[Top 15] Destiny 2 Best Forsaken Exotics That Are Powerful

Updated: 28 Sep 2022 10:54 pm
Forsaken may have been forsaken, but none of these exotics have. (Well, mostly)
Van Ghalta's picture BY: Titus Van Kleeck


Many regard Destiny 2 Forsaken as the pinnacle of the experience that players of the game have been a part of. It was an undeniably magical time for fans, as they got the robust endgame experience of the Dreaming City coupled with the immersive and tragic campaign of Cayde-6’s death. Relics from that era still exist as useful in today’s era, and not all of them are weapons. Here are the top 15 best exotic weapons and armor from the Forsaken era of Destiny 2.

15. Lumina (According to some)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcCL7R2xKXk

Lumina is a tricky one. Since its semi-recent buff in Season 16, a few players have deemed it S-tier, but I find their arguments unconvincing. For the gun’s perk to proc, it needs to go through an unwieldy and annoying gameplay loop and requires you to play around its flaws. The benefits may be nice, but they don’t outweigh the cons, at least for me.

Lumina full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/3512014804/lumina/

14. Thorn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3VnxX0j_Os&t=1s

Thorn is a decent hand cannon in PvP, and being in the strong 140 Adaptive Frame Hand Cannon subfamily really helps it here. If you can hit your shots then the exotic perk will really work for you, but if you’re more of a casual player this might not be your best choice. For best results in PvE, pair with necrotic grips.

Thorn full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/3973202132/thorn/

13. Bad Juju

Destiny 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3P5W_6a9AQ

The perfect compliment for your Starfire Protocol-Well of Radiance-Tier 10 Intellect build. While much better in PvE, Bad Juju is adept at getting you fast supers on multikills. 450 Pulses are pretty slept on in general, but they’ve begun to awaken after their recent buff.

Bad Juju full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/2816212794/bad-juju/

12. Trinity Ghoul

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHoMfm_q3Q8

While many proclaim this weapon as one of the best add-clearers in the game, I personally have a deep dislike for precision frame bows in general. It kinda only fills one role, too. Something like Outbreak Perfected is good for boss DPS, add clear, and champions, whereas Trinity is kinda meh. Still…Arc 3.0, am I right?

Trinity Ghoul full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/814876685/trinity-ghoul/

11. Wish-Ender

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akKZzdvxouw

A very bare-bones bow with a simple perk: ADSing while having the arrow fully drawn back will let you see through walls. Unfortunately, that is all it does. It kinda falls into the same dilemma that Trinity Ghoul does, only Wish-Ender is better for PvP. Not having an exotic catalyst does hurt it a bit, but it’s still a pretty good weapon.

Wish-Ender full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/814876684/wish-ender/

10. The Last Word

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdyG9wFw5iQ

If anyone wants to say how the Destiny 2 meta has been rapidly fluctuating in the past few months, just know that The Last Word has been there for the whole ride. While it would please me to chronicle this gun’s rich history, I haven’t the time now. All you need to know is that it’s got a steep learning curve but it’s very good if you master it.

The Last Word full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/1364093401/the-last-word/

9. Izanagi’s Burden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6uW_c1-cxI

You’ll see a few weirdos trying this in PvP, but I wouldn’t bet on its viability. In PvE, however, it’s a monster, especially combined with Auto-Loading Rocket Launchers. A very good option for DPS, and especially so if you combine it with other weapons.

Izanagi’s Burden full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/3211806999/izanagis-burden/

8. One-Eyed Mask

One-Eyed Mask is a random drop from exotic engrams, and a helpful build can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luDph8eEAtA

It may be ugly, but it’s still a good Titan exotic for the Crucible. It can give you a slight edge on opponents who get the drop on you, sometimes making all the difference in close gunfights. However, it’s definitely no crutch exotic and hasn’t been that good since the glory days, so eight is where it stays.

One-Eyed Mask full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/2578771006/one-eyed-mask/

7. Contraverse Hold

Contraverse Hold is a random drop from exotic engrams, and a helpful build can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b0YdLlCPAw

Long-favored as a grenade-synergizing exotic for both PvP and PvE, Contraverse Hold is good if you want a quick build for Warlock: slap these bad boys on with a Vortex Grenade, and it’s off to nade-spam city. Since Void 3.0 is still pretty strong, consider this a top priority when Xur next sells it.

Contraverse Hold full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/1906093346/contraverse-hold/

6. Geomag Stabilizers

Geomag Stabilizers is a random drop from exotic engrams (ditto) and a helpful build can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAUrTabhldY

A Geomag Stabilizer Chaos Reach is some pretty great DPS, and the only caveat is that you first have to wait a while for it to get over with, and your aim must be true. Not really a good one-and-done super for the time that it takes, but a good trick to play in a raid boss’ last stand. 

Geomag Stabilizers full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/121305948/geomag-stabilizers/

5. Jotunn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUh2lD2GwEc

Did I mention I like cheese? Hmm, yes…this cheese has aged well indeed. Firing at your opponents is almost guaranteed to turn them into Nachos (now with tracking) with the added bonus of doing the job even quicker if you’re surrounded, courtesy of the gun’s exotic catalyst. Prepare the toast, gentlemen. 

Jotunn full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/417164956/j%C3%B6tunn/

4. The Chaperone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi1-YFXf9-o

While many people regard this as a PvP weapon only, it’s actually pretty decent in PvE if you can stack up some kills beforehand. Its dueling potential in PvP is amazing, though, and especially on controller. Combine that with a pretty easy quest, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for Flawless.

The Chaperone full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/3413860062/the-chaperone/

3. Lord of Wolves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdcCh4U7es4

Perhaps you’ve heard my praises sung about this weapon. Perhaps not. I won’t bore you with those details now, but even though Lord of Wolves got a slight nerf in Season 18 that brought it more in line with other shotguns, it still outclasses them in addition to being far better in PvE.

Lord of Wolves full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/3413860063/lord-of-wolves/

2. Le Monarque

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnH-ms9wda8

So basically, someone at Bungie was like, “Why don’t we make a busted weapon even better?” and then everyone applauded and approved the motion to give Le Monarque intrinsic Anti-Overload. Now it’s good for both PvE and PvP equally, and fulfills a variety of roles. However, be warned: using this in PvP will earn you a reputation as ruthless and infamous.

Le Monarque full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/3588934839/le-monarque/

1. Ace of Spades

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSF8NqYW5G0

Where this gun lacks in PvE, it makes up for sheer destructive potential in PvP. Watch as your opponents get relentlessly eviscerated by your destructive might and skill (batteries not included). You’ve heard me say this before, but this gun combines everything you might want in a strong archetype and an easy way to get. This is the perfect weapon to fight back against Jade Rabbit abusers.

Ace of Spades full details: https://www.light.gg/db/items/347366834/ace-of-spades/

If you enjoyed this article, do me a favor by dropping a comment below. Be sure to check out my other articles for more Destiny 2 content. And if you’ve ever wanted to get into writing, I can give you some friendly advice at thewritersrack.com, where I blog daily Monday-Friday. Looking for your next fantasy fiction read? You might want to check out Praetors of Lost Magic, Book 1: The Mage’s Gambit on Amazon, soon to be a finished trilogy!

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Titus Van Kleeck
I'm a young author with 2-3 years of experience in fiction, nonfiction, and blog posts. However, I've been playing games all my life, and (though I'm somewhat of a scrub) I love writing about them!
Gamer Since: 2005
Favorite Genre: RPG
Currently Playing: Destiny 2
Top 3 Favorite Games:Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void, Crysis 3, World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor