The new subclass was officially premiered during the Destiny 2 Showcase held by Bungie on Aug. 23, which focused on both the new expansion Lightfall as well as the newest season, Season of the Plunder. A portion of that broadcast was solely dedicated to looking at the development and plans for the new Strand subclass.
Here’s everything you need to know about using Strand in Destiny 2.
What is Strand?
Like Stasis, Strand is a Darkness power. Bungie describes Strand as like a psychic energy that connects everything together “like a matrix.” It connects all living beings and all minds together, and you as the Guardian become the first person to gain the knowledge needed to “pull at the threads.”
Creating an object using strand is called weaving. Defeating an enemy affected by Strand will unravel them and create a Tangle, a bundle of Strand that will explode when shot, or can be picked up and thrown.
The Strand aesthetic is inspired by 80s action films. Players will be able to use Strand for both movement and damage.
What are the Strand class abilities?
The next Destiny 2 expansion, Lightfall, is set to introduce a campaign set in a new Neptunian metropolis called Neomuna, and players will be able to use a new Darkness power in Strand to accomplish their missions.
Warlocks
The Warlock Strand class is known as Broodweaver. Warlocks that use Strand will make use of explosive Strand minions known as Threadlings that will run toward enemies, jump on them, and explode.
Broodweavers can also use the Arcane Needle melee attack, which is a deadly projectile that tracks targets and deals high damage while also unraveling them. Broodweavers can “quickly chain” three Arcane Needle attacks in a row.
The Warlock Strand super is called Needlestorm, launching a “fusillade of hardened spikes” that will stick into enemies and the environment “before detonating and reweaving themselves into an army of Threadlings that will hunt down any survivors.”
Here are the different Strand Aspects for Warlock:
- Weaver’s Call: On Rift cast, the Warlock weaves three Threadling eggs, which hatch into Threadlings when they hit a surface. Any perched Threadlings are converted to additional eggs.
- Mindspun Invocation: This Aspect improves several of the Warlock’s 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.
Titans
The Titan Strand Class is known as Berserker, and makes use of tightly woven Strand blades that slice through foes. This class is built for “maximum carnage.”
Berserkers can use the Frenzied Blade melee ability, which is a dash-and-slash that severs enemies and reduces their damage dealt. There are three charges of Frenzied Blade available.
The Titan Strand super is called Bladefury. Dual wielding blades, Bladefury lets you light attack with supercharged versions of Frenzied Blade, with each attack increasing attack speed and building a heavy attack. The heavy attack “hurls a pair of projectiles forward that seek out enemies, suspending and damaging them on impact.”
There are two Strand Aspects for Titans:
- Into the Fray: Destroying a Tangle weaves Woven Mail unto the Titan and nearby allies. In addition to reducing damage taken, this Aspect also increases the Titan’s melee energy regeneration while wearing Woven Mail.
- Drengr’s Lash: When the Titan casts their class ability, the Titan will blast forward a powerful ripple in reality, suspending enemies that are caught in the shockwave’s path.
Hunters
The Hunter Strand class is known as Threadrunner, and maximizes the grappling and mobility options all Strand classes have.
Threadrunners can use the Threaded Spike melee ability, where they shoot out a rope dart that bounces between enemies, damaging and severing them before returning to the Hunter. When it returns to the Threadrunner, it grants melee energy for each enemy hit, and players can time it perfectly to earn additional melee energy.
The Hunter Strand super is called Silkstrike. Guardians freely grapple through the world while throwing their rope dart to strike enemies with either a light or heavy attack.
There are two Strand Aspects for Hunters:
- Ensnaring Slam: While in the air, press the air-move input to slam downward, suspending all nearby enemies.
- Widow’s Silk: This Aspect grants an additional grenade charge. The Hunter’s grapple ability creates a persistent grapple Tangle when it latches, which fully refunds grenade energy when grappled to. Hunters can use this ability to set up chains of grapple points that their entire team can use, greatly enhancing their ability to quickly move around in combat and/or traverse the environment.
Is there a Strand grappling hook?
Yes, Strand has a grappling hook. But this Strand-powered grappling hook is special: it can be attached to absolutely anything, even if there’s no object there. The grappling hook was originally developed as part of the Hunter’s Strand kit, but the team at Bungie thought it was “too much fun” to limit to just one class.
What are the Strand Fragments?
There are four Fragments that Guardians can use to customize their Strand playstyle:
- Thread of Ascent: Activating your grenade ability reloads your equipped weapon and grants increased weapon handling and airborne effectiveness for a short time.
- Thread of Fury: Damaging targets with a Tangle grants melee energy.
- Thread of Finality: Finishers generate Threadlings.
- Thread of Warding: Picking up an orb of power grants Woven Mail.
Strand will officially become available when the Lightfall expansion releases on Feb. 28, 2023.
