This Destiny how to get Exotic weapons guide explains where to find the most difficult to obtain weapons, the Destiny Exotic gear items. Forget about Legendary weapons, Exotic is where it’s at!
In this video guide Byf shows how to find Exotic Weapons in Destiny: (starts at 4 minutes)
Find out where to get Exotic Weapons in Destiny: The detailed overview for each of the Exotic Weapon locations is listed below!
Table of Contents
- Destiny Exotic Weapons List
- Exotic Weapon Gaining Method #1: Buy them from Xur
- Exotic Weapon Gaining Method #2: Exotic Weapon Bounty Locations
- Exotic Weapon Gaining Method #3: Random Exotic Weapon Rewards
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Destiny Exotic Weapons Locations Guide
Destiny Exotic Weapons List
Although complete, this list is a work-in-progress and will be updated when more Exotics get discovered!
1. Bad Juju pulse rifle (Kinetic)
2. Devils’ Due shotgun
3. Gjallarhorn rocket launcher (Solar)
4. Hard Light auto rifle (Kinetic)
5. Hawkmoon hand cannon — Timed Exclusive DLC for PS3 & PS4.
6. Ice Breaker sniper rifle (Solar)
7. Invective shotgun (Solar)
8. MIDA Multi-Tool scout rifle
9. Monte Carlo auto rifle — Timed Exclusive DLC for PS3 & PS4.
10. Patience and Time sniper rifle (Arc)
11. Plan C fusion rifle (Arc)
12. Pocket Infinity fusion rifle (Solar)
13. Red Death pulse rifle
14. Super Good Advice machine gun (Solar)
15. Suros Regime auto rifle (Kinetic)
16. The Fate of All Fools scout rifle
17. The Last Word hand cannon (Kinetic)
18. Thorn hand cannon (Kinetic)
19. Thunderlord machine gun (Arc)
20. Truth rocket launcher (Void)
21. Universal Remote shotgun (Kinetic)
Exotic Weapon Pictures & Stats
Click on any of these Exotic weapon thumbnails to see the full-size picture gallery:
Tip: The Exotic rarity is indicated by a gold / orange color on its inventory background.
Note: “Exotic Gear is powerful but only one Exotic Weapon and one piece of Exotic Armor can be equipped at a time. Choose wisely.”
Exotic Weapon Gaining Method #1: Buy them from Xur
Before you can buy any of these Exotic weapons, make sure you have enough Strange Coins it costs to buy them, by using our “Destiny Strange Coins Locations Guide“. The black market vendor Xur, who sells it as part of his weekly changing inventory, can be found in The Tower on Earth in weekends only between Friday 9AM and Sunday.
– Location in weekend #1 & #19: Xur is located next to The Crucible Quartermaster vendor, left of him.
– Location in weekend #2: Instead of heading left into the Speaker’s chamber area, look right to find Xur in front of a big gate.
– Location in weekend #3: This week Xur is on the lower area of the Tower Hangar. Look in the furthest corner.
– Location in weekend #18: In 2015 Xur is right at the start of the Tower Hangar. After following the first corridor to the end you can choose to either go left or right, take a right to the dead end where Xur is hiding in the shadows.
– Location in weekend #20 (January 23-25, 2015): From the Tower starting point walk straight ahead until you reach the conference room where the Vanguard heads like Ikora Rey are and walk to the right side to find Xur. This week he has the awful No Land Beyond exotic sniper rifle for you.
In the weekend #1 video, Doug shows where to find him at the 2014 launch (and now during weekend #19) and what Exotics the Xur vendor sells including the Red Death pulse rifle:
In the weekend #18 video, Doug shows where to next find Xur and what new Exotics he’s selling with his refreshed 2015 inventory:
Week 1 Sales Lineup:
Red Death Exotic Weapon Location
• Red Death:
– How To Unlock: Buy it from the Xur shop keeper at a price of 23 Strange Coins.
– Details: This pulse rifle has “277 / 300 Attack” and can hold 27 rounds in its magazine. (First available: weekend #1.)
– Alternate unlock Method: You can also unlock it at random by doing a Weekly Heroic Strike on the Moon.
Thorn Exotic Weapon Location
• Thorn:
– How To Unlock: Buy it from the Xur shop keeper at a price of 9 Strange Coins.
– Details: The Xur shop keeper may offer you this hand cannon that can hold 15 rounds in its magazine. This hand cannon has “260 / 300 Attack (Kinetic)”. (First available: weekend #1.)
