ratio that has the potential to alter how you play the Crucible in Destiny 2 completely.

Aeon Swift

The Hunter variant of the Aeon Swift Exotic gloves, known as Aeon Swift, are class-neutral Exotics that may play one of the three roles. One of the three Sect modifications can be socketed into the fifth mod slot on this piece of armor, which serves as the Exotic perk for this gear.

About 20–25% of class ability energy is awarded for each ally that perishes. It applies to any dodge. With the introduction of Acrobat’s Dodge in Solar 3.0, you can instantly turn Radiant.

With the help of this Exotic, you may maintain your Radiant boost for about 100% of the time, enabling abilities like Ace of Spades to double-tap while having a weapon-damaging perk active.

If you want to use the dodge capability in 6v6 scenarios repeatedly, the other modifications aren’t useful in the Crucible. Aeon Swift performs well.

Assasin’s Cowl

After using a melee attack to defeat a victim, the Assassin’s Cowl gives the wearer nine seconds of concealment as well as partial healing. Finishers and bosses kill to extend the duration of invisibility to 15 seconds and augment the healing effect.

This exotic demonstrates its potential on The Top Tree Arcstrider and Revenant. The former enables you to strike targets repeatedly until they are dead, turning invisible and recovering all of your health in the process practically.

The latter transforms you into an ice ninja who combines the playstyles of the Night-stalker and Revenant. To escape combat, use a grenade to frost or shatter your target(s), then utilize the Withering Blade on a downed opponent. You should attempt Assassin’s Cowl if you enjoy playing aggressively or if Revenant is your main class.

Omnioculus

Since Omnioculus provides you with melee energy immediately away, it allows you to avoid the Gambler’s Dodge downgrade within Bungie 30th Anniversary Pack. In areas where it counts, turning two friends invisible is pretty simple, enabling you to spam endless Smoke Bombs to increase allies’ damage resistance.

Although Omnioculus loses some utility in PvP, it is still quite useful. Despite the Season of the Plunder nerf, being invisible will remove you from your enemy’s radar and significantly enhance your damage resistance.

The DR increase is sufficient to change the TTK of almost all meta weapons in the Crucible. Despite being specialized, Omnioculus has the potential to be extremely effective in the Crucible.

St0mp-EE5

In Destiny 2, mobility is paramount in both PvE and PvP. The main goal of St0mp-EE5 is to improve your mobility, making your jumps stronger and accelerating both the sprint and slide speeds. Additionally, all weapons’ Airborne Effectiveness is decreased by -50 by this exotic.

Compared to other players, you can move around the battlefield more swiftly and easily evade threats and cover. There isn’t a Hunter movement Exotic that is superior. St0mp-EE5 possesses all the desirable characteristics of an exotic movement: quicker sprinting, longer sliding distances, and significantly more powerful leaps.

With these boots, you can traverse maps instantly, completely changing how you walk. The St0mp-EE5 boots are what enable the “hoppity Hunter” playstyle that gamers refer to.

Changes Due To Recent Updates

Last Updated: Version 6.2.5.

Here are all the relevant update changes that are relevant to the armor in Destiny 2. 

  • A bug has been patched where Gyrfalcon’s Huberk was providing players with unlimited amounts of Juggernaut melees, Loreley Splendor Helm Sunspots, and Promethium Spur Rifts.

Tier List Criteria

For this Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier List, every exotic armor from Destiny 2 has undergone testing. Despite their might, certain armors are hard to come by. The potential and impacts of armor should work together to increase its use with minimal additional effort.

To make sure you are properly educated on the top Destiny 2 Exotic Armors that are accessible in our Tier List, we at eXputer pushed the envelope and went above and beyond. As they are the strongest and will provide you with the greatest benefits, you should stick with the S-A Tiers. It’s entirely up to you to select which Armor to use, though.

Our video game enthusiasts researched which Destiny 2 Exotic Armor is the finest right now to provide you with the most accurate and exact information.

Because tier lists are inherently arbitrary, your choices on the armor may or may not match with our assessment of the Destiny 2 Exotic Armor. Do you view Exotic Armor in a different way than we do? If so, feel free to share your opinions on the Exotic Armor in the comments section below.

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Tehreem Fatima


Tehreem is an empathetic writer who writes for the love of it. She couples this with her interest in gaming to inform like-minded intellects what's going on in the gaming realm. She'll mostly be catching up with her high school studies when not writing great Tier Lists.

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