While weapons usually get most of the attention, your choice of armor plays a crucial role too. This is especially true for Exotic armor as that one single piece of equipment can elevate your playstyle and lethality to new levels. Destiny 2 is all about finding synergies within your gear and Exotic armor is often the first piece of the puzzle.
This guide covers every Hunter Exotic in Destiny 2. We’ll rank them from best to worst, and explain how to use them for maximum lethality.
Destiny 2 Hunter Exotics Tier list
The Tier list below includes every Hunter Exotic armor piece in the game. It starts with the S Tier weapons and moves down from there:
| Name | Type | Rank | Excels | Subclass | Source | Requirements | Armor | Tier | Excels in | Subclass? | Final Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omnioculus | Chest | S › Best | PVE + PVP | Void | Lost Sectors | Beyond Light |  Omnioculus |
Best ❘ S |
PVE + PVP |  Void |
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors Exotic Perk: “You gain a second Smoke Bomb charge and have damage resistance while invisible. When you make an ally invisible, they gain damage resistance while invisible and you gain melee energy.” ► Pairs well with: Snare Bomb and Invisibility. Omnioculus can make you invisible forever if you play your cards right. With it’s increased resistance and additional smoke bomb, it’s a no-brainer in hard content. |
| Aeon Swift | Arms | S › Best | PVE | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Aeon Swift |
Best ❘ S |
PVE |  Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Aeon Exotics have an additional mod socket which is used for Aeon Cult mods.” ► Pairs well with: Support style classes void/stasis. As Aeon Swift is a supporting exotic, it is best paired with Subclasses that can offer even more support to your team and fill the support role even more. |
| Orpheus Rig | Legs | S › Best | PVE | Void | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Orpheus Rig |
Best ❘ S |
PVE | Void |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Provides ability energy for each enemy tethered by Deadfall anchors. Moebius Quiver has more shots.” ► Pairs well with: Moebius Quiver. Orpheus Rig allows another volley to be fired during the Moebius Quiver super. This allows for more damage from your super on bosses and more add control as you can shoot more tethers. |
| St0mp-EE5 | Legs | S › Best | PVP | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  St0mp-EE5 |
Best ❘ S |
PVP | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Increases sprint speed and slide distance. Improves High Jump, Strafe Jump, and Triple Jump.” ► Pairs well with: Strafe Jump. St0mp-EE5’s are incredible for movement for all jumps. However with Strafe Jump, you can move at outrageous speeds and outmanoever enemies in the Crucible. |
| Wormhusk Crown | Helm | S › Best | PVE + PVP | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Wormhusk Crown |
Best ❘ S |
PVE + PVP | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “We strive to know infinity, and sharpen our minds on the whetstone of the impossible.” ► Pairs well with: Vanishing Step Aspect (Nightstalker). Wormhusk Crown’s heal on dodge effect is incredible on its own, but when paired with invisibility on dodge, you can get that burst of healing and then safety with invisibility. |
| Renewal Grasps | Arms | S › Best | PVE + PVP | Stasis | Lost Sectors | The Witch Queen |  Renewal Grasps |
Best ❘ S |
PVE + PVP |  Stasis |
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors Exotic Perk: “Your Duskfield grenades have a much larger effect radius. Allies inside the Duskfield take reduced damage and targets inside the area deal reduced damage.” ► Pairs well with: Duskfield Grenades. The new Renewal Grasps add the first true defensive, while not being entirely passive, option to Hunters in the form of damage resistence for you and your allies. Renewal Grasps have good build crafting potential and are equally as strong in PvP, making you able to win gunfights a lot easier. |
| Star-Eater Scales | Legs | A › Strong | PVE | Neutral | Lost Sectors | Beyond Light |  Star-Eater Scales |
Strong ❘ A |
PVE | Neutral |
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors Exotic Perk: “You gain additional Super energy from Orbs of Power you pick up. While your Super energy is full, picking up an Orb of Power overcharges your Super, causing you to gain a burst of healing when cast and a bonus to your Super damage. At maximum overcharge, you also gain an overshield.” ► Pairs well with: Bottom Tree Gunslinger. Star-Eater Scales provide a strong buff to all of your supers, however, it is best paired with Golden Gun as you can reach near Celestial Nighthawk damage with max stacks. |
| Mask of Bakris | Helm | A › Strong | PVE + PVP | Stasis | Lost Sectors | Beyond Light |  Mask of Bakris |
Strong ❘ A |
PVE + PVP | Stasis |
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors Exotic Perk: “Replaces your Stasis subclass Dodge ability with a longer range, faster-moving Shift that partially cloaks you during use. After Shifting, your Arc weapons deal increased damage to combatants for a short time, and you deal increased damage to all slowed or frozen combatants.” ► Pairs well with: Arc Weapons. Mask of Bakris provides a short ‘teleport’ on an extended cooldown, however, it’s a worthwhile tradeoff when you get a damage boost to your Arc weapons in PvE or fooling enemies in PvP |
