Settling on your ideal build in The Division is simple. The hard part is actually acquiring the collective set pieces. Okay, so maybe this gear isn’t "impossible" to get, however, unless you sold your soul to RNGesus, you will have a difficult time collecting these drops. For all intense and purposes, they "feel" impossible to get. In some ways, this makes getting them all the sweeter, but their value to time sunk is all in the eye of the beholder. Naturally, anything that resembles and MMORPG is going to have a bit of tedium when it comes to getting the best items in the game — just ask any World of WarCraft. Final Fantasy XIV, or Destiny player. These types of gamers attract a gamer who has dedication and perseverance — after all, what's the point of a living breathing video game world, if everything in it is easy to get.

Some items are harder to achieve than others but all of them are rare by most standards. You won’t find any of the following equipment from casual play. If you are looking to step up your game and earn shield rewards that transfer into The Division 2, you’ll want to get your hands on the following 25 items.

25 Colonel Bliss' Holster

Bolster That Holster.
Via DivisionWiki

This holsters unique trait is geared for you pistol wielding Division Agents. For every ten shots landed, weapon damage is increased by 2%. After building ten stacks an EMP burst occurs in the proximity of the wielder. Being the only exotic holster in the game it's often used by Agents who prefer hybrid builds. Otherwise, it's a situational item that is often avoided by agents altogether. Colonel Bliss' Holster can be acquired by the following means within the game:

  • Complete General Assembly (Hard, World Tier 5), Helicopter, Colonel Charles Bliss (Named Boss)
  • Field Proficiency Caches
  • Survival Caches
  • Exotic Caches (Legendary Difficulty)

24 Shortbow Champion Pads

We Are the Champions.
Via DivisionWiki

Would you consider yourself a demolitionist? Do you like to watch the world burn? If you answered yes to either of those questions then you'll probably want to acquire these handy knee pads.

The Shortbow Champion Pads reduces the fuse time on grenades so your big boom can happen soon (I went there).

A situational item the Shortbow Champion Pads don't often find themselves on anyones build guides so it's no wonder it's one of the easier exotics to acquire. Agents can have these drop from one to four ways:

  • Madison Field Hospital (Hard, World Tier 5), Hutch (Named Boss)
  • Field Proficiency Caches
  • Survival Caches
  • Exotic Caches (Legendary Difficulty)

23 Twin Valkyries

Godlike.
Via DivisionWiki

The Hildr and Eir are wombo-combos residing in both weapon slots. When an agent uses the Hildr a critical damage bonus is applied to the Eir worth 1% per shot. The catch is that the Hildr itself cannot crit, therefore, the weapon is effectively useless without possessing its sister, Eir. Although purely anecdotal, I've received dozens of Eirs, not appearing to be rare by any means. The Hildr, on the other hand, has been another story. The confirmed drop rate for both weapons is 2%, achieved by ending named bosses in Manhattan.

22 Bullfrog

Ribbit.
Via DivisionWiki

A weapon that so powerful that it has to be inadvertently nerfed to prevent absolute havoc. Prior to the update the Alpha Bridge set would activate the Bullfrog's uncomplicated trait and could be applied to the Agent's secondary weapon slot. In today's iteration of The Division, the Bullfrog still has its uses, but it has fallen quite a bit from the meta. The drop rate for the Bullfrog is unknown but can be acquired through contaminated events in the Dark Zone.

21 Medved

Close Quarters King.
Via DivisionWiki

The Medved is an exotic shotgun that fires slugs instead of buckshot, providing a more predictable line of fire. It also has the potential to inflict higher than normal DPS because of this unique trait. The magazine isn't impressive, however, and the reload time can spring a bad situation for players. This weapon is better served as a method of burst damage. It has a drop rate of 5% and the only confirmed method of getting this weapon is by ending the boss Slider during the Clear Sky incursion.