– Alternate Unlock Method: You can also unlock one that holds 6 rounds (may be randomly generated), for free, using the method described in the ‘Exotic Weapon Bounty Locations’ section below.
Week 2 Sales Lineup:
Gjallarhorn Exotic Weapon Location
• Gjallarhorn:
– How To Unlock: Buy it from the Xur shop keeper at a price of 17 Strange Coins.
– Details: This rocket launcher has “260 / 300 Attack (Solar aka Fire)” and can hold 2 rounds in its magazine. (First available: weekend #2.)
– Video Guide: This quick look at the exotic rocket launcher Gjallarhorn emphasizes on it’s two unique abilities: Tracking and Wolfpack Rounds. Each of these are powerful assets in both PvP and raiding that allow for faster target acquisition as well as increased damage output within the detonation zone.
MIDA Multi-Tool Exotic Weapon Location
• MIDA Multi-Tool:
– How To Unlock: Buy it from the Xur shop keeper at a price of 23 Strange Coins.
– Details: This scout rifle has “260 / 300 Attack” and can hold 21 rounds in its magazine. (First available: weekend #2.)
– Alternate Unlock Method: Collected purple Legendary Engrams — when decoded by the Cryptarch in the Tower — may at random award you a MIDA Multi-Tool or other Exotic weapons. – Find out how to get Legendary Engrams quicker with our “Destiny Legendary Engram Farming Guide“.
Exotic Engram Location
• Exotic Engram:
– How To Unlock: Buy it from the Xur shop keeper at a price of 23 Mote of Light. Requires you to be at least level 20.
– Details: The Exotic Engram is described as “Exotic Engram (Chest Armor / Random Class)”. Although there is a slim chance the Cryptarch at the Tower plaza will decode it as a different Exotic gear. (First available: weekend #2.)
Week 3 Sales Lineup:
Suros Regime Exotic Weapon Location
• Suros Regime:
– How To Unlock: Buy it from the Xur shop keeper at a price of 23 Strange Coins.
– Details: The Xur shop keeper may offer you this auto rifle that can hold 33 rounds in its magazine. This hand cannon has “260 / 300 Attack (Kinetic)”. (First available: weekend #3.)
– Alternate Unlock Method: You can also unlock one (may be randomly generated), for free, using the method described in the ‘Random Exotic Weapon Rewards’ section below.
Exotic Engram Location #2
• Exotic Engram:
– How To Unlock: Buy it from the Xur shop keeper at a price of 23 Mote of Light. Requires you to be at least level 20.
– Details: The Exotic Engram is described as “Exotic Engram (Helmet Armor / Random Class)”. Although there is a slim chance the Cryptarch at the Tower plaza will decode it as a different Exotic gear. (First available: weekend #3.)
Week 19 Sales Lineup:
• Exotic Gear: Exotic Shard, Sniper Rifle – Icebreaker, Helmet – The Glasshouse (Titan), Helmet – Achlyophage Symbiote (Hunter), Helmet – Obsidian Mind (Warlock).
• Upgrade Equipped Exotics: Bad JuJu (Pulse Rilfe), The Last Word (Hand Cannon), Plan C (Fusion Rifle), Pocket Infinity (Fusion Rifle), Thunderlord (Machine Gun), and Gjallarhorn (Rocket Launcher).
Light Beyond Nemesis (Warlock), Skull of Dire Ahamkara (Warlock), No Backup Plans (Titan), Crest of Alpha Lupi (Titan), Lucky Raspberry (Hunter), and Achlyophage Symbiote (Hunter).
• Curios: Stealth Drive (Vehicle Upgrade), Plasma Drive (Vehicle Upgrade), Shotgun Telemetry, Hand Cannon Telemetry, and Scout Rifle Telemetry.
Exotic Weapon Gaining Method #2: Exotic Weapon Bounty Locations
Where to get an Exotic Bounty?: You will at random get Exotic Weapon Bounties from the Bounty Trader at the Tower when you give him other finished Bounties.
How to increase your chances to get an Exotic Bounty?: Complete as many normal Daily Bounties as possible, then turn them all in at once very fast to up your chances of a random Exotic Bounty reward! Once it appears, you’ll get the choose between three of them.
Then upon completion of each Exotic Bounty, you will receive an Exotic weapon!
So far 6 Exotic Bounties have been found in Destiny…
Invective Exotic Weapon Location
• Invective: “A Dubious Task” Exotic Bounty.
