Destiny 2’s Season of the Witch has brought multiple new challenges and adversaries you have to conquer to achieve the ultimate rewards. To vanquish all of them, or to surpass the evil force, you’ll need the right gear & loadout. In this guide, we’ll delve further into the top 3 PvE loadouts for Destiny 2 in Season 22.
Table of Contents
Here is a little breakdown of our Season of the Witch Top Loadouts article:
- Effective Loadout Importance
- Hunter Build
- Warlock Build
- Titan Build
- Conclusion
Importance of an Effective Loadout
A powerful build in Destiny 2 is the prime importance for several key reasons:
- Maximizing Efficiency: It ensures that you’re making the most out of your build & guardian’s capabilities. It allows you to deal damage effectively, manage your own resources efficiently, and utilize the abilities to their fullest potential.
- Synergies: You should align with your preferred playstyle, not just following the metas. If you favor Long-Rage battles, a sniper/scout rifle should be your go-to weapons.
Damage Output: Certain weapons and abilities synergize with each other to create damage combinations. An effective loadout takes advantage of every damage-boosting ability to enhance your firepower. - Survivability: The loadout also impacts your ability to survive encounters. Choosing the right armor pieces and mods can increase your resilience to reduce incoming damage.
- Adaptability: You should adapt your Loadout in different types of activities within Destiny 2. Whether you’re facing hordes of enemies or tackling complex encounters in a raid, having the right loadout can make the difference between success and failure.
- Team-Play: In team-based activities like Raids, Dungeons, or Grandmaster Nightfalls, having a well-rounded loadout is crucial for supporting your teammates. A diverse build can cover different roles of your fireteam.
- Resource Management: Different weapons consume different types of ammo, and abilities have their own cooldowns. A well-balanced loadout ensures that you have the resources when you’re in need of them.
- Adjustments to Updates: The game’s meta can change from an update to another. Your build requires regular evaluation, adjustments, and adaptation to any shifts in Destiny 2.
- Fun & Enjoyment: Having an effective loadout means that you’re more likely to succeed your goals and enjoy your time in the game.
An effective loadout is not about choosing the most Powerful weapons and Armor in Destiny 2, but also creating a synergistic combination that completes your playstyle and Guardian Class & Subclass.
The fastest way to acquire a specific Loadout for your Guardian is to skip the grind by purchasing a Destiny 2 Boost, where a professional player does all the grind while you have to only … enjoy the rewards!
Foetracer Hunter Build
The following Hunter Build became possible after Bungie buffed the Foetracer Helmet in Destiny 2: Season of the Witch. The exotic helmet now grants Relentless Tracker exotic perk which buffs your Guardian with a permanent 25% damage bonus for weapons that match the subclass. The Foetracer Build works with every Hunter subclass, but due to some specific combinations, it became especially powerful with the Solar element.
If you want to have a permanent damage buff on your Solar Hunter, we have everything you need below:
Build Overview
- Class: Gunslinger (Solar)
- Super: Blade Barrage (Vault into the air and unleash a volley of Solar-charged explosive knives.)
- Grenade: Healing grenade (Creates an Orb of benevolent Solar Light, granting restoration to allies when picked up.)
- Melee: Knife Trick (Throw a fan of flaming knives that scorch targets on hit.)
- Class ability: Gambler’s Dodge (Dodge to perform a tumble and avoid enemy attacks, dodging near enemies fully recharges melee ability
Aspects & Fragments
Aspects:
- On Your Mark: Precision final blows grant you and nearby allies increased weapon handling and reload speed for a short duration. Stacks 3 times, and activating your class ability immediately grants maximum stacks of On Your Mark.
- Knock ‘Em Down: When the player has Blade Barrage equipped, the Super launches more projectiles. And, while Radiant, equipped throwing knife final blows fully refund melee energy.
Fragments:
- Ember of Mercy: When you revive an ally, you and other nearby allies gain restoration, plus picking up a Firesprite grants restoration. (Also grants +10 Resilience.)
- Ember of Beams: Solar Super projectiles have stronger target acquisition. (and grants +10 Intellect)
- Ember of Ashes: You apply more scorch stacks to targets.
- Ember of Empyrean: Solar weapon or ability final blows extend the duration of Restoration and Radiant effects applied to you. (Also includes -10 Resilience.
- Ember of Torches: Powered melee attacks against combatants make you and nearby allies Radiant. (Also includes -10 Discipline.)
Armor & Armor Mods
Exotic armor:
- Foetracer: Damaging a powerful combatant or Guardian with an ability grants a temporary weapon damage bonus for weapons damage that matches your subclass element. Defeating the target with a weapon matching your subclass damage type will create an elemental pickup.
Armor mods:
- Solar Siphon: Rapid Solar weapon final blows create Orbs of Power.
- Hands- On: Gain bonus Super Energy on melee kills.
- Focusing Strike: Grants class ability energy when you cause damage with a melee attack.
- Impact Induction: Causing damage with a melee attack reduces your grenade cooldown.
- Heavy Handed: Your powered melee final blows create Orbs of Power.
- Innervation: Reduces grenade cooldown when you pick up an Orbs of Power.
- Recuperation: Replenishes health each time you pick up an Orb of Power.
- Bomber: Reduces grenade cooldown when using your class ability.
- Powerful Attraction: Automatically collects Orbs of Power when you use your class ability.
Weapons
The weapon choice can contain any mix of your favorite Solar Weapons, and we recommend using the Sunshot Exotic Hand Cannon. By using the build correctly, you get 25% permanent damage buff from Foetracer, Radiant from the Firesprites spawned by your elemental kills, big damage over time debuff using the scorch stacks, ignites, and a lot of Orbs of Power.
