Destiny 2 provides players with three distinct classes that excel at different attributes. Here we’ll guide newcomers on how to choose the best starting class to begin their journey as a Guardian.
Destiny 2 is an action MMO with a single evolving world that you and your friends can join anytime, anywhere, absolutely free. Players can unlock powerful elemental abilities and collect unique gear to customize their Guardian’s look and playstyle.
As a beginner in any title with multiple hero classes and subclasses, players might be confused regarding which character they should choose, which skill tree to focus on, and, more importantly, where to spend hard-earned Skill points.
Similarly, in Destiny 2, players might get overwhelmed at the start of their journey regarding their starting class. In Destiny 2, class is a hero type, and players can choose their class when first starting the game. In addition, each character has different abilities and perks.
And if you’re going to play solo, it doesn’t matter what class you choose, as you will be able to handle any solo content that Destiny 2 may throw at you. Players can’t change a character’s class ability, but each class is further divided into subclasses that can be switched. Also, a character’s class does not limit them to a specific role. Instead, every class in Destiny 2 can deal damage or support allies.
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This Destiny 2 starting class guide can help new players who are unsure where to start or veterans who only played one class till now and one to try something new. This guide will focus on all the classes and their perks.
Note: This article was updated for the new Witch Queen DLC.
How Many Classes are in Destiny 2

There are three distinct classes in Destiny 2. Players can choose any of them, and they all have additional subclasses. While one class is not more potent than its contemporaries, they each have strengths and weaknesses. The most significant difference between them is the abilities found within the subclasses and the perk trees.
These three classes are:
- Hunter
- Warlock
- Titan
Reasons why players should start with Hunter

Hunters are the most dominant in combat and movement but are very fragile. Even though they are a bit flimsy, they can still deal a massive amount of damage in a short period. The hunter class is the best choice if you don’t care about defense and prefer an offensive playstyle. You can kill enemies before they can deal any damage.
The Hunter class is the most mobility-focused character in Destiny 2. With superior mobility at your disposal, you can quickly move across the map. If you’re quick, you can also dodge incoming fire that other classes can’t. However, one of the Hunters’ main strengths is how slippery they are. As a result, you can generally get to locations faster than anyone else.
Hunter Class Ability
- Marksman’s Dodge: Dodge performs an evasive maneuver with a steady hand. Dodging will automatically reload your weapon.
- Gambler’s Dodge: Dodge to perform a deft tumble, avoiding enemy attacks. Dodging near enemies fully recharges your melee ability.
- Movement Mode: Jump. Hunters can jump while airborne.
- Class Stat: Mobility. Increasing movement speed and maximum jump height reduces the cooldown of Dodge.
- Class Armor: Hunter Cloak.
Hunter All Subclasses
Arcstrider Subclass and Abilities

Arcstriders have a unique combination of strength and speed that makes them particularly dangerous in close quarters, but they also work well in groups. This Hunter subclass feels incredible to play and great for aggressive players. In addition, this subclass’s Arc Staff super has built-in combo potential.
The arc stuff is an excellent super for the Arcstrider subclass. Arcstriders Hunters have three grenades: the Skip Grenade, the Flux Grenade, and the Arcbolt Grenade. Furthermore, they have two talents: the Way of the Warrior and the Way of the Wind. Based on recent changes, the Way of the Warrior is more potent with this subclass.
Gunslinger Subclass and Abilities

If you wish to play from a distance and have exceptional mechanical skills with a gun, you must choose the Gunslinger. The Gunslinger is best suited for a Guardian who values precision. They can easily cope with their opponent from a long distance. Furthermore, they have exceptional accuracy when shooting targets from considerable distances.
The Golden Gun is an excellent super for the Gunslinger subclass. Gunslinger hunter can summon a blazing pistol that uses Solar Light to demolish foes. They have three grenades in their possession. Tripmine Grenade, Incendiary Grenade, and Swarm Grenade. They also have two talent types: the Way of the Outlaw and the Way of the Sharpshooter.
Nightstalker Subclass and Abilities

Nightstalker’s primary role is to support allies as its Shadowshot ability effectively silences any enemies trapped in its web of influence, which makes it a pretty solid pick for assisting teammates. On the other hand, Spectral Blades are great for striking Swifty while blending in with the shadows. Suppress, delay, track, or confound your opponents, so they don’t know when you will deliver the last blow.
Shadow shot is the Nightstalker subclass’s super. It’s an excellent super for dealing with a large number of enemies. A large group of enemies is tethered to a Void Anchor, slowing and silencing them for your fireteam to deal the finishing blow. Nightstalker possesses Spike Grenade, Voidwall Grenade, and Vortex Grenade. Additionally, they have three attribute modifiers: Way of the Drifter, Way of the Fearless, and Way of the Nomad.
Revenant Subclass and Abilities

