This guide on Destiny 2 Classes aims to provide information on Titans, Warlocks, and Hunters, along with details on their individual elemental Subclasses and abilities. While each of these three Classes possesses their own set of skills such as a unique jump type and defensive Class Ability, it’s the elemental Subclass abilities that make them truly distinctive. Whether you’re a beginner trying to choose your first class or a seasoned player interested in exploring other Classes for your next character, this guide has all the essential information you need on the three Destiny 2 Classes and their respective Subclasses.
All Destiny 2 Classes
Destiny 2 Titan Guide
- Sunbreaker Titan
- Striker Titan
- Sentinel Titan
- Behemoth Titan
Destiny 2 Hunter Guide
- Gunslinger Hunter
- Arcstrider Hunter
- Nightstalker Hunter
- Revenant Hunter
Destiny 2 Warlock Guide
- Dawnblade Warlock
- Stormcaller Warlock
- Voidwalker Warlock
- Shadebinder Warlock
How Destiny 2 Classes and Subclasses Work
The three Classes in Destiny 2 each have four Subclasses that represent elemental powers of Light and Darkness: Solar, Arc, Void, and Stasis. Each Subclass has its own set of Super abilities, Grenades, and Melee powers that enable players to customize their builds and playstyles for various activities and challenges.
The new Subclass system (known as ‘3.0’) is used by all Stasis, Void, and Solar Subclasses, providing players with more flexibility in customizing their builds than the previous system, which offered a fixed set of three skills to choose from. The Arc Subclasses still use the old system but will be updated to the new 3.0 system in a future season. More Darkness Subclasses are also expected to join Stasis in future Destiny 2 expansions.
The 3.0 system introduces unique Aspects for each Subclass, which provide additional powers. While Fragments, which are Class-neutral, can be equipped by all Titans, Hunters, and Warlocks, Aspects are specific to each Subclass. Players can equip up to two Aspects for their Subclass, and each Aspect provides several slots for Fragments that can enhance the player’s capabilities. Players can select the right combination of Aspects and Fragments to customize their build and adapt to different playstyles.
Destiny 2 Subclasses can be easily switched like weapons and armor, but players cannot change their Class without creating additional characters. Each player can have up to three characters at a time, one for each Class, and can read about the Subclasses for each Class below.
Destiny 2 Titan Overview
In Destiny 2, Titans are the class that most closely resembles a tank. They have a variety of abilities that can deal devastating damage or provide strong defenses. To protect their allies, Titans can use their Barricade Class Ability to create cover. However, Titans are also needed on the front lines to engage the enemy and absorb damage for the more vulnerable classes.
Since Titans excel in close combat, their Melee abilities are crucial. Players should prioritize armor with high Strength stats to reduce their Melee Ability cooldown. Additionally, the Titan Class Stat is Resilience, which increases the player’s shield capacity, significantly improves their damage resistance in PvE activities, and decreases the cooldown of their Barricade Class Ability. Therefore, Titans should aim to have high Resilience as well. Lastly, as a Titan, players can equip a Titan Mark as their Class Item armor piece.
Titan Class Ability – Barricade
- Towering Barricade: A large wall of Light that blocks incoming damage. Great for providing cover or extending existing cover to reload, reposition, or hold ground.
- Rally Barricade: A waist-high wall that provides good cover for crouched
- Guardians and allows you to peek over by aiming your weapon. Firing your weapon from this position also increases reload speed, stability, and range.
Titan Jump Ability – Lift
To activate Lift in Destiny 2, players must press the X/A button while in the air. For optimal use of Lift, players should double-tap A/X to activate it immediately. Using Lift while falling will only reduce the speed of the fall and will not increase the height of the player’s jump.
- High Lift: This will boost you high into the air, trading distance and control for height.
- Strafe Lift: Use this Lift option if you want finer mid-air control. It trades height for directional control, which you can use to gain a little extra distance if you hold forward.
- Catapult Lift: Gain a strong burst of momentum as you activate Lift, providing extra speed and a balance of height, control, and distance.
Sunbreaker Titan Solar Subclass
The Sunbreaker Titan Subclass in Destiny 2 is centered around using flaming hammers to wreak havoc on the battlefield. As a Sunbreaker Titan, players can choose between the Throwing Hammer or the Hammer Strike attack for their Melee Ability. For Super Abilities, players can opt for the classic Hammer of Sol, which allows them to throw explosive hammers that deal damage up close or from a distance. Alternatively, they can use the Burning Maul Super Ability to create fire cyclones by smashing the ground or whirling around to strike enemies.
