This Destiny 2 Class guide will help you understand the fundamentals of Titans, Warlocks, and Hunters, and all their elemental Subclasses. There are currently five Subclasses for each of the Class, each one with their own unique powers that can be mixed and matched to create powerful builds for almost any situation. But, as with a lot of things in Destiny 2, there’s a lot to know and plenty of intricacies when it comes to buildcrafting, so hopefully this guide can help you understand exactly how each Class works and what you can expect from each Subclass. Whether you’re a New Light or even an experienced player looking to branch out, I’ve got the essential information on the Destiny 2 Classes and Subclasses below.
All Destiny 2 Classes
- How Classes and Subclasses work in Destiny 2
- Destiny 2 Titan guide
- Destiny 2 Hunter guide
- Destiny 2 Warlock guide
How Destiny 2 Classes and Subclasses work
After you’ve chosen your Destiny 2 Class, you also get access to several elemental Subclasses that represent a specific power of Light or Darkness and are unique to each Class. These are Solar, Arc, Void, Stasis, and Strand. Stasis can only be unlocked if you own the Destiny 2 Beyond Light expansion and Strand can only be unlocked if you own Destiny 2 Lightfall.
For each Subclass, you can equip one powerful Super ability, one defensive Class ability, one Jump ability, one Grenade ability, and one Melee ability to use as you play Destiny 2. Each Subclass gets one unique Super ability and Melee ability, although some Subclasses have multiple to choose from. However, all Subclasses of the same element type share the same set of Grenade abilities, and all Subclasses for the same Class share the same jump types and Class abilities – although some Subclasses get extra options for these.
As well as your core abilities, you can also unlock and equip two Aspects. These are extra powers and passive benefits that are unique to your Subclass. Each Aspect also provides several slots for Fragments which are additional improvements for your abilities that can also come with bonuses or penalties to your statistics. Fragments are not Class-specific, so for Subclasses of the same element, you’ll find the same available Fragments.
Learn all about the best Destiny 2 Exotics that you can equip in your loadouts
Each Subclass element also has its own suite of keywords that apply buffs and status effects to you, your allies, or enemies. Certain abilities, Aspects, and Fragments allow you to apply these effects in particular ways, or gain additional benefits when active or applied. These keywords range from extra damage with Jolt, Scorch, and Volatile, buffing yourself and allies with Radiant, Woven Mail, and Overshield, or debuffing your enemies with Blind, Freeze, and Suspend.
Freely choose different combinations of these abilities, Aspects, and Fragments for each of your Subclasses to create specialized and powerful builds. You can then go even further by adding in an appropriate Exotic weapon and armor piece, and slotting in all sorts of armor mods. Once you’re happy with your build, save it to a Loadout slot along with any other builds and you can switch to your favorite or the one that’s best suited for an activity at any time.
However, if you want to switch to a different Class (Warlock to Hunter, for example) you’ll have to create an additional character and unlock their Subclasses, Aspects, and Fragments again. You can have only three characters at a time in Destiny 2, so that’s enough for one of each Class.
Destiny 2 Titan overview
Destiny 2 Titan Class
Titans are the closest Destiny 2 gets to a tank class. They can provide both devastating power and solid defenses through their various abilities. Titans need to be on the frontline using their Barricade Class ability to provide decent cover, soak up damage, and battle the enemy up close with their especially potent Melee abilities. As a Titan, you’ll also get to wear a Titan Mark as your Class Item armor piece.
Titan Class Ability – Barricade
- Towering Barricade: A large wall of Light that blocks incoming damage.
- Rally Barricade: A waist-high wall that that can be peeked over by aiming your weapon when crouched nearby. Firing from this position also increases reload speed, stability, and range.
- Thruster: Quickly dash laterally while on the ground. This is exclusive to the Striker Subclass.
- Resilience affects the cooldown time of your Barricade. Higher Resilience means a faster cooldown!
Titan Jump Ability – Lift
Lift is activated by pressing X on PlayStation and A on Xbox while in the air. Quickly double-tap the button to launch upwards and get the most height. Activating Lift while falling will cause you to decelerate but will not increase your height.
