Table of Contents
1. Introduction to Titan Playstyles
The Titan class in Destiny 2 is often seen as the “tank” or brawler of the game. With access to powerful abilities, melee attacks, and shields, Titans excel in close-quarters combat and play a pivotal role in team defense and aggression. However, Titans aren’t just about brute strength; their varied subclass abilities provide immense utility across both PvE and PvP, making them versatile enough to fit into nearly any playstyle.
Titan subclasses are divided into four main elements:
- Solar (Sunbreaker): Focuses on burning enemies and sustaining itself with healing and damage buffs.
- Arc (Striker): High-damage, fast-paced subclass that thrives on chaining abilities and mobility.
- Void (Sentinel): Defensive, team-oriented playstyle with shield-based abilities and suppression.
- Strand (Berserker): The newest addition that leverages the power of the mysterious Strand, providing crowd control and rapid melee power.
Whether you prefer a more aggressive, offensive build or one that offers defensive utility, there’s a Titan setup for you. Below, we’ll dive into specific builds for each subclass, starting with PvE.
2. The Best PvE Titan Builds
When it comes to PvE, Titans shine in both solo content and team-based activities such as strikes, raids, and dungeons. Their ability to protect teammates, dish out damage, and maintain high survivability makes them indispensable. Here are the top Titan builds for PvE, focusing on each subclass.
a. Solar Titan Build (Sunbreaker)
Subclass: Code of the Siegebreaker (Middle Tree Sunbreaker)
This build focuses on ability regeneration, healing, and high-sustain damage with Solar abilities. It’s perfect for endgame content, where staying alive is as crucial as dealing damage.
Key Abilities:
- Super: Burning Maul – A massive, fire-infused hammer that devastates enemies in a wide area.
- Melee: Throwing Hammer – A throwable hammer that regenerates health and melee energy when picked up.
- Grenade: Thermite Grenade – Sends out waves of Solar energy to burn enemies over time.
Core Gameplay: The Solar Titan revolves around keeping yourself topped up with health while constantly dishing out burning damage to enemies. The Throwing Hammer provides consistent healing and high damage when retrieved, making it an essential part of your gameplay loop. The Sun Warrior buff grants increased ability regeneration and damage while standing in Sunspots created by defeating enemies with abilities.
Aspects and Fragments (Solar 3.0):
- Roaring Flames (Aspect): Grants increased Solar ability damage when getting Solar ability kills.
- Sol Invictus (Aspect): Sunspots heal and give ability energy. Standing in a Sunspot grants damage resistance.
Mods and Stats:
- Prioritize Resilience for damage resistance and Discipline for grenade uptime.
- Use mods like Elemental Charge and Font of Might to boost Solar weapon damage and create wells for ability energy.
- Well of Life mod ensures constant healing through Solar elemental wells.
Recommended Exotic:
- Loreley Splendor Helm: Provides healing while critically wounded and standing in Sunspots, further increasing survivability.
Weapons:
- Calus Mini-Tool (Solar SMG) or Gjallarhorn (Solar Rocket Launcher) synergizes well with Solar builds.
b. Arc Titan Build (Striker)
Subclass: Code of the Missile (Middle Tree Striker)
For those looking for pure aggression and raw damage output, the Arc Titan offers explosive potential. The build is fast-paced and allows for chaining abilities quickly, making it ideal for clearing large groups of enemies in PvE activities.
Key Abilities:
- Super: Thundercrash – Launches you into the air and sends you crashing into the ground, dealing massive damage.
- Melee: Ballistic Slam – Launches you forward, slamming into the ground and causing an Arc explosion.
- Grenade: Pulse Grenade – A great tool for dealing constant Arc damage over time.
Core Gameplay: This build focuses on mobility and chaining abilities through rapid kills. The ability to dive-bomb into groups of enemies using Ballistic Slam and finish them off with grenades makes the Striker build incredibly fun. The added benefits of Inertia Override and ability regeneration mean you’ll be using your abilities frequently.
