Destiny 2: Harnessing Solar Energy - A Comprehensive Guide

by Alex Braham 59 views

Hey Guardians! Want to master Solar energy in Destiny 2? This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about wielding the power of the sun. From understanding Solar subclasses to acquiring the best Solar weapons and armor, we've got you covered. Let's dive in and turn up the heat!

Understanding Solar Subclasses

Solar subclasses are all about dealing damage over time, igniting enemies, and providing healing to allies. Each class – Titan, Hunter, and Warlock – has its unique Solar subclass with distinct abilities and playstyles. Let's break them down:

Solar Titan: Sunbreaker

The Sunbreaker Titan is a powerhouse of fiery destruction. Sunbreakers excel at area-of-effect damage and crowd control, making them formidable in both PvE and PvP activities. Their Super, Hammer of Sol, allows them to hurl flaming hammers that explode on impact, incinerating enemies. Key aspects and fragments to consider for your Sunbreaker build include:

  • Aspects:

    • Roaring Flames: Defeating enemies with Solar abilities increases the damage of your Solar abilities and melee attacks. This is a cornerstone for any damage-focused Sunbreaker build.
    • Sol Invictus: Solar ability kills create Sunspots. Standing in a Sunspot increases weapon damage, ability regeneration, and makes you more resistant to incoming damage. This aspect is fantastic for survivability and sustained damage output.

  • Fragments:

    • Ember of Singeing: Your class ability recharges faster when you scorch targets.
    • Ember of Searing: Melee final blows create a Firesprite.
    • Ember of Combustion: Solar Super final blows cause targets to ignite.
    • Ember of Torches: Melee attacks empower you and nearby allies with radiant.

For an effective Sunbreaker build, focus on generating Sunspots and maximizing the Roaring Flames buff. Use abilities like Throwing Hammer and Solar Grenades to ignite enemies and keep the damage flowing. The combination of increased damage, ability regeneration, and survivability makes the Sunbreaker a force to be reckoned with.

Solar Hunter: Gunslinger

The Gunslinger Hunter is a master of precision and burst damage. With abilities that focus on accuracy and critical hits, Gunslingers can eliminate high-value targets with ease. Their Super, Golden Gun, allows them to summon a powerful Solar weapon that can one-shot enemies. Key aspects and fragments for Gunslinger include:

  • Aspects:

    • Knock 'Em Down: Enhances your Golden Gun and provides benefits when radiant. This is essential for maximizing your Super's potential.
    • On Your Mark: Grants a stacking buff to weapon handling, reload speed, and accuracy after using your class ability. This aspect is great for improving your overall weapon performance.

  • Fragments:

    • Ember of Singeing: Your class ability recharges faster when you scorch targets.
    • Ember of Empyrean: Solar weapon or ability final blows extend the duration of radiant and restoration effects.
    • Ember of Beams: Your Solar Super fires additional projectiles.
    • Ember of Torches: Melee attacks empower you and nearby allies with radiant.

Gunslingers should prioritize accuracy and critical hits. Use abilities like Knife Trick and Healing Grenade to support your team and stay alive. The Golden Gun is best used against powerful enemies or in PvP to secure quick eliminations. With the right build, the Gunslinger can be a deadly and versatile subclass.

Solar Warlock: Dawnblade

The Dawnblade Warlock is a versatile subclass that excels at both offense and support. With abilities that focus on aerial combat and healing, Dawnblades can control the battlefield and keep their team alive. Their Super, Daybreak, allows them to summon a Solar sword and hurl flaming projectiles at enemies. Key aspects and fragments for Dawnblade include:

  • Aspects:

    • Heat Rises: Consume your grenade to gain the ability to hover in the air and dramatically improve your accuracy. Final blows while airborne extend the duration. This aspect is perfect for aggressive, aerial gameplay.
    • Icarus Dash: Provides an additional dodge in the air and scorches nearby enemies. This aspect enhances your mobility and adds extra damage potential.

  • Fragments:

    • Ember of Benevolence: Applying restoration, cure, or radiant to allies grants increased grenade, melee, and class ability energy regeneration.
    • Ember of Empyrean: Solar weapon or ability final blows extend the duration of radiant and restoration effects.
    • Ember of Beams: Your Solar Super fires additional projectiles.
    • Ember of Torches: Melee attacks empower you and nearby allies with radiant.

Dawnblades should focus on maintaining airborne status with Heat Rises and using Icarus Dash to evade enemies. Abilities like Healing Grenade and Empowering Rift can provide valuable support to your team. The Daybreak Super is excellent for clearing out groups of enemies or dealing damage to bosses. With the right build, the Dawnblade can be a powerful and versatile subclass.

Acquiring Solar Weapons

To truly harness the power of Solar energy, you'll need the right weapons. Destiny 2 offers a wide variety of Solar weapons, each with its unique perks and playstyles. Here are some of the best Solar weapons to look out for:

  • Exotic Weapons:

    • Sunshot: A Solar hand cannon that causes enemies to explode in Solar energy upon death. This weapon is fantastic for clearing out groups of enemies and dealing splash damage.
    • Polaris Lance: A Solar scout rifle that grants a perfect fifth shot that deals increased damage and ignites enemies. This weapon is great for long-range engagements and precision damage.
    • Tommy's Matchbook: A Solar auto rifle that deals increased damage while at low health. This weapon is for risk-takers who don't mind playing on the edge.

