Focusing on players that that like to be a lot lighter on their feet, Hunters make up for their lack of bulky armor with lightweight attire. Not only are Hunters one of the most mobile classes in Destiny 2, but they are also the class with some of the best Exotics in the franchise.
The likes of St0mp-EE5 and Orpheus Rig are notorious for their impact on Destiny 2's meta, but there are just as many Exotics that are not worth using. Some items are so terrible that they gather dust in player's Vaults. Finding the right Exotic armor to invest in is key to making the best Hunter possible. From helmets to boots, here are the seven best and worst Exotic armor pieces Hunters should upgrade in Destiny 2.
Updated December 3rd, 2020 by Charles Burgar: With the plethora of Exotics that Hunters can use in Destiny 2, listing five of the best and worst was cutting this agile class short. So many good Exotics are ignored by the community while some off-meta choices are worse than one would assume. Taking the PvE and PvP meta of Beyond Light into account, here are four additional Exotics that every Hunter player should know about.
Upgrade - Foetracer
Foetracer marks any enemy you have your crosshairs pointed at from 100 meters or less, making them through walls for a lengthy duration. This Exotic is perfect for chasing down enemy Guardians at low health or for winning 1v1 duels.
It also enhances your damage output based on how weak an enemy is. This can help rapid-firing weapons such as Auto Rifles rip into enemies in PvE and PvP. The damage bonus might not be enough to make Foetracer worth running in PvE when compared to other options, but its ability to mark targets is invaluable in 3v3 Crucible game modes.
Don't Waste Materials - Gemini Jester
Dodging with Gemini Jester will cause all nearby targets to become disoriented. Guardians will have their radar vanish while PvE enemies will become silenced for a few seconds. In theory, this Exotic allows you to pressure targets into playing defensively for a few seconds.
In practice, Gemini Jester puts you at a disadvantage against skilled players while offering little utility in PvE. Most Gemini Jester players become aggressive the second they dodge, making them predictable to their opposition. Predictability leads to death in PvP. Good players will likely use this as a queue that you're about to push instead, taking little notice that their radar is gone.
As for PvE, Gemini Jester causes nearby enemies to become disoriented for a short time. That might sound great for getting out of a sticky situation, but Hunters already have so many means of avoiding projectiles that these boots are sorely lacking when compared to other PvE Exotics. The Winter's Shroud Aspect for Revenants effectively does the same thing and doesn't take up your Exotic armor slot.
Upgrade - Liar's Handshake
One of the most enjoyable pieces of armor in the game, Liar's Handshake makes up for their reckless nature in simple entertainment. These Exotic gauntlets give players devastating melee attacks in exchange for putting themselves in a vulnerable position.
It's Counter Cross perk gives Hunters a devastating counter-attack that will also heal them. All you have to worry about are those shotgun-wielding enemies that can blow a hole through your torso at such a close range. Use it correctly, though, and be ready to one-shot enemies in PvE and PvP. It is invaluable when paired with a One-Two Punch Shotgun, allowing top tree Arcstriders to punch dungeon bosses to death.
Don't Waste Materials - Ophidia Spathe
While it does take some setup to fulfill its potential, Ophidia Spathe is seldom worth using when compared to other Exotics. Turning your Hunter into a deadly knife-throwing assassin is some of the most fun to be had in PvE, dodging bullets while racking up a limitless amount of knives.
It comes at the cost of being locked into the Gunslinger Subclass, sadly; this Exotic grants players a second knife melee, meaning it only works with Gunslinger's melee abilities. Pairing Ophidia Spathe with Way of a Thousand Cuts gives reckless players a means of throwing a fistful of knives every couple of seconds. Middle tree Gunslingers usually don't have issues with maintaining their melee charges, though. While a blast to use in Brawler Strikes or non-pinnacle content, Ophidia Spathe is just too niche to warrant investing three Ascendant Shards into Masterworking.
Upgrade - Young Ahamkara's Spine
Throwing Tripmine Grenades has always been one of the most enjoyable aspects of playing as a Gunslinger, watching the enemy panic in PvP or setting up traps that unsuspecting opponents will fall prey to. Young Ahamkara's Spine enhances a Tripmine Grenade's somewhat lacking damage and works with throwing knives seamlessly to give grenade energy.
Using them to zone control an area; most enemies will be expecting the much weaker form of these little bombs. However, with the boost in durability and range that the exotic gives, they become much more effective at weeding out or damaging defensive opponents.
Don't Waste Materials - Oathkeeper
The Oathkeepers were meant to be more of a relief for Bow players by letting them hold their Bow draw indefinitely, a trick that was easily circumnavigated by frequent Bow users a long time ago. A reload cancel back will give the same effect in a very short period of time for those who have precise enough control.
When a simple mechanic can render the Exotic perk useless, it's hard to defend the lack of creativity. Considering that this perk was originally supposed to also provide faster Bow draw times before Bungie removed the effect entirely, it isn't a surprise that Oathkeepers are seldom used. It's a shame that Exotics such as these end up being forgotten, gathering dust in player's Vaults instead of getting a chance to shine.