Aspects and Fragments (Arc 3.0):
- Touch of Thunder (Aspect): Enhances your Pulse Grenade, making it more deadly and consistent.
- Juggernaut (Aspect): While sprinting with full class ability energy, you gain a frontal shield, perfect for aggressive pushes.
Mods and Stats:
- Prioritize Resilience and Recovery to maintain your health during engagements.
- Mods like Well of Ions boost melee damage after picking up Arc elemental wells, synergizing with the Ballistic Slam playstyle.
- Use Elemental Ordnance and Melee Wellmaker to generate wells frequently.
Recommended Exotic:
- Heart of Inmost Light: Boosts the regeneration speed of your abilities (grenade, melee, and barricade), making the fast-paced Striker build even more deadly.
Weapons:
- Riskrunner synergizes with Arc damage and provides damage resistance against Arc energy.
- Trinity Ghoul for dealing with large groups of enemies through Arc chains.
c. Void Titan Build (Sentinel)
Subclass: Code of the Protector (Middle Tree Sentinel)
Void Titan builds are all about defense, team support, and crowd control. In PvE, they offer an excellent balance between survivability and utility, making them great for endgame activities like raids and dungeons.
Key Abilities:
- Super: Ward of Dawn – Create a dome shield that grants powerful weapon damage buffs when standing inside.
- Melee: Defensive Strike – Kills with this ability grant an overshield to you and nearby allies.
- Grenade: Voidwall Grenade – A versatile grenade that damages enemies over time with Void energy.
Core Gameplay: Void Titans excel at buffing their teammates and controlling the battlefield. With Ward of Dawn, you provide a safe space for your team to regroup and deal high damage with the weapons of light buff. Overshields from melee kills ensure you and your teammates stay alive through even the toughest encounters.
Aspects and Fragments (Void 3.0):
- Controlled Demolition (Aspect): Hitting enemies with abilities or Volatile explosions heals you and nearby allies.
- Bastion (Aspect): Casting your barricade grants overshield to yourself and nearby allies.
Mods and Stats:
- Maximize Resilience and Strength for melee uptime and damage resistance.
- Use mods like Reaping Wellmaker to create Void wells when using your class ability, which in turn boosts your damage or grants additional ability energy.
- Volatile Flow mod allows your Void weapons to apply volatile rounds, increasing their potency.
Recommended Exotic:
- Ursa Furiosa: Converts incoming damage absorbed by your shield into super energy, making it easier to quickly recharge your Ward of Dawn.
Weapons:
- Gnawing Hunger or Funnelweb are excellent Void weapon choices that pair well with this build for consistent DPS.
- Deathbringer for heavy Void DPS when fighting bosses.
d. Strand Titan Build (Berserker)
Subclass: Berserker Titan (Strand)
Strand Titans focus on melee dominance and crowd control. With the Strand Titan build, you can summon large, slashing blades and suspend enemies, rendering them helpless.
Key Abilities:
- Super: Bladefury – Summon dual Strand blades that shred through enemies.
- Melee: Frenzied Blade – Rapid melee attacks that chain damage to multiple enemies.
- Grenade: Grapple – Allows for high mobility and traversal, with offensive potential when used to engage enemies.
Core Gameplay: The Strand build revolves around aggressive melee combat and suspending enemies in mid-air, giving you the upper hand in both control and damage. As a Berserker Titan, you’ll leverage melee-based attacks to chain together kills, suspend groups of enemies, and maintain a constant flow of ability regeneration. This makes the Strand Titan an ideal choice for dealing with waves of enemies while retaining high mobility and power.
Aspects and Fragments (Strand 3.0):
- Into the Fray (Aspect): Grants woven mail (damage resistance) after destroying Tangles, enhancing your durability during combat.
- Drengr’s Lash (Aspect): Using your barricade sends out a wave of Strand energy that suspends enemies in its path, offering excellent crowd control.
Mods and Stats:
- Prioritize Resilience and Strength, as your melee and survivability are key components of this build.
