For anyone looking to make some last-minute preparations for The Final Shape, you're in for a treat today. While there's a lot of new stuff coming in with the expansion next week, there's also plenty of old dogs learning some new tricks.
Which Exotics should we be getting before The Final Shape launches?
In preparation, Bungie has released upcoming changes in The Final Shape's sandbox, specifically around existing Exotic weapons and armor pieces. While there are, of course, some nerfs on the horizon, there are quite a few Exotics that are confirmed to be receiving buffs or reworks that will greatly increase their effectiveness going forward.
To help any Guardians trying to figure out their builds for TFS, here's a list of five select Exotics that I highly recommend giving some attention to. This list is going to go over one armor piece for each class and two weapons.
Ballidorse Wrathweavers - Warlock Arms
First up is the Ballidorse Wrathweavers for Warlocks. These Stasis-themed gauntlets were released in Lightfall with the goal of giving the Winter's Wrath super more power and utility at the same time. Specifically, Wrath's heavy pulse attack would do more shatter damage, and any allies would get a 4x Stasis Weapon Surge and a free overshield. The extra buffs can also be applied by casting Rift with the Frostpulse aspect equipped.
In The Final Shape, the Wrathweavers will be getting a slight rework to the overshield part in specific. Instead of granting overshields, the Winter's Wrath pulse and Frostpulse Rift will grant maximum stacks of Frost Armor. With the maximum cap of stacks going up to eight, casting either ability will instantly grant you and your friends a whopping 36% damage reduction in PvE and 16% in PvP. This damage reduction can be brought up even higher with the Whisper of Rime fragment, which will increase the maximum stacks of Frost Armor you can get.
We Warlocks may have lost our defensive options in Well, but we definitely still have options for some support. If any of you can rip yourself away from Prismatic for a bit, this Exotic absolutely justifies running Stasis more.
Khepri's Horn - Titan Helmet
Titans, warm yourselves up with some Solar shenanigans. The Khepri's Horn helmet may finally see some real use, as it's getting some much-needed buffs with the launch of The Final Shape. Originally, this Year 1 Exotic allowed Titans to fire off a Solar blast by casting their Barricades... and that was pretty much it. It sounds useful, sure, but it is not quite enough to justify this helmet over other powerhouses like the Loreley Splendor or Pyrogale Gauntlets.
Bungie saw an opportunity to make this Exotic more practical and opted to buff the solar Barricade blast in a few ways. The blast will now deal 100% more damage in PvE, AND it will apply Scorch for each hit it lands on any enemies. If that wasn't enough, Bungie also specified that Khepri's Horn would benefit from the Ember of Eruption and Ember of Ashes fragments. Needless to say, Solar Titans are gonna have it so good.
Renewal Grasps - Hunter Arms
Going back to Stasis, Hunters should be absolutely looking at the Renewal Grasps when The Final Shape drops. Coming from The Witch Queen, these gloves allow you to use the Duskfield grenades to give yourself breathing room with defense buffs.
Similar to the Wrathweavers, this Exotic is also going to be reworked to focus on the new Frost Armor buff. Here, you'll build up stacks of Frost Armor over time as you stand in your Duskfield Grenades.
This is WAY more useful than you might think because Duskfields is the Stasis grenade for the Hunter Prismatic Arsenal. So, imagine rocking these gloves- pairing up Frost Armor with Stylish Executioner to get free Void buffs, which will then make it easier for you to just charge into the next fight and wreck with Stasis and Void, which refreshes your buffs EVEN MORE. It's a beautiful cycle of trickery and destruction that every Hunter dreams of causing.
Outbreak Perfected - Kinetic Pulse Rifle
With Pantheon coming to an end and The Final Shape looming right around the corner, it's very important to point out the glorious Outbreak Perfected. Recently, this SiVA-powered Pulse Rifle has been reintroduced as a craftable Exotic, tucked away with upgrades in the returning Zero Hour Exotic Mission. And with it, we have new perks that can be slotted on to compliment any playstyle, like Rapid Hit and Rewind Rounds. Pair that with the intrinsic stat buffs that can be acquired through the mission itself, and you have a monster of a gun.
Now, what if I told you that all Pulse Rifles are going to receive a 20% damage buff in PvE when The Final Shape launches? Because that's exactly what's coming to every Pulse Rifle with the incoming sandbox changes. Outbreak has already proven itself time and time again as an ultimate ad-clearing, boss-melting machine that anyone can use, and now it's going to become even stronger. On top of that, Bungie has also stated that dealing any Kinetic damage will generate Light and Dark energy at the same time for the new Prismatic subclasses. Outbreak Perfected is going to be an absolute game-changer very soon, so get ready to start crafting your rolls.
Deterministic Chaos - Heavy Void Machine Gun
Our last Exotic on the docket today is the Deterministic Chaos, a Machine Gun that's awarded through the Unfinished Business quest in Lightfall. Admittedly, this gun launched in a sorry state, with perks that took way too much time to reap any real benefits from. You had to shoot four shots to Weaken your target, and then wait for four Weaken shots to get a single Volatile explosion. Why burn over half your magazine to get one Volatile explosion when Graviton Lance can give you 30 explosions in two shots? Thankfully, that's going to change with The Final Shape.
Bungie has announced that Deterministic Chaos' Weaken and Volatile shots are going to be swapped around. Now, you'll apply Volatile on every fourth shot, and then apply Weaken with your fourth Volatile explosion. That way, you get more damage complimented by a few debuffs. With Prismatic subclasses on their way, Deterministic Chaos is set to fit in nicely with any Guardian's arsenals of Light and Dark.
And now you have your shopping list! With The Final Shape releasing in just a few days, people are either anxiously waiting or frantically prepping for June 3rd's arrival. As you've seen, there are some treats in store for everyone in this expansion. More than enough for you to write your own fate with. Best of luck out there, Guardians- We'll see you in the Pale Heart!
For more tips, tricks, and news for Destiny 2, check out 4 things to look forward to in Destiny 2: The Final Shape and other articles here at Pro Game Guides.
Published: May 31, 2024 10:58 pm