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For now, however, Warlock mains looking to become increasingly more powerful either in the Crucible or in PVE should focus on getting their hands on the following Exotic armor pieces. Here are some of the best Exotic armor pieces for Warlocks in Destiny 2.
Updated on October 27, 2022, by Anastasia Maillot: With Bungie constantly churning out new Exotic gear and with Arc 3.0 finally out, Warlocks have a ton of great Exotics to choose from. Some of these Exotic armor pieces and their success is heavily dependent on the 3.0 subclass reworks, and are currently very powerful because of that reason in particular. However, other Exotic armor pieces are simply timeless and can be slotted into almost any meta. Here’s which Warlock Exotic armor pieces are the best in Destiny 2’s season 18.
15 Crown Of Tempests
Crown of Tempests is by far the best Exotic helmet for Arc Warlocks and it could be argued it easily beats the new Fallen Sunstar helmet. Crown of Tempests is simply a bit more versatile, as it allows for fast ability regeneration when players score final blows with Arc abilities or with a jolt.
On top of that, Crown of Tempests has good synergy with the Stormtrance Super. Although Arc Supers for Warlock are weak right now, this helmet at least extends its duration, hence making it a solid pick for any Arc 3.0 builds for Warlocks.
14 Dawn Chorus
There are only two truly powerful Exotics for Solar 3.0 Warlocks. While Sunbracers are great, Dawn Chorus and Starfire Protocol are simply better. Dawn Chorus is excellent for players who want to stick with Daybreak instead of the Well of Radiance Super.
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Dawn Chorus buffs the scorch that players apply on targets, and they also add this scorch effect to Daybreak’s projectiles. It’s the one Exotic that’s currently keeping Daybreak somewhat afloat thanks to the minor buff it provides.
13 Getaway Artist
Back to Arc 3.0, Getaway Artist gauntlets are surprisingly good when it comes to both PVE and PVP. These gauntlets let Warlocks charge their grenades and instantly earn a supercharged Arc Soul, as well as become Amplified.
This is massive in PVP in particular, where the extra spam from a supercharged Arc Soul can be devastating to opponents. Moreover, Amplified buffs the player’s speed, and having that super speed on cooldown feels fantastic in a competitive environment.
12 Rain Of Fire
Rain of Fire is a solid Exotic pick for Warlocks in PVP, especially right now when linear fusion rifles and fusion rifles continue to be quite powerful in the Crucible. These boots have multiple effects. First of all, dodging with Icarus Dash reloads all of the player’s weapons and buffs the in-air accuracy of linear fusion rifles and fusion rifles. Scoring final blows with either of these weapon archetypes will instantly make the player Radiant, which is a massive advantage.
After the airborne effectiveness of multiple weapons was nerfed, Rain of Fire has been a blessing for many fusion rifle mains in PVP. It pairs particularly well with something like Vex Mythoclast, which has infinite ammo and devastating damage potential in the right hands.
11 Geomag Stabilizers
Although Arc is at the time of this list being written still the weakest subclass for Warlocks, Arc 3.0 holds a lot of promise. Geomag Stabilizers could potentially become one of the best Exotic armor pieces when Warlocks eventually get a hold of the new Arc aspects and fragments.
These boots extend the duration of Chaos Reach the more damage players do. Given how Chaos Reach has often been seen as the better Arc Super for Warlocks, having Geomags on this list is somewhat of a no-brainer. A close contender for this position would also be the Crown of Tempests, but it remains to be seen which one prevails once season 18 rolls around.
10 Karnstein Armlets
Karnstein Armlets are one Exotic armor piece that all too many players are sleeping on. This Exotic is centered around melee kills, which grant the player a burst of health as well as health regeneration for some time after.
Given this, Karnstein Armlets can work well in PVP for players who have yet to get their hands on Ophidian Aspect or Transversive Steps, especially if they like to play at close range with a shotgun. However, they are also fantastic in certain PVE activities where enemies tend to flock into the player’s face and there isn’t much room for long-range gameplay.
9 Sunbracers
Solar is one of the bread-and-butter classes for Warlocks, and to spice things up for Solar 3.0, Sunbracers are the natural choice for PVE. These bad boys will grant the player infinite grenade energy charge for a short period of time after a Solar melee kill.
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Pair this up with the new Solar grenades that spew out blobs of lava and Elemental Ordnance mods, and Warlocks won’t ever have to worry about not having their grenade charged up. It won’t hold up in PVP or difficult PVE content, but it’s fantastic for ad-clear in regular mid-tier PVE.
8 Osmiomancy Gloves
For Shadebinders, worry not because season 16 brought in an excellent Stasis-themed Exotic called the Osmiomancy Gloves. These gloves pair with the Coldsnap grenade, which on its own isn’t very powerful, but becomes a real menace with this Exotic.