If a Revenant Hunter doesn’t cooperate with party members, they can be a nuisance in PvE and PvP. But their impact in the game is next to one if they work well with your fireteam. This subclass provides players with Silence and Squall Super ability that can work in conjunction with one another. Also, Hunters can throw two kamas by default. One can freeze, while the other creates a storm that follows its target and gradually ruins its day. This class is hard to track because of their evasion, ranged melee that can freeze or slow, and aerial dive.
Silence and Squall is the super ability of a revenant hunter. It’s a nightmare for any adversary. Silence and Squall can channel Stasis shards into creating a lethal pair of Kama swords, the first of which can freeze your opponent and the second of which will blow upon impact. In addition, they have three grenades: Glacier Grenade, Duskfield Grenade, and Coldsnap Grenade.
Best Subclass Recommendation for PvE

Void build with Nightstalker’s Mobius quiver is the current meta for hunter builds. Additionally, players can utilize gamblers dodge with this subclass. Players can also use this Dodge to perform a death tumble while avoiding opponent strikes. Dodging near adversaries recharges your melee ability, and Tripple jump lets you toss grenades that attach to your opponent and deal damage. All in all, this subclass feels superb to play in the PvE mode.
Best Subclass Recommendation for PvP

Arcstrider’s Way of the Current is one of the game’s most effective super perfect for making counterplays in the PvP mode. You can counter most of your opponent’s supers with this subclass. So it shouldn’t be any problem if you don’t rush to a group or get hit from behind. However, consider that this subclass cannot counter every super in the game. So, you need to know which super you can counter and which one you should simply avoid.
For example, supers like Chaos Reach and Bottom Tree Storm Caller with the perk landfall can be manageable. But in the case of the Hammer Titan, you can only survive if they hit your legs. Also, the Striker can still smash you, but the shoulder charge can’t kill you. On top of that, you can devour a hunter’s tether if it’s pointed towards you, but not if it’s on the ground and nova warp. As you can see, there are just a few supers that you cannot counter, making it one of the finest PvP subclasses for hunters.
Should you play as a Hunter?

It all comes down to personal opinion when choosing a character. Hunter is an excellent option if you want to play from a long distance. Although they do not provide teamwide healing, they are excellent at traversing the entire map. In addition, they can get everywhere faster than any other guardian. So, if you’re willing to give up team buffs or toughness, the Hunter class is an excellent choice based on your playstyle.
Hunter Class Pros:
- Hunter is the highly mobile damage-dealing class.
- Hunters perform so well at almost any range in Destiny 2, using their Dodge Class ability to evade any danger and move away from surrounding enemies or enemy sniper fire.
- Hunters have versatile trapping Melee and Grenade abilities, such as Smoke Bombs and Tripmines.
Hunter Class Cons:
- Hunter is the highly mobile damage-dealing class, but they are very fragile.
- They are not team-friendly characters and offer very little to the group.
- They Don’t provide any healing or damage buff as other classes do.
Reasons why players should start with Warlock

Warlocks have a wide range of abilities and playstyles that are well-balanced. The skills of this class are less complex than those of the Titan and Hunter. Depending on the subclass, either a healing or an empowering Rift is available to the Warlock. The healing Rift restores health, while the empowering Rift grants increased weapon damage.
In both PvP and PvE, Warlock is the finest choice for defeating opponents. As a team player, they’re an excellent choice. They can increase the damage done by their allies while also absorbing all of the enemy’s bullets. You can choose from various subclasses that can benefit you and your team in any situation.
Warlock Class Ability
- Movement Mode: Glide. Jumping while airborne start an airborne drift.
- Voidwalker only: Blink. Jumping while airborne teleports the Warlock a short distance.
- Class Ability: Rift. Buffs allies with increased health regeneration or damage output.
- Class Stat: Recovery. Increases the speed at which lost health is regained and reduces the cooldown of Rift.
- Class Armor: Warlock Bond.
Warlock All Subclass
Dawnblade Subclass and Abilities

Dawnblade is a subclass of Warlock that focuses on the solar. Because of this subclass’s preference for aerial combat, the Dawnblade is a popular choice for those looking to test their skills in the air. In addition, Dawnblade’s Daybreak Super Ability makes it an excellent choice for newcomers. It also helps that these abilities are really flashy.
Daybreak is ideal for assaulting your opponent from above. Daybreak basically weaves Solar Light into your blades and attacks your enemies from above. Dawnblade warlocks can also use three different types of grenades. Solar Grenade, Firebolt Grenade, and Fusion Grenade. On top of that, they also have two skill types Attunement of Sky and Attunement of Flame.
Voidwalker Subclass and Abilities

The Voidwalker is a subclass of Warlock that focuses on the Void. The Voidwalker is equipped with destructive skills that allow players to cause tremendous destruction to their target and the fun part is enemy won’t notice what hit them.
Nova Bomb is the Voidwalker’s super ability. It is arguably one of the best warlock supers. Nova Bomb fires a devastating bolt of Void Light at the adversary, dissolving everyone caught in its path. Their three grenade powers are also quite impressive on their own. These grenades are Vortex Grenade, Scatter Grenade, and Axion Bolt. Furthermore, they have two perks: Attunement of Chaos and Attunement of Hunger.
Stormcaller Subclass and Abilities