| Celestial Nighthawk | Helm | A › Strong | PVE | Solar | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Celestial Nighthawk |
Strong ❘ A |
PVE |  Solar |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Modifies Golden Gun to fire a single high-damage shot. Enemies eliminated by the shot explode and grant you Super energy.” ► Pairs well with: Bottom Tree Gunslinger. Celestial Nighthawk is the go-to damage burst option for Hunters right now and manages to provide instant, high damage from range if you have the aim. |
| Graviton Forfeit | Helm | A › Strong | PVE + PVP | Void | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Graviton Forfeit |
Strong ❘ A |
PVE + PVP | Void |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Increases the duration of any invisibility effects. While you are invisible, your melee recharges faster, your weapons reload faster, and your Recovery is greatly increased.” ► Pairs well with: Invisibility. Graviton Forfeit provides stat bonuses to key stats like Recovery and extends the duration of all forms of invisibility from Vanishing Step to Rat King making it a very strong option for invisibility based builds/playstyles |
| Fr0st-EE5 | Legs | A › Strong | PVE + PVP | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Fr0st-EE5 |
Strong ❘ A |
PVE + PVP | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Increased grenade, melee, and dodge regeneration while sprinting. Dodging increases your sprint speed.” ► Pairs well with: Traveler’s Chosen. Fr0st-EE5 work well on their own, however, they can be taken to another level with Traveler’s Chosen which allows you to get your abilities back even quicker which makes it a powerful option for ability focused builds. |
| Gemini Jester | Legs | A › Strong | PVP | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Gemini Jester |
Strong ❘ A |
PVP | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Dodging disorients nearby enemies and temporarily removes their radar.” ► Pairs well with: Vanishing Step Aspect. Gemini Jester is incredible with Vanishing Step. Not only is the enemy blind and their HUD removed, but you’ll also be able to get the drop on them when coming out of invisibility |
| Raiden Flux | Chest | A › Strong | PVE | Arc | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Raiden Flux |
Strong ❘ A |
PVE |  Arc |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Quick successive attacks with Arc Staff increase its damage output and duration.” ► Pairs well with: Arc Staff. Raiden Flux is the go-to exotic for Arcstrider. The damage and duration buffs it provides are second to none and it makes Arc Staff one of the best add clear supers in the game. |
| The Sixth Coyote | Chest | A › Strong | PVE | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  The Sixth Coyote |
Strong ❘ A |
PVE | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Gain a second dodge charge.” ► Pairs well with: Nightstalker+Gambler’s Dodge. Sixth Coyote provides an additional dodge which, when combined with Gambler’s Dodge, effectively grants you an additional melee charge allowing for more invisibility on Nightstalker. |
| Athrys’s Embrace | Arms | B › Average | PVE + PVP | Solar | Lost Sectors | Beyond Light |  Athrys’s Embrace |
Average ❘ B |
PVE + PVP | Solar |
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors Exotic Perk: “Weighted Knife gains a second bounce. Rapid precision hits with your weapons grant Weighted Knife a significant damage bonus and the ability to stun unshielded combatants for a short time.” ► Pairs well with: Gambler’s Dodge. Athrys’s Embrace allows for a 1 shot to the body with Weighted Knife when activated in PvP or high instant damage in PvE and when combined with Gambler’s Dodge, you can easily get your Weighted Knife back instantly. |
| Radiant Dance Machines | Legs | B › Average | PVE | Neutral | Lost Sectors | Beyond Light |  Radiant Dance Machines |
Average ❘ B |
PVE | Neutral |
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors Exotic Perk: “Activating your dodge ability while near targets allows you to dodge additional times for a short period.” ► Pairs well with: Marksman’s Dodge. Radiant Dance Machines work very well with Marksman’s Dodge as you can dodge over and over to continuously reload a single magazine weapon e.g. A rocket launcher to maximise DPS |
| Assassin’s Cowl | Helm | B › Average | PVE | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Shadowkeep |  Assassin’s Cowl |
Average ❘ B |
PVE | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Powered melee final blows grant invisibility and restore a portion of health and shields. Finishers and final blows against more powerful targets increase the duration of the invisibility and the amount of health and shields.” ► Pairs well with: Anything. Assassin’s Cowl pairs with any and all subclasses, however, it is becoming less and less valuable now due to new ways to become invisible while finishing an enemy. |
| Khepri’s Sting | Arms | B › Average | PVP | Void | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Khepri’s Sting |