To enhance their Solar abilities, players can use the Sol Invictus Aspect, which generates a powerful Sunspot when they get Solar Ability kills, hits with Hammer of Sol, or defeat scorched targets. Sunspots boost the player’s Ability regeneration rate, slow down the drain of their Super abilities, and heal them while standing inside. Additionally, players can use the Consecration Aspect to gain an extra melee attack that involves an uppercut with the hammer followed by a ground slam, creating waves of fire in the process.
Striker Titan Arc Subclass
Striker Titans in Destiny 2 use their Arc-infused fists to deal lightning damage up close, with their Fists of Havoc Super Ability providing area-of-effect lightning slams. With the Code of the Earthshaker subclass, their Grenade abilities and Fists of Havoc create long-lasting damage effects. The Code of the Juggernaut subclass focuses on activating buffs by punching enemies and extends the duration of Fists of Havoc with each kill. Lastly, the Code of the Missile subclass replaces Fists of Havoc with Thundercrash, a Super Ability that lets Titans hurtle through the air and deliver a blast of Arc energy, while their Ballistic Slam Melee Ability slams them into the ground from the air at high speed.
Sentinel Titan Void Subclass
Sentinel Titans are the primary defenders and frontline combatants in Destiny 2. They possess the Shield Throw Melee Ability, which enables them to throw a ricocheting Void Shield that generates an Overshield with each hit. Additionally, Sentinels have access to two Super Abilities: Ward of Dawn and Sentinel Shield. Ward of Dawn creates a stationary bubble that provides a powerful weapon damage buff, while Sentinel Shield is more offensive, allowing Titans to attack enemies with shield bashes and guard allies to increase their weapon damage.
To enhance your Sentinel abilities, you can equip Void Aspects and Fragments. One Aspect you can use is Controlled Demolition, which causes enemies struck by Void abilities to become Volatile, meaning they’ll explode if they take additional damage. If you prefer to offer more direct support to your team, you can use the Bastion Aspect to generate Overshields for yourself and nearby allies whenever you cast your Super or Barricade.
Behemoth Titan Stasis Subclass
The Behemoth is the first Darkness Subclass for Titans in Destiny 2, and it’s known for being unstoppable. By using the Shiver Strike Melee Ability, Behemoths can lunge at an enemy with a Stasis gauntlet and push them back. The Glacial Quake Super Ability allows Behemoths to slam the ground with the gauntlet and create a wave of Stasis crystals that freeze anything in the way. Glacial Quake also enhances Shiver Strike with extra damage and a shorter cooldown, allowing Titans to break through crystals and deal more damage.
The Cryoclasm Aspect provides Titans with more crystal-smashing power, as it adds a longer slide that can break through Stasis crystals and shatter frozen enemies. Tectonic Harvest Aspect pairs well with Cryoclasm, as it enables Titans to benefit from destroying crystals by granting melee energy when Stasis shards are collected.
Destiny 2 Hunter Overview
Hunters in Destiny 2 are a Class that focuses on dealing with damage while being extremely agile. With their quick movements and a variety of deadly traps and abilities, Hunters can cause chaos on the battlefield. They are capable of fighting effectively at short and long ranges by using their Dodge Class Ability to avoid danger from enemies and snipers.
As a Hunter, it’s essential to prioritize the Mobility armor stat to minimize your Dodge cooldown and enhance your jump height and strafing speed. Hunters possess a flexible set of trapping Melee and Grenade abilities like Smoke Bombs and Tripmines, so having a high Strength or Discipline stat can improve these abilities depending on your preference. The Hunter’s Class Item armor piece is a Cloak that typically features a hood with a long cape.
Hunter Class Ability – Dodge
- Marksman’s Dodge: Perform an evasive roll to quickly avoid danger, while also fully reloading your currently held weapon.
- Gambler’s Dodge: Perform an evasive roll to quickly avoid danger. Doing so near enemies will fully recharge your Melee Ability.
- Acrobat’s Dodge: Perform an evasive flip to avoid danger and apply the Radiant buff to yourself and nearby allies. This is exclusive to the Gunslinger Subclass.
Hunter Jump Ability – Double Jump
To perform a Double Jump in Destiny 2, you need to press the X/A button while airborne. It is recommended to execute the second jump at the highest point of the initial jump to achieve maximum height. Additionally, Double Jump can be used to slow down your descent and avoid taking fall damage.
- High Jump: Your extra jump will boost you vertically into the air.
- Strafe Jump: Trade height for extra control. Changing your movement direction input as you activate Double Jump will allow you to easily change direction.
- Triple Jump: Gain an extra jump, allowing you to jump twice in the air. The jumps are relatively weak but provide a balance of height and agility overall.
Gunslinger Hunter Solar Subclass
Gunslinger Hunters are proficient in ranged combat and deal substantial damage using the Radiant buff. The Gunslinger’s Super Abilities, such as the Golden Gun with Deadshot and Marksman variants, and Blade Barrage with two volleys of flaming knives, make them an expert weapon user. Their throwing knife Melee Abilities, which include an explosive knife and a fan of knives, offer even more ranged options.
With the Knock ‘Em Down Aspect, your Solar Super Abilities can last longer and perform better, increasing your damage output. To add more explosives to your Hunter, try out the Gunpowder Gamble Aspect, which allows you to charge up and throw an improvised explosive that can be shot out of the air to create a large blast. You can also use the Acrobat’s Dodge Class Ability to perform a fancy flip and apply Radiant to yourself and nearby allies.
Arcstrider Hunter Arc Subclass
The Arcstrider Hunter Subclass emphasizes agility and close-range combat. The Arc Staff Super allows Hunters to move quickly and execute simple melee combos that deal significant damage. Way of the Warrior emphasizes the use of Melee and Dodge abilities together for close-range damage. Way of the Wind makes Hunters harder to hit with the Disorienting Blow Melee Ability, increased sprinting speed, and damage resistance while dodging. Way of the Current is centered around Arc attacks, allowing Hunters to deflect projectiles with the Arc Staff and perform a lethal uppercut attack with their Melee Ability during a slide that unleashes a small Arc wave.
Nightstalker Hunter Void Subclass
The Nightstalker Subclass for Hunters in Destiny 2 is a trapping and assassin-based class that has a unique set of abilities to weaken enemies with tether traps and turn invisible. The Shadowshot Super is a powerful skill that fires an arrow that creates a Void Anchor trap, tethering nearby enemies, weakening and suppressing them. The Deadfall variant fires one long-lasting anchor that covers a large area, while the Moebius Quiver variant fires two volleys of three seeking arrows that make targets volatile. The Spectral Blades Super also allows Hunters to turn invisible, but it is not a trapping-based ability like Shadowshot.
To enhance Nightstalker abilities, players can choose the Vanishing Step Void Aspect. This allows players to become invisible simply by dodging, making it an excellent choice for getting out of a bad situation. Alternatively, players can choose the Trapper’s Ambush Aspect to get more use out of their Smoke Bomb Melee Ability. This Aspect allows players to dive to the ground and release a large smoke cloud, which weakens enemies and turns allies invisible.
Revenant Hunter Stasis Subclass
Hunters in Destiny 2 can opt for the Revenant Stasis Subclass, which utilizes the power of darkness to slow enemies and create a freezing blizzard. With the Silence and Squall Super Ability, Revenant Hunters can launch a pair of kama blades that freeze and damage enemies. The Withering Blade shuriken is also available for use as a Melee Ability, which slows and damages enemies.
To enhance their freezing abilities, Revenant Hunters can choose from two Stasis Aspects. The Shatterdive Aspect enables hunters to shatter nearby frozen targets and Stasis crystals when they land from a rapid descent in the air. For improved evasive maneuvers, the Winter’s Shroud Aspect can be used to slow down enemies when using the Dodge Ability. The Touch of Winter Aspect is an alternative for those who prefer Stasis grenades and can help improve their effects.
Destiny 2 Warlock Overview
Warlocks in Destiny 2 are powerful spellcasters who can use a variety of space magic to both deal damage and support their team. In addition to their offensive abilities, certain Warlock Subclasses allow them to provide healing for their team or companions, and their Rift Class Ability is a key part of this support role, providing healing or weapon damage buffs.
In order to maximize their effectiveness, Warlocks benefit greatly from a high Recovery stat, which allows for faster health and shield regeneration and a faster recharge rate for their Rift Class abilities. Additionally, a higher Intellect stat will allow Warlocks to use their powerful Super abilities more frequently. The Warlock’s Class Item armor piece is a Bond worn on their arm.
Warlock Class Ability – Rift
- Healing Rift: Summon a well on the ground that continuously heals you and any allies that are inside it.
