Destiny 2‘s The Final Shape expansion is bringing more than just a new subclass. Guardians can find Exotic class items within the Pale Heart, which come with a multitude of perks from different classes.
Class items in Destiny 2 first appeared in a pre-Final Shape broadcast, marking a return from their (scaled-down) appearance in the franchise’s first title. Bungie then teased all the Exotic class item combinations in a blog post shared on May 9, but with a catch: they only work with the new Prismatic subclass coming in the DLC.
Here’s a breakdown of Exotic class items, what they can roll with, and some of our favorite combinations.
What are Exotic class items in Destiny 2?
Exotic class items in Destiny 2 will drop from a post-campaign activity, and much like their name states, they’ll take up the class item slot. In return, they give Prismatic users bits and pieces of some abilities.
The new, coveted gear drop can mix and match powers from some Exotic armor pieces, but with changes from the original. Generally, each Spirit—as the effects are called—is watered down compared to its original counterpart, ditching parts of their base effect.
Taking the descriptions into account, for instance, Spirit of Verity maintains the stacking bonus to grenade damage but doesn’t seem to grant energy to the user or their allies. Exotics that grant any extra charges (Armamentarium, Sixth Coyote, and Claws of the Ahamkara) seem to be the exceptions since they continue to grant a full extra charge.
Exotic class items have eight random perks on each column. Of those eight, six belong to their class and two from others. Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters all have access to these, with the remaining ones changing per class.
- Assassin’s Cowl (first column)
- Heart of Inmost Light (first column)
- Ophidian Aspect (first column)
- Star-Eater Scales (second column)
- Synthoceps (second column)
- Verity’s Brow (second column)
All Exotic class item combinations in Destiny 2
In addition to the shared pool of Exotic class item traits, each class has a few perks to choose from, creating potentially deadly combinations.
All Warlock Exotic class item perks and combinations in Destiny 2
Warlocks have access to a handful of interesting combinations, especially when borrowing from other classes. The neutral game may get a big winner with Spirit of Inmost Light, though it depends on how much Bungie trims its power.
| First column | Second column |
| Spirit of the Assassin (Assassin’s Cowl, Hunter): Finishers and powered melee final blows grant invisibility. | Spirit of the Star-Eater (Star-Eater Scales, Hunter): While your Super energy is full, picking up an Orb of Power overcharges your Super, granting it bonus damage. |
| Spirit of Inmost Light (Heart of Inmost Light, Titan): Using an ability empowers the other two abilities, granting them improved energy regeneration | Spirit of Synthoceps (Synthoceps, Titan): Improved melee damage when you’re surrounded. |
| Spirit of the Ophidian (Ophidian Aspect, Warlock): Weapons ready very quickly. | Spirit of Verity (Verity’s Brow, Warlock): Weapon final blows with a damage type matching your grenade grant a stacking grenade damage bonus. |
| Spirit of the Stag (The Stag): Your Rift provides damage reduction to allied Guardians standing in it. | Spirit of Vesper (Vesper of Radius): Rifts periodically release Arc shockwaves. |
| Spirit of the Filaments (Secant Filaments): Casting an empowering rift will grant you Devour. | Spirit of Harmony (Mantle of Battle Harmony): Final blows with weapons that have a damage type matching your Super’s element grant you Super energy. |
| Spirit of the Necrotic (Necrotic Grips): Damaging combatants with your melee poisons them. Defeating a poisoned enemy spreads the condition. | Spirit of Starfire (Starfire Protocol): Grenades recharge from empowered weapon damage, with empowered weapon final blows granting more energy. |
| Spirit of Osmiomancy (Osmiomancy Gloves): Your grenades recharge quicker on hits. The seeker spawned from Coldsnap grenades travels further. | Spirit of the Swarm (Swarmers): Destroying a Tangle spawns Threadlings. |
| Spirit of Apotheosis (Apotheosis Veil): Temporarily gain greatly increased melee and grenade regen after your Super ends. | Spirit of the Claw (Claws of the Ahamkara): Gain an additional melee charge. |
Spirit of the Star-Eater and Spirit of Apotheosis pair well for builds focused on boss damage since Apotheosis Veil has featured in some damage rotations, and Prismatic also allows access to the Needlestorm burst Super. Strand builds can also make use of both Spirit of the Necrotic and Spirit of the Swarm.
