Khvostov 7G-0X
It’s true, the Khvostov isn’t the most exciting Exotic weapon in Destiny. It lacks a singular Exotic perk, and instead has the capability of being changed into either an Auto Rifle, a Scout Rifle, or a Pulse Rifle at the user’s discretion. Unfortunately, it isn’t particularly great as any of those options. Despite this, the weapon has a certain charm and nostalgia that no other weapon has. The Khvostov is the first weapon you ever use in Destiny, a landmark moment for the franchise, and somehow even that moment is topped by the excellent Exotic mission you go on to add this weapon to your collection. The weapon is as charming as it is iconic. It only seems right that in some form or another the Khvostov should make a return in Destiny 2, although preferably with a healthy buff and shiny new ability to go along with it.
This post was originally authored by David Buckley.
Lord of Wolves
This Shotgun meets Pulse Rifle was one of the best things to come out of the House of Wolves expansion. It fires in devastating bursts of five, burning whatever was in your path with beautiful Solar damage. Few other Shotguns were as fun and satisfying to use as the Lord of Wolves, even if it never quite managed to take the crown from the 4th Horseman in terms of raw power. One of the ways Destiny shined was in its fun, unique weaponry, and few weapons were as unique and fun as the Lord of Wolves. If Destiny 2 wants to keep players hunting for gear like they did in the first game, this is the sort of weapon they should dangle in front of us.
Sleeper Simulant
Heralded as “The new Gjallarhorn” when it was first revealed, the Sleeper Simulant had a lot resting on its shoulders. The quest needed to collect it remained shrouded in shadow far longer than most, and was one of the most exciting treasure hunts in all of Destiny. Somehow, the weapon didn’t disappoint. It looked great, but handled even better. Its ricochet ability wasn’t particularly useful, but the weapon excelled in certain boss fights, remaining a fan favorite for ages. This heavy Fusion Rifle deserves a place in Destiny 2 not only because of its power and unique play style, but because it serves as a reminder to the community of the many hours put in to solve the mysteries surrounding this weapon.
The Last Word
Any veteran Destiny player who enjoyed the PvP antics of the Crucible will remember this gun. Like a few other Hand Cannons, it enjoyed its time in the spotlight as one of the strongest, most deadly primary options. Over time Bungie did manage to alter and tweak the balance until it was no longer such an obvious choice, but it remained a consistent and viable weapon to the end.
But the reason The Last Word deserves to be in Destiny is not because of its gameplay, but because of its lore. It’s too long to go into here, but the story of Jaren Ward, later Shin Malphur, and The Last Word is possibly the best piece of history in the game. Considering the sequel’s new focus on story, it would be criminal for this gun not to be in Destiny 2.
Vex Mythoclast
When Destiny first released, no one was quite prepared for what was contained inside the Vault of Glass. The first raid took people by surprise with its challenging encounters, unique bosses, and cryptic puzzles. Not to mention, it was tough. Really tough. Bearing that in mind, and how difficult it could be for some to get the necessary team of six together without matchmaking, you need a reward for the players brave enough to venture inside.
The Vex Mythoclast was this reward. It was the first raid Exotic, the first truly over-powered weapon in the Crucible, and primarily the first true mystery of Destiny. Hopefully Destiny 2 will have its own mysteries for players to uncover, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to see our old favorites rise from the ashes to show our new enemies just what we’ve been through to defend Earth before.
Ice Breaker
Destiny, before any DLC, had three Exotic weapons that you needed to find. One of those was the Ice Breaker. Its ammo recharge ability made it far more useful than almost any other secondary in the game, allowing people to recharge their special ammo, before Bungie patched it of course. On top of this, the weapon looked good and was fun to use. Destiny 2 could use a little classic Destiny charm, and no weapon has quite as much of that as Ice Breaker.
The Exotic Swords
When Destiny added swords in the Taken King DLC, they were instantly a hit with players. The quest to get the exotic swords were long and tedious, but the rewards were oh so worth it, so much so that some people went to the effort to get all three. They were so popular that come the release of the House of Wolves DLC, they added another one to the game to add to your collection. Each and every Exotic Sword in the game was cool in it’s own right, making it almost impossible to choose between them. Here’s hoping that we get to see at least one of them return in the sequel, we can only imagine how good they’ll all look with Desiny 2’s new lighting and graphics engine.
Black Spindle
Black Hammer was a surprise hit, a weapon with almost unlimited damage potential provided you were accurate enough. Clearly Bungie saw how the community latched onto the Legendary gun, because down the road players found themselves hunting down its stronger, yet also more limited big brother, Black Spindle. Another weapon that was almost essential for some of the endgame content, Black Spindle was one of the few weapons that was as hard to get as it was effective in combat. Racing through a tough mission with a time limit was infuriating, but so rewarding at the end. Clearly the community wasn’t ready to give up Black Hammer, and were not ready to give up Black Spindle either. If this Sniper Rifle doesn’t make an appearance in Destiny 2, or perhaps another “upgrade” at least, I have a feeling there may be some rioting.
Fatebringer
Alright, this one is cheating a little. The original Fatebringer was an object of many Destiny players’ affection, even if it was only a Legendary weapon. It was only available for beating a single section of the hard version of Vault of Glass, which you had one chance at every week. It was notorious for being difficult to collect, just as it was notorious for the almost unparalleled damage. It was eventually made into an Exotic with the Age of Triumph update, which brought back all previous raid Primary weapons as Exotics, but even without the status upgrade the weapon is as recognizable as almost any exotic in the game, and surely deserves a place in Destiny 2, even if just to further frustrate people who never got it the first time.
Gjallarhorn
And finally, this inclusion shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Gjallarhorn became almost synonymous with the Destiny brand, a weapon of unmatched power and devastation. The jewel of anyone’s collection, or the single greatest desire of unlucky ones who were still searching. It was almost impossible not to scream in joy after getting your first Gjallarhorn. It may have been problematic for splitting the community, and possibly even effective to the point it broke the game in some ways, but Gjallarhorn needs to return in Destiny 2. It is easily the most recognizable, most famous weapon of the universe, Destiny wouldn’t be the same without it.
About the author