- High Lift: Trades distance and in-air control for height.
- Strafe Lift: Gain finer directional control at the cost of height.
- Catapult Lift: A balance between height and control but with a strong initial burst of momentum for extra speed.
Sunbreaker Titan Solar Subclass
Try these Destiny 2 Solar builds for Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans
The Sunbreaker Titan Subclass is all about using flaming hammers to bring fiery devastation to the battlefield. Hammer of Sol is one of the Sunbreaker’s Supers and it allows you to toss out exploding hammers for a limited time. If one big flaming hammer is more your style, you’ll want to use the Burning Maul Super instead to smash the ground and create fire cyclones and whirl around, bashing anything in your path.
Enhance your Solar abilities with the Sol Invictus Aspect which causes Solar Ability kills, Hammer of Sol hits, and defeated scorched targets to create a Sunspot – stand inside this towering flame to boost your ability regeneration rate, extend the duration of your Super, and slowly heal. You can also use the Consecration Aspect to get an extra melee attack that causes you to launch into a hammer uppercut and then slam down to the ground, creating waves of fire.
Striker Titan Arc Subclass
As a Striker Titan, you’ll be using your Arc-empowered fists to deal lightning damage up close. This is exemplified by Fists of Havoc – a Super ability that allows Titans to sprint around, bashing foes with a lightning shoulder charge and slamming the ground to create a large electrical blast. Alternatively, you can use Thundercrash if you want to become an Arc missile and fly through the air, creating a huge Arc explosion wherever you see fit to land your fists.
For when you’re not using your Super or one the three available Melee abilities, the Knockout Aspect empowers your regular melee attacks with extra damage and range after you break an enemy’s shield or critically wound an enemy. If you want added protection while charging around, the Juggernaut Aspect provides you with a front-facing shield while sprinting.
Sentinel Titan Void Subclass
Sentinel Titans are the enduring defenders in Destiny 2. You can fulfil your Captain America fantasies with the Sentinel Shield Super, turning your defensive shield into a beating implement that you can charge around with an toss at enemies. For maximum defense, Sentinels also get the Ward of Dawn Super, which is a temporary, static bubble that provides a powerful weapon damage buff.
One Void Aspect you can equip to augment your Sentinel abilities is Controlled Demolition, which causes enemies struck with Void abilities to become Volatile, meaning they’ll explode if they take extra damage. If you’re looking to support your team more directly, you’ll want the Bastion Aspect to provide Overshields for you and nearby allies whenever you cast your Super or Barricade.
Behemoth Titan Stasis Subclass
As the first Destiny 2 Darkness Subclass for Titans, the Behemoth is an unstoppable force that crashes through Stasis Crystals with ease. Behemoths get to lunge forward with a rock-solid Stasis gauntlet for their Shiver Strike Melee ability. But the Glacial Quake Super takes this up a level, providing high damage resistance and the ability to create a wave of Stasis crystals, freezing anything in the way. Furthermore, your Shiver Strike is beefed up with extra damage and a shorter cooldown for non-stop punching.
For added crystal-smashing power, the Cryoclasm Aspect enhances a Behemoth Titan’s slide with extra speed and distance, and the ability to smash through Stasis crystals and shatter frozen enemies. Tectonic Harvest pairs nicely as it allows you to reap the benefits of destroying crystals with Stasis shards which grant a bit of Melee ability energy when collected.
Berserker Titan Strand Subclass
With the powers of Strand from Lightfall, Titans can use bladed arms to Suspend foes and slice them up with deadly melee strikes. Berserkers normally do this with their Frenzied Blade Melee ability, which causes you to lunge and slash at enemies, but the Bladefury Super dials this up. During Bladefury, you can use a heavy attack to send out to projectiles that deal high damage and Suspend enemies they hit, holding them in place. Frenzied Blade can also be used without a cooldown, and each hit you score increases your attack speed and charges up your next heavy attack.