All Titan Exotic class item perks and combinations in Destiny 2
In addition to the basic ones, Titans get access to a few Spirits from Exotics that don’t often get much usage outside of niche builds. Spirit of Scars brings another way to inject Precious Scars’ sustain, and if you’re ever torn between Armamentarium and Heart of Inmost Light, you can now use both with the right roll.
| First Column | Second Column |
| Spirit of the Assassin Finishers and powered melee final blows grant invisibility. | Spirit of the Star-Eater While your Super energy is full, picking up an Orb of Power overcharges your Super, granting it bonus damage. |
| Spirit of Inmost Light Using an ability empowers the other two abilities, granting them improved energy regeneration | Spirit of Synthoceps Improved melee damage when you’re surrounded. |
| Spirit of the Ophidian Weapons ready very quickly. | Spirit of Verity Weapon final blows with a damage type matching your grenade grant a stacking grenade damage bonus. |
| Spirit of Severance (Severance Enclosure) Powered melee or finisher final blows unleash a damaging explosion. | Spirit of Contact (Point-Contact Cannon Brace) Damaging a target with a powered melee causes all nearby enemies to suffer lightning strikes and become jolted. |
| Spirit of Hoarfrost (Hoarfrost-Z) Your Barricade becomes a wall of Stasis crystals that slows nearby targets when created. | Spirit of Scars (Precious Scars) Final blows with weapons that have a damage type matching your Super’s element create a burst of healing around you that grants allies restoration. |
| Spirit of the Eternal Warrior (Eternal Warrior) Gain a damage bonus for weapons matching your Super’s element when your Super ends. | Spirit of the Horn (Khepri’s Horn) Your Barricade unleashes a blast of Solar energy that scorches targets |
| Spirit of the Abeyant (Abeyant Leap) Improves Drengr’s Lash. Drengr’s Lash projectiles track targets more aggressively and travel further. | Spirit of Alpha Lupi (Crest of Alpha Lupi) Generates a healing pulse when Barricade is activated. |
| Spirit of the Bear (Ursa Furiosa) Move faster while guarding with the Unbreakable shield. Damage blocked with Unbreakable is converted to Super energy. | Spirit of the Armamentarium (Armamentarium) Gain an additional grenade charge. |
Spirit of the Abeyant can work as an extra boost to Drengr’s Lash, one of the Aspects available for Prismatic Titans—and you can even pair it with bits of Khepri’s Horn or Crest of Alpha Lupi for fun, if maybe circumstantial, combos. Time to get that Utility Kickstart mod going.
All Hunter Exotic class item perks and combinations in Destiny 2
Hunters have the most appealing Exotic combinations, with minor changes to some keywords and effects. Builds that need regen can use Spirit of Inmost Light, but Spirit of the Cyrtarachne gets a good change after working on any Prismatic grenade. And that’s before landing on two favorite Hunter Exotics, borrowing from Assassin’s Cowl and Star-Eater Scales.
| First column | Second column |
| Spirit of the Assassin Finishers and powered melee final blows grant invisibility. | Spirit of the Star-Eater While your Super energy is full, picking up an Orb of Power overcharges your Super, granting it bonus damage. |
| Spirit of Inmost Light Using an ability empowers the other two abilities, granting them improved energy regeneration | Spirit of Synthoceps Improved melee damage when you’re surrounded. |
| Spirit of the Ophidian Weapons ready very quickly. | Spirit of Verity Weapon final blows with a damage type matching your grenade grant a stacking grenade damage bonus. |
| Spirit of the Dragon (Dragon’s Shadow) Using your class ability reloads all weapons and increases weapon handling speeds for a brief time. | Spirit of the Cyrtarachne (Cyrtarachne’s Façade) Gain Woven Mail when you use your grenade. |
| Spirit of Galanor (Shards of Galanor) Hits and final blows with your Super will return Super energy after it ends. | Spirit of the Gyrfalcon (Gyrfalcon’s Hauberk) Your Void weapons gain Volatile Rounds after you emerge from being invisible. |
| Spirit of the Foetracer (Foetracer) Damaging a powerful combatant or Guardian with an ability grants you a temporary damage bonus for weapons matching that ability’s element. | Spirit of the Liar (Liar’s Handshake) Dealing damage with a powered melee or being hit by a melee attack will allow you to follow up with an extremely powerful melee counterpunch. |
| Spirit of Caliban (Caliban’s Hand) Powered melee final blows trigger an ignition. | Spirit of the Wormhusk (Wormhusk Crown) Dodging gives a small health and shield bump. |
| Spirit of Renewal (Renewal Grasps) Allies inside the Duskfield take reduced damage, and targets inside the area deal reduced damage. | Spirit of the Coyote (Sixth Coyote) Gain an additional class ability charge. |
If you’re looking to borrow from Titans and Warlocks, Spirit of Inmost Light and Spirit of Verity have great synergy, too, and even Inmost Light with Cyrtarachne can offer enough utility to consider equipping them in your Destiny 2 builds.
