7 Must-Have Exotic Destiny 2 Weapons For the Leviathan Raid

Skyburner’s Oath (Solar Scout Rifle)

The next seven exotics we’ll be listing in this article are among the best of the best when it comes to dealing with hordes of adds, bosses, and Cabal enemies. While you don’t necessarily need any of these weapons to complete the Leviathan Raid in Destiny 2, they definitely do help out a bit. Still, skill trumps gear, so play with what you’ve got if you don’t have certain items on this list. 

The first item on our list is the Skyburner’s Oath, a weapon that was made specifically for the task of destroying Cabal. One of its intrinsic perks, For the Empire, has the Skyburner’s Oath do extra damage against Cabal as well as penetrate Phalanx shields which are invaluable perks to have when facing off against these large aliens.

On top of the extra damage against Cabal, it’s just an overall great weapon. It has solid range, fires high-damage slugs, and does increased damage when you aim down sights. It also handles relatively well, which isn’t a bad thing to have in a weapon, especially one that you’re using for the toughest PvE challenge in the game. 

Merciless (Solar Fusion Rifle)

Fusion rifles, in general, are always a really solid option in Destiny 2. They do really great damage, have relatively decent range, and normally have manageable stability. However, this particular exotic fusion rifle has an interesting perk that makes it one of the best single-target damage weapons in the entire game.

Merciless’ intrinsic perk is called Conserve Momentum and it allows for the weapon to fire faster each time your shot doesn’t kill the target. That lets it absolutely burn through majors and any boss enemies you come across, especially if more than one person on your fireteam has a Merciless on them. With the enemies in the Leviathan Raid being quite tough, this will definitely help cut swathes through the crowds.

Sunshot (Solar Hand Cannon)

Sunshot is a pretty powerful hand cannon in Destiny 2 that deserves a lot of the love it gets. Of all the hand cannons in the game (exotic or otherwise) it’s easily the best at clearing out adds. This is due to the Sun Blast perk that makes all killed targets explode and doesn’t require precision hits like most weapons. So you can fire from the hip into groups of minions and easily wipe them out as long as the targets are hit.

Also, it has solid handling speed as well as explosive rounds, which allow for some serious damage output. Of course, this isn’t the best option against larger, more powerful enemies, but it can seriously put a hurting on anyone foolish enough to stand against you. In the hands of a Hunter, this is a monster during difficult challenges. So just place it in your favorite Hunter’s hands, point them in a direction, and tell them to burn the world to ashes. 

Coldheart (Arc Trace Rifle)

As a free exotic for those who pre-ordered Destiny 2, nobody really expected the Coldheart to be very good. Sure, it looked cool and shot this awesome laser beam rather than separate shots, but most free weapons tend to be very, for lack of a better term, meh. That just simply isn’t the case when it comes to the Coldheart. This thing melts enemies, especially if two players are firing on the same target.

Thanks to Cold Fusion and Longest Winter, the Cold Heart fires a single, steady beam of Arc energy at a target. The longer you hold that beam on one target, though, the more damage it does, absolutely melting away even the toughest enemy’s health bar. Now we don’t suggest every one run this weapon, as it’s good to have varied energy weapons to deal with different types of threats, but if you can, maybe two members of your squad should give Coldheart some love. 

The Wardcliff Coil (Arc Rocket Launcher)

This is sort of a tough weapon to recommend, but in the right hands it can be an absolute beast. The reason it’s tough to recommend for the Leviathan Raid in Destiny 2 is that it’s not easy to wield. It fires rockets like crazy and requires really close range to get the most bang for your buck. However, if you put this in the hands of a Titan, or particularly tanky Warlock (like an Attunement of Hunger Voidwalker) you will decimate anything in front of you.

The Wardcliff Coil shots a large volley of rockets that all deal solid damage. So, if you can land each and every shot, you can just watch your trouble disappear in bright blue explosions. 

Rat King (Kinetic Sidearm)

Okay, so this one is more for that fireteam that really likes to coordinate in Destiny 2. While there are a few hoops you need to jump through to obtain this weapon, it’s totally worth it, especially if you have multiple people on your team making use of it.

The perk Rat Pack significantly increases the damage of this sidearm for every nearby ally that has the weapon equipped. With just two people you get a sizable jump, so just imagine if three or, even better, all six members of your fireteam was wielding this little gem. And if you’re wondering whether or not a group of these devastates majors and bosses, it totally does. 

Hard Light (or Borealis on PS4)

You may be wondering why we have two options for our last entry. That’s because both of these weapons have a very similar perk, the ability to switch elements. However, the Borealis is exclusive to PS4 for the year, so not everyone will be able to add this to their collection.

The Borealis is an exotic sniper rifle that does an absolute ton of damage. Plus, you can switch its element simply by holding down the reload button. The tradeoff is that it’s a Power weapon, so you won’t have as many shots as you would with other types. The Hardlight is an Energy auto rifle which can have its element switch by going into the menu. It tears through shields and enemies.

Either one of these is worthwhile for a situation where you need to switch things up. If you can get a Borealis, it doesn’t hurt to bring one along. If not, the Hard Light will more than suffice.

For more on Destiny 2, be sure to check out our wiki.