Destiny 2’s Lightfall has brought a brand-new arsenal of Exotic guns. But for veteran Guardians, they just can’t hold a candle to some of the Exotic guns left behind in Destiny 1. It’s possible that these guns might one day make a return, like Hawkmoon and No Time to Explain. But until then, guardians will continue to yearn.
Destiny Veterans Want to See These Exotic Guns in Destiny 2
The Exotic guns listed below are the top six guns, selected by Reddit users in the Destiny 2 subreddit. Many of them likely haven’t been added to the game because Bungie is worried about how they’d affect the balance of the game. That’s certainly true for the first gun on our list.
Invective, the Exotic Shotgun
“I tried to talk them down. They made a grab for my Ghost. After that it was a short conversation.”
— Ikora Rey
Invective was an Exotic Shotgun obtainable during The Taken King and it was capable of regenerating ammo at a rate of 6 shells every 30 seconds. Its ability to regenerate ammo is likely what’s keeping it from returning to the game, as it would undoubtedly take a dominant position in the Crucible and Trials.
Tlaloc, the Exotic Scout Rifle
“Release the storm. Hold nothing back.”
Tlaloc is a unique weapon that was exclusive to Warlocks. But what made it interesting was its unique Exotic Perk, Overflow. Overflow would give bonuses to stability, handling, and rate of fire once a Guardian Super was fully charged. This allowed Warlocks to use the Super Radiance, and hold on to self-revive. By doing so, they could cause Overflow to always be active, thus turning Tlaloc into a powerful weapon indeed.
The ability to self-revive is long gone, so it’s possible that Tlaloc may return.
Red Death, the Exotic Pulse Rifle
“Vanguard policy urges Guardians to destroy this weapon on sight. It is a Guardian killer.”
If you take a look at Red Death and think it looks a lot like Crimson, you’d be right. Crimson is essentially the hand cannon version of Red Death.
But Red Death brings a certain flavor all its own and many Guardians would happily trade Crimson for Red Death.
Red Death is capable of healing its wielder and can increase reload speed for a short time after every kill. This made the gun particularly useful during Crota’s End raid, as the health restoration perk negated the “Presence of Crota” debuff, which otherwise halted normal health regeneration.
Related: How to Get the Ecliptic Distaff in Destiny 2
No Land Beyond, the Exotic Sniper Rifle
“Every hit blazes the path to our reclamation.”
It’s been quite some time since Sniper Rifles has seen a place in Destiny. And while veterans might miss this gun, there’s no guarantee that it would find use outside of a specific nice.
This Exotic Sniper Rifle debuted during The Dark Below expansion, and it featured iron sights and a unique bolt-action reload mechanic, unlike any other sniper rifle.
The low rate of fire made it difficult to use, and many players found it unwieldy. But there’s clearly a subsection of Guardians who wish it would return. I’m not one of them.
Ice Breaker, the Exotic Sniper Rifle
“Please replace these components if use causes fatal damage: HEAT SINK. MAGAZINE. OPERATOR.”
Hot on the heels of No Land Beyond comes Ice Breaker, a sniper rifle offers much more utility. That’s because it has perks that are actually good.
Ice Breaker could self-replenish its ammo when fully upgraded and could cause enemies to explode. But these perks were offset by the fact that Ice Breaker starts with zero ammo when a player first spawn into a new area. Fortunately, Ice Breaker would begin regenerating ammo every six seconds.
Zhalo Supercell, the Exotic Auto Rifle
“An upcycled torrent of righteous thunder.”
Zhalo was distinct in that it was the only primary weapon in year two that could do Elemental damage, something Destiny 2 players take for granted. But what really made Zhalo unique was its Exotic Perk, Zhalo Supercell.
This ability caused bullets to have a chance of causing lightning to chain to nearby enemies. Because Zhalo’s magazine is large at 36 bullets, this ability activated frequently, making it excellent for clearing mobs. But not only that, Zhalo had the ability of Bolts from the Blue, which caused double kills to return a small amount of Super energy to its user and ammo into the magazine of Zhalo.
Sure, we have Riskrunner these days. But no one can ever replace what Zhalo Supercell gave us.
Once you’re done reminiscing about what was (and what might one day return), why not check out this fast Favors farm?: Fastest Way to Farm Favors of Grace in Destiny 2.