Average ❘ B |
PVP | Void |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Punching someone with full melee energy will instantly cast Smoke Bomb. Gain Truesight while in your own Smoke Bomb effect. Your smoke bombs deal increased damage.” ► Pairs well with: Snare Bomb. A co-ordinated team all using Khepri’s Sting can be a very difficult thing to play against as it grants you truesight, and when paired with Snare Bomb’s invisibility, you can easily get the drop on enemies. |
| Lucky Pants | Legs | B › Average | PVE + PVP | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Lucky Pants |
Average ❘ B |
PVE + PVP | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “When you ready a fully loaded Hand Cannon that deals kinetic damage or a damage type that matches your subclass energy type, each hit from that Hand Cannon increases the damage of the next shot for a short time against a combatant. Hand Cannons ready faster and are more accurate immediately after swapping to them.” ► Pairs well with: Hand Cannons. Lucky Pants work brilliantly with Hand Cannons such as The Last Word and Malfeasance as it provides a stacking buff which can result in pretty good DPS with your Hand Cannon of choice. |
| The Dragon’s Shadow | Chest | B › Average | PVP | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  The Dragon’s Shadow |
Average ❘ B |
PVP | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Dodging reloads all weapons and increases both movement and weapon handling speeds for a brief time.” ► Pairs well with: Anything. Dragon’s Shadow allows for you to receive the bonuses of both Marksman’s Dodge and Gambler’s Dodge while also increasing weapon haste, however, comparede to some other options, it falls flat as it is very ability dependant. |
| Gwisin Vest | Chest | C › Weak | – | Void | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Gwisin Vest |
Weak ❘ C |
– | Void |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Each Spectral Blades kill you make before going into stealth will restore more of your Super energy.” ► Pairs well with: Spectral Blades. Gwisin Vest extends the duration of your Spectral Blades super after you get a kill, however, the bonuses it provides are not worth the swap and sticking with an exotic that could make you reach enemies quicker is the better option. |
| Ophidia Spathe | Chest | C › Weak | – | Solar | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Ophidia Spathe |
Weak ❘ C |
– | Solar |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Grants two knives per charge.” ► Pairs well with: Middle Tree Gunslinger. Ophidia Spathe combos nicely with the throwing knives on Middle Tree Gunslinger as it allows for higher uptime of ‘Playing with Fire’ and ‘The Burning Edge’ which grant increased melee and dodge energy regeneration respectively. |
| Sealed Ahamkara Grasps | Arms | C › Weak | – | Solar | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Sealed Ahamkara Grasps |
Weak ❘ C |
– | Solar |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Dealing melee damage reloads your currently equipped weapon.” ► Pairs well with: Anything. Sealed Ahamkara Grasps allow for reloads on melee hits. However, in PvE and PvP, there are very few situations where this perk will noticeably save you or help out compared to some other options available. |
| The Bombardiers | Legs | C › Weak | – | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Shadowkeep |  The Bombardiers |
Weak ❘ C |
– | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Dodging leaves behind an explosive that detonates after a short delay, damaging targets around it and creating a secondary effect based on your subclass energy type: Arc Blinds, Solar Burns, Void Suppresses and Stasis Slows targets.” ► Pairs well with: Vanishing Step Aspect (Nightstalker. The Bombardiers are a very niche exotic that require a certain playstyle. The damage isn’t noticeable enough in PvP and it’s effects are underwhelming in most aspects of the game. |
| Shinobu’s Vow | Arms | C › Weak | – | Arc | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Shinobu’s Vow |
Weak ❘ C |
– | Arc |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Improves Skip Grenade, and you gain an additional Skip Grenade charge. Skip Grenade returns energy when it damages enemies.” ► Pairs well with: Skip Grenades. Shinobu’s Vow can be very annoying to play against in PvP, however, due to the the quality of Skip Grenades right now, annoyance is the only purpose they serve as the damage is lacking. |
| Young Ahamkara’s Spine | Arms | C › Weak | – | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Young Ahamkara’s Spine |
Weak ❘ C |
– | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Increases Tripmine Grenade duration and blast radius. Ability damage grants Tripmine Grenade energy.” ► Pairs well with: Tripmine Grenades. Young Ahamkara’s Spine improves tripmine damage, making it deal decent damage in PvP and forcing the enemy to back off and recover, however, for this exotic to be even be average you need high a high Discipline stat and you are forced into using quite a hard grenade to use effectively. |
| Foetracer | Helm | D › Worst | – | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Foetracer |
Worst ❘ D |
– | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Visually marks targeted enemies. Deals more damage to low-health marked enemies.” ► Pairs well with: Anything. Foetracer provides very little benefit for being a constant passive exotic. The bonus damage is not noticeable and sometimes doesn’t appear to work with some weapons and the tracking part of the exotic is very poor as it only lasts for a couple of seconds when the enemy leaves your sight. |
| Knucklehead Radar | Helm | D › Worst | – | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Knucklehead Radar |
Worst ❘ D |
– | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Provides radar while you’re aiming. Enhances your radar resolution while crouched.” ► Pairs well with: Anything. Knucklehead Radar provides radar when aiming down sights. This might sound good, however, certain strong PvP weapons such as Ace of Spades or Mida-Multi-Tool already provide this bonus making this exotic quite feel quite underwhelming when compared to its PvP competition. |
| Lucky Raspberry | Chest | D › Worst | – | Arc | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Lucky Raspberry |
Worst ❘ D |
– | Arc |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Increases the chaining capabilities of Arc Bolt Grenade and has a chance to recharge it each time it deals damage. A full chain always recharges.” ► Pairs well with: Arcbolt Grenades. Lucky Raspberry is an RNG based exotic making it incredibly unreliable which is not what you want from an exotic that only works with a single ability. The bonus it provides isn’t too exciting either as it simply increases the chaining chances of Arcbolt Grenades and adds a small chance for it to replenish. |
| Liar’s Handshake | Arms | D › Worst | – | Arc | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Liar’s Handshake |
Worst ❘ D |
– | Arc |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Using your Arc melee ability or being hit by a melee attack will allow you to follow up with an extremely powerful melee counterpunch that will heal you.” ► Pairs well with: Bottom Tree Arcstrider. Liar’s Handshake used to be the go-to for melee builds, however, with the changes to buff stacking Liar’s Handshake is not worth the risk of running in difficult content when compared to other strong melee based combos in the game. |
| Oathkeeper | Arms | D › Worst | – | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Oathkeeper |
Worst ❘ D |
– | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Bows charges can be held indefinitely.” ► Pairs well with: Bows. Oathkeeper can be paired with bows such as Le Monarque or Wish-Ender to retain their ‘perfect draw’ effects indefinitely, however, this can already be accomplished by constantly redrawing your bow, or simply good timing and high skill. |
| Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves | Arms | D › Worst | – | Neutral | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves |
Worst ❘ D |
– | Neutral |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Increases Sidearm ready and reload speed. While you’re critically wounded, swapping to a Sidearm increases its damage.” ► Pairs well with: Sidearms. Mechaneer’s Tricksleeves require you to be near death for them to have value which is not a good foundation for a strong exotic. This, combined with the fact sidearms are quite lacking right now, makes it quite weak right now. |
| Shards of Galanor | Arms | D › Worst | – | Solar | Exotic Engrams | Free-to-Play |  Shards of Galanor |
Worst ❘ D |
– | Solar |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “Hits and kills with Blade Barrage will return Super energy after the Super ends.” ► Pairs well with: Middle Tree Gunslinger. Shards of Galanor work well as a super regeneration exotic. However, due to Blade Barrage being a poor option everywhere in the game currently, it is safe to say that Shards of Galanor are weak too as they only provide a benefit to a very weak super. |
| Blight Ranger | Helm | D › Worst | – | Arc | Lost Sectors | The Witch Queen |  Blight Ranger |
Worst ❘ D |
– | Arc |
Source: Legend/Master Lost Sectors Exotic Perk: “Attacks you redirect with your Arc Staff deal massively increased damage and generate Orbs of Power for your allies.” ► Pairs well with: Middle Tree Arcstrider. Blight Ranger’s ‘Voltaic Mirror’ perk increases the damage of deflected attacks, however, it is remarkably unreliable as sometimes, especially in situations where you have other fireteam members, the enemy simply won’t fire at you rendering the increased damage completely useless. The extra damage doesn’t bring anything to the table in PvP either. |
| Raiju’s Harness | Chest | Swap | PVP | Arc | Exotic Engrams | Shadowkeep |  Raiju’s Harness |
Swap | PVP | Arc |
Source: Exotic Engrams Exotic Perk: “In Super: Deactivate Whirlwind Guard early. Guarding does not consume extra Super energy.” ► Pairs well with: Middle Tree Arcstrider. Raiju’s Harness enhances Middle Tree Arcstrider massively as it drains less when blocking and can be cancelled at any time allowing for you to use Arc Staff, get a quick kill and then cancel it to retain super energy. |
These are the different Tier levels used for our list:
- S Tier – Best: Highest ranking weapons in our Tier List.
