Six exotic guns that we want to see return in Destiny 2

New game, new guns! Destiny 2’s got a fair number of Exotic weapons present, although it could do with some American logic in that arsenal: Namely, that more is better. Destiny 1 had plenty of guns during its three-year run, a library of death-dealers with stories that made these weapons so damn interesting, to begin with.

With Curse of Osiris hinting at guns such as Telesto returning, that got my brain gears turning, as the dust was swept away and I couldn’t help but reminisce about several guns that I’d love to see make a return in the near future of Destiny 2. Here they are:

Gjallarhorn

Let’s get the biggest gun out of the way. Gjallarhorn is to Destiny what Ryu is to Street Fighter: Empty without that presence. A rocket launcher of unimaginable power, Gjallarhorn was a weapon of mass destruction. Its payload packed a punch, but factor in that these missiles could split into smaller cluster that could home in on enemies? It was a symphony of destruction that functioned like a Michael Bay erection.

Gjallarhorn is Destiny personified, a glorious explosion of attitude and style. While it was last seen in Destiny 1’s Rise of Iron expansion and headlined a fantastic series of missions as you forged a new version of the iconic RPG that was worthy of an Iron Lord, the time has come to rebuild the fabled death-dealer once again.

Thorn and The Last Word

Technically two weapons in the hand cannon range, but Thorn and The Last Word are also intrinsically linked in a form that makes them a package deal essentially. They’re bonded bullet-hoses, revolvers with wildly different methods of popping Fallen skulls but still part of a package deal. Whereas Thorn was able to achieve too much damage over time if fans were prepared to work for it, The Last Word had a far simpler outcome for anyone who dared wander into its path: All the bullets, all at once.

Considering how hand cannons feel more badass than usual in Destiny 2, it’s high time that its poster boys return and knock the Sunshot down a few pegs in the close-range high-damage hierarchy.

Young Wolf’s Howl

Destiny 2 has no shortage of swords, but the vast majority of them happen to feel rather underwhelming and lack a certain je ne sais quoi. In Destiny 1’s Rise of Iron, the Young Wolf’s Howl was a sword that had plenty of that special quality. Forged in the heat of battle and wielded by the new generation of Iron Lords, Young Wolf’s Howl wasn’t just devastating in battle…it was art.

It was the beauty of the forge, the fire and the fury condensed into a blade of pure power. That’s an aspect of the current Destiny 2 swords, which feel more like glorified kebabs than expressions of a more elegant weapon for a more civilised time.

Jade Rabbit

Everyone loves a good scout rifle! That magical bridge between sniper rifle and autorifle, the ol’ scout has always been the weapon of choice for headshot fans. Back in Destiny 1, the Jade Rabbit was the underrated close second to the ever-popular MIDA Multi-Tool. While MIDA reigns supreme, the Jade Rabbit has always been the anarchic alternative to that gun.

The Pepsi to Mida’s Coke, Doc Martin boots to Nike running shoes. That’s something special, a frenemyship that can only be expressed in the Trials of the Nine as both guns jockey for the top spot. Maybe now is a good time to reignite that rivalry.

Khvostov 7G-0X

I love me a good autorifle. I’m currently finding that on a Titan, the combination of Sweet Business with the Armaterium exotic chest armour makes for a hell of a combo, a bullet-spitting mobile turret of carnage. That’s great for bosses, but I also kind of miss the autorifle that was the blue-collar weapon of the masses.

The Khvostov was the first weapon you used in Destiny 1, with Rise of Iron paying homage to that weapon with an extensive questline that resulted in a hefty upgrade for it. Bullet for bullet, the Khvostov may not have had the perks of many other Exotics in Destiny 1 or 2, but it had something else: Reliability. Here was a gun, that could serve you as a pulse rifle, pop heads as a scout rifle or spit round after round as an autorifle.

It was magical stuff, and also a fantastic reminder of the high Khvostov living in the harsh terrain of Destiny. Heh.

Bad Juju

Right now, pulse rifles are a turd sammich in Destiny 2. They’re lacking impact, don’t often deliver that headshot that Destiny 1 fans became accustomed to and pulling the trigger is a burst-spread commitment in the PVP arena that often ends in disaster. Vigilance Wing may be carrying the Destiny 1 flag, but I always felt that Bad Juju was a far superior weapon.

For dealing with mobs, that auto-refil couldn’t be beat as each kill reloaded your magazine. Having such a gun also operate with fully automatic bursts made it a beast, while its recoil often ended with a few Thrall skulls being splattered across the room. There was nothing bad about the magical Juju of this beats, let me tell you that much.

That’s my opinion though. What guns would you like to see return? The Black Spindle? SUROS Regime? Universal Remote? Hell, how about the heavy machine gun category, that included beasts like Thunderlord and Nemesis Star? That would be nice.

Last Updated: November 27, 2017