Welcome to the Class and Subclass Overview. In Destiny 2, you are able to create one of each character, and switch between subclasses on a whim.
Resurrected and given the paracausal light by the Traveler, Guardians are powerful fighters divided into three classes: Hunter, Titan, and Warlock. In the vast and ever-expanding universe, YOU and your fellow Guardians stand as the last line of defense against the Darkness and its allies.
Each class possesses unique abilities, strengths, combat styles, and fashion; together, they form a formidable trio that has given humanity what they needed for so long, hope.
The Classes
Classes define your role on the battlefield and the scope of your abilities, they are further specialized through a Subclasses.
Hunter
The masters of stealth and marksmanship, Hunters are weapons experts and the most mobile of the 3 classes. Their abilities often emphasize precision and accuracy. You perform acrobatic maneuvers, execute triple jumps, and quickly traverse terrain. These scouts are also adept in exploration and infiltration missions, with invisibility capabilities and great evasive techniques! Every class has a class item, and for the Hunters it's a cloak. They have a rugged, utilitarian look to them. This class is a great shot and feared by many in this solar system!
Hunters are differentiated by their class ability, the Dodge. Hunters have two types of dodge: the Gambler's Dodge and the Marksman's Dodge. Gambler's Dodge is fantastic for recharging your melee and avoiding enemy attacks. Marksman's Dodge plays into Hunter's weapon proficiency by reloading your weapon with a quick evasive maneuver.
For a variety of meta and endgame build options, check out our Hunter Build Guides.
Titan
Titans are strong, resilient, and able to withstand a whole lot of damage. They also have defensive capabilities like barriers and overshields that make them even more resolute. They excel in close-quarters combat using brute strength to overcome foes with powerful melee attacks and shotguns. As a Titan, your class-specific item is a mark, a piece of fabric attached to your utility belt. This class has a militaristic, bulky, armored look that matches their resilience. Their unwavering strength makes them daunting in any situation!
Titans are known for their class ability, the Towering Barricade or the Rally Barricade. The Towering Barricade allows you to fully stand behind a barricade made of light and not be hit by incoming damage. The Rally Barricade is shorter and something you can crouch behind and fire over.
For a variety of meta and endgame build options, check out our Titan Build Guides.
Warlocks
Warlocks are the weavers of arcane magic and use their powerful abilities with ease. With a deep understanding of the Traveler’s Light, a Warlock skillfully harnesses this energy. The Warlock class item is the bond, found around their left arm. This bond is a conduit for the Warlock's powers while preventing them from being consumed by that power. They are highly valued for their mastery of the Traveler’s Light and tireless efforts to gain knowledge.
Warlocks' class ability is the Healing Rift or the Empowering Rift. The Healing Rift does exactly what you think it would - it heals you while you stand in it. The Empowering Rift increases weapon damage for all who stand in it.
For a variety of meta and endgame build options, check out our Warlock Build Guides.
The Subclasses
Subclasses are specialized roles that define a character's abilities and playstyle. Each class has 6 subclasses, one for each damage type plus the new "Prismatic" subclass introduced with The Final Shape.
Solar
The Solar subclass embodies the cycle of life and the constant renewal of energy, showcasing resilience and perseverance. Enjoy self-healing with Healing Grenades, or Scorch your enemies until they Ignite. Don't forget to pick up Firesprites to recharge your grenade energy! With this subclass you are also able to Cure yourself and your fireteam.
On a lighter note, and more simply put - EXPLOSIONS GO BOOM.
Solar Supers
- Hunter - Gunslinger - A lone wolf who lives for the perfect shot.
- Warlock - Dawnblade - Spread your wings and set the sky ablaze.
- Titan - Sunbreaker - Forge the fury of undying suns.
Arc
Energy, speed, and electricity. Any Guardian who uses this subclass brings down the storm like Thor. Guardians who wield the power of Arc are highly mobile and unpredictable, capable of unleashing devastating lightning-based attacks on combatants. They can Blind and Jolt their foes! Pick up Ionic Traces to grant grenade, class ability, and melee energy. This subclass is particularly effective against groups of combatants, with its crowd control and area-of-effect abilities. Luckily, Arc is similar on all three classes, with the only real difference being the Super ability used. Feel the power of Odin’s son course through your fingertips!
Arc Supers
- Hunter - Arcstrider - Flow like lightening, strike like thunder.
- Warlock - Stormcaller - Harmony within, hurricane without.
- Titan - Striker - At close quarters, a fist is better than any gun.
Void
The ultimate element of cosmic distortion. Emptiness is not nothingness, the Void has taught us. According to Ikora, "to use Void is to draw power from both the immeasurably small and the unfathomably massive, and with it we bend the very fabric of space-time." Guardians using Void are masters of Weakening and Suppressing enemy forces, capable of unleashing devastating Volatile attacks while also providing defensive Overshields to their fireteam. This subclass is effective with any class against powerful singular enemies as well as groups of less powerful combatants.
Void Supers
- Hunter - Nightstalker - Draw from the void. Light the way.
- Warlock - Voidwalker - Those who have stared into the void are not bound by space and time.
- Titan - Sentinel - Valiant heart, unwavering resolve.
Stasis
According to Osiris, "Stasis is the element of will and control. It slows, detains, and shatters. It was our first step into Darkness, and taught us that the universe is not as black and white as it first seemed." This subclass ends movement on an atomic level. Guardians using Stasis are capable of Freezing and sShattering their enemies, creating hazardous areas of ice and crystals that can Slow and Freeze foes. Stasis is particularly effective for crowd control and area denial, allowing Guardians to manipulate the battlefield and create opportunities for their fireteam.
Stasis Supers
- Hunter - Revenant - From a whisper to a roar, be the calm and the storm.
- Warlock - Shadebinder - Reality is chaotic and unruly; bind it and bring order.
- Titan - Behemoth - Particle or planet, they all shatter with enough force.
Strand
This subclass manifests from the Darkness, but in a very different way from Stasis. With Strand, Guardians manipulate the Weave, which is a paracausal matrix of psychic energy that connects all things and minds in the universe. Pierce shields and permeate targets with Unravel, and turn downed combatants into a Tangle. Throw or shoot those Tangles to deal damage. Suspend your enemies with Shackle Grenades, or use your Threadling Grenade to emit a burst of Threadlings that will seek out and damage enemies. Thread of Warding allows you to pick up an orb to grant yourself Woven Mail. This subclass shows your true control over power, knowing when to let go of that power, and the embracing of what is and what is not.
Strand Supers
- Hunter - Threadrunner - The plucked string, the sharpest song. Freedom, infinitely promised.
- Warlock - Broodweaver - From the confines of your mind, reality bends, and fate you bind.
- Titan - Berserker - The flash of a drawn blade in their eyes, the flash of fury in yours.
Requires "Lightfall" DLC to activate.
Prismatic
This power is the wielding of Light and Darkness at the same time, with combinations that were never possible before. Prismatic takes build crafting to the next level, as you are able to blend a plethora of aspects, abilities, and fragments together from different subclasses to launch your attack on the Witness and disrupt their plans for the fate of the universe.
There are new Prismatic Fragments and combination of Abilities, Aspects, and Supers given to the Prismatic subclass on all characters. The main difference between the classes is their Prismatic Grenade, activated by Transcendence. The Grenade is different on each character. For a full guide on Prismatic Fragments and their locations, check out our guide here!
Requires "The Final Shape" DLC to activate.
Summary
This Class and Subclass Overview introduces new players to what characters are available in Destiny 2. Hunters are precise marksman with subclasses that focus on precision and accuracy. Titans are the tank class that can withstand as much damage as they put out. Their subclasses focus on burst damage and shields. Warlocks are knowledgeable, powerful beings, whose subclasses offer support and high damage. Choose well, Guardian! Humanity is counting on you...
To learn more about how to get started in Destiny 2, check out our First Steps guide.
Credits
Written by: ShieldMaiden
Reviewed by: SquirrelyDan, Tenkiei