- A Tier – Strong: Very strong weapons, but not on the same level as S Tier Choices.
- B Tier – Average: Decent choices that can be lethal in the hands of a skilled player.
- C Tier – Weak: The middle of the pack, somewhat mediocre.
- D Tier – Worst: Lagging behind the competition, these don’t have much to offer.
Swaps: You’ll see a couple of armor pieces ranked as “Swap“. Swap refers to those armor pieces that are generally not great but can be excellent in very specific situations, namely when using your Super. For that reason, these deserve a different ranking as they still have a place in your loadout.
More Destiny 2 Exotic Armor Tier lists:
Best Destiny 2 Hunter Exotic armor in 2022
This section not only covers the top Exotic armor pieces for Hunter currently in the game, it also tells you where you can find them. On top of being top-tier options for PvE and PvP, some of them look great. So much so, that they are often seen in Destiny 2 fashion contests.
Overall, these are our Top 10 favorite Hunter Exotics for PVE and PVP.
10. Fr0st-EE5
Excels in PVP
Fr0st-EE5 or ‘Frostees’ allow you to gain enhanced ability regeneration while sprinting and increase sprint speed after dodging. The perk alone benefiting the dodge already makes the Frostees a powerful option as dodge, especially in PvP can get you out of situations that other classes would sorely struggle to escape. Increased sprint speed can also get you to certain sniper angles quickly and rotate around the map while getting your abilities back for the next fight you get into. You can pair Frostees with perks such as Demolitionist to have your grenade up for more fights or exotics such as Traveler’s Chosen which provides even more ability energy when consuming stacks of Gathering Light after getting kills.
In PvE, they can provide uptime to important abilities such as smoke bomb or other strong abilities such as Glacier Grenades which can be paired with Shatterdive and the Stasis Fragment- Whisper of Shards for even more grenade uptime. Despite all of this though, there are other options that are simply stronger on Hunter in PvE, but Frostees shouldn’t be cast aside instantly as an option.
How to get it: Fr0st-EE5 can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
| Armor | Class | Requirements | Source | Released | Exotic Perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fr0st-EE5 |
Hunter | Free-to-Play | Exotic Engrams | Exotic Perk: “Increased grenade, melee, and dodge regeneration while sprinting. Dodging increases your sprint speed.” |
9. Gemini Jester
Excels in PVP
The Gemini Jesters are an incredibly potent exotic in PvP, and in most players’ eyes, they probably rank as one of the most annoying exotics in the game.
Gemini Jester is perfect for players who are all about hindering their opponents and getting the drop on them. They disorient enemies by flashing brightly on the affected player’s screen and then removing their HUD. This most importantly includes the removal of the enemy’s radar.
It is important to note that Gemini Jester doesn’t have an exceptionally long range at only 12-15 meters which isn’t too far out of optimal Shotgun range but is within prime SMG or Sidearm range.
A strategy that top PvP players may use to wield Gemini Jester to its maximum potential is to use cover to a position near enemies, dodge behind cover and then come out and secure the kill while the enemy is still blinded.
Understanding the power of the radar in PvP makes Gemini Jester truly shine as if you can determine how far away someone is with the radar, you can position correctly and get the blind off without even seeing them. Gemini Jester can also be paired with the Vanishing Step Nightstalker Aspect or the Winter’s Shroud Stasis Aspect for even more effects on your dodge to further throw off your opponent.
How to get it: Gemini Jester can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
| Armor | Class | Requirements | Source | Released | Exotic Perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gemini Jester |
Hunter | Free-to-Play | Exotic Engrams | Exotic Perk: “Dodging disorients nearby enemies and temporarily removes their radar.” |
8. Star-Eater Scales
Excels in PVE
Star-Eater Scales provides a ton of effects that enhance almost all aspects of the ‘Super’ mechanic in the game. They provide increased super energy gain when picking up Orbs of Power. They provide healing when casting your super, grant increased super damage and finally, provide an overshield in your super when you have the maximum number of stacks of Feast of Light.
Feast of Light is the main perk distributing the potent buffs for the Star-Eater Scales. When you have your super fully charged, which you get back faster due to the increased gain from Orbs of Power, you can continue to pick up Orbs of Power to gain stacks of Feast of Light. This buff stacks up to 8x and the bonus super effects scale off how many stacks you have when you cast it.