- Mods like Melee Wellmaker and Well of Utility ensure constant energy regeneration, allowing you to frequently use your melee attacks and grenades.
- Thread of Continuity Fragment is a must for increasing the duration of suspend effects, further extending your control over enemies.
Recommended Exotic:
- Abeyant Leap: Enhances your Drengr’s Lash by sending out additional projectiles that seek out enemies and suspend them, making this exotic perfect for controlling large groups of enemies.
Weapons:
- Quicksilver Storm synergizes with the Strand subclass and becomes even more powerful with Strand-based abilities.
- Falling Guillotine is an excellent sword for close-quarters damage, complementing the Berserker’s melee-focused playstyle.
3. The Best PvP Titan Builds
While Titans dominate PvE content with their ability to tank damage and clear enemies, they are equally lethal in PvP, bringing aggressive tactics and control to Crucible matches. Below are the best Titan builds for PvP, ensuring you’re not just a tank, but a formidable combatant in any match.
a. Solar Titan Build for PvP
Subclass: Code of the Fire-Forged (Top Tree Sunbreaker)
For PvP, Solar Titans focus on the combination of burst damage, mobility, and survivability. The ability to throw hammers and create Sunspots makes this build lethal in skirmishes and control-type matches.
Key Abilities:
- Super: Hammer of Sol – Throw flaming hammers that deal significant damage and leave Sunspots.
- Melee: Throwing Hammer – Can be retrieved after a hit to fully restore your melee charge and provide healing.
- Grenade: Incendiary Grenade – Deals a quick burst of Solar damage, perfect for zoning enemies in PvP.
Core Gameplay: The strategy for Solar Titan in PvP revolves around creating Sunspots to regenerate health and abilities quickly. Combining the ranged melee attack of the Throwing Hammer with the devastating potential of the Hammer of Sol Super allows you to dominate opponents in both close and mid-range encounters.
Aspects and Fragments (Solar 3.0):
- Roaring Flames (Aspect): Increases Solar ability damage when securing ability kills.
- Sol Invictus (Aspect): Creates Sunspots that regenerate your health and abilities when standing in them, making them crucial for your survival in PvP.
Mods and Stats:
- Focus on Resilience for tanking damage and Strength for consistent melee uptime.
- Use Radiant Light and Powerful Friends mods to increase your mobility and melee damage.
Recommended Exotic:
- Loreley Splendor Helm: This exotic provides health regeneration and increased survivability, making it incredibly useful in PvP when you need to recover during engagements.
Weapons:
- The Immortal (SMG) is a fantastic weapon for aggressive PvP play, pairing well with the up-close nature of Solar Titan gameplay.
- Jötunn is an excellent option for ranged Solar damage in PvP.
b. Arc Titan Build for PvP
Subclass: Code of the Juggernaut (Bottom Tree Striker)
Arc Titans in PvP focus on aggressive movement and melee dominance, utilizing the Juggernaut shield to close gaps and deal massive damage to enemies. This build excels in close-quarter combat and aggressive play.
Key Abilities:
- Super: Fists of Havoc – Charge forward, dishing out electric melee slams and shoulder charges to decimate enemies.
- Melee: Seismic Strike – Shoulder Charge that blinds nearby enemies, giving you an advantage in close combat.
- Grenade: Pulse Grenade – Deals consistent Arc damage over time and helps zone opponents out of areas.
Core Gameplay: The Arc Titan in PvP revolves around movement and melee aggression. The Juggernaut shield gives you a protective barrier while sprinting, allowing you to close in on opponents without taking too much damage. The Seismic Strike shoulder charge, paired with the ability to blind enemies, makes it easy to overpower opponents in close-range combat.
Aspects and Fragments (Arc 3.0):
- Juggernaut (Aspect): Provides a frontal shield while sprinting, ideal for closing the gap between you and your opponent.
- Knockout (Aspect): Boosts your melee damage and range after critically wounding an enemy or breaking their shield, ensuring you finish them off quickly.