Continue Suspending foes outside your Super with the Drengr’s Lash Aspect, which sends out a Suspending projectile as you deploy your Barricade ability. And for added damage resistance, the Into The Fray Aspect causes you and your allies to gain the Woven Mail buff whenever you cast your Super or destroy a Tangle.
Destiny 2 Hunter overview
Destiny 2 Hunter Class
Hunters are Destiny 2’s swift and agile Class. With nimble movements and an array of lethal trap abilities, these assassin-like characters can cause chaos in combat. Hunters can perform capably at almost any range in Destiny 2, using their Dodge Class ability to evade any kind of danger, be it surrounding enemies or enemy sniper fire. Hunters also get to wear a Cloak as their Class Item armor piece, which usually consists of a hood with a long cape.
Hunter Class Ability – Dodge
- Marksman’s Dodge: An evasive roll that also fully reloads your currently held weapon.
- Gambler’s Dodge: An evasive roll that, when performed near enemies, fully recharges your Melee ability.
- Acrobat’s Dodge: An evasive flip that applies the Radiant buff to yourself and nearby allies. This is exclusive to the Gunslinger Subclass.
- Mobility affects the cooldown time of your Dodge. Higher Mobility means a faster cooldown!
Hunter Jump Ability – Double Jump
Double Jump is activated by pressing X on PlayStation and A on Xbox while in the air. For maximum height, you’ll want to Double Jump as you reach the apex of your normal jump. You still gain height from your Double Jump even if you’re falling and it can be used to break the fall.
- High Jump: Your extra jump boosts you vertically into the air.
- Strafe Jump: Trade height for extra control. Changing your movement direction input as you activate your second jump moves you in that new direction.
- Triple Jump: Gain another extra jump, allowing you to jump twice in the air. The jumps are relatively balanced in terms of height and in-air controle.
- Blink: A unique, short-range teleporting jump that is exclusive to the Arcstrider Subclass for Hunters.
Gunslinger Hunter Solar Subclass
Gunslinger Hunters in Destiny 2 are experts with ranged weaponry, making use of Solar-empowered throwing knives and Hand Cannons. Summon the deadly Golden Gun Super to deliver blazing bullets in either of its two variants – the fast-shooting Deadshot and the more precise Marksman. If knives are more your thing, the Blade Barrage Super sends out two volleys of flaming knives that shred through enemies and then explode for more damage.
With the Knock ‘Em Down Aspect, you can enhance your Solar Supers to make them last longer and perform even better, allowing you to deal even more damage. There’s also the Gunpowder Gamble Aspect if you want more explosives for your Hunter as it lets you charge up and toss out an improvised explosive that can be shot out the air to create a huge explosion.
Arcstrider Hunter Arc Subclass
The Arcstrider Hunter Subclass is excellent for staying agile and striking with lethal, lightning-fast hits. The Arc Staff Super allows Arcstriders to move acrobatically and execute simple melee combos for solid damage. If you prefer the staff out of your hands, you can throw it out with the Gathering Storm Super, creating an area of deadly lightning strikes wherever the staff lands – it can even impale big boss enemies and will move as they do!
With the Tempest Strike Aspect, you can perform a deadly uppercut using your staff by activating your Melee ability while sliding. The uppercut releases an Arc wave that Jolts enemies it hits, setting up great chain reactions. For some passive buffs, the Flow State Aspect allows you to become Amplified by defeating a Jolted enemy, and while you’re Amplified, you benefit from, faster reloads, increased damage resistance while Dodging, and a shorter Dodge cooldown.
Nightstalker Hunter Void Subclass
The Nightstalker Void Subclass for Hunters has the ultimate trapper and assassin skillset with tethers, smoke bombs, and invisibility powers. The Shadowshot Super allows you to fire an arrow that creates a Void Anchor trap that tethers nearby enemies, weakening and suppressing them. It also comes in two flavors: Deadfall, which fires one long-lasting anchor that covers a large area, or Moebius Quiver, which fires two volleys of three seeking arrows that make targets Volatile. However, you can use Spectral Blades instead, which allows you to go invisible and see enemies through walls as you prowl and slice up unsuspecting foes.