To truly realize the potential of the Star-Eater Scales, you want to have the maximum number of stacks for Feast of Light to really see the true value in them.
At maximum stacks of Feast of Light and with the ‘Knock ‘em Down’ perk active, you can deal more damage than a Celestial Nighthawk shot. This, on top of the other buffs it provides, makes Star-Eater Scales an enticing option in content where there is going to be Orbs of Power everywhere such as a Raid DPS phase. However, this requires a lot of setup and might not be worth it over the simplicity of Nighthawk
How to get it: Star-Eater Scales can only via acquired via solo Legend/Master Lost Sectors.
| Armor | Class | Requirements | Source | Released | Exotic Perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Star-Eater Scales |
Hunter | Beyond Light | Lost Sectors | Season 14 | Exotic Perk: “You gain additional Super energy from Orbs of Power you pick up. While your Super energy is full, picking up an Orb of Power overcharges your Super, causing you to gain a burst of healing when cast and a bonus to your Super damage. At maximum overcharge, you also gain an overshield.” |
7. Celestial Nighthawk
Excels in PVE
Celestial Nighthawk modifies your Golden Gun to fire a single bullet which does high damage. This instantaneous burst of damage can be valuable in all areas of the game.
Despite it being a strong, instant burst of damage, it is outclassed in the damage department by other classes and other exotics. However, the main appeal of the Celestial Nighthawk is its absolute ease of use with it not requiring any setup or perk activations to deal its maximum damage to a boss.
In high-level content, Golden Gun can be used to deal high damage to bosses or champions and can help conserve ammo too, especially for weapons such as Izanagi’s Burden which demand a lot of ammo.
Celestial Nighthawk also has the perk in which getting a final blow with the shot will grant you a third of your super back which can be really handy in Nightfalls as you can chain Golden Gun champion kills back to back and have Golden Gun up very often. This perk, in tandem with the perk ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ which grants super energy on precision hits, allows you to have quite high super uptime. This combination of these two perks has become even more valuable after the super regeneration nerfs too.
How to get it: Celestial Nighthawk can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
| Armor | Class | Requirements | Source | Released | Exotic Perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Celestial Nighthawk |
Hunter | Free-to-Play | Exotic Engrams | Exotic Perk: “Modifies Golden Gun to fire a single high-damage shot. Enemies eliminated by the shot explode and grant you Super energy.” |
6. Aeon Swift
Excels in PVE
The Aeon family of exotics were reworked a few seasons ago and it rocketed them from ‘meme’ tier to some of the strongest exotics in the game for high-level content.
Aeon Swift has three different potential bonuses it can give both to you and your other fireteam members. The best and most used bonus is ‘Sect of Insight’ which grants an Orb of Power for successive precision kills and more importantly, Sect of Insight can grant Special ammo for defeating an elite or ‘orange bar’ enemy with a finisher and the same goes for minibosses/bosses or ‘yellow bar’ enemies.
In high-difficulty content such as Master Raids or Master/Grandmaster Nightfalls, someone using Sect of Insight is a massive boost to any fireteam as it allows more lenient use of heavy ammo which, of course, makes harder content easier.
Aeon Swift has two other bonuses which apply other powerful bonuses such as Sect of Force which provides weapon haste on rapid precision hits grenade and melee energy for your fireteam. Sect of Vigor provides class ability energy if your fireteam members die and fully refund your class ability when you revive them. It also provides healing for your fireteam when you cast your super.
How to get it: Aeon Swift can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
| Armor | Class | Requirements | Source | Released | Exotic Perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aeon Swift |
Hunter | Free-to-Play | Exotic Engrams | Exotic Perk: “Aeon Exotics have an additional mod socket which is used for Aeon Cult mods.” |
5. Renewal Grasps
Excels in PVE
The Renewal Grasps improve your Duskfield Grenades and turn their defensive application up to eleven. These gloves serve as the first true defensive exotic that Hunters have ever got while not being entirely passive like other exotics that may buff invisibility.
They increase the size of your Duskfield grenade and alongside the aspect ‘Touch of Winter’, you can get a massive area of effect coverage. Even better however is that they reduce the damage that enemies do when they are inside your Duskfield increasing survivability massively.
In addition to decreasing the damage enemies do when they are in your Duskfield, if you or allies are in the grenade, you will all take reduced damage too.
This can synergize very nicely with other damage-reducing mods or fragments such as Well of Tenacity or Whisper of Chains. Whisper of Chains is a much easier option as when you throw down your grenade, you immediately can get up to 50% damage reduction if you are standing near the crystal that comes with Duskfield Grenades with Touch of Winter.
With a high discipline grenade spam build, you can easily give your teammates up to 25% damage resistance in PvE for practically every fight you might have by simply throwing a Duskfield Grenade at your feet or at your enemies.
How to get it: Renewal Grasps can only via acquired via solo Legend/Master Lost Sectors.
| Armor | Class | Requirements | Source | Released | Exotic Perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Renewal Grasps |
Hunter | The Witch Queen | Lost Sectors | Season 16 | Exotic Perk: “Your Duskfield grenades have a much larger effect radius. Allies inside the Duskfield take reduced damage and targets inside the area deal reduced damage.” |
4. Orpheus Rig
Excels in PVE
Orpheus Rig has rocketed to the top 5 Hunter exotics with the recent Void 3.0 changes on Hunter.
If you aren’t aware already, the Moebius Quiver super on Nightstalker received a change where you fire out 2 volleys of 3 Shadowshot arrows. Orpheus Rig simply adds another volley, making the total 9 arrows fired.
Moebius Quiver always had high damage; however, it took so long to fire off all the arrows one by one making it a poor super. However, with recent changes, Moebius Quiver paired with Orpheus Rig is now the second-highest ‘burst damage’ super just behind Thundercrash with Cuirass of the Falling Stars. However, Moebius Quiver also provides a sizable debuff to any target making it a very strong option and can also be done from a distance, perhaps making it safer in some situations than Thundercrash.
Another bonus for Orpheus Rig is that it is incredibly easy to use. It requires no additional setup to reach its maximum potential making it mindless and something that doesn’t have to be worried about in high-stress situations.
How to get it: Orpheus Rig can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
| Armor | Class | Requirements | Source | Released | Exotic Perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Orpheus Rig |
Hunter | Free-to-Play | Exotic Engrams | Exotic Perk: “Provides ability energy for each enemy tethered by Deadfall anchors. Moebius Quiver has more shots.” |
3. St0mp-EE5
Best PVP Hunter Exotic in Destiny 2
The St0mp-EE5 or ‘Stompees’ provide overall increased movement capability from slide distance to jump height. They shine in aerial movement and when combined with the mod Icarus Grip, you can soar through the air while retaining perfect in-air accuracy.
Many Hunter players end up getting addicted to using the Stompees as they are that addictive to use. The insane speed you can gain while using specific jumps and movement techniques is a very powerful option in PvP as it allows you to get to sniper lanes or rotate around the map with ridiculous speed, allowing you to always have the opportunity to outmaneuver your opponents.
Stompees work brilliantly with all jumps, however, most top Stompees and top PvP players will agree that Strafe Jump is the best jump to use as it gives you the most directional movement, allowing you to get from Point A to Point B at maximum speed. You can go even faster with certain techniques which involve ‘hitting your head’ off the ceiling to propel you even further and gain momentum.
Whether it be a jumping puzzle in PvE or a sweaty game in PvP, Stompees are always a solid pick for any Hunter player.
How to get it: Orpheus Rig can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
| Armor | Class | Requirements | Source | Released | Exotic Perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St0mp-EE5 |
Hunter | Free-to-Play | Exotic Engrams | Exotic Perk: “Increases sprint speed and slide distance. Improves High Jump, Strafe Jump, and Triple Jump.” |
2. Omnioculus
Best PVE Hunter Exotic in Destiny 2
Omnioculus is an exotic centered around keeping your fireteam invisible. Invisibility, in high-level content, can be a literal lifesaver and can stop you from wiping and being kicked back to orbit in Grandmaster Nightfalls as you can secure clutch revives in a heated area. Omnioculus doubles down (literally) on the invisibility effect by adding a second smoke bomb charge to your arsenal and grants damage resistance to anyone that you make invisible (including yourself). It also restores 25% of your melee ability per player made invisible.
All of this, on top of Gambler’s Dodge replenishing your melee ability fully, allows you to throw smoke bombs over and over to keep your team invisible. The chaining smoke bombs don’t end there though, with the new Void 3.0 Fragment- Echo of Provision, you can get your melee ability back even faster when dealing damage with your grenade at the cost of some Strength. However, this is well worth it as getting very high smoke bomb regeneration through damaging healthier targets with grenades such as Vortex Grenade massively outweighs the downside of the strength penalty.