20 Classified Banshee Gear Set

The Prey Becomes the Hunter.
Via DivisionWiki

Roaming the Dark Zone can be a rewarding experience. On the other hand, it can also be the most frustrating content an Agent will encounter in The Division. Enter if you dare, but if you do, make sure you are properly equipped to battle rogue Agents looking to steal your loot. Fear not though Agent, as there is a set for you to be more effective against players looking to test you. Wearing the Banshee gear provides buffs for players against rogue agents. Or for those more malicious Agents, you will have bonuses for going rogue as well. Oh, the joy! Like most other classified gear the Banshee set can be acquired by running the various incursions in the game:

  • Falcon Lost: Gloves, Mask
  • Clear Sky: Chest, Holster
  • Dragon’s Nest: Backpack, Kneepads

19 Classified Alpha Bridge Gear Set

Jack of all Signature Skills.
Via DivisionWiki

Perhaps the most brilliantly designed set in the game, the Alpha Bridge gear set has players completely forgo any normal means of acquiring signature skill buffs. Instead, the Agent will rotate through the three signature skills and activate upon eliminating the enemy (player or NPC). The icing on the cake is that the weapon traits on High-End weapons are shared between the primary and secondary while increasing health gen and damage by 10%.

Those are massive bonuses.

The only downside is because you aren't affected by normal activation of signature skills the outcome of an encounter can be wildly inconsistent. Players can achieve this set from the Dark Zone or by opening Underground caches.

18 Warlord

The Prettiest Gun in the Game.
Via DivisionWiki

If looks could destroy, this weapon would be the undisputed champ, I mean, just look at that thing! The Warlord is an automatic rifle with an exotic perk: For as long as you are holding down the trigger the damage you sustain in the meantime is reduced by 20%. The catch is, that 20% of damage is applied once the Agent stops firing, so it can be useful for making a last stand to secure an elimination. It is possible to acquire Warlord from normal gameplay, however, it is extremely unlikely it will drop. For your best chances in snagging this beautiful rifle, you'll want to clear the Incursion Falcons Nest on tougher difficulties.

17 Cadeceus

Say it Five Times Fast.
Via DivisionWiki

The ultimate support rifle, the Cadeceus heals you and your party by 1% for every critical hit landed. It’s a strong weapon for Agent’s who stack critical chance but take on a off-healer role in groups. I wouldn’t recommend it for solo-play, however, especially if you are running PVP or Incursions. The Cadeceus has a 5% chance of dropping from named enemies outside of the Dark Zone when playing on Hard difficulty so hunt down those big baddies and try your luck.

16 Ferro's Oxygen Mask

Burn The City Down.
Via DivisonWiki

Just because Joe Ferro is a broken man, it doesn't mean you have to be! Wearing his mask allows Agents to continue firing their weapon under the "on fire" status condition. You'll notice that you'll be on fire ALOT during cleaner missions so this could be incredibly helpful for sustaining your DPS uninterrupted. While useful, this mask can be pretty situational so you'll want to swap it out when there isn't fire around. Thankfully, this exotic isn't nearly as tough to get as others on the list dropping from the sources listed below:

  • Napalm Production Site (Hard, World Tier 5), Joe Ferro (Named Boss)
  • Field Proficiency Caches
  • Survival Caches
  • Exotic Caches (Legendary Difficulty)

15 Classified Tactician's Authority Set

Tech Geek.
Via DivisionWiki

Primarily a support gear set. Tactician's Authority allows players to capitalize on the many skills in the game by bolstering skill power. It provides insane boosts to skills such as sticky bombs and seeker mines, building stacks of skill power for ever shot landed on an enemy. This set isn't particularly hard to acquire as its classified drop rate is a bit more generous than other sets (5%). Tacticians Authority is not currently in the PvP meta but is certainly viable for group utility for both PVP and PVE.

14 Urban MDR

Fear the Beard.
Via DivisionWiki

An Assault Rifle that deals 18% more damage to targets with status effects. While this weapon can be powerful after tossing status inflicting grenades, where it truly shines is as the centerpiece of a Predators Mark build. The bleed damage is heightened exponentially with this weapon and makes it a favorite for anyone who finds themselves frequently inflicting various types of status effects. This weapon primarily drops from survival caches which can be a grind but there have been confirmed reports of the MDR dropping after Incursions. Either way, both methods can prove to be time-consuming.