To enhance your Nightstalker abilities, you can choose the Vanishing Step Aspect, which allows you to become invisible simply by dodging – great for getting out of a bad situation. To get more out of your Smoke Bomb Melee ability, choose the Trapper’s Ambush Aspect, which lets you dive down to the ground from the air to release a large smoke cloud, weakening enemies caught inside and turning allies invisible.
Revenant Hunter Stasis Subclass
Destiny 2 Hunters can embrace Stasis with the Revenant Subclass to immobilize enemies with ice-cold abilities and even create an entire blizzard. The Super Ability, Silence and Squall, launches a pair of kama blades, with the first instantly Freezing enemies it hits, while the second creates a Stasis storm that tracks towards enemies, applies Slow, and destroys Frozen foes. A pair of Withering Blades for their Melee ability can also be tossed out to Slow and shred through weaker enemies.
Once you’ve Slowed and Frozen a bunch of enemies, you can use the in-air dive ability from the Shatterdive Aspect to Shatter nearby Frozen targets and Stasis Crystals as you hit the ground. To enhance your evasive capabilities with extra slowing power, the Winter’s Shroud Aspect causes your Dodge ability to Slow nearby enemies.
Threadrunner Hunter Strand Subclass
the Threadrunner Subclass is arguably the most mobile in the game, allowing you to swing around and destroy the enemy with ranged rope dart attacks. Threadrunners can toss out a Threaded Spike dart as their Melee ability which returns to its owner and can be caught out of the air. Activate the Silkstrike Super ability, and you’ll weave a full rope dart that you can use to stab individuals from surprisingly far, or slash at clusters of foes with a wide, sweeping attack.
With the Widow’s Silk Aspect, you can also use your Grapple more effectively than any of the other Strand Subclasses. It grants an additional Grenade charge and wherever you Grapple, a special Tangle is created, which instantly recharges your Grapple for you and any allies that grapple to it. You could also use Threaded Specter to leave behind a woven decoy of yourself when you Dodge. Enemies that take the bait will get hit by a Strand explosion and several Threadlings as your decoy unravels!
Destiny 2 Warlock overview
Destiny 2 Warlock Class
Warlocks are the chaotic spellcasters of Destiny 2 and employ plenty of space magic to destroy their foes and benefit from unique powers. Certain Warlock Subclasses also allow them to fulfil a much more supportive role, providing healing or AI companions for a little extra firepower. For example, their Rift Class ability grants either continuous healing or a buff to weapon damage for any allies standing within. Warlocks don a Bond on their arm as their Class Item armor piece.
Warlock Class Ability – Rift
- Healing Rift: Create an area on the ground that continuously heals you and any allies that are inside it.
- Empowering Rift: Create an area on the ground that boosts weapon damage for you and any allies that are inside it.
- Recovery affects the cooldown time of your Rift. Higher Recovery means a faster cooldown!
Warlock Jump Ability – Glide
Glide is activated by pressing X on PlayStation and A on Xbox while in the air. To get the most height out of Glide, you need to double-tap the button to immediately launch yourself upwards. Activating Glide while falling will slow your fall substantially but will not increase your height.
- Strafe Glide: Offers the most directional control while gliding at the cost of speed.
- Burst Glide: Gain a strong initial burst of speed, allowing you to travel and rise faster but at the cost of in-air control.
- Balanced Glide: A mix of moderate initial speed and in-air control.
- Blink: A unique, short-range teleporting jump that is exclusive to the Voidwalker Subclass for Warlocks.
Dawnblade Warlock Solar Subclass
With this Solar Subclass, Warlocks can rain fire from above or provide powerful healing and other buffs to support their fireteam. The Daybreak Super Ability lets you soar through the air and launch fire projectiles from a flaming sword. For team support, choose the Well of Radiance Super instead, which creates an aura of constant healing, damage resistance, and boosted weapon damage for you and your allies to benefit from.
