Destiny 2's The Witch Queen expansion is nearing its release, and Bungie is doing a good job at hinting at all the changes coming with it, as well as all the new exciting things it brings. Of course, weapon crafting will be one of the most game-changing systems to come to Destiny 2, and the recent TWAB outlined several things about it, such as how much control players will have over specific rolls and how to change them after the item has been crafted already. A big part of the game is to get loot - the more unique and rules-bending, the more fun it is to use that piece of gear.
Exotics fulfill that power fantasy very well in most cases, as they offer perks that are unique to them and make for interesting combinations with other items, weapons, and even in specific activities. For example, Season of the Lost came with only auto rifles as Anti-Barrier Champion weapons, and some Guardians tried to use the Sweet Business Exotic auto rifle combined with Actium War Rig, which allowed them to shred through Barrier Champions before Arbalest's buffs. Still, The Witch Queen is bringing a lot of new Exotics to Destiny 2, and while some do look good on paper, they might be underperforming in practice - or the other way around.
Grand Overture
While it's unclear what the Grand Overture Exotic will bring to the table, it looks like a fast-firing slug that fires missiles that resemble those of a relic of the past - Mountaintop. Mountaintop is one of the most broken weapons in the history of Destiny 2, and if Grand Overture works similarly it will be an exceptional tool of destruction to use in both PvE and PvP. This weapon looks like a heavy grenade launcher, which means that its Heavy ammo usage and reserves will be the prevalent factors that will determine how good it ultimately is, alongside how much damage it can dish out. Probably a great gun, though, and it seemingly comes from the Season Pass for Season 16.
Parasite
This gun is another grenade launcher, and it bears similarities to Colony in how it fires Hive Worms compared to the latter's tiny enemy-seeking robots. Parasite seems to have decent AoE capabilities, but it probably won't be comparable to existing options, such as Witherhoard and Anarchy. These two Exotics are fantastic grenade launchers not only because they can cover a relatively big area, but also because they deal damage over time to enemies, making them perfect for boss DPS by switching to other guns soon after firing them. As such, Parasite is likely not packing enough punch to make the cut when these two exist, especially with Grand Overture seemingly being a better DPS option than this one.
Osteo Striga
This Exotic SMG could prove to be a very frequently used weapon because it packs an add-clearing perk with the toxic element currently present on Thorn, making it a potentially great option alongside the Warlock's Necrotic Grip gloves. Destiny 2 weapons that are particularly strong in terms of add-clearing often lack DPS to be viable in boss fights as well, but Osteo Striga being an SMG helps in high-end content because one of the anti-Champion mods for Season 16 will be Overload SMGs. However, SMGs are not exactly the most popular weapon archetype in PvP, and this could hamper Osteo Striga's performance in the Crucible.
Edge of Action
Destiny 2's glaives will be very interesting weapons, combining close-quarters combat with ranged options, and this Titan-exclusive Exotic looks like it could be extremely powerful in both PvE and PvP. The ability to create a Ward of Dawn-like protective shield for the user and their allies is a game-changing one, providing on-demand cover from enemy fire and possibly working in tandem with other Exotics if the shield inherits Ward of Dawn's mechanics. For example, Edge of Action could create an AoE blinding effect when paired with the Helm of Saint-14, or it could break the Crucible's meta if the shield it creates has a decent chunk of health.
Edge of Intent
Warlocks are often seen as great support characters when they rely on the Dawnblade's Well of Radiance or niche interactions with Rifts and items like Lunafaction Boots, and Edge of Intent builds on that by adding another layer of defensiveness to the whole team. This Warlock-unique glaive allows players to create a healing turret on command, which can heavily benefit the entire team in both PvE and PvP, making this one of the best Exotics to come with The Witch Queen. A fantastic use of this glaive could be to pair it with a defensive Warlock build, such as one with Healing Rift and The Stag, and just make a tank out of everyone in the group.
Edge of Concurrence
Destiny 2 Hunters are not in a great spot in PvE at the moment, and while Edge of Concurrence's tracking chain lightning sounds great in theory, glaives are going to be Special ammo weapons, and having yet another add-clearing weapon doesn't help the class. There are plenty of ways to clear rooms full of adds in the game, making the Edge of Concurrence Exotic glaive something that's not truly needed, especially on a class that needs more ways to deal plenty of boss damage, instead. There are several viable add-clearing Exotic options already, including the aforementioned Witherhoard or weapons like Trinity Ghoul and Ager's Scepter, and Edge of Concurrence doesn't seem like a great fit for the Hunters' arsenal for the time being. Still, it could see some use in PvP, depending on the range of the tracking lightning and the entity of the AoE damage.
Hoarfrost-Z
Hoarfrost-Z is a new Titan-exclusive Exotic chest armor, and it's likely coming from the Lost Sector rotation starting in Season 16, alongside the Warlock Exotic and the Hunter Exotic. What makes Hoarfrost-Z an amazing item is that it transforms the Titan Barricade into a Stasis wall of crystals, which can be shattered by the Titan and other players, making it a great choice for many Stasis builds. Recently, a melee Titan build melted bosses by using the Behemoth subclass, and adding yet more Stasis crystals to shatter makes that particular build and many others very desirable in all game modes. Defensively speaking, this Exotic also works wonders in PvP because of the reduced visibility of Stasis crystals over the transparent Barricade, making it a potential tactical advantage.
Osmiomancy
These Exotic gauntlets for the Warlocks have the unique perk of adding an extra Coldsnap grenade charge and increasing the grenade's base target-seeking capabilities. On its own, this Exotic can be pretty good in PvP for Stasis Warlocks who want more area control on their part, but it can also pair exceptionally well with Stasis turrets from the Bleak Watcher Aspect. In fact, it's very likely that Osmiomancy will provide an extra Bleak Watcher charge, much like No Manacles effectively provide another Devour charge with Scatter Grenades, making this Exotic one to look out for. It could even work very well with the Warlocks' Edge of Intent glaive, creating a field of turrets for the group to operate in safely.
Blight Ranger
Blight Ranger is the Hunter-exclusive Exotic coming in The Witch Queen, and it makes reflected projectiles deal more damage, which means it works only when paired with middle tree Arcstrider builds. The problem with this Exotic is that it bears little to no value in PvE, which is where Hunters need help the most, and it brings an average ability to PvP, where Hunters already have a huge array of options.
Exotics like St0mp-EE5 and Wormhusk Crown are already great options for general play, and Raiju's Harness is likely a better PvP option anyway for Arcstriders using Whirlwind Guard, making Blight Ranger an item that won't see much usage.
Overall, among these nine Exotics, there are many great options to pick from, especially for Titans and Warlocks, expanding their pool of desirable items by adding both class-unique glaives and Lost Sector Exotics into the mix. It's also very likely that Osteo Striga will work in a way that's similar to Thorn when it comes to its element, possibly being a hint of what the new Darkness subclass' theme will be with Lightfall, in 2023, while also being a perfect Hive-themed item alongside Parasite. And glaives, lastly, are the first new weapon archetype to come to Destiny 2 since Forsaken's bows, making the class-specific ones a very interesting addition regardless of their potential impact on the game's meta.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