Upgrade - Celestial Nighthawk
Touted as one of the best PvE Exotics in the game, Celestial Nighthawk will take all Golden Gun rounds and combine them into one devastating bullet. Since you only get one shot with this Exotic equipped, players will have to make sure they hit their target.
Celestial Nighthawk is especially useful against bosses or enemies that require more than the average Primary or Special weapon to put down quickly. Golden Gun will also cause slain targets to explode, refunding a third of your Super energy. All it takes is one shot to even the odds. Just be sure to not use this in PvP since Golden Gun is already capable of one-shotting Guardians.
Don't Waste Materials - Lucky Pants
Coming in with an insignificant perk, Lucky Pants load an extra round into Hand Cannons when the player pulls off a precision hit. More importantly, Lucky Pants cause Hand Cannons to ready instantaneously and provides them with a powerful, short-lived accuracy buff.
Some PvP will swear by these Exotics, stating that the accuracy and draw speed buffs make Hand Cannons much easier to use. While this is certainly true, other Exotics such as The Dragon's Shadow provide similar buffs. Even armor Mods such as Hand Cannon Dexterity and Hand Cannon Targeting provide a similar effect that is always active. Considering how strong armor Mods are in Beyond Light, there is little reason to use Lucky Pants outside of niche double Primary loadouts inside of the Crucible.
Upgrade - Mask Of Bakris
Introduced in the Beyond Light expansion, the Mask of Bakris offers an unparalleled amount of versatility to the Revenant Subclass. This helmet replaces your dodge with a Shift ability, crossing twice as much terrain in half the time while cloaking you during use.
After Shifting, you gain a buff called Light Shift for ten seconds—disabling your dodge regeneration in exchange for 10% increased Arc weapon damage while simultaneously causing slowed targets to take 10% increased damage. In laymen's terms, this helmet grants a 20% damage buff for ten seconds after you dodge. Note that these damage buffs do not work inside of PvP. This helmet makes for an absurdly strong damage buff in PvE and a phenomenal movement tool in PvP.
Don't Waste Materials - Knucklehead Radar
Knucklehead Radar keeps your radar visible while you're aiming. It also enhances your radar when you crouch, providing more accurate information from a further distance. PvE players have virtually no reason to use this Exotic since it provides no damage or ability buffs.
Even PvP players should avoid this Exotic since it encourages players to hold sightlines with long-range weapons. It builds bad habits with players constantly relying on their radar when they should be focusing on closing the gap or manipulating the enemy's radar. There are far better Exotic armor pieces you can use than this.
Upgrade - Orpheus Rig
The perfect Exotic for Nightstalker mains, Orpheus Rig enhances your Shadowshot Super by refunding Super energy for every new enemy that is tethered—up to a cap of 50% Super energy. The tougher the foe, the greater the Super energy returns. Bottom tree Nightstalker users will gain two extra Shadowshot arrows in their Super instead.
Tethering a pack of enemies using top tree Nightstalker can easily create a domino effect of Void explosions and Super energy returns, making this one of the strongest PvE Exotics in the game. It can even be used with bottom tree Nightstalker to tether more areas in PvP, although most players agree that PvP Nightstalkers are better off using an Exotic that enhances their neutral game such as St0mp-EE5.
Don't Waste Materials - Graviton Forfeit
What was once one of the strongest Exotics in the original Destiny has fallen by the wayside in Destiny 2. Now that Shadestep is part of top tree Nightstalker, Bungie opted to make Graviton Forfeit improve a Hunter's invisibility duration instead.
The duration increase is around two seconds for all invisibility effects. Graviton Forfeit also grants increased melee ability regeneration while you're cloaked, which should make this a great Exotic when paired with bottom tree Nightstalker. Sadly, the regeneration boost falls flat when compared to The Sixth Coyote granting a second Gambler's Dodge charge. Players that want to stay invisible permanently should use The Sixth Coyote instead and spec for 100 mobility.
Upgrade - St0mp-EE5
Movement Exotics are king inside of the Crucible and a treat to use inside of PvE. Hunters arguably have the best movement-related Exotics in Destiny 2. The cream of the crop has to go to St0mp-EE5—a pair of boots that enhance your Hunter's jumps, sprint speed, and slide distance.
St0mp-EE5 are a large reason why Hunters are so tough to fight in PvP. Hunters can stay in the air for long periods of time with this Exotic. Alternatively, they can rush opponents in the blink of an eye thanks to their improved sprint speed and slide distance. PvP players need to give this Exotic a try if they play aggressive. PvE players that don't use their abilities often should also consider giving these boots a try.
Don't Waste Materials - Aeon Swift
By far the worst Hunter Exotic in Destiny 2 goes to Aeon Swift, a pair of gauntlets that grant ability energy to allies whenever you dodge. Warlocks get grenade energy, Titans get melee energy, and Hunters get dodge energy. If allies are wearing an Aeon Exotic, they get drastically more energy.
Aeon Swift only grants energy to nearby allies and not yourself. This would be fine if the ability energy was substantial enough, but it is wholly underwhelming. Allies get around 15% of their ability energy when you dodge. That is comparable to a class item Mod such as Bomber or Perpetuation. To put it simply, Aeon Swift is the worst Exotic not just for Hunters but in Destiny 2 period. Never use these gloves under any circumstances.