– Details: The Invective shotgun that holds 4 rounds can be received as a reward for completing this Exotic Bounty that you can sometimes get from the Bounty Tracker. – 360GameTV explains how to complete it step-by-step.
Exotic Bounty Reward Mission 1 Video Timeline & Description:
00:30 – Step 1 – Talk to Ikora Rey at the Tower in the Hall of Guardians.
00:49 – Step 2 – Complete a total of 5 Strikes without dying.
Recommended is “The Nexus” Strike on Venus, because the Strike is really short and after the first 3 Servitors you can run through the whole Strike to the final boss. With ransom team mates, each run can be finished in 8-10 minutes. You have to survive only 5 Strikes, the counter is not reset to zero when you die in a Strike.
02:35 – Step 3 – Return to Ikora Rey.
03:00 – Step 4 – Earn a Kills/Death Spread of 25 in the Crucible.
A 25 K/D Spread means you should have 25 more kills than deaths. Every kill and assist is +1 point for the counter. Every death is -1 point. For example: Finishing a match with 10 kills, 4 assists & 5 deaths, means your counter reads 14-5=9. If the next match you have 5 kills & 6 deaths, your counter goes down to 8, because 5-6=-1. Then if the next match is 10-0, your counter goes up to 18. Got it? Good!
03:53 – Step 5 – Return to Ikora Rey.
04:11 – Step 6 – Complete a Weekly Challenge Activity, such as a Weekly Heroic Strike or Nightfall Strike.
Done in this case is the Level 22 Weekly Heroic Strike on the Moon.
04:40 – Step 7 – Return to Ikora Rey.
05:04 – Step 8 – Purchase an Invective Component from the Gunsmith.
You’ll need 12,500 Glimmer for buying all 50 Special Ammo Packs.
05:48 – Step 9 – Return to Ikora Rey and obtain your new Exotic Weapon.
06:26 – Invective Exotic Shotgun overview.
Thorn Exotic Weapon Location
• Thorn: “A Light in The Dark” Exotic Bounty.
– Details: The Thorn hand cannon that holds 6 rounds can be found on Mars, deep within Charlemagne’s Vault. It’s a reward for completing an Exotic Bounty that you sometimes get from the Postmaster. – T3hPhish & Datto explain how to complete it step-by-step.
Exotic Bounty Reward Mission 2 Description:
– Step 1: Do bounties and turn them in when you get a yellow reward (there’s a slim chance to get this Vanguard Mentor Missive). It will tell you to turn it into the bounty robot called Bounty Tracker. Who offers you three different bounties. Two of the bounties will sound like they are for the Warlock class and the other one like it’s a Hunter class weapon. Choose the one called “A Light in The Dark”.
– Step 2: If you chose the Warlock-sounding bounty, the bounty will tell you to do “The Summoning Pits” Strike Mission on the Moon to get a weapon (with a friend needed to complete it).
– Step 3: From the Strike you get a depleted hand cannon, next turn in the bounty and it will give you another one to charge the gun with energy. The objective being to kill 500 Hive enemies on the Moon.
– Step 4: Turn that in and the bounty will update again, this time telling you to get 500 kills with void damage in multiplayer and that death will slow your progress. Each kill is worth 4 and each death is -2, so this step won’t take long to complete.
– Step 5: Then the bounty will update again. It will unlock a new Strike Mission right next to “The Summoning Pits” for level 26 with a skull on, which makes everything more aggressive, all knights and wizards have shields as well as there being more enemies. The bounty tells you to kill the minions of Phogoth (the giant laser-beam ogre) until Xyor spawns. So take your time to upgrade your armor to reach at least level 25 and bring two level 25 friends with you to complete it.
Tactics idea: One of you can sit in a corner just to spawn the other two. The 30 second respawn time will be hard, especially when Phogoth and the wizard swarms try to spawn kill your team. But eventually you’ll kill enough minions, and then a tombship will come in and drop Xyor on the battlefield. – Turns out, he’s just a regular wizard! With a yellow health bar and and a bit of extra health, but not too much worse than the other yellow wizards.
– Step 6: Eventually you’ll kill him and the bounty will pop up saying to turn it in. Technically, you don’t even have to kill Phogoth, so your Fireteam can go to Orbit and back to the Tower to turn in the bounty right away. — Finally, The Speaker will give you Thorn.
