Destiny 2 Season 21 Exotic Armor Changes Revealed, ST0PM-EE5 and Starfire Protocol Nerfed

Bungie’s latest TWAB details the changes coming to certain exotic armors when season 21 goes live later this month. There will be 24 exotic armors getting reworked with some famous go-to armors like the Hunter’s ST0MP-EE5’s or the infamous Starfire Protocol of the Warlock getting a nerf. There are some winners as well, like the buff to the Titan’s Eternal Warrior exotic. 

There’s a lot to take in as this could shift the meta for both PvP and PvE for all three classes in the game. 

Here’s a quick rundown of each exotic that will be changed when Season of the Deep goes live on May 23. 

Destiny 2 Season 21 Hunter Exotic Armor Changes

SEALED AHAMKARA GRASPS 

This Exotic will now reload the magazine of all of your weapons when you defeat a target with your powered melee, and for 5 seconds after dealing melee damage you gain increased movement speed and jump height. 

ATHRYS’S EMBRACE 

Gain additional strength while the Exotic’s Weighted Knife damage bonus is active. 

OATHKEEPER 

When fully drawn, Bows gain a bonus to damage against combatants that increases as you hold the draw but deactivates after a few seconds.

RAIJU’S HARNESS 

When deactivating your Arc Staff Super, you create a blinding explosion that temporarily increases your Arc weapon damage. However, blocking with Whirlwind Guard will no longer consume energy more slowly.

RADIANT DANCE MACHINES 

Kills while your free dodge is active extend the duration of free dodging. No longer deactivates when you get too far away from enemies. Deactivates after using Suspending Slam. 

ST0MP-EE5 

Removed airborne effectiveness penalties. You only gain increased speed, slide distance, and improved jumping while your dodge energy is full. 

MASK OF BAKRIS 

Changed to use a tier-4 non-stacking weapon damage bonus (which behaves the same as the non-stacking damage bonuses provided by Surge mods). Damage bonus increased in PvE from 10% to 25%, and now grants a 6% bonus to weapon damage in PvP. No longer stacks with Surge leg armor mods, but provides a larger bonus than can be achieved with 3 such mods equipped.

Destiny 2 Season 21 Titan Exotic Armor Changes

POINT-CONTACT CANNON BRACE 

Lightning strikes now jolt targets. Increased PvE damage per lightning bolt from 50 to 200. Being amplified now increases the damage of the lightning strikes by 50% instead of extending their range. 

NO BACKUP PLANS 

This is a complete rework, replacing the old functionality entirely. Now provides a moderate benefit to the airborne effectiveness and reload speed of Shotguns. While you have a Void overshield, Shotguns deal additional damage and Shotgun final blows refresh your overshield. While using a Void subclass, rapid Shotgun final blows or defeating a powerful enemy with a Shotgun grants you a Void overshield and kicks off your health regeneration

SECOND CHANCE 

Shield throw melee now weakens enemies. Stunning a Barrier Champion with your shield throw melee grants a single full melee charge. 

STRONGHOLD 

Replaced the healing from blocking shots precisely with significant damage reduction (50% in PvE, 10% in PvP) while blocking with a Sword. When you stop blocking, gain restoration x2, with a duration that increases based on the number of shots you blocked. 

ETERNAL WARRIOR 

Rapid takedowns with an Arc weapon grant an escalating bonus to Arc weapon damage, using the same non-stacking damage bonuses used by Surge mods. This can go all the way up to the tier-4 damage bonus, granting a damage bonus of 25% in PvE and 6% in PvP, providing a larger bonus than can be achieved with three Surge mods equipped. While at the tier-4 damage bonus, Arc kills refresh the bonus’s duration. After your Fist of Havoc Super ends, you gain the tier-4 damage bonus. 

KHEPRI’S HORN 

The Solar damage wave now scorches targets. 

PATH OF THE BURNING STEPS 

Changed to use the non-stacking weapon damage bonuses used by Surge mods. This can go all the way up to the tier-4 damage bonus, granting a damage bonus of 25% in PvE and 6% in PvP, providing a larger bonus than can be achieved with three Surge mods equipped. While at the tier-4 damage bonus, Solar kills refresh the bonus’s duration. Becoming encased immediately grants you the tier-4 damage bonus. 

DUNEMARCHERS 

Reduced the range of the chain damage from 20m to 12m and PvP damage from 85 to 50

Destiny 2 Season 21 Warlock Exotic Armor Changes

VESPER OF RADIUS 

Your rifts emit an Arc shockwave every 5 seconds that deals damage (200 in PvE and 70 in PvP). Enemies defeated by these shockwaves explode for an additional 100 damage and, if you have an Arc subclass equipped, also blind nearby enemies. 

CHROMATIC FIRE 

Increased the radius and damage of the explosion created by precision Kinetic takedowns. The explosion also applies a status effect to targets damaged by it, depending on which subclass you have equipped: blind (Arc), scorch (Solar), slow (Stasis), sever (Strand), weaken (Void). 

DAWN CHORUS 

Daybreak projectile’s damage bonus has been increased and no longer is reliant on the enemy being scorched. 

SANGUINE ALCHEMY 

Standing in a rift grants a non-stacking bonus to weapon damage matching your subclass damage type. This damage bonus is the equivalent of 2 Surge leg mods (17% PvE and 4.5% PvP). 

CLAWS OF AHAMKARA 

Powered melee kills create an Orb of Power. When Heavy Handed mods are equipped, increases the potency of the orb spawned (no more than 1 orb can be spawned per enemy takedown). 

MANTLE OF BATTLE HARMONY 

Weapon bonus damage changed to tier-4 when Super is fully charged, increasing damage bonus in PvE from 20% to 25% and reducing the damage bonus from 15% to 6% in PvP. No longer stacks with Surge leg armor mods, but provides a larger bonus than can be achieved with three such mods equipped. Damage bonus only applies to weapons that match your subclass damage type, and now stacks with Empowering Rift and other similar damage bonuses. Extended base duration of this bonus from 6 seconds to 10 seconds (PvE) and 3 seconds to 5 seconds (PvP). 

OPHIDIAN ASPECT 

Removed the extended melee range. 

PROMETHIUM SPUR 

Grants Rift energy for any Solar weapon takedown, with more energy granted for Solar weapon takedowns while standing in a rift. Also, you now have to be standing in a rift when you get a final blow for the Exotic to consume your class ability energy and create a rift at the target’s location.

STARFIRE PROTOCOL 

Reduced the amount of energy gained per instance of damage from 20% to 2.5%. Empowered weapon kills now grant 20% grenade energy. 

This isn’t the only major change coming in Season 21. Bungie also revealed the class abilities that will be changed next season, such as a nerf to Titan’s shoulder charge or a buff to all roaming Supers.

---