Destiny 2 Arc 3.0: Best builds for Hunter, Warlock, and Titan
Here’s what’s changed with Destiny 2’s Arc 3.0 update, alongside our recommended class builds.
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The last of Destiny 2’s 3.0 subclass updates has arrived, and this time it’s arguably needed more than ever. Arc-based subclasses took a massive hit followingThe Witch Queen’srelease. These latest changes not only make Arc subclasses a viable choice — they’re now great investments when craftingDestiny 2 builds.
It’s natural to feel overwhelmed by the Arc 3.0 changes, with a substantial overhaul introducing new mechanics and details to learn, just likeSolar 3.0and Void 3.0. This guide will help you adjust, break down how to unlock what you need, and a few recommended builds to see you through this season.
Destiny 2 Arc 3.0 mechanics explained
Changes to Arc-based mechanics are a must-know with Arc 3.0, shaking up the foundations of one of thetop shootersout there. The ability to build momentum, stun opponents, and even blind them proves integral to the identity of the revitalized subclass. Bungie said it themselves; the purpose of Arc 3.0 is to “go fast and hit stuff."
New keywords and mechanics come with Arc’s update to accomplish that goal of going fast and hard. Here’s what’s new:
Figuring out how to bend Arc 3.0’s new mechanics around your chosen class is the next step in mastering this update. With the transition toward the Aspects and Fragments layout, similar to other subclasses, it’s crucial to understand which Aspects are specific to your class. There are also some new and much-needed Supers to consider.
Here’s the lowdown on the new Aspects and Supers specific to your chosen class following the Arc 3.0 update.
Arc 3.0: WARLOCKS
Warlock Aspects
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Warlock Supers
Arc 3.0: TITANS
Titan Aspects
Titan Supers
Arc 3.0: HUNTERS
Hunter Aspects
Hunter Supers
Arc 3.0 Grenades
Like past 3.0 updates, Grenades are purchased from Ikora Rey in the Tower, priced at 3,000 Glimmer each.
Arc 3.0 Fragments
Like past 3.0 updates, Fragments are purchased from Ikora Rey in the Tower, priced at 25,000 Glimmer each.
Arc 3.0 Abilities
Bungie has also given Titans and Hunters some new abilities. Hunters finally see Blink return to their class as a jump ability. Titans receive a new melee ability, Thunderclap, that allows players to charge up a superman punch and fire out a large wave of Arc energy. They also receive the Thruster ability, allowing Titans to dash with their class ability.
While Warlocks didn’t receive new tricks, they did have some pieces of the former Arc structure, such as their supers, combined in Arc 3.0, making them more powerful. Titans and Hunters also received this treatment.
BEST ARC 3.0 BUILDS: TITAN, WARLOCK, HUNTER
Titans using Thundercrash were the easiest ways to damage bosses before Arc 3.0, and that hasn’t changed. However, Arc 3.0 brings the opportunity to generate Orbs of Power and get your Super even faster.
The aim is to use your Lightning Grenade, which gets a second charge and Jolts enemies thanks to the touch of Thunder Aspect, to generate Super energy from grenade kills. Combining this with Elemental Ordnance, Spark of Ions, and Spark of Discharge also means that your ability regeneration should be through the roof when using an Arc weapon.
You can use the Elemental Wells generated from Elemental Ordnance to become Charged With Light and increase your outgoing weapon damage. You can even sneak in some Harmonic Siphons and Innervations if you are focused on dealing Arc damage, further increasing your Super ability generation.
It’s a simple but incredibly effective build that’s generous with Orbs of Power, ultimately leading to dealing a chunk of boss damage, especially if you manage your Charged with Light stacks well.
You might remember Shinobu’s Vow from Destiny’s earlier days when it was a terror in the Crucible. While Shinobu’s Vow has changed with time, it’s now an effective PvE exotic.
The purpose of this build is to use the Hunter’s Skip Grenades, which receive an additional charge thanks to Shinobu’s Vow, to Jolt enemies. This makes the most of the Amplified mechanic to dodge more frequently thanks to Flow State, combining it with Lethal Current to increase melee damage to Jolted targets.
As you want to save your Charged with Light stacks for Firepower, we have opted not to use High-Energy Fire in this build but instead went with Font of Might to get extra damage from our Arc weapons.
Much like the Titan build, this is a straightforward build. The core approach is to throw grenades to Jolt enemies, dodge to reload your weapons and increase your grenade recovery, and harvest all the Ionic Traces and Elemental wells to perpetuate the game plan endlessly.
Following various 3.0 updates, abilities have become all the rage. Grenades, melees, and even your class abilities are all pivotal in creating an ecosystem where your builds flourish. For Arc 3.0 and Ionic Traces, nobody does it better than a Warlock.
It’s also a build that uses the new Season of the Plunder exotic Fusion Rifle and the new Warlock Exotic, Fallen Star. Combining these two with Electrostatic Mind and all of the Fragments means that this build infinitely spawns Ionic Traces from nearly every interaction in your kit. For those looking to adjust the build, you can switch out Arc Soul for Lightning Surge to create a faster-paced setup, or you can switch Spark of Beacons for Spark of Brilliance to emphasize Arc weapon kills and Blinding Explosions.
This flexibility extends to the mods. If you spec into grenades, you can opt to have more Bomber mods and supplement them with Ashes to Assets to generate more super energy. For a melee-focused build, you could look at Focusing Strike mods and Hands-On to perform in the same way but optimize the build for melee and close-ranged combat. When deciding on Supers, the choice will fall to the activity you play. Stormtrance is a great Super for clearing loads of small enemies, and Chaos Reach is predominantly used to melt bosses.
As the build is focused on Arc damage and Arc weapons, I also opted to use orb generating mods, like Harmonic Siphon, and Orb ability regeneration mods, like Absolution, to double down on damage with Font of Might too.