Is it unreasonable to expect Destiny’s Xur to bring exceptionally powerful Exotics just because Christmas is in the air? Probably, but I’m going to anyway. Especially after this weekend, seeing as how the hooded old merchant has brought a medley of top-shelf gear. Let’s have a closer look at what Xur has on offer this, the weekend of December 4:
Ruin Wings: The primary weakness of heavy weapons is their limited ammo supply. Rockets are always few and far between, and even high capacity machine guns will tear through their seemingly deep reserves in a matter of seconds. The Titan’s Ruin Wings offset this weakness substantially: the gauntlet’s unique Seeds of Ruin perk causes heavy ammo to drop nearly as often as primary ammo. Wearing Ruin Wings will also up the round count of each heavy drop. This makes the ornate armor an excellent choice for all PvE activities, particularly Strikes, where a fully charged sword will make quick work of any enemy. Ruin Wings are also great in Raids, although the importance of sniper rifles diminishes their worth in King’s Fall. Even so, heavy weapons are great for dealing with problem targets such as Wizards and Ogres, so they definitely aren’t a bad choice. If nothing else, they are a great buy for all Titans.
Skyburners Annex: Only after finally receiving a support class in the form of Nightstalker did Hunters realize virtually all of their Exotic armor is tilted toward offense. And things like Knucklehead Radar and the Mask of the Third Man aren’t much help in a Strike or Raid. Thankfully, Skyburners Annex, a notoriously rare Exotic made common by Xur’s latest inventory, is here to flesh out Hunter’s PvE potency. The helmet’s unique skill, Versatile Shooter, is two-fold. Through it, kills with heavy weapons gain a chance to drop Orbs of Light, and picking up Orbs of Light while your Super is full can generate special ammo for you. Both effects are incredibly useful in all PvE activities; if the Annex isn’t generating supplies for you, it will be making Orbs for your teammates. If only it didn’t make you look like a Cabal. Nevertheless, a good buy.
The Stag: If looks could kill, the entirety of the Darkness would fall before a single Stag-sporting Warlock. The bleach bone helmet is as distinctive as it is intimidating, at least from far away. Up close, the man behind the curtain is painfully noticeable: The Stag is impractical. Its Super-boosting effect is marginal at best, not to mention rare to trigger, and the overshield it occasionally generates on respawn is hardly worth an Exotic slot. If you’re willing to drop 13 Strange Coins on looks, go right ahead. But don’t expect anything else from The Stag. Let’s hope The Ram is granted year two status soon.
Telesto: By some strange coincidence, Destiny was flooded with Telestos following the release of the Three of Coins consumable, before Bungie patched up the dangerously quick methods of cashing them in. I managed to pick up three of the things in a day. There are worse things, though, and inflated or not, Telesto holds up. Its unique ability adds a delay to the traditional point-shoot fusion rifle formula, and with it a powerful explosion.
In essence, Telesto turns each beam of its pronged energy burst into a sticky grenade. So rather than swiss cheese, enemies wind up looking like raspberries—before violently detonating. The initial impact won’t phase enemies, but the explosion will deal the damage you’d expect from a fusion rifle, both to the unfortunate recipient and anything within a few feet. Think of it as a fusion rifle with a slight AoE effect. It’s a powerful Void weapon for Nightfall Strikes, a fun way of racking up multi-kills in miscellaneous PvE (which also generate Orbs of Light thanks to Telesto’s other unique ability), and damn pretty to look at. Telesto isn’t fit for anything PvP, but it deserves a spot in any Exotic collection.