Mods and Stats:
- Maximize Resilience and Mobility to tank damage and move quickly around the map.
- Use Melee Wellmaker and Elemental Charge to boost melee damage when defeating enemies, ensuring you can chain your aggressive pushes.
Recommended Exotic:
- Dunemarchers: Increases sprint speed and causes your melee attacks to chain Arc damage to multiple enemies, making this exotic a staple for Arc Titan builds in PvP.
Weapons:
- The Messenger (Pulse Rifle) is excellent for mid-range engagements, while Fighting Lion can complement your aggressive playstyle with splash damage and quick reloads.
c. Void Titan Build for PvP
Subclass: Code of the Commander (Middle Tree Sentinel)
Void Titans dominate PvP through their ability to suppress, shield, and disrupt enemy plays. This build is fantastic for both aggressive and defensive PvP strategies, offering a mix of utility and damage.
Key Abilities:
- Super: Banner Shield – Projects a large frontal shield that blocks incoming damage and buffs your teammates’ weapon damage while behind it.
- Melee: Suppressor Shield Bash – Shoulder Charge that suppresses enemies, preventing them from using abilities for a short time.
- Grenade: Suppressor Grenade – Shuts down enemy abilities, which is crucial in PvP for neutralizing powerful opponents.
Core Gameplay: Void Titan in PvP revolves around controlling the battlefield and shutting down enemy abilities. With the Suppressor Shield Bash, you can eliminate the enemy’s ability to use Supers or abilities in the middle of an engagement, giving you and your team the upper hand. The defensive nature of the Banner Shield also makes Void Titans ideal for team-based game modes like Control or Trials of Osiris.
Aspects and Fragments (Void 3.0):
- Controlled Demolition (Aspect): Applying Volatile to enemies heals you and allies, providing excellent sustain in the middle of engagements.
- Bastion (Aspect): Grants overshields to yourself and nearby allies when using your Barricade, helping to keep your team safe in heated moments.
Mods and Stats:
- Focus on Resilience and Discipline to ensure high uptime on grenades and shields.
- Use Reaping Wellmaker and Well of Tenacity mods to ensure you stay tanky and can recover health easily when generating Void wells.
Recommended Exotic:
- One-Eyed Mask: Grants overshields and health regeneration when marking and defeating an enemy, making this an excellent choice for Void Titans in PvP.
Weapons:
- Crimson (Hand Cannon) is fantastic for healing and regen in PvP, while Witherhoard provides area denial and chip damage, forcing enemies out of position.
d. Strand Titan Build for PvP
Subclass: Berserker Titan (Strand)
The Strand Titan build in PvP offers unparalleled crowd control and mobility. By using your melee attacks and the Grapple ability, you can disorient and trap enemies, making them easy targets in Crucible matches.
Key Abilities:
- Super: Bladefury – Summon dual blades that deal Strand damage and suspend enemies in the air.
- Melee: Frenzied Blade – A quick and mobile melee that chains damage between enemies.
- Grenade: Grapple – Offers high mobility and offensive potential when using it to initiate attacks or escape danger.
Core Gameplay: The Strand Titan excels in keeping opponents disoriented and suspended in mid-air, preventing them from fighting back. With the Grapple ability, you can move swiftly across the map and engage opponents on your terms. The rapid melee attacks also make quick work of enemies caught off guard, allowing for aggressive play in tight spaces.
Aspects and Fragments (Strand 3.0):
- Into the Fray (Aspect): Provides woven mail for increased durability after destroying Tangles, giving you more survivability in engagements.
- Drengr’s Lash (Aspect): Your barricade sends out suspending waves, locking down enemies trying to approach or escape.
Mods and Stats:
- Prioritize Mobility for quick map traversal and Strength for melee uptime.
- Mods like Focusing Strike and Heavy Handed will help you maintain a steady flow of melee energy, allowing you to consistently use your Frenzied Blade attack. Powerful Friends is another excellent mod to boost your Mobility and ensure you’re able to reposition quickly during engagements.
Recommended Exotic:
- Abeyant Leap: As in PvE, this exotic greatly enhances your barricade’s ability to send out more suspending waves, which are key to locking down multiple enemies in PvP. The extra control you get from this exotic makes it a top pick for Strand Titans.
Weapons:
- Quicksilver Storm works well in this build due to its synergy with the Strand subclass, providing Strand damage and Tangles.
- The Immortal (SMG) offers incredible close-range lethality and is one of the top-tier SMGs for Titans looking to capitalize on mobility and aggression.
4. Endgame Titan Builds for Raids and Grandmasters
Endgame content in Destiny 2, such as Raids and Grandmaster Nightfalls, requires a specialized build that balances survivability, utility, and damage output. Here are some of the best Titan builds suited for the highest levels of Destiny 2’s content, ensuring you can be an asset to your team while dishing out massive damage or supporting key objectives.
a. Void Titan Build for Raids and Nightfalls
Subclass: Code of the Commander (Middle Tree Sentinel)
Void Titans in endgame content shine due to their ability to provide consistent utility to their team through overshields and crowd control. This build is excellent for both offensive and defensive play, making it highly valuable in activities where staying alive is crucial.
Key Abilities:
- Super: Banner Shield – Provides significant damage reduction for teammates while behind the shield, making it invaluable for damage phases in raids.
- Melee: Suppressor Shield Bash – A crucial tool for suppressing dangerous enemies, like Overload Champions, in Grandmasters.
- Grenade: Void Wall Grenade – Deals consistent damage over time and is excellent for controlling large groups of enemies.
Core Gameplay: In Raids and Grandmasters, your role as a Void Titan is to suppress key enemies, provide your team with overshields, and help control the flow of combat. The Banner Shield is incredibly useful during raid damage phases, allowing your teammates to safely pour in damage while benefiting from a damage reduction buff.
Aspects and Fragments (Void 3.0):
- Controlled Demolition (Aspect): Applying Volatile to enemies heals you and nearby allies, which is a must-have for survivability in high-difficulty content.
- Bastion (Aspect): Grants overshields when using your barricade, allowing you to create defensive zones for you and your team.
Mods and Stats:
- Maximize Resilience for survivability and Discipline to ensure high grenade uptime.
- Use Well of Tenacity and Elemental Ordnance mods to generate Void wells for increased durability and ability regen.
Recommended Exotic:
- Ursa Furiosa: This exotic refunds Super energy while guarding with your Banner Shield, allowing you to chain your Super more frequently in endgame content. It’s invaluable in Raids and Nightfalls, where long damage phases and frequent enemy waves demand consistent defense.
Weapons:
- Witherhoard for area denial and sustained damage, combined with a Void weapon like Le Monarque for taking down Void-shielded enemies.
- Divinity is an excellent raid weapon, particularly in team-based activities where precision debuffs are crucial.
b. Solar Titan Build for Raids and Nightfalls
Subclass: Code of the Siegebreaker (Bottom Tree Sunbreaker)
Solar Titans in endgame content are all about survivability and support through constant healing and damage buffs. This build thrives in Raids and Grandmasters due to its ability to generate Sunspots, which provide healing, ability regeneration, and a safe space for your team to deal damage from.
Key Abilities:
- Super: Burning Maul – Excellent for dealing with waves of enemies and bursting down bosses in Raids and Nightfalls.
- Melee: Throwing Hammer – Provides instant healing when picked up, keeping you alive in dangerous scenarios.
- Grenade: Thermite Grenade – Perfect for dealing with large groups of enemies and breaking shields in high-level content.
Core Gameplay: The focus of this Solar Titan build is creating Sunspots to heal and regenerate abilities while simultaneously boosting your and your teammates’ damage. This makes you a powerhouse of utility and survivability, especially in longer engagements typical of endgame content.