Not only will players now have two Coldsnap grenade charges, but direct hits on targets also immediately refund one grenade charge fully. Moreover, Coldsnap grenade Seekers will travel a longer distance and freeze other nearby targets further away. It’s the ultimate addition to any Stasis build and works wonderfully even in difficult PVE content thanks to how powerful Stasis is.
7 The Stag
The Stag is somewhat of an outlier when it comes to Exotics in Destiny 2. It can be used in numerous different builds and with various different subclasses, so only the sky is the player’s limit when it comes to buildcrafting around this Exotic.
The Stag’s specialty is Rifts. While equipped, Rifts provide additional damage resistance to the player and any allies standing in their Rift. This also affects the Well of Radiance, which is fantastic given the Well was recently nerfed. Players will also receive extra Rift energy when they are in critical health, which can be useful in certain PVP modes, too. And finally, the more niche aspect: upon death, players will spawn a Rift on their body.
6 Nezarec’s Sin
If there’s one Exotic that Voidlocks should include in their arsenal, it’s Nezarec’s Sin. This helmet allows players to significantly boost their ability recharge rate, so long as they are scoring Void-damage kills, either with abilities or with weapons.
This means that Nezarec’s Sin is the perfect Voidlock Exotic for those who still prefer to run a Volatile-specializing Voidlock even after season 16. Pair it up with some Elemental Well mods, and a solid Void weapon, and players will be constantly refreshing their Void abilities and gaining Volatile Rounds on command.
5 Phoenix Protocol
The Phoenix Protocol Exotic chest piece is an essential pick for any Warlocks specialized in supporting their team. Its position on this list could easily be tied with Lunafaction Boots, as both are key enhancements to the Well of Radiance, which remains one of the most essential Supers in endgame PVE content.
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That said, the Phoenix Protocol has a slight edge since standing in a Well isn’t as safe anymore and getting Well often is more beneficial overall. Its purpose is simple: while standing in their Well, players can simultaneously charge their next Well by scoring kills and assists. It’s the perfect tool for farming Well of Radiance, though it’s important to note that the charge only goes up to 50% following a nerf to Phoenix Protocol.
4 Contraverse Hold
Back to the Voidlock lifestyle, Contraverse Hold Exotic gauntlets are another mind-blowingly good choice, even after the nerf to Vortex grenades, which benefit the most from this Exotic. With these gauntlets on, players can charge their grenades, which gives them damage resistance. Charged grenades return grenade charge when hitting enemies, so it’s almost like a Void version of Sunbracers that provides near-infinite grenade charge.
Pair this up with the Feed the Void and Chaos Accelerant Void aspects, and players will be guaranteed their grenade cooldown. It’s a fantastic alternative for players who want to focus on ad-clearing but prefer the Voidlock life over Solar Warlock.
3 Transversive Steps
For PVP Warlock players, Transversive Steps are a common sight. Speed is everything in the Crucible, which is why something that increases sprint speed can be very powerful for a class that isn’t exactly famous for its high mobility.
Transversive Steps allow Warlocks to spring faster, but they also reload equipped weapons after sprinting for a while. This is incredibly powerful in PVP, where being ready for an engagement on the spot and quickly is important. For shotgun users, in particular, this Exotic is perfect.
2 Starfire Protocol
Easily the best Warlock Exotic armor piece in PVE, Starfire Protocol has been the hard meta for Warlocks since Solar 3.0, especially in endgame content. This chest piece not only gives players two fusion grenade charges but allows players to quickly charge both their Empowering Rift and fusion grenades: grenade kills charge Empowering Rift energy and damage dealt while standing in an Empowering Rift charge grenade energy.
The charge rate for both cooldowns is absolutely massive, and it’s extremely easy to get good value from this chest piece. It has fantastic damage potential, and when paired with the Heat Rises aspect, players also get a bit of sustain by consuming their first grenade charge, which compensates for the lack of a Healing Rift. As long as fusion grenades melt tanky enemies, Starfire Protocol will reign supreme.
1 Ophidian Aspect
Now on to the most popular Warlock Exotic in PVP: Ophidian Aspect. Most Warlocks will likely be running these gloves in the Crucible thanks to the speed buff they give to weapon reloading and readying. Not just that, but players will also enjoy an extended melee range, and it also slightly buffs the airborne effectiveness of any weapons used.
The Ophidian Aspect is a very basic Exotic, but given that it buffs two of the most important tools in PVP (weapons and melee), it has quickly become a favorite for many Warlock players. If there is one Exotic that aspiring Crucible players should get for their Warlock, it’s definitely this one.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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