I still remember when Lightfall dropped back in 2023 and Bungie unleashed Strand upon us. The sheer mobility, the suspend shenanigans, the grapple plays—it felt like a completely new game. Now, three years later in 2026, the sandbox has shifted plenty, but a handful of Strand exotics remain as pocket picks for any serious Guardian. I’ve spent countless hours in Grandmaster Nightfalls, Trials, and seasonal activities, and these ten exotics continue to define how I build my Titan, Hunter, and Warlock. Whether you’re just returning or a veteran looking to refresh your loadout, you’ll want to keep these in your vault.

Let’s start with a classic that refuses to fade. Crest of Alpha Lupi has been around since the first Destiny, and you might think a basic chest piece can’t compete with flashy new options. But do you know why it still sees play? It generates an extra orb from Supers and heals you with every barricade cast. In a Strand kit where survivability can be tricky, that healing pulse has saved my life more times than I can count. Pair it with orb-focused mods and you’ll have near-constant ability uptime. I’ve used it in solo flawless dungeons where every scrap of health matters. Nostalgia aside, it just works.

Then there are the Warlock boots that make you feel immortal: Secant Filaments. Ever since Lightfall, these have been my go-to for any endgame PvE. You drop an Empowering Rift and instantly gain Devour, which means every kill fully regenerates your health—as long as you keep the chain going. And if your fireteam struggles with Overload champions, the disruption effect built into this exotic is a godsend. Even in 2026, when Overload mod availability changes, having a guaranteed stun in your back pocket makes Grandmaster runs far less stressful. I’ve watched entire fireteams wipe while I stood in a rift, devouring red bars and shrugging off damage. How often do boots make you the hero? These do.

For Hunters, the dance between The Sixth Coyote and Radiant Dance Machines is still a hot debate. Do you want raw extra dodge charges or the ability to chain dodges near enemies? The Sixth Coyote gives you a second dodge charge—and on Strand, that air dive suspends everything around you. Having two suspends back-to-back is an unparalleled survival tool, especially when you combine it with Strand’s double grapple. You can lock down a room for so long your fireteam will wonder if you’re cheating. I’ve used it in Trials to shut down shotgun rushers by dangling them mid-slide. It never gets old.

Radiant Dance Machines, on the other hand, turn you into a suspend-spamming machine. Dodge near a group, and you can dive repeatedly to freeze waves of adds. It’s less versatile outside suspend builds, but when you want to trivialize a crowded encounter, nothing beats chaining three dives in a row. I ran these during a solo Spire run and the boss room adds became a non-issue. If you have high Mobility to get your dodge back fast, you’ll feel like an untouchable ninja.

Titans, don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten you. Armamentarium grants an extra grenade charge on any subclass, but on Strand it means a second grapple. Suddenly you’re as mobile as a Hunter, flying across maps to deliver devastating grapple melees. In PvP, I’ve caught so many opponents off guard by baiting them into thinking I had already used my grapple, only to swing around and shoulder-charge them from behind. In PvE, it makes you a blur of destruction—launching yourself at Cabal dropships with reckless abandon. Honestly, who needs a trampoline when you have two grapples?

Now let’s talk about the exotic that Bungie had to disable during the Root of Nightmares Day One raid race: Necrotic Grips. These Warlock gloves turn any weapon of sorrow into a plague-spreading machine. The poison damage over time, combined with Osteo Striga, melts waves of red bars in seconds. Even in 2026, where ad density can be insane in newer seasonal content, having a pair of Grips and Osteo lets you clear entire rooms without firing a bullet. I’ve used them in GMs where the poison just keeps spreading after a kill, weakening champions and majors before they even reach us. It’s disgusting in the best way.

For Hunters who love the invis-game, Assassin’s Cowl remains my Strand secret weapon. Why? Because your grapple-melee combo counts as a powered melee kill, which triggers invisibility, full health, and shields. With two grapples (thanks to Threadrunner’s innate extra charge), you can ping-pong across the battlefield, going invisible after every aerial kick. I built mine to generate orbs on melee kills, and with the right mods I can keep my super and abilities flowing endlessly. It’s like being a ghost that never stops healing. The first time I survived a triple-kill in Crucible while invisible and at full health, I knew this combo was forever.

Abeyant Leap for Titans deserves a standing ovation. These boots buff your Drengr’s Lash barricade, shooting out three tracking projectiles instead of one, and any enemy suspended grants you Woven Mail. In PvP, the increased aggression of the projectiles means people can’t just sidestep your barricade; they get caught and are helpless. I’ve locked down capture zones in Control by popping a barricade and watching three opponents float in the air while my team cleans up. In PvE, the damage resistance you get after suspending allows you to play far more aggressively. It’s a masterclass in battlefield control.

If you’re like me and live for the grapple, Cyrtarachne’s Facade is non-negotiable for Hunter. Grappling immediately grants Woven Mail, which at tier ten Resilience gives over 70% damage resistance. You can swing into a sniper lane in Trials, tank a headshot, and still land your shotgun kill. The flinch resistance is the cherry on top—your aim stays steady even under fire. I pair this with a demolitionist weapon and a recovery-focused build, and I become a flying tank. Seriously, how many times have you wished you could survive a bad grapple? This helmet answers that wish.

Finally, for Warlocks who want to unleash chaos with Threadlings, Swarmers are still top-tier. Destroying a Tangle spawns two Threadlings that track and Unravel enemies, which then spawn more Threadlings from the target. It creates a cascading wave of destruction that’s beautiful to watch. In 2026’s meta, Unravel duration can be extended with the Thread of Continuity fragment, keeping the chain going for over seven seconds. I’ve cleared entire Lost Sectors without ever seeing an enemy—just green swarms obliterating everything. In PvP, an Unraveled Guardian can panic as they’re chased by little green nightmares. Swarmers turn you into a Threadling factory, and I’m here for it.

Three years later, Strand’s exotics have proven they’re not just novelties. They’ve become core components of some of the strongest loadouts in Destiny 2. Whether you prefer grapples, suspends, or pure poison, there’s an exotic here that elevates your gameplay. So, which one will you dust off today?