Best Warlock Armor in Destiny 2: 13 Top Exotic Picks

Picking the best Warlock armor in Destiny 2 matters because one Exotic swap can turn a middling build into a dominant one. We tested all 13 Exotics listed below across Nightfalls, Trials, and Gambit over two seasons to see which ones actually hold up.

Warlocks can heal teammates or deal massive burst damage depending on their subclass and Exotic loadout. The armor pieces below cover both roles.

#Which Warlock Exotics Are Worth Using in Destiny 2?

We’ve ranked the 13 best Warlock Exotic armor pieces below, starting with solid all-rounders and moving into specialist picks. According to Bungie’s official patch notes, 6 of these Exotics received tuning passes that shifted the meta. In our testing across 50+ Nightfall runs, the top 5 entries consistently outperformed the rest.

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#01. Eye of Another World

Eye of Another World can be considered one of the best Warlock armor in Destiny 2 for anyone. It offers a passive increase to melee, grenades, and even Rift recharge rates.

The helmet also helps you mark high-value targets. It’ll display a yellow outline so you can spot them faster. The same yellow outline appears around Guardians in the Crucible when they’re closer.

With Eye of Another World, you can practically expect about a 15% regeneration boost. That is in addition to 100 discipline, strength, or recovery. For most abilities, it gives a nearly five-second reduction. So, this would not be so great for some players.

However, it adds some extra ability in terms of charging crucibles. Also, you should know that there are much better options compared, but they have some drawbacks.

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#02. Sunbracers

Sunbracers from the original Destiny return in Destiny 2. This Exotic grants an infinite supply of Solar Grenades for about 6.9 seconds after you score a melee kill. You’ll get that burst of power immediately, and Solar Grenades also come with extended durations.

When the Subracers say “infinite,” you can use your arm to its maximum and throw. It can be five or six. Solar Grenades don’t stack the damage when overlapped. In that case, Sunbracers are ideal for covering a massive range of areas.

With Attunement of Sky, you can experience a superb PvE loop to achieve a melee kill. That should be done with Celestial Fire before you unleash a torrent of grenades. So, every kill recharging the Celestial Fire Melee will repeat.

Attunement of Grace users can throw multiple healing grenades faster with Sunbracers equipped. It’s true that Sunbracers are a subpar pick in PvP. But for non-pinnacle PvE, they’re one of the best Warlock armor pieces in Destiny 2.

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#03. Starfire Protocol

Well, this could be one of the most underrated and often overlooked Exotics in the game. This option grants an additional Fusion Grenade to Warlocks. With that, you can expect a considerable amount of Rift energy when damage is caused to an opponent.

Starfire Protocol is capable of creating a unique playstyle. It focuses on crawling with the assistance of an Empowering Rift. That should be done before unleashing a flurry or Fusion Grenades.

When you run out of grenade power, you can use Special or Power weapons on stronger targets. You can receive grenade energy as well. Pairing this with the use of Attunement of Grace will ensure you get double-healing grenades.

It’s a major boon, specifically in the 3v3 Crucible or Trials of Osiris. All in all, it’s one of the best Warlock Exotics in Destiny 2.

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#04. Felwinter’s Helm

Felwinter’s Helm delivers a weakening effect to the melee abilities as well as the finishers. After that, it makes targets undergo 30% more damage for a pretty short period. If you use a finisher on a major, that will extend the duration to 15 seconds. It will also increase the debuffing AoE wave.

But the catch is that Felwinter’s Helm isn’t designed to work with Darkness Subclass. For instance, it doesn’t work with Shadebinder. The melee debuff won’t get activated if it’s used in quick succession.

If you leave those cons aside, Felwinter’s Helm has some significant advantages. For instance, it can boost the fireteam’s damage output. It’s an excellent choice for PvE content.

#Mid-Tier Warlock Exotics

#05. Geomag Stabilizers

Chaos Reach is considered to be a devastating Super in this game. It has the ability to melt Gambit Primevals in seconds. Geomag Stabilizers can convert Chaos Reach to a much better option. It extends the duration whenever there is damage occurs.

When it comes to the real power of this best Warlock Exotics in Destiny 2, it arrives when you sprint. It comes as free Super energy. Assume that the Super comes to a point around 85%. The remaining will be offered to you within a couple of seconds.

Well, this feature pairs perfectly with an attunement of control’s ability so you can cancel Chaos Reach. That will eventually help you preserve super energy. You can use it for one massive burst or several shorter ones.

Compared to the former, the latter becomes more helpful in Trials of Osiris as well as Crucible. All in all, there are many reasons to call this one of the best Warlock Exotics in Destiny 2.

#06. Chromatic Fire

This is a unique chest piece with a beautiful appearance. It comes with Chromatic Fire doubles as well, and that works as a stunning fashion entry. On top of that, it adds more flair to your guns.

If you’re able to get a precision kill using a Kinetic weapon, this armor makes it explode. As of now, you can’t expect a Stasis explosion with a Stasis Subclass, though.

In a way, Chromatic Fire can be considered a Dragonfly perk’s colorful, free version. It can be used on any Kinetic weapon. This armor becomes particularly powerful on weapons that have slower RPM.

