The heroic version of Destiny’s King’s Fall raid is now live and Trials of Osiris is set to return next weekend. A new exotic would be mighty tasty right about now. And we all know the best way to get exotics: throw hours at Destiny’s loot mechanics in pursuit of a specific piece, inevitably give up, move on and find it randomly a week later. As a more straightforward alternative, we have Xur, who today once again returned to the Tower with a sack full of exotic armor. Unfortunately, he also once again slept through his Friday alarm and left the house without an exotic weapon and his hair a mess. What can you do?
For this, the weekend of October 23, all we really can do is stare in awe at how slim the pickings are. I’ve seen apple cores with more on them than Xur’s latest grab-bag. But I digress. Here’s all you need to know about spending your strange coins this weekend:
Empyrean Bellicose: Have you ever seen a Sunsinger Warlock use the skill “Angel of Light,” which allows the user to hover briefly in place after aiming their weapon in mid-air, during a Crucible match? I have. Several times, in fact. And I shot all of them in the head.
Indeed, there is a strong correlation between using Angel of Light and the likelihood of having your skull rearranged by a sniper rifle. Or anything else for that matter. Hovering mid-air also makes you a magnet for enemy fire in PvE activities, after all. Even outside the Crucible the skill is just a floaty form of suicide. So why on earth would you want that skill on your Titan’s helmet? Other than avoiding the Flame Prince’s terrestrial AoE in the Prison of Elders or similar attacks, Angel of Light and, by extension, the Empyrean Bellicose, are not only impractical but counter-intuitive.
Mask of the Third Man: I know we’ve seen this one before. Give me a minute. Oh, yep, there it is; Xur sold it in August, just before the arrival of The Taken King. Funnily enough, not much has changed since then. The Mask of the Third Man is purely added fuel for the Bladedancer’s Arcblade. But it is significant fuel, often doubling the number of attacks you can get out of each super. And with the addition of glass needle-aided exotic reforging, you can also ensure Intellect on your Mask, further synergizing with your super. So, if you want to hear twice as many cries of “OP auto-pilot super” while playing Crucible, give it a go!
Skull of Dire Ahamkara: The only thing the Skull of Dire Ahamkara and its sister item, the Young Ahamkara’s Spine, have made me want to do is fight an actual Ahamkara. They’re apparently pretty talkative, and judging by their bones, extravagantly built. Destiny could use a beast like that. What it cannot use is more redundant exotics like the apparently dire Skull.
Even in its year two form, the Skull of Dire Ahamkara is a waste of an exotic slot. Its unique skill, “Delusions of Grandeur,” grants you increased defense while actively casting Nova Bomb, as well as improved siphon abilities. The former effect is nearly worthless considering you already gain increased defense while casting Nova Bomb; at the very least, it is far outclassed by the Apotheosis Veil, which instantly heals you upon casting any super. And those improved siphon abilities? They extend the duration of any buffs triggered by your special melee attacks by roughly 60 percent. In other words, you get three extra seconds of grenade and/or melee cooldown. That’s hardly worth an exotic. Pass.
