Year 2 of Destiny, marked by the release of The Taken King, introduced a wealth of new Exotic armor pieces that significantly altered gameplay and build possibilities. These armors often come with unique perks that synergize with specific subclasses or playstyles, allowing for powerful and specialized Guardian builds.
Titan Exotic Armor
- Empyrean Bellicose (Helmet): This helmet grants increased melee damage and faster melee recharge while your Super is full. It also provides increased ammo capacity for your equipped weapons. This is excellent for Titans who rely on their melee abilities, especially in PvP or for quickly clearing adds between Super activations.
- Crest of Alpha Lupi (Chest Armor): While not new to Year 2, the Crest of Alpha Lupi received an update that significantly improved its utility. It now grants an additional Super energy orb upon activation and increases the effectiveness of your healing abilities. This is a staple for any Titan looking to maximize their Super uptime and survivability.
- No Backup Plans (Gauntlets): These gauntlets provide an overshield when you use your melee ability. This is particularly potent for the Striker Titan's Shoulder Charge, allowing for aggressive, close-quarters combat with an added layer of defense.
Hunter Exotic Armor
- Graviton Forfeit (Helmet): This helmet extends the duration of your invisibility and grants faster melee recharge while invisible. This is a game-changer for the Nightstalker subclass, allowing for extended stealth and more frequent smoke bomb throws for debuffs or escapes.
- Young Ahamkara's Spine (Gauntlets): These gauntlets significantly increase the duration and blast radius of your Tripmine Grenades. For Sunsinger and Bladedancer Hunters, this allows for devastating area denial and crowd control.
- The Armamentarium (Chest Armor): While primarily a Titan exotic, The Taken King also introduced a Hunter version of The Armamentarium, granting an additional grenade charge. This is invaluable for any Hunter subclass that relies heavily on grenade usage for damage or utility.
Warlock Exotic Armor
- Voidfang Vestments (Chest Armor): This chest armor grants an extra grenade charge and allows your Voidwalker's Nova Bomb to track targets. This makes the Nova Bomb significantly more reliable for taking down priority targets.
- Impossible Machines (Gauntlets): These gauntlets grant an additional melee charge and empower your melee ability to create a blinding explosion. This is a fantastic choice for Voidwalkers looking to enhance their crowd control and survivability in close combat.
- Starfire Protocol (Chest Armor): This chest armor grants an additional Fusion Grenade charge and reduces the cooldown of your Fusion Grenades. This is a must-have for Sunsinger Warlocks who want to maximize their grenade damage output.
Experimenting with these Exotic armor pieces and combining them with subclass abilities and weapon choices is the key to crafting powerful and effective builds in The Taken King.