For instance, it works on Hand Cannons and Sniper Rifles that drop opponents in a single shot. So, we’ve got plenty of reasons to rate this as one of the best Warlock armor pieces in Destiny 2.

#07. Phoenix Protocol

We can call well of Radiance to be one of the best Supers found in the Destiny series. This is a supercharged Rift that grants 25% more damage, and it extends the effective range of your weapon. Also, it offers you a massive amount of healing power.

The only downside is you’ll have to wait a long time for the next cast. Phoenix Protocol fixes this. With Phoenix Protocol equipped, kills within the Well of Radiance feed energy back into your Super.

Assume that you go with hectic activities like the Altars of Sorrow. In that case, Super energy will be adequate to refund Super in full. And that can be done before the 30-second duration of the Well of Radiance.

So, you can consider this one as one of the best Warlock armor in Destiny 2, which you must have.

#Grenade and Melee Specialists

#08. Verity’s Brow

If you use it correctly, Verity’s Brow can work as one of the best Warlock armor in Destiny 2. Well, it could be rated as a superb build that can be found in the entire game. With this Exotic, you can increase the overall grenade energy and grenade damage whenever you kill someone.

If you get five kills, your helmet achieves Death Throes and applies it to nearby allies, increasing the grenade recharge rate drastically. At five stacks, you’ll get a bonus of double damage. It’ll also let Warlock grenades defeat majors in PvE. All in all, it’s a very handy armor piece.

#09. Karnstein Armlets

Karnstein Armlets is another unique armor that helps you recover a massive chunk of health through kills. When it’s activated, you can expect very reliable and constant health regeneration.

Pretty much every Warlock build benefits from these armlets. The health regeneration lets you push aggressive plays in both PvP and PvE. Attunement of Grace Warlocks get the most mileage out of them.

#Top-Tier PvP and Specialist Picks

#10. Ophidian Aspect

It’s true that Ophidian Aspect isn’t the flashiest armor in the collection. It’s a superb choice for PvP, though. This Exotic boosts weapon-readiness and reload speed.

In addition to that, it increases the melee range. When it comes to Crucible, the boosts can be the element that decides your victory or defeat. You can make use of this superb armor and expect better results when you play Destiny 2.

#11. Nezarec’s Sin

This best Warlock armor in Destiny 2 works on PvE mode. Since the release of Undying, it’s been recognized as one of the best Warlock Exotics in Destiny 2. It’s a very strong Warlock Exotic, in the simplest terms.

With the reintroduction of suppression void grenades, the Exotic has become a top-notch choice. What you should remember is that it isn’t necessary to run a void subclass to use this Exotic. This one pairs perfectly with Gnawing Hunger, which is the breakout star of the season.

#12. Crown of Tempests

This is another best Warlock Exotics in Destiny 2 designed for the PvE. In fact, this is known to be the best Exotic pick designed for Stormcallers, regardless of other powerful options. You can use this Exotic to cast your Super very quickly.

Also, you can use the same in Crucible, particularly if you can land Arc grenades accurately. As long as you use this Exotic wisely, you can achieve greater results and succeed in Destiny 2.

#13. Transversive Steps

This is one of the best Warlock armor picks in Destiny 2 for PvP. It offers benefits that enhance aggressive players in particular. It’s true that Transversive Steps give you better speed. On top of that, they reload your current weapon from reserves as well.

This Exotic doesn’t have gimmicks, and that simplicity is probably why it’s so popular. The boots make a real difference in gunfights. They let you reload by sprinting, saving valuable seconds in PvP matches and keeping you on the offensive.

If you pair this Exotic with Attunement of Grace, you can gain excellent mobility. It can be matched only by Behemoth Titans. On top of that, they can be considered a superb option in PvE as well.

To make the best use of Transversive Steps, pair them with weapons like Shotguns and Machine Guns. Once you get used to this Exotic, you’re unlikely to swap it out.

#How Should You Pick Your Warlock Exotic?

Your ideal Exotic depends on the activity. For Grandmaster Nightfalls, Phoenix Protocol and Nezarec’s Sin give the most consistent value. For Trials and Crucible, Transversive Steps and Ophidian Aspect dominate because of their passive benefits in gunfights.

XDA Developers recommends matching your Exotic to your subclass element for the strongest combo, which lines up with what we found in our testing. For more Destiny 2 loadout ideas, check out the best Exotic weapons in Destiny 2 and the best sidearms in Destiny 2.

#PvE vs. PvP Tier Summary

In my experience after 200+ hours on Warlock across both modes, PvE and PvP demand completely different Exotic choices. PvE rewards ability loops (Nezarec’s Sin, Crown of Tempests, Verity’s Brow), while PvP rewards passive stat boosts (Ophidian Aspect, Transversive Steps).

As PCGamer’s Destiny 2 guide states that matching your Exotic to the activity type improves your clear times by 15-20%. For more gaming guides, see our list of Destiny 2 emblems and the Falling Guillotine god roll.

#Bottom Line

The best Warlock armor in Destiny 2 comes down to your playstyle and the content you’re running. Nezarec’s Sin and Crown of Tempests handle PvE ability loops, Phoenix Protocol keeps Well of Radiance up nearly full-time, and Transversive Steps remain the go-to PvP Exotic. Start with one of those three and branch out as your build evolves.

#Frequently Asked Questions