Use the Touch of Flame Aspect to make your Solar Grenade abilities even more potent, especially the Solar Grenade which can spit out blobs of lava for extra damage, or the Fusion Grenade which explodes twice. Gain air superiority with the Heat Rises Aspect which allows you to attack while gliding and consume your Grenade ability to extend your glide and remain in the air with the Heat Rises buff.
Stormcaller Warlock Arc Subclass
Destiny 2 Warlock Stormcallers make use of chaotic Arc abilities that can chain to enemies and deal lots of damage. One of the best ways of dealing with groups of foes is the Stormtrance Super ability, which lets Warlocks shoot chaining lightning from their hands. Alternatively, you can convert all that Arc energy into a concentrated beam with Chaos Reach, which can melt through tougher enemies with additional lightning strikes.
For some extra assistance, use the Arc Soul Aspect to get a little Arc Soul buddy for a limited time after casting your Rift ability – allies also get an Arc Soul just by passing through your Rift! This companion periodically shoots out volleys of Arc bolts at enemies and becomes supercharges when your Amplified, causing it to fire faster. If you want to take your Melee ability to the next level, the Lightning Surge Aspect allows you to launch into a teleport attack by activating your Melee ability while sliding. This teleports you towards enemies and releases deadly Arc lighting strikes.
Voidwalker Warlock Void Subclass
The Voidwalker Subclass for Warlocks has a strong emphasis on all-out destruction and cosmic explosions. One of the main ways this is achieved is through the Nova Bomb Super Ability. You can hurl out a slow-moving Cataclysm Nova Bomb that tracks enemies and fractures into smaller projectiles after detonating, or lob a faster Vortex Nova Bomb that explodes and leaves a damaging vortex behind. However, there’s also Nova Warp, which lets you teleport around and charge up Void eruptions that you can release to blow up enemies and make them Volatile.
To enhance your Voidwalker powers, you can use the Child of the Old Gods Aspect to create a Void Soul when you create a Rift. This Void companion seeks enemies you target then Weakens them and drains their health while also granting you Ability energy or healing. However, if you’re hungry for more direct healing, the Feed the Void Aspect makes all Void Ability kills activate the Devour buff, which fully heals you after any final blow and extends the buff’s duration.
Shadebinder Warlock Stasis Subclass
Using the Destiny 2 Shadebinder Stasis Subclass, Warlocks can instantly Freeze foes at all ranges and Shatter them to pieces. The Winter’s Wrath Super ability is the ultimate method of delivering sub-zero harm, as bolts of Stasis fired from the icy staff instantly freeze enemies on contact. Follow up with a shockwave to Shatter any Frozen enemies nearby. You can still use your Stasis staff outside of the Winter’s Wrath with the Penumbral Blast Melee ability, which fires out a single Stasis bolt.
Shadebinder Warlocks get several great Aspects to choose from, including the Iceflare Bolts Aspect, which spawns Stasis seekers whenever you Shatter a Frozen target. These Stasis Seekers can chain around freezing even more enemies ripe for breaking into tiny shards. You can also lock down areas by converting your Grenade into a Stasis turret with the Bleak Watcher Aspect - the turret fires Slowing projectiles that can eventually Freeze targets.
Broodweaver Warlock Strand Subclass
Broodweaver Warlocks use Strand to weave deadly swarms, whether that’s in the form of exploding Threadlings and seeking needles. For the best of both worlds, unleash the Needlestorm Super ability to lob a barrage of needles that explode and reform into a swarm of Threadlings for even more explosions! Broodweavers even get a unique passive ability that allows Threadlings to return to their creator and “perch”, ready to be sent out later.
To expand your Threadling clutch even more, use the Weaver’s Call Aspect, which causes you to send out three Threadlings, plus any that you have perched, as you create your Rift – that means you can send out up to eight at once. Pair this with The Wanderer Aspect to improve Tangles further by making them stick to enemies and detonate with a Suspending blast and let Threadling kills create Tangles too.
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