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I was having this discussion with some friends and thought it'd be a fun topic to throw out to the community! I'm approaching this from a PvE point of view, although I'd love to see some PvP lists to. I went through and picked my top ten choices in terms of D2's exotic weapons, as well as an honorable mention. This is totally based on my opinion, and is largely based on my personal preferences instead of just being performance based. My list - starting with what I view as the GOAT exotic from D2 and working my way down - is:

  1. Anarchy - The do-it-all raid exotic that dominated the PvE meta for years before finally getting a sizable enough nerf to sit it down. Still a good gun today, but not really the top choice anywhere.
  2. Divinity - Arguably the best support exotic in the game (at least until Collective Obligation proves it can take the throne), and a permanent fixture in the inventory for any day 1 raid or endgame PvE.
  3. One Thousand Voices - 1KV is what I view as a perfect example of an extremely well designed exotic. Simple, unique, fun to use, and very effective. Hasn't been the #1 option for most of its life, but its always good to have in the inventory, and gets a bonus because of its mythical status as an iconic & hard to get raid weapon.
  4. Whisper of the Worm - This one may sound odd to newer lights, but Whisper holds a special place with most long time D2 players. It dominated the PvE meta from its introduction in Y1 until losing its ability to generate infinite heavy ammo towards the end of Y2. Its surprise mystery-quest was also one of the most iconic missions in the history of Destiny.
  5. Sleeper Simulant - A weapon from the Whisper era, and its biggest competitor for both the heavy & exotic slots until the arrival of the Anarchy meta. Sleeper outperformed Whisper in many areas; it has arguably held a larger stake in D2's landscape over the years due both to its versatility in different game modes, and resurgence alongside the Particle Deconstruction mod during Season of the Lost. It falls behind Whisper on my list because it lacks the 'magic' that came with "The Whisper" quest.
  6. Gjallarhorn - The return of the king, and the most recent D2 addition out of any weapon on this list. The reprisal of D1's most iconic weapon came back with a meme-based rework that turned it into a top tier support option, while still outputting plenty of damage. Its a fixture in the current meta, but lacks the age or mysticism of some of the higher ranked weapons (within...of course Gjally would rank higher in a list of both D1 & D2 exotics).
  7. Witherhoard - Best summed up as 'Anarchy-Lite', Witherhoard brings a similar skillset with a smaller package. With the catalyst, it is a top choice for dps, and its capability to control zones or deal single-target-damage makes it a viable choice in any scenario.
  8. Trinity Ghoul - The only primary weapon on this list, Trinity Ghoul holds a specal place with me as one of my personal-favorite exotics of the Forsaken era. The bow started out as a fun weapon that wasn't amazing in serious content, but the catalyst turned it into one of the game's most monstrous ad-clear weapons.
  9. The Lament - Awesome lore and a fun mission surround this sword. Probably the best exotic for scenarios where swords are viable, Lament would've likely held a higher place in the meta for a longer time had a bug not prevented it from dealing proper damage.
  10. Ager's Scepter - My final choice may surprise many of you, but Ager's Scepter is a personal favorite that I always keep close. Its one of the best support weapons in the game, and its build synergy with Stasis allows for some awesome loadouts.

Honorable Mention: Izanagi's Burden - Another top-level dps weapon, but it doesn't make the list because I had already chosen plenty of guns for damage, and it lacked the personal connection for me.

Make sure to leave your thoughts! Obviously this list is totally a personal opinion, and I'm sure everyone has their own choices.

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over 1 year ago - /u/FriendlyBassplayer - Direct link

Cloudstrike - love how much space magic fantasy this weapon embodies. A magic lightning rod with a gun built around it to harness its power is so cool!