What you need to know
- In a new trailer and blog post, Destiny 2 developer Bungie has revealed everything players need to know about the new Strand subclasses coming in the Destiny 2: Lightfall expansion.
- Strand users will be able to "weave" objects with it, suspend foes in the air, unravel them to create damaging area-of-effect threads, and sever them, which cuts their damage output significantly. Strand will also give access to Woven Mail, a buff that reduces incoming damage (not headshot or melee damage in PvP).
- Warlock Broodweavers are themed around being "minion masters," while Hunter Threadrunners are all about movement and ranged melee attacks. Titan Berserkers, meanwhile, are a close range melee-centric threat that can frequently sever enemies.
- Bungie also revealed several of the Aspects and Fragments that players will be able to use with Strand.
One of the most exciting parts of the upcoming Destiny 2: Lightfall expansion is the arrival of the brand new subclass element Strand. Like Beyond Light's Stasis, Strand is a Darkness power that's quite different than the Void, Solar, and Arc Light abilities that players are used to wielding. Developer Bungie has been relatively silent about how Strand works, but now, we have a complete understanding of its nuances and capabilities thanks to a new developer blog post and an official Strand trailer.
No matter which class you use Strand with, you'll be weaving (creating objects with Strand) and creating Tangles — a "swirling bundle of Strand fibers" that's made whenever you defeat an enemy affected by Strand. These can be shot to deal explosive damage, or alternatively, players can pick Tangles up and throw them. Players can also utilize grappling hooks with Strand, which are capable of creating their own anchor points out of thin air and can be comboed with a melee attack to knock back enemies, unravel them (more on that below), and deal extra damage.
All Strand subclasses will also have the ability to apply three distinct debuffs, which we've listed below.
- Suspend – A suspended PvE enemy is lifted off the ground for a brief duration and is essentially disabled. In PvP, suspended players are lifted off the ground but can still move (albeit slowly) and fire their weapon to fight back.
- Unravel – Attacking an unraveled enemy will cause threads to burst out of the target and attack other nearby targets. Once hit, that target will also become unraveled.
- Sever – A severed enemy is less capable of affecting the material world, reducing their damage output as a result.
Bungie's blog post also notes that Strand is introducing Woven Mail, a new buff that protects Guardians with a layer of extra armor. Woven Mail reduces incoming damage considerably, though in PvP, it won't affect the power of headshots or melee attacks.
In terms of the class-specific Strand abilities coming with Destiny 2: Lightfall, Warlock Broodweavers can create Threadlings, explosive minions that seek out enemies and "perch" on their owner if none are nearby, waiting until there are nearby foes they can annihilate. Their melee is Arcane Needle, an attack that does high damage, unravels foes, and has three charges. Needlestorm, the Broodweaver's Super, fires a volley of explosive missiles that give way to an army of Threadlings.
Hunter Threadrunners, meanwhile, are themed around mobility and ranged melee attacks. The Threaded Spike melee is a throwable rope dart that rapidly bounces between enemies before coming back to its user, damaging and severing them. It can be "caught" by pressing the melee input at the right time, returning melee energy. The Threadrunner Super, Silkstrike, allows Hunters to quickly move around with their grappling hook and devastate foes with their rope dart. The Super features both light and heavy attacks in mid-air and on the ground, with the former meant for single opponents and the latter being ideal for dealing with groups. Hitting enemies with the tip of the rope dart deals extra damage, and killing them with it makes them explode.
Lastly, Titan Berserkers are all about "untamed power." Their Frenzied Blade melee ability allows them to dash forward and slash at foes with vicious Strand arm blades, severing them and reducing their damage output. This attack has three charges, allowing players to use it frequently. The Bladefury Super gives the Titan two arm blades, and its light attacks increase the speed at which additional attacks land. Light attacks also build up charge for a heavy attack that launches seeking projectiles that damage and suspend foes.
All Strand subclasses will share grenades, which include the grapple hook (controlled by the grenade button), the Threadling Grenade that spawns projectiles that turn into Threadlings, and the Shackle Grenade that behaves like a bola, suspending enemies in explosive blasts.
Bungie also revealed each Strand subclass' starting two Aspects, which are core Destiny 2 unlocks that serve as the foundation for subclass builds. The developer also highlighted some of the Fragments players will be able to use across all the Strand subclasses to tweak them further. We've noted these Aspects and Fragments in the list below.
- Weaver’s Call (Warlock Aspect): On Rift cast, the Warlock weaves three Threadling eggs, which hatch into Threadlings when they hit a surface. Perched Threadlings are converted to additional eggs.
- Mindspun Invocation (Warlock Aspect): This Aspect improves several Warlock abilities:
- Grapple: When you execute a grapple melee, the Warlock weaves three Threadling eggs from the target.
- Threadling Grenade: You can consume your Threadling Grenade to generate a full complement of perched Threadlings.
- Shackle Grenade: You can consume your Shackle Grenade to gain a buff, creating a suspending detonation on every kill.
- Ensnaring Slam (Hunter Aspect): Press the air-move input while mid-air to slam downward and suspend nearby enemies.
- Widow’s Silk (Hunter Aspect): Grants an additional grenade charge. Grapple creates a persistent grapple Tangle when it latches, which fully refunds grenade energy when grappled to. Hunters can use this ability to set up grapple points for their team
- Into the Fray (Titan Aspect): Destroying a Tangle weaves Woven Mail unto the Titan and nearby allies. This Aspect also makes Woven Mail recharge your melee ability faster.
- Drengr’s Lash (Titan Aspect): When the Titan casts their class ability, the Titan will blast forward a powerful Strand ripple, suspending enemies.
- Thread of Ascent (Fragment): Activating your grenade ability reloads your equipped weapon and grants increased weapon handling and airborne effectiveness for a short time.
- Thread of Fury (Fragment): Damaging targets with a Tangle grants melee energy.
- Thread of Finality (Fragment): Finishers generate Threadlings.
- Thread of Warding (Fragment): Picking up an orb of power grants Woven Mail.
Destiny 2: Lightfall is slated to arrive on February 28 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One consoles, Windows PCs, and PlayStation systems. The DLC costs $40 and takes them to Neptune and the city of Neomuna, where they'll face off against Emperor Calus and his powerful Shadow Legion. Ahead of its launch, check out our Destiny 2 Lightfall prep guide for an overview of the best ways to get ready for the expansion.
