Destiny: Is That Worth Buying

Crest of Alpha Lupi

• 110 Intellect

Intellect is exactly the stat you want, no matter what Titan class you’re rocking. At 310 Defense, you can potentially see up to 124 of this stat, but 110 is nothing to frown at at only 280 Defense. Strength is a great pinch of a secondary stat for Sunbreakers and Defenders.

Worth Buying?

The Crest of Alpha Lupi is the perfect example of a very good, but very boring Exotic. As a “Keeper of the Pack” Exotic, it’s roll is all about team synergy. Your first Super “orb move” will grant you an extra orb – making the cap one higher overall. Defenders will make 3 with WoD, Sunbreakers will spawn 2 with the first significant Hammer kill, and Strikers will pop one more when they shake the earth.

Aside from this, you’ll be able to resurrect teammates with lightning speed, and they you. One of these perks is excellent for PvE, and both are quite good for PvP. Arguably, revive speed is less important in PvE these days, with Nightfall having the 30 second hard cap, but orb generation is more helpful than ever. For Sunbreakers, that’s 20% more orbs; for Defenders, 50%. These are non-trivial. For team play, Crest of Alpha Lupi gets a deserved A tier. Solo players will want to avoid it, full stop.

Twist Fate? Yes

Your goal here is to land the Armor pairing you want – either Solar or Void, and Sniper Rifle Ammo, if you’re interested in playing the meta. Any splash damage/burn defense you get is icing on the cake, but first things first it to acquire the above.

Young Ahamkara’s Spine

• 68 Discipline
  

Discipline/Intellect is likely what you’ll want from these, so no problems there. At 310 Defense, you could see up to 84 with the high/low roll profile, otherwise expect an even split between Discipline and either stat, capped at 53.

Worth Buying?

These still don’t see a lot of use in PvE, thanks to the superiority of the Nightstalker. The new intrinsic perk adds an extra Tripmine grenade charge, in addition to the usual duration bonus. Gunslingers can do serious damage with Tripmines, and smart placement can control chokepoints where you expect to be flanked.

In power-enabled PvP, there’s hardly a better Gunslinger Exotic at this very moment. I believe I might have gave them an A when I first spotted them, but a high B is more realistic for PvE; they’re a little too one-note, and Nightstalker is just too appealing in Gunslinger’s stead.

Twist Fate? Maybe

The stat spread and Impact Induction is ideal, but your mileage with the reload perks may vary. Scout Rifles like Doom of Chelchis appreciate the buff, but you might be better served with Pulse Rifle for all-around PvP and PvE utility.

Certainly, Shotgun Loader is inferior to its Sniper counterpart for conventional PvE play. Sleeper Simulant fans might even want Fusion Rifle Loader for an overall +DPS boost in boss burn phases. Aim for your reload perk of choice, and the rest is just a bonus; Fastball is guaranteed.

Obsidian Mind

• 49 Intellect
• 50 Strength
  

This is the even-split roll profile, and it’s arguably the lesser of the possible profiles and stat spreads. You’re guaranteed Intellect, and Voidwalkers prize Discipline just a tad above Strength.

Worth Buying?

Obsidian Mind is still the gold standard for Voidwalker, and the main argument for its continued viability in PvE. Stormcaller may have staying power, but Voidwalker is still top of its class for straight-up instant devastation with peerless orb generation. Without the hard cap of 5, you can still have the potential to easily generate 6-7 orbs by targeting a group (8 if you’re extremely lucky), and depending on the number of enemies, you’ll instantly generate a chunk of Super back.

For OM VWs, those little Nightstalker orb sprinklings are even more important, and nothing is music to their ears more than the sound of some Taken spawning in with a Blight: “Oh look, target practice.” I may have equivocated and gone with an A before, but if anything still deserves an S tier for PvE, it’s Obsidian Mind.

Twist Fate? Yes

Remember how good Inverse Shadow was on the stock model? Yeah, you need that again. Infusion is excellent, but if you Twist, aim for Inverse Shadow first, Int/Disc second, and don’t worry about the rest.