Aspects and Fragments (Solar 3.0):
- Sol Invictus (Aspect): Sunspots heal you and allies while boosting ability regen, and they are central to this build’s effectiveness.
- Roaring Flames (Aspect): Increases Solar ability damage, allowing you to clear enemies faster and deal more damage to bosses.
Mods and Stats:
- Focus on Resilience for tanking damage and Strength to keep your melee active.
- Mods like Explosive Wellmaker and Well of Life provide constant healing and ability uptime.
Recommended Exotic:
- Phoenix Cradle: Your Sunspots last twice as long and apply their effects to allies, making you a valuable support for your team. This exotic is excellent for Raids and Nightfalls where healing and ability regen are crucial for your team’s success.
Weapons:
- Gjallarhorn is a top-tier choice for DPS phases, particularly in raids like King’s Fall or Vault of Glass, where burst damage is key.
- Solar Rocket Launchers like Hezen Vengeance synergize with the Solar subclass, allowing you to create Sunspots on rocket kills.
c. Arc Titan Build for Raids and Nightfalls
Subclass: Code of the Juggernaut (Bottom Tree Striker)
For players who want to deal heavy burst damage while maintaining mobility and survivability in Raids and Nightfalls, the Arc Titan build is the go-to option. Its focus on melee damage and mobility makes it ideal for handling adds and dealing with Champions.
Key Abilities:
- Super: Fists of Havoc – A powerful roaming Super that allows you to clear large groups of enemies quickly.
- Melee: Seismic Strike – Shoulder Charge that deals devastating Arc damage while also blinding enemies, making it effective in Raids and Nightfalls for controlling adds.
- Grenade: Pulse Grenade – Deals consistent damage over time, useful for taking down shielded enemies or controlling choke points.
Core Gameplay: Arc Titans excel at taking out waves of enemies while maintaining a fast and aggressive playstyle. In endgame content, your role is to handle adds, deal damage during DPS phases, and control the battlefield with your blinding abilities.
Aspects and Fragments (Arc 3.0):
- Juggernaut (Aspect): Provides a shield while sprinting, allowing you to close in on enemies without taking too much damage, which is useful in Grandmasters.
- Knockout (Aspect): Boosts your melee range and damage after critically wounding an enemy or breaking a shield, giving you increased lethality in melee combat.
Mods and Stats:
- Maximize Resilience and Strength to ensure melee uptime and survivability.
- Use mods like Heavy Handed and Focusing Strike to generate melee energy, keeping your shoulder charge and melees on a short cooldown.
Recommended Exotic:
- Dunemarchers: Increases your sprint speed and causes your melee attacks to chain Arc damage to nearby enemies. This exotic is a staple for Arc Titans, particularly in Raids where movement and melee damage are crucial.
Weapons:
- Anarchy is an excellent option for Raids, as it provides consistent damage over time and is fantastic for trapping enemies.
- Arc Shotguns or Fusions like Forbearance work well with the aggressive playstyle of the Arc Titan, offering high burst damage at close range.
Conclusion
Titans in Destiny 2 possess some of the most versatile and powerful builds, whether you’re tackling PvE or PvP content. With the introduction of subclass 3.0 updates, Titans can fine-tune their abilities, aspects, and fragments to suit their playstyle and the needs of any activity.
From the hard-hitting Solar Titans dominating PvE to the quick and aggressive Arc Titans in PvP, each subclass and build offers unique advantages. Whether you’re suspending enemies as a Strand Berserker, hurling flaming hammers as a Sunbreaker, or shutting down Supers with a Void Sentinel, the Titan class is one of the most flexible and fun to play in the current Destiny 2 sandbox.
By leveraging powerful exotics, synergizing weapons, and optimizing your stats and mods, you can craft a Titan build that not only matches your playstyle but also excels in any challenge Destiny 2 throws at you. With this guide, you’re now equipped with the knowledge to dominate any activity and bring the full power of the Titan class to bear on the battlefield. Guardians, it’s time to punch your way to victory!