Arc-based Warlocks are known as Stormcallers. Stormcaller’s abilities can cause enormous damage to hordes of enemies in PvE. Additionally, an arc-based subclass can deal electro-damage to their enemies. With this subclass, you will essentially feel like you are Thor from the popular Marvel comics.
Stromcaller is a fantastic Warlock subclass. The super ability Stormtrance allows you to unleash Arc lightning from your palms. This subclass also carries the Pulse Grenade, the Storm Grenade, and the Arcbolt Grenade. They also have three kinds of Ability Modifiers: Electrostatic Mind, Arc Web, and Perpetual Charge.
Shadebinder Subclass and Abilities

Shadebinder is the Warlock’s stasis-based subclass. Shadebinder is challenging to master, but it comes in handy when dealing with crowds. The super ability of Winter’s Wrath is to summon a Stasis staff, which casts Stasis shards that freeze targets. The player can then unleash a shockwave, shattering all of the targets.
The Shadebinder is an excellent melee ability that allows players to fire stasis energy from their staff, freezing opponents in place. They also have three grenades, which are extremely useful when dealing with a large group of opponents. Glacier Grenade, Duskfield Grenade, and Coldsnap Grenade are all capable of freezing and shattering many enemies. In addition, Shadebinder Warlock has Healing Rift, which heals you and your squadmates, and Empowering Rift can boost your weapon’s damage.
Best Subclass Recommendation for PvE

In Destiny 2, the Attunement of Flame solar subclass is one of the greatest for PvE. Players will get a flaming sword and will be able to throw fireballs like the other solar classes. In addition, killing with your super with the Everlasting fire extends the super by granting a tiny amount of super energy on kill. However, keep in mind that this has diminishing returns. Basically, it helps in keeping your super going for a bit longer, giving you an upper hand on the battlefield.
Unsurprisingly, this subclass benefits greatly from Fated of the Flame. This perk changes the super, but it also changes the projectiles. The super missiles now track targets while in flight, and when they land, they leave a trail of flames behind them.
Best Subclass Recommendation for PvP

The sun subclass’s top Tree Dawn Blade is arguably one of the greatest subclasses in Destiny 2. From aerial attacks to dodge abilities to traversing the battlefield at a high rate of speed, this subclass basically revolves around your movement. When it comes to mastering the top tree dawn blade, the first thing you need to learn is how to dash effectively. Players can use the Dash to move around the map rapidly. You can also utilize it in tandem with your basic burst glide.
Now, to perform this Dash correctly, you’ll need to start your jump at the proper time when you’re traveling downhill, which is when you’ll want to use your dash ability and click the jump button simultaneously. This will cause you to sprint exceptionally far and quickly. It may take some time if you haven’t mastered this yet, but it becomes second nature once you do. Any movement junkies would love this subclass.
Should you play as a Warlock?

It all comes down to your playstyle when it comes to character selection, as usual. Warlock is more of a team-friendly character as they can heal an entire squad and make you invisible while increasing your damage with their Rift. The only disadvantage of warlocks is that they are not as fast as hunters, but they are pretty adaptable in other areas. Therefore, the Warlock is a must-have if you want a distinct playstyle and teamwide buff.
Warlock class Pros:
- Warlock is excellent for the team in both PvP and PvE.
- They can also output Good damage with the proper subclass.
- The Warlock can also revive their teammate.
Warlock class Cons:
- Warlock’s jump is not as good as a double jump or high as a lift.
- Also, you can’t Revive your teammates until you level up your subclass to the max.
Reasons why players should start with Titan

Titans are the most durable of Destiny 2’s three core classes, trading agility and healing in exchange for the capacity to withstand massive amounts of damage. Through their diverse abilities, they can offer devastating power or robust protections. No other class can hold their ground like a Titan. When fighting becomes chaotic, Titans use a well-placed Barricade or melee ability to disrupt the enemy’s strategy.
Melee abilities are essential for Titans because they emphasize getting up close and personal with their foes. Therefore make sure your armor has excellent Strength stats to lower the cooldown of your Melee ability. Resilience is the Titan Class Stat, which raises your shield capacity and reduces the cooldown of your Barricade Class Ability.
Titan Class Ability
- Movement Mode: Lift. Jumping while airborne launches the Titan into the air.
- Class Ability: Barricade. It Deploys temporary cover on the battlefield.
- Class Stat: Resilience. Increases the amount of damage taken before dying and Reduces the cooldown of Barricade.
- Class Armor: Titan Mark.
Titan All Subclasses
Sentinel Subclass and Abilities.

Sentinel is the Titan class’s Void-based subclass. Sentinel Titans are Destiny 2’s shield-based characