Destiny 2will release its new story expansion,Lightfall, in February 2023, and with it comes the highly anticipated Darkness subclass by the name of Strand. While the bulk of information regarding Strand has been kept under wraps, whatDestiny 2trailers have shown indicates that it may be a powerful subclass, perhaps more so than Stasis, which was released inBeyond Lightand is currently showing its age compared to Light 3.0 reworks. Yet, even if it proves to be very powerful, Strand appears to be more equipped for an area-of-effect-damage kind of playstyle.
BeforeBeyond Light, Guardians were limited to using their abilities as subclasses of the Light, consisting of Void, Arc, and Solar powers that allowed for a limited selection of player builds. Stasis was released with the 3.0 system, including Aspects and Fragments that further fine-tune and customize builds, whereas theWitch Queenexpansionand its first three seasons saw the Light overhauled with the same system. As for Lightfall, Strand is expected to follow suit.
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Strand’s Grappling Hook and Traversal Skills in Destiny 2
The new Darkness subclass is rooted as an elemental manifestation of the Darkness, much like Stasis. Appearing in green-colored form, one could make the case forDestiny 2’sStrandto be quite similar to the Matrix from the homonymous franchise due to the subclass pulling the threads of reality. This is shown as early as the first reveal trailer, where a Guardian is seen rippling thin air with their fingers, caressing Strand as if it were guitar strings. Like for every element inDestiny 2, each Strand subclass will feature unique names and qualities for using this green energy.
A unique facet of Strand that Guardians will be able to utilize will be the grappling hook, which will be available to all classes and occupy a grenade slot in players' arsenal. Although there could be differences inhow classes use Strand’s grappling hook, the game will supposedly allow players to attach to any surface. In addition to that, players can use thin air as an anchor when no viable surface is available, which makes for interesting flights through Neptune in combat and for traversal.
How Lightfall’s Strand Could be Used for Area-of-Effect Damage
While the grappling hook will be available for all classes, each Guardian class will also have Aspects that keep the subclass unique to them. For example, in the newestrelease trailer forLightfall, players get a more extensive glimpse at Strand in action. From what can be gleaned, the subclass appears to be a viable tool for all classes inflicting area-of-effect damage.
From each class’s descriptions, it seems that Strand is mainly used to deal with multiple enemies at once. If this is true, Strand will primarily be used to deal with groups of adds and control the battlefield via movement or other tools. These are generally essential things inDestiny 2, but they are far from the best options for dealing with substantial threats. This can mean that Strand may not be optimal for tackling stronger enemies and bosses, even includingDestiny 2’s Champions.
While more information has been scant, the exception to this may be the Rope Dart utilized by Threadrunner Hunters. Until the attack is seen in action, players can surmise that Rope Dart may be a potent singular attack able to cause massive damage or perhaps cause damage over time. Nevertheless, the trailer highlights Warlocks and Hunters as handling swarms of enemies via their manipulation of the threads that encompass the subclass, which further poses questions about Strand’s viability as a single-target damaging tool.
Destiny 2is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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