  • Legendary Weapons:

    • Calus Mini-Tool: A Solar submachine gun that synergizes well with Solar subclasses, especially those that focus on healing and restoration.
    • IKELOS_HC_v1.0.3: A Solar hand cannon that can roll with powerful perks like Incandescent, making it great for igniting enemies.
    • ৃষ্টant: A Solar sword that can deal massive damage with the right perks and mods.

When choosing Solar weapons, consider your playstyle and the activities you'll be participating in. Hand cannons and scout rifles are great for precision damage, while submachine guns and auto rifles are better for close-quarters combat. Swords can be incredibly powerful for dealing burst damage to bosses.

Optimizing Your Solar Armor

Your armor plays a crucial role in enhancing your Solar abilities and survivability. In Destiny 2, armor stats and mods can significantly impact your gameplay. Here's how to optimize your Solar armor:

  • Armor Stats:

    • Resilience: Increases your health and damage resistance. This is a crucial stat for survivability, especially in high-level activities.
    • Recovery: Increases the speed at which your health regenerates. This stat is essential for staying alive in combat.
    • Discipline: Reduces the cooldown of your grenade ability. This stat is vital for Solar subclasses that rely on grenades for damage and support.
    • Strength: Reduces the cooldown of your melee ability. This stat is important for Solar subclasses that focus on melee combat.
    • Intellect: Reduces the cooldown of your Super ability. This stat is beneficial for all subclasses, allowing you to use your Super more frequently.
    • Mobility: Increases your movement speed and jump height. This stat is useful for mobility and evasion.

  • Armor Mods:

    • Elemental Well Mods: These mods generate Elemental Wells when you defeat enemies with Solar abilities. Collecting these wells grants various buffs, such as increased ability energy regeneration or damage resistance.
    • Charged with Light Mods: These mods allow you to become Charged with Light by performing specific actions, such as collecting Orbs of Power. While Charged with Light, you can gain various benefits, such as increased weapon damage or ability energy regeneration.
    • Warmind Cell Mods: These mods generate Warmind Cells when you defeat enemies with Seventh Seraph or IKELOS weapons. Shooting these cells causes them to explode, dealing damage to nearby enemies.

When optimizing your Solar armor, focus on stats that complement your chosen subclass and playstyle. Resilience and Recovery are always good choices for survivability, while Discipline and Strength can enhance your ability usage. Experiment with different armor mods to find the best combination for your needs.

Mastering Solar Builds

Creating effective Solar builds involves combining the right subclasses, weapons, armor, and mods. Here are a few example builds to get you started:

Sunbreaker Titan Build

  • Subclass: Sunbreaker
  • Aspects: Roaring Flames, Sol Invictus
  • Fragments: Ember of Singeing, Ember of Searing, Ember of Combustion, Ember of Torches
  • Weapons: Sunshot, Calus Mini-Tool, Falling Guillotine
  • Armor: High Resilience and Recovery
  • Mods: Elemental Well mods (Solar weapon kills generate Solar Wells), Charged with Light mods (Collecting Orbs of Power makes you Charged with Light)

This build focuses on generating Sunspots and maximizing the Roaring Flames buff. Use Sunshot and Calus Mini-Tool to ignite enemies and create Sunspots. The Falling Guillotine is great for dealing burst damage to bosses.

Gunslinger Hunter Build

  • Subclass: Gunslinger
  • Aspects: Knock 'Em Down, On Your Mark
  • Fragments: Ember of Singeing, Ember of Empyrean, Ember of Beams, Ember of Torches
  • Weapons: Polaris Lance, IKELOS_HC_v1.0.3, Sleeper Simulant
  • Armor: High Mobility and Discipline
  • Mods: Charged with Light mods (Collecting Orbs of Power makes you Charged with Light), Font of Might (While Charged with Light, your weapon damage is increased)

This build focuses on precision damage and utilizing the Golden Gun Super. Polaris Lance and IKELOS_HC_v1.0.3 are great for long-range and close-quarters engagements, respectively. Sleeper Simulant is a powerful option for dealing damage to bosses.

Dawnblade Warlock Build

  • Subclass: Dawnblade
  • Aspects: Heat Rises, Icarus Dash
  • Fragments: Ember of Benevolence, Ember of Empyrean, Ember of Beams, Ember of Torches
  • Weapons: Tommy's Matchbook, Calus Mini-Tool, The Swarm
  • Armor: High Recovery and Discipline
  • Mods: Elemental Well mods (Solar weapon kills generate Solar Wells), Well of Life (Collecting a Solar Well grants increased health regeneration)

This build focuses on aerial combat and providing support to your team. Use Heat Rises and Icarus Dash to stay in the air and evade enemies. Tommy's Matchbook and Calus Mini-Tool are great for dealing damage, while The Swarm provides excellent add-clear potential.

Tips and Tricks for Solar Energy

  • Ignite Synergies: Combine Solar abilities and weapons to ignite enemies, dealing damage over time and triggering powerful explosions.
  • Sunspots: Utilize Sunspots to increase your weapon damage, ability regeneration, and damage resistance.
  • Radiant: Empower yourself and your allies with radiant to increase weapon damage.
  • Restoration: Use abilities and fragments that grant restoration to heal yourself and your allies.
  • Experimentation: Don't be afraid to experiment with different subclasses, weapons, armor, and mods to find what works best for you.

Conclusion

Mastering Solar energy in Destiny 2 requires understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each subclass, acquiring the right weapons and armor, and optimizing your builds. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you'll be well on your way to becoming a Solar powerhouse. So, Guardians, go forth and ignite the battlefield with the power of the sun!