13 Classified Final Measure Gear Set

Diffuse and Abuse.
Via DivisionWiki

If you’re the kind of player that loves to play more support roles on a squad this set is perfect for you. With this set, you will be able to not only diffuse any grenades thrown your way you will also grant a considerable damage buff to your team as well. The utility on this set is fantastic, especially during incursions where enemies toss grenades at you like there's a clearance sale. Final Measure can be acquired by completing one of the following incursions:

  • Falcon Lost: Gloves, Mask
  • Clear Sky: Chest, Holster
  • Dragon’s Nest: Backpack, Kneepads

12 Classified Striker's Gear Set

High Risk, High Reward.
Via Division Wiki

The former king of the battlefield, the striker set dominated The Division's PvP meta for years. It wasn't until the recent 1.8.3 update that it finally lost its crown as the supreme build for the Dark Zone. Make no mistake, however, it still is powerful in its own right, it just now has a smaller margin for error, that is, if you miss your shots you'll hit a harsh damage drop off. The classified set was on sale during the previous global event so if you missed it you'll have to hit the grind like everyone else.

11 Hungry Hog

Hungry Hungry Agent.
Via DivisionWiki

The Hungry Hog is a variant of the standard M60 but with one unique perk:

For every enemy eliminated during it's 100 round magazine a damage increase of 10% is applied (up to 50% total).

By adding an extended magazine doubling its size and stacking critical chance you will have one of the most powerful PVE weapons on hand.

This weapon is incredibly rare and you'll likely only ever see it drop in the Dark Zone. If you manage to get your hands on one of these, extract immediately.

10 Big Alejandro

Incredible Firepower.
Via DivisionWiki

This bad boy can pack a serious punch. It counters one of the biggest cons of wielding an LMG, and that is RPM. Unlike its counterparts that fire anywhere between 600-700 round per minute, the Big Alejandro shreds targets with 1,000 rounds per minute. It’s nicknamed the laser beam for good reason. Packed on with an extended clip modification can increase damage output exponentially, making it one of the best weapons in the game. The Big Alexandro can drop from named enemies and caches.

9 Skulls MC Gloves

Golden Rhino Exotic in Shot as Well.
Via DivisionWiki

A fan favorite, the Skull MC Gloves provides agents with a 10% damage buff, so long as they don’t have any gear sets activated. This is a must for any agent looking to assemble a set that doesn’t include 4- or 6-piece gear pieces.

It can alleviate any lost DPS by not activating a set bonus with their equipment.

Lucky for you, Skulls MC Gloves are a pretty common exotic and can drop from named enemies as well as caches.

8 The Devil's Heel

Via DivisionWiki

Not one but two exotics make up this combo the Devil and the Heel, both of which are semi-automatic marksman rifles. Each weapon possesses a unique trait called Fire and Fury respectively. With both weapons equipped their talents can be shared given you two exotic talents at one time. Not only that buff time and reload speed are increased to ensure quick swapping in the heat of the moment. Acquiring one of these is relatively simple but good luck getting both drops. You can get this devastating combo separately from proficiency or Dark Zone caches.

7 Classified Predator's Mark Gear Set

Via DivisionWiki

There will be blood, players wielding the Predator’s Mark set will make sure of it. If an agent hits their target 10 times a powerful bleed is applied that does 50% of the damage applied. That’s insane amounts of damage, especially in PvP zones. The only things stopping this bad boy from being the #1 set in the game is how easy it is to counter the damage over time. The advantage is that 70% of players in PvP zones will likely be caught off guard with the status effect, melting them before they have the chance to respond. Drop rates on classified sets are similar (2-5%), but agents don’t seem to have much issue in landing this set. I suggest coupling it with a hybrid build until you get your six-piece bonus.

6 Classified D3-FNC Gear Set

I'm the Juggernaut.
Via DivisionWiki

Have you ever wanted to become an unstoppable tank that wields a giant shield, laughing your foes futile efforts to take you down? The D3-FNC set is for you then.

Capitalizing on the security wing “riot shield” agents becomes incredibly difficult to eliminate. The cherry on top is instead of a limitation to wielding a pistol you possess the unique ability to equip any submachine gun alongside your shield. You can both dish damage as well as take it. Not bad at all! The D3-FNC set isn’t exactly tough to get, the classified version, on the other hand, is a whole different story. Expect to grind the Dark Zone pretty heavy to achieve this fantastic set.