– Heads Up: Certain Exotic bounties require you to charge their Core by dismantling 10 Rare or higher quality gear (like Fusion Rifles). So be sure to save all your Rare gear.
Pocket Infinity Exotic Weapon Location
• Pocket Infinity: “Shattered Memory Fragment” Exotic Bounty, after obtaining the Vanguard Mentor Missive.
The Pocket Infinity fusion rifle that holds 5 rounds can be received as a reward for completing this Exotic Bounty that you can sometimes get from the Bounty Tracker. – 360GameTV explains how to complete it step-by-step.
Exotic Bounty Reward Mission 3 Video Timeline & Description:
00:06 – Step 1 – Obtain a damaged Ghost from Venus, Shattered Coast.
01:25 – Step 2 – Kill a Vex Gate Lord with heroic Modifier active.
02:36 – Step 3 – Bring the unlocked Ghost to the Speaker in the Tower.
03:10 – Step 4 – Bring the Fusion Rifles Schematics to the Gunsmith.
03:39 – Step 5 – Charge the Core by Dismantling 10 rare or higher quality Fusion Rifles.
04:35 – Step 6 – Bring the charged Core to the Gunsmith.
04:45 – Step 7 – Kill enemies in a Weekly Nightfall Strike.
07:15 – Step 8 – Return the Prototype to the Gunsmith.
07:45 – Fusion Rifle Pocket Infinity overview.
Bad Juju Exotic Weapon Location
• Bad Juju: “Toland’s Legacy” Exotic Bounty, after obtaining the Vanguard Mentor Missive.
– Details: The Bad Juju pulse rifle that holds 15 rounds can be received as a reward for completing this Exotic Bounty that you can sometimes get from the Bounty Tracker. – 360GameTV explains how to complete it step-by-step.
Exotic Bounty Reward Mission 4 Video Timeline & Description:
00:30 – Step 1 – Complete a Weekly Heroic or Nightfall Strike.
01:20 – Step 2 – Bring the Journal to Ikora Rey.
01:42 – Step 3 – Complete 25 Strikes.
02:31 – Step 4 – Bring the Journal to Ikora Rey.
02:55 – Step 5 – Bring the Journal to the Gunsmith.
03:20 – Step 6 – Obtain a darkness infused Weapon frame from Xur.
04:10 – Step 7 – Bring the Weapon Frame to the Gunsmith.
04:30 – Step 8 – Defeat Guardians in the Crucible.
05:05 – Step 9 – Return the Weapon to the Gunsmith.
05:30 – Pulse Rifle Bad Juju overview.
Super Good Advice Exotic Weapon Location
• Super Good Advice: “A Voice in the Wilderness” Exotic Bounty, after obtaining the Vanguard Mentor Missive.
– Details: The Super Good Advice machine gun can be received as a reward for completing this Exotic Bounty that you can sometimes get from the Bounty Tracker.
Fate of All Fools Exotic Weapon Location
• Fate of All Fools: “An Unknown Patron” Exotic Bounty, after obtaining the Vanguard Mentor Missive.
– Details: The Fate of All Fools scout rifle can be received as a reward for completing this Exotic Bounty that you can sometimes get from the Bounty Tracker.
Exotic Weapon Gaining Method #3: Random Exotic Weapon Rewards
Truth Exotic Weapon Location
• Truth:
– How To Unlock: Truth is an exotic rocket launcher, which can be a random reward given to you for completing Crucible matches.
Patience and Time Exotic Weapon Location
• Patience and Time:
– Details: This “tutorial” video by Barry shows that by playing lots of Crucible even the worst player in the match can end up getting the Patience and Time sniper rifle at random.
Suros Regime Exotic Weapon Location #2
• Suros Regime:
– Details: Another such random example is a high-level Strike Mission called the “Vanguard Tiger Strike Playlist” (or is it “Vanguard Eagle Strike Playlist”) for level 28, where an Exotic weapon called the Suros Regime auto rifle is awarded for the win:
I hope these tips helped you on your way to find the Exotic Weapon you want the most.
Please check out our other “How To” guides atop this page to enjoy Destiny more! 😀
Credits: Doug, Barry, Completionist, Faceless, Bryan, T3hPhish, MasterWanky, DattoDoesDestiny, 360GameTV, Dychronic, Byf, Dominic, Wasif & Diamond.
Please comment if you have any additional Destiny Exotic Weapon location tips of your own, we’ll give you credit for it. – Thanks for visiting!