Destiny 2: Xur Exotic Armor, Weapon, and Recommendations for April 7

Xur has returned again to Destiny 2, complete with new exotic and legendary gear for players to check out for a limited time. In fact, exotics have been a hot topic within the community as of late, as discussion continues to center around Legend and Master Lost Sectors and how rewarding they are compared to how much effort is needed to overcome them. One Destiny 2 clan even took it upon themselves to calculate how much the drop rate percentage has changed after a recent update.

Bungie even entered the discussion this week in a new State of Destiny 2 blog, which dealt with feedback to Lightfall and how the game would be adapting going forward. One of the talking points was centered on the Lost Sector debate, revealing the original intentions of placing Beyond Light and newer exotics in them and how the system has become more and more strained over time. Bungie even teased a future update with the Vex Strike Force public event and a new punch out card to help players get better rewards.

For now, the weekend merchant Xur has made a return to the world of Destiny 2. Follow this guide for his most current weekend location, news on his exotic cipher quest, as well as a review of all the exotic and legendary gear he's brought for the weekend of April 7, 2023.

Where is Xur?

This weekend, players can find Xur on Nessus, hanging out on his usual massive tree branch.

From the Director, head to Nessus and load into Watcher's Grave. Run towards the back of the zone where a massive tree is found. Jump up until players find the huge branch where the merchant is hanging out.

Class Armor and Exotic Cipher

Xur's role continues to offer the usual weekly quests, exotics, and legendary gear. Not only are these quests required to purchase a second fated engram, but they're necessary to acquire legacy exotic gear from the Tower kiosk. Players can earn a new cipher by completing strikes and winning crucible or gambit matches. Gain bonus points for playing with clan mates or finishing more challenging activities.

Xur continues to sell even more gear outside his usual content. In addition to his normal exotic gear, Xur now has Legendary Weapons and Armor for sale in exchange for Legendary Shards and Glimmer.

Xur holding an exotic engram in Destiny 2 with a pile of exotic engrams behind him.

Exotic Armor

Transversive Steps - Warlock leg armor

The Transversive Steps come with the intrinsic perk called Strange Protractor which increases sprint speed and automatically reloads the currently equipped weapon after a short time sprinting.

Naturally, these are a universally great option, not only because it is subclass neutral, but in PvP players are typically running around maps, which means they can really take advantage of this perk. Not having to take the few seconds to reload a weapon can sometimes mean the different between winning a gunfight or respawning. While the overall statline is good at 65, it has some curious rolls with a terrible intellect stat and mobility that is probably a little higher than Warlocks are likely looking for.

Stat Values (65 Total):

Mobility +16
Resilience +9
Recovery +7
Discipline +18
Intellect +2
Strength +13

destiny 2 the dragon's shadow exotic chest

The Dragon's Shadow - Hunter chest armor

The Dragon's Shadow chest armor is back on sale for Hunters. As a subclass neutral exotic, The Dragon's Shadow is directly tied to the Hunter's dodge mechanic, as its intrinsic perk, Wraithmetal Mail, reloads all weapons and increases movement and weapon handling for a brief time after performing a dodge.

While it may not replace some of the better options out there, The Dragon's Shadow has some value thanks to the fact that it basically gives players Marksman’s Dodge for free. This essentially lets the user equip the Gambler’s Dodge class ability and gain free weapon reloads and faster melee recharges at the same time. The roll this week is also fairly solid coming in at a 64 overall with high marks to Mobility, Intellect, and Discipline.

Stat Values (64 Total):

Mobility +17
Resilience +10
Recovery +6
Discipline +14
Intellect +15
Strength +2

Helm of Saint-14 - Titan helmet

The Helm of Saint-14 exotic is made for Defender Titans, this helm is more of a support tool thanks to its intrinsic perk. Starless Night blinds enemies that enter Ward of Dawn while also giving allies an overshield when they pass through it. For those who don't want to use the Ward of Dawn, guarding with Sentinel Shield blinds nearby enemies as well.

Ultimately, this is a solid exotic choice for Titans, especially in PvE style content thanks to the Weapons of Light damage buff and Starless Night blinding effect. It basically guarantees safety for the player and the rest of the fireteam. It also helps in certain Crucible game modes, especially ones that require players to capture zones like Control. The roll is also fairly solid at a 65 with a high recovery and an abnormally high Intellect stat.

Stat Values (65 total):

Mobility +13
Resilience +3
Recovery +17
Discipline +7
Intellect +19
Strength +6

Exotic Weapon

While not a traditional go-to weapon, the underrated hand cannon Sunshot is back on sale this weekend with Xur. Sunburn, the intrinsic perk, causes the weapon to fire explosive rounds and causes enemies to become highlighted after taking damage. Its other unique perk, known as Sun Blast, causes targets to explode after being killed, not requiring a headshot like the similar perk, Dragonfly.

Destiny 2_ What The Sunshot Catalyst Does & How To Find It

Once viewed as a mediocre exotic weapon choice, the hand cannon has since become a solid option in either PvE or PvP content, even with a large selection available to players this season. It's a 150RPM hand cannon with explosive rounds, capable of chaining damage to multiple enemies that are too close together. It's also advisable to grab the Sunshot catalyst from certain playlists for it as it increases the weapon's range and stability even further.

Additional perks:

Chambered Compensator
Accurized Rounds
Textured Grip

Hawkmoon and Dead Man's Tale Rolls

Since Season 16 removed the Presage and Harbinger exotic missions, Xur is also selling both Hawkmoon and Dead Man's Tale with randomized rolls. Players should visit him each weekend as he'll be carrying different rolls.

Hawkmoon Rolls:

Hammer-Forged Rifling
Alloy Magazine
Eye of the Storm
Polymer Grip

The Dead Man's Tale exotic scout rifle from Destiny 2.

Dead Man's Tale Rolls:

Arrowhead Brake
Ricochet Rounds
Subsistence
Composite Stock

Here's the complete rundown of Xur's exotic stock in Destiny 2 for April 7, 2023:

Transversive Steps (Warlock leg armor) – 23 Legendary Shards
The Dragon's Shadow (Hunter chest armor) – 23 Legendary Shards
Helm of Saint-14 (Titan Helmet) – 23 Legendary Shards
Sunshot (Hand Cannon) - 29 Legendary Shards
Hawkmoon (Hand Cannon) - 125,000 Glimmer, 200 Legendary Shards, 1 Exotic Cipher, 1 Ascendant Shard
Dead Man's Tale (Scout Rifle) - 125,000 Glimmer, 200 Legendary Shards, 1 Exotic Cipher, 1 Ascendant Shard
Exotic Engram - 97 Legendary Shards/1 Exotic Cipher
A Question - Exotic Cipher Quest