Each Legendary armor set introduced to Destiny 2 after The Edge of Fate comes with two set bonuses: two-piece and four-piece. While most armor set bonuses are designed for a specific weapon type, ability, or subclass, there are a few that perform well in any environment.
Here are the best generalist armor sets for PvE in Destiny 2.
Quick summary
- The best survivability armor sets are Exodus Down and CODA.
- The best utility armor sets are Atheon’s Memory, Iron Battalion, and Yearning Echo.
- There are also great sets to lean into subclass synergy for each Light and Dark subclass.
Best PvE armor set bonuses in Destiny 2
Exodus Down
- Two-piece bonus (Emergency Electromagnet) : When your shields become broken, collect all nearby Orbs of Power and ammo bricks.
- Four-piece bonus (Repurposed Charge) : Whenever you gain, lose, or spend an Armor Charge, heal and gain damage reduction for a short time. This effect scales with the amount of Armor Charge gained, lost, or spent.
- Source : Nessus
The Exodus Down is the best set to increase any build’s survivability. On top of the healing and up to 35 percent damage resistance, you also collect Orbs of Power with the two-piece bonus, allowing you to trigger Fragments and/or Artifact mods.
CODA
- Two-piece bonus (Between Poles) : Final blows with Light weapons grants stacks of Light Polarity, which grants Grenade stat. Final blows with Darkness or Kinetic weapons grants stacks of Dark Polarity, which grants stacks of Melee stat.
- Four-piece bonus (So Very Thin) : Final blows with Light weapons grants additional grenade energy. Final blows with Dark or Kinetic weapons grants additional melee energy. Rapid final blows that alternate between Light and Darkness grant a short period of damage resistance.
- Source : Prophecy
CODA is another armor set that grants damage resistance, up to 40 percent. It also grants up to 40 Grenade/Melee stat and additional grenade/melee energy when you land final blows with Light and Dark/Kinetic weapons, respectively. The armor set incentivizes alternating between the damage types, so keep that in mind when choosing weapons for a build.
Atheon’s Memory
- Two-piece bonus (Radiolaria Breach) : After picking up an Orb of Power, the next time your shields are broken, gain a bonus to Health stat for a short duration and release a burst of radiolaria around you.
- Four-piece bonus (Collective Power) : While you have a subclass buff, dealing sustained damage creates an Orb of Power.
- Source : Vault of Glass
Atheon’s Memory set is a great neutral armor set to generate Orbs of Power. Subclass buffs are extremely easy to get, and generating Orbs of Power helps maintain the uptime of your Surge and Font mods. This armor set shines in raids during boss damage phases, especially when there’s more than one on the team.
Iron Battalion
- Two-piece bonus (Primary Honing) : Increases handling and reload speed for Primary ammo weapons. Primary ammo weapons gain increased damage against non-boss combatants based on your Weapons stat.
- Four-piece bonus (Supercyclical) : Final blows while your Super is active refund Super energy when it ends.
- Source : Iron Banner
For Super generation, the Iron Battalion is the best option. The four-piece set bonus returns up to 30 percent Super energy based on the number of kills during your Super (works with Well of Radiance). Most importantly, the energy gains stack with Exotics that refund Super energy, such as Shards of Galanor, allowing for back-to-back Supers.
Yearning Echo
- Two-piece bonus (Untold Greed): Picking up ammo, Orbs of Power, Elemental pickups, or destroying a Strand Tangle grants stacks of Untold Greed, slightly reducing damage taken and providing reload speed to equipped weapons. When your shields are broken, some stacks are lost.
- Four-piece bonus (Overflowing Coffers) : While you have stacks of Untold Greed, Orbs of Power and Elemental pickups provide more of their respective energy, and Strand Tangles deal increased damage. When your shields are broken, all stacks are converted into a fountain of Orbs of Power.
- Source : Grasp of Avarice
Yearning Echo set from Grasp of Avarice is somewhere in between the other sets on the list. It combines 15 percent damage resistance at maximum stacks with Orb of Power generation. It’s a good option when you don’t need much damage resistance and would rather create Orbs (or are looking to make a Strand Tangle build).
Honorable mentions
For any Stasis build, the Seventh Seraph set from Cosmodrome is a must for survivability and additional damage through shattering crystals. Similarly, there’s the Lustrous set from Tenet of Bravery for Solar builds, the Luminopotent set for Arc, and a choice between Nezarec’s Nightmare set from Root of Nightmares or the Eutechnology set from the Portal for Void.
There are many more sets in the game, and there might be one that’s not on the list but suits your build perfectly. For example, if you want a high-damage Solar Warlock melee build, you could use the Apostate’s Blade armor from Pit of Heresy for extra scorch.
FAQ
Are armor sets mandatory for a build in Destiny 2?
Most builds don’t require an armor set to perform, but it’s often the final touch that takes a build from great to perfect.
How long does it take to farm armor sets in Destiny 2?
Grinding a four-piece armor set can take multiple hours, depending on your luck and activity. When farming, make sure to use Ghost mods to get the armor pieces with the right archetype.
Is it worth matching two-piece armor sets?
While there are some two-piece set bonuses that you can match, it’s best to aim for the full set.