Swarmlock Warlock Build
The following Warlock build is all about producing an infinite stream of Threadlings that deal damage over time. The build does not require a particular weapon, or raid drop, so almost anyone can build this loadout as long as they’ve unlocked the Strand Fragments & Aspects, and the Swarmers Exotic Legs.
If you want to wield an army of Threadlings against every foe in your Guardian’s way, here’s a breakdown of what you need:
Class & Subclass Overview:
- Warlock Class: Broodweaver (Strand Subclass)
- Super: Needlestorm (conjure Strandmissiles and launch them at enemies detonating them and summoning a group of Threadlings to hunt down enemies)
- Grenade Ability: Threadling Grenade (spawns three Threadlings when Grenade Ability is used)
- Melee Ability: Arcane Needle
- Jump: Player’s preference
- Class Ability: Player’s preference
Aspects & Fragments
Aspects
- Weaver’s Call: Casting your class ability spawns three Threadlings.
- The Wanderer: Threadlings create Tangles, and Tangles suspend enemies when destroyed. (suspend lifts enemies slightly into the air, making them unable to attack or avoid damage while they still take full damage from players.)
Fragments
- Thread of Rebirth: Every kill has a chance to spawn a Threadling.
- Thread of Evolution: Threadlings deal more damage and travel further.
- Thread of Generation: Regenerates grenade energy when dealing damage.
- Thread of Warding: Provides Woven Mail when you collect an Orb of Power. (woven Mail is a Strand overshield protecting against non-precision damage.)
Armor & Mods
Exotic Armor
- Swarmers – Destroying a Tangle makes two Threadlings. Threadlings from all sources will unravel enemies. (unravel causes threads to burst out of the target and attack nearby targets. Once hit, that target will also become unraveled.)
Armor Mods
- Bolstering Detonation: Grants class ability energy when dealing grenade damage.
- Strand Siphon: Rapid Strand weapon blows create Orbs of Power.
- Strand Loader: Increases reload speed of Strand weapons.
- Firepower: Grenade final blows grant Orbs of Power.
- Innervation: Reduces grenade cooldown when you pick up an Orbs of Power.
- Recuperation: Replenishes health each time you pick up an Orb of Power.
- Powerful Attraction: Automatically collects Orbs of Power when you use your class ability.
Weapons
The build is not over-complicated by the weapon’s choice, and anything with the Hatchling Trait or Enhanced version of it just maximizes the opportunities to produce more Threadlings. You can also pair this trait with Demolitionist for even more grenade energy upon getting kills.
Your weapon kills are spawning Threadlings, as are your grenades. Your rifts are also granting additional Threadlings that create Tangles on kill. By destroying them you can create even more minions that defeat enemies to spawn Orbs of Power which grants your Woven Mail that enhances your survivability.
Banner of War Titan Build
The following Titan Build is the best Strand Loadout currently in Destiny 2. The synergy was so strong that the most important part of the build got disabled during the Crota’s End Raid Race. So, without further ado, here’s a breakdown of what you need:
Class & Subclass Overview:
- Titan Subclass: Berserker (Strand Subclass)
- Super: Bladefury
- Grenade Ability: Shackle
- Melee Ability: Player’s preference
- Jump Ability: Player’s preference
- Class Ability: Player’s preference
Aspects & Fragments
Aspects
- Banner of War: Defeat a target with a melee attack, finisher, or Sword to raise a Banner of War that pulses with Energy, periodically healing nearby allies and increasing melee and Sword damage.
- Into The Fray: Destroying a Tangle or casting your Super grants Woven Mail for nearby allies. While you have Woven Mail, your melee regeneration rate is increased.
Fragments:
- Thread of Warding: Picking up an Orb of Power grants Woven Mail.
- Thread of Generation: Dealing damage generates grenade energy.
- Thread of Fury: Damaging targets with a Tangle grants melee energy.
- Thread of Ascent: Activating your grenade ability reloads your equipped weapon and grants bonus airborne effectiveness and handling for a short duration.
Armor & Mods
Exotic Armor
- Synthoceps – Increased melee lunge range. Improved melee and Super damage when you’re surrounded.
Armor Mods
- Hands- On: Gain bonus Super Energy on melee kills.
- Siphon Mods: Rapid Weapon final blows that match your weapon’s element create an Orb of Power.
- Resistances: Reduces incoming elemental damage from combatants.
- Outreach: Reduces melee cooldown when using your class ability.
- Focusing Strike: Grants class ability energy when you cause damage with a melee attack.
- Impact Induction: Causing damage with a melee attack reduces your grenade cooldown.
- Heavy Handed: Your powered melee final blows create Orbs of Power.
- Recuperation: Replenishes health each time you pick up an Orb of Power.
- Invigoration: Reduces melee cooldown each time you pick up an Orb of Power.
- Stacks on Stacks: Picking up an Orb of Power grants you one additional stack of Armor Charge.
Weapons
The build is revolving more around the Banner of War aspect and defeating targets with melee final blows, finishers, and swords. The periodic pulse that heals allies and increases your DPS output is the most aggressive playstyle currently in Destiny 2.
Also, the Woven Mail grants you additional damage reduction so you can use the melee-focused build in most of the challenges you encounter, and never be afraid to engage any foes.
The Synthoceps Exotic Arms offers improved melee and Super damage when surrounded. You can pair this trait with the Monte Carlo Exotic Perk that reduces players’ melee cooldown upon dealing damage with it. The exotic Auto Rifle also receives increased damage upon getting melee kills.
Conclusion
Armed with the right Loadout, you are prepared to face the challenges that Season of the Witch throws in your way. Adaptability is the key to success, so don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works the best for your favorite class, subclass, and playstyle.