- Empowering Rift: Summon a well on the ground that boosts weapon damage for you and any allies that are inside it.
Warlock Jump Ability – Glide
To activate Glide in Destiny 2, players need to press the X/A button while they are in the air. Double-tapping A/X will allow players to launch themselves upwards and achieve the maximum height with Glide. Glide can also be activated while falling, which slows down the descent, but it does not provide any additional height.
- Strafe Glide: Offers great control over the direction of travel while gliding, allowing you to change direction more easily.
- Burst Glide: This Glide sacrifices control for a strong initial burst of speed, allowing you to travel and rise faster.
- Balanced Glide: A combination of Strafe and Burst Glide to provide moderate speed and control.
- Blink: A unique, short-range teleporting jump that is exclusive to the Voidwalker Subclass.
Dawnblade Warlock Solar Subclass
Warlocks can choose the Solar Subclass to either deal massive damage with fire or support their team with powerful buffs. One of the Super Abilities, Daybreak, allows Warlocks to fly through the air and shoot fire projectiles from a flaming sword. On the other hand, if they want to focus on support, they can choose the Well of Radiance Super Ability, which creates an aura that heals and increases weapon damage for allies. The Melee Abilities include Celestial Fire, which sends out a spiral of solar energy, and Incinerator Snap, which fires a fan of explosive sparks with the snap of the Warlock’s fingers.
To increase the potency of their Solar Grenade Abilities, Warlocks can choose the Touch of Flame Aspect. This can make the Solar Grenade more deadly by shooting out blobs of lava, or the Fusion Grenade to explode twice. For aerial advantage, the Heat Rises Aspect is available, allowing Warlocks to glide and attack simultaneously while consuming their Grenade Ability. Moreover, this Aspect increases glide duration and enables them to stay airborne with the Heat Rises buff.
Stormcaller Warlock Arc Subclass
In Destiny 2, Warlock Stormcallers primarily use the Stormtrance Super Ability, which allows Warlocks to blast chaining lightning from their hands, to deal a lot of damage using chaotic arc abilities. Stormcaller Warlocks can produce more lightning that strikes many foes at once by using their melee and grenade skills in conjunction with Attunement of Conduction. Additionally, their Stormtrance Ability adds a lovely short-range teleport!
With Attunement of the Elements, however, you and your allies gain a little Arc Soul buddy while standing in your Rifts that fires bursts of Arc bolts at enemies to deal a little extra damage. Stormtrance, which you can cast, fires a lightning shockwave directly below. Stormtrance is transformed into a concentrated beam of Arc energy by Attunement of Control, which can pierce even the toughest foes.
Voidwalker Warlock Void Subclass
Absolute destruction and cosmic explosions are heavily emphasised in the Warlock Voidwalker Subclass. The Nova Bomb Super Ability is one of the primary means of accomplishing this. You can launch a slower Cataclysm Nova Bomb that follows targets and fragments into smaller projectiles when it bursts, or a faster Vortex Nova Bomb that explodes and leaves a destructive vortex in its wake. However, Nova Warp is also an option, allowing you to teleport while also charging up Void eruptions that you can unleash to destroy foes.
You must decide between two Void Aspects to improve your Voidwalker skills. You get a Void Soul when you cast a Rift thanks to the Child of the Old Gods Aspect. Then, this Void companion searches out the subsequent foe you engage in order to weaken them and drain their health, rewarding you with either Ability energy or health in exchange. On the other hand, if you’re in need of healing, the Feed the Void Aspect causes all Void Ability kills to activate the Devour buff, which heals you after any last blow and lengthens its duration.
Shadebinder Warlock Stasis Subclass
With the Destiny 2 Shadebinder Stasis Subclass, warlocks can shatter their opponents. An icy staff that can use Stasis bolts to paralyse opponents is summoned by the Winter’s Wrath Super Ability. This Super can then be followed by a shockwave that shatters any adjacent frozen enemies, making it particularly deadly. By launching a single Stasis blast to freeze all enemies impacted, the Penumbral Blast Melee Ability also deploys the staff.
As a Shadebinder Warlock, Stasis Aspects will help you increase your freezing and shattering power. By fracturing a frozen target that tracks foes and freezes them in place, use the Iceflare Bolts Aspect to produce stasis seekers. You can also secure an area by using the Bleak Watcher Aspect to transform your Stasis Grenade Ability into a Stasis turret that launches sluggish projectiles that gradually freeze enemies.
