Now that everyone is trying out Strand for the first time, it would seem like the other subclasses are taking a bit of a backseat. Normally, we’d be thrilled about any new fragments to spice up our gameplay but
In case you’ve missed the news or you haven’t logged into Destiny 2 for a while, here are the subclass fragments that have been added to Destiny 2.
Solar
Ember of Resolve
Solar grenade final blows cure you.
Ember of Mercy
When you revive an ally, you and other nearby allies gain restoration. Picking up a Firesprite grants restoration. +10 Resilience.
The new Solar subclass now has more support options. It’s just as potent as before but now you have more ways to keep yourself alive. Relying on firesprite is a great way to grenade energy fast.
If it’s not a Solar Titan with Loreley Splender Helm or a tripmine/explosive knife Hunter, then you won’t many Guardians running around as a Solar Subclass. Maybe these new additions might help. They can help out now the game is generally harder. (Yes, it feels like it now.)
Arc
Spark of Haste
You have greatly increased resilience, recovery, and mobility while sprinting.
Spark of Instinct
While critically wounded, taking damage emits a burst of damaging Arc energy that jolts targets.
The Arc subclass has always been the class where you go into dangerous situations with reckless abandon. The new fragments further support this playstyle that rewards you for constantly sprinting and provides a parachute should you take critical damage.
The biggest change to the Arc subclass is that blinding and disorienting are two different keywords now. Of course, the change was made to further clarify the abilities that stun Unstoppable Champions. So there’s that. That means that auto-loading blinding grenades function a little differently from flashbang grenades.
In my opinion, Arc Titans benefit from the additions the most. It was already common to come across a shoulder-charging Arc Titan. And they will be sprinting at you most of the time. If it’s any consolation, we may yet see fewer Dunermarchers/IKELOS SMGs in the Crucible.
Void
Echo of Vigilance
Defeating a target while your shields are depleted grants you a temporary Void overshield. -10 Recovery.
Echo of Cessation
Finisher final blows create a burst of Void damage that causes nearby combatants to become volatile. Defeating volatile targets creates a Void Breach.
If you’re a hunter rocking Gyrfalcon’s Hauberk, you are going to love what these new fragments bring in. Sure you don’t get new ways to Suppress or Weaken targets but we’d argue that getting more Overshields is preferable, especially in higher-level content.
The addition of Void Breach is much welcomed when you consider that Void Hunters with Gyrfalcon’s would have to have nearly 100% uptime on their dodge in case the chain of volatile explosions ceases.
What About Stasis?
Well, Stasis is almost the same as it was last season. Except for Stasis Shards functioning like elemental wells from the get-go. We don’t need to do extra steps to get overshields anymore.
And that’s all we have right now for the new subclass fragments in Destiny 2. We must admit that these are exciting times for build crafting. It is reminiscent of when Subclass 3.0 was first implemented and the possibilities seemed limitless. The friendlier armor mod really helps in this regard. And we can’t wait to share some build guides very soon. Till next time, Guardians.
Check out this video from Youtuber Aztecross as he details everything there is to know about the new Strand Subclass and its Fragments.