How to get it: Omnioculus can only via acquired via solo Legend/Master Lost Sectors.
| Armor | Class | Requirements | Source | Released | Exotic Perk |
1. Wormhusk Crown
Best Overall Hunter Exotic in Destiny 2
Wormhusk Crown isn’t the best option in PvE or PvP, however, it is still the overall, best Hunter exotic in the game as it simply thrives no matter what environment you put it in. The ability to regain a third of your health on your dodge is second to none and helps a ton in sticky situations in PvP and PvE.
Wormhusk can be paired excellently with the Vanishing Step Aspect on Nightstalker to increase its already amazing survivability as you will heal and go invisible, allowing you time to retreat to cover and fight again at full health.
Wormhusk Crown is one of my own personal favorite exotics and is always an option I have ready in the most difficult of content such as Grandmaster Nightfalls, Master Raids, or even Day 1 Raids.
In PvP, it can be quite an annoying exotic to play against simply because of its instant health bump on such a short cooldown putting it up there in strength for a lot of players in the Crucible. The exotic is incredibly easy to use as it requires no previous setup and no additional perks to give its maximum healing making it a very popular option for new and veteran players alike.
If there was a single exotic that would be recommended to Hunter players for every aspect of the game, Wormhusk Crown is the one to go for as it will cover you excellently in all aspects of the game.
How to get it: Wormhusk Crown can be acquired via Exotic engrams, Xûr, or farming Lost Sectors.
| Armor | Class | Requirements | Source | Released | Exotic Perk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wormhusk Crown |
Hunter | Free-to-Play | Exotic Engrams | Exotic Perk: “We strive to know infinity, and sharpen our minds on the whetstone of the impossible.” |
Honorable mentions
These exotics are exotics that are still excellent options, however, due to competition they just slightly fall short.
Mask of Bakris
Mask of Bakris is a powerful option in PvE and PvP, it can buff your Arc weapon damage by 10% in PvE and can serve as a tool to bamboozle opponents in PvP by practically teleporting away or toward fights to get the drop on your enemy. However, Mask of Bakris adds an additional 10 seconds to your dodge cooldown regardless of your mobility tier. It also can take quite a bit of getting used to in PvP to see its full potential realized.
Raiden Flux
Raiden Flux absolutely transforms the Arc Staff super and is nearly necessary if you want to use Arcstrider seriously in more difficult content. The damage and duration buffs are incredibly noticeable and make Arc Staff an add clearing monster practically everywhere in the game.
Sixth Coyote
The Sixth Coyote was the former king of chain invisibility and team-based invisibility uptime in high-end content. However, with the addition of Omnioculus, changes to stat distribution timers such as Strength and the sheer amount of methods Hunter will have to go invisible in The Witch Queen with Void 3.0, Sixth Coyote has slowly been outclassed. However, it being outclassed does not mean it’s a poor option by any means and still provides good, consistent invisibility for your fireteam.
Destiny 2 Hunter Exotics sources: How to get them
Unlike Exotic weapons, finding Exotic armor is a straightforward affair. This is not to say it’s easy to farm for specific armor pieces. It, unfortunately, isn’t. To be fair, if you’re starting out and just want to find as many different exotics as possible, it can be done. Things become difficult when you are looking for good rolls of armor.
Exotic Engrams
Most Exotic armor can be found within Exotic Engrams: These can be found in the Season pass, they are sold by Xur and can also drop randomly at any time.
There isn’t much more to say about Exotic engrams, only that they have a higher chance to drop from end-game activities. If collecting exotics is your priority, Nightfall: The Ordeals are for you. And the higher the difficulty, the higher the chance to get one.
Lost Sectors
A few specific armor pieces can only be found in Legend and Master Lost Sectors when completed solo. Lost Sectors are on a daily rotation (with only one Legend and one Master available each day), as well as their rewards (one day will reward Legs pieces, the next day only Arms pieces, etc). You can find the daily rotation and list of exclusive Lost Sector Exotics here.
Ranking criteria
For the record, as much as we tried to keep this list as objective as possible, it’s still based on our personal experience playing the PC version of the game.
Finally, if you’re wondering what criteria was used to build this Tier list, these are the main factors I took into account:
- Consistency: Some armor pieces may not have the highest DPS potential, but they are so consistent, they more than make up for their lower burst damage numbers.
- Ease of use: Similar to the point above, some pieces are very effective because they are easy to use and don’t require too much skill or setup. This is also rewarded with higher rankings.
- PVE/PVP Performance: High lethality in either PVE or PVP is equally valuable. However, an armor piece that is good at both PVE and PVP should rank higher than one that is slightly better on only PVE or PVP.
- Fun factor: Not the most important factor, but it also helps if the weapon is damn fun to shoot with!
If you strongly disagree with some of the rankings here, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. By the way, what is your personal favorite?