Destiny 2: Xur Exotic Armor, Weapon, and Recommendations for January 7

With the Dawning now over, it's back to business as usual for Destiny 2. Thankfully, Bungie's 30th Anniversary Update content is still live, without any end in site. With only a little over a month left before Witch Queen arrives, players can certainly spend these next few weeks running activities like Dares of Eternity event as well as the premium dungeon Grasp of Avarice so score better rolls of the various weapons and gear.

While this week also saw the return of the Lake of Shadows Nightfall strike, things are a bit different than Bungie likely intended. Recently, the studio updated the strike to make the final boss encounter tougher as Lake of Shadows is wildly regarded as an easy and very fast strike to clear. However, after a few runs, players have found that the boss Grask seems to have accidentally been nerfed with less health overall. Clearly this is an accident and will likely be patched sooner than later.

As it is Friday, the Destiny 2 exotic merchant Xur has once again returned to the game with a slew of new items for purchase. Follow this guide for his most current weekend location, news on his exotic cypher quest, as well as a review of all the exotic gear he's brought for the weekend of January 7, 2022.

Where is Xur?

This weekend, players will need to head to the Tower hangar to find Xur overlooking the snowy mountains.

From the default landing zone, immediately head to the left and following the path down into the Hangar. After entering the hangar, head left again past Arach Jalaal and his Dead Orbit crew and up a metal stair case. Xur is standing on a metal platform at the back of this room overlooking the mountain ranges below.

Class Armor and Exotic Cypher

In Season of the Lost, Xur's role has expanded as the exotic merchant has weekly quests, exotics, and legendary gear. Not only are these quests required to purchase a second fated engram, but they're necessary to acquire legacy exotic gear from the Tower kiosk. Players can earn a new cypher by completing strikes and winning crucible or gambit matches. Gain bonus points for playing with clanmates or finishing more challenging activities.

With Season 15, Xur is now selling even more gear outside of his usual content. In addition to his normal exotic gear, Xur now has Legendary Weapons and Armor for sale in exchange for Legendary Shards and Glimmer. Better yet, the stat rolls are pretty solid on the Black Armor gear for this week.

Exotic Armor

Ophidian Asepct - Warlock gauntlet

This armor is subclass neutral item that enhances combat ability through its perk, Cobra Totemic. With it, players can ready weapons and reload them much faster than normal. In addition, it also extends the Warlock melee range.

Ultimately, these are solid exotics because they help improve the combat of the game, especially in PvP activities. Having extended melee range is also beneficial for many Warlock subclasses, especially players who like using Devour. This item did receive a buff inside of the Season 10 update which gave them an increased lunge range for all Warlock melee attacks even if the ability is on cool down. The stat roll this week is also extremely high at 66, so it may be worth upgrading.

Arc Enhanced. Stat Values:

Mobility +3
Resilience +22
Recovery +7
Discipline +2
Intellect +20
Strength +12

Shinobu's Vow - Hunter gauntlets

For those who missed it back in September, Shinobu's Vow is back in stock for Hunters. New Tricks is the Intrinsic Perk on this armor, essentially giving Arcstriders an extra skip grenade (as long as that is selected as the grenade type). In addition, the perk improves the grenade and any damage done to enemies will return a bit of grenade energy. It's worth keeping in mind that the item was tweaked for PvP game modes, which reduced grenade-energy gain per hit by 66%.

Having an extra grenade is always a good thing regardless of the activity, though this one has very specific requirements and won't appeal to every Hunters. This can be a powerful tool for Arcstriders who have Skip grenades equipped, though they'd have to opt not to use the Raiden Flux exotic, which increases the damage and duration of the Arcstrider super. Whether that trade off is worth it is up to the player. There are certainly better options out there, but if used correctly, this item can ensure that skip grenade players always have something to throw.

Arc Enhanced. Stat Values:

Mobility +3
Resilience +20
Recovery +9
Discipline +12
Intellect +16
Strength +2

Synthoceps - Titan gauntlets

The Synthoceps feature Biotic Enhancements, the item's intrinsic perk, which not only buffs melee range, but also damage when the player is surrounded by enemies. Similar to the Hunter's exotic gauntlets Liar's Handshake, this item can make Titan players very powerful.

While it may not be the best Titan exotic, it's no doubt a fun one to play around with especially in this current season. Similar to the Warlock's Felwinter's Helm exotic, many of the seasonal mods and Warmind Cells can result in room clearing damage when paired with this gear. Ultimately, it's not a required purchase by any means, though it may be worth it for those who want to mess around and have a bit of fun. The roll is fine this week, coming in right between the Warlock and Hunter exotics in terms of total stats.

Solar Enhanced. Stat Values:

Mobility +6
Resilience +18
Recovery +8
Discipline +20
Intellect +2
Strength +9

Exotic Weapon

After being on sale back in November, the grenade launcher Fighting Lion is available once more. Its intrinsic perk is called Delayed Gratification, allowing players to hold the trigger and then release it to detonate the grenade. The grenades can also bounce off surfaces, allowing for some very tricky shots. Its trait is Thin the Herd which makes direct hits do more damage to shields, while rapid kills to grenade damaged enemies refill the magazine. Finally, kills with this weapon always drop primary ammo.

Destiny 2 Fighting Lion Iron Banner Ornament

The biggest thing this weapon has going for it is that it doesn't take up a heavy slot like most Grenade launchers. Instead it sits in the energy slot, freeing up players to continue using a legendary heavy weapon of their choice. This is also a weapon that likely won't be for everyone as its delayed detonation requires a bit of skill to fully master. However, for those who can get the hang of it, the gun can be very rewarding and fun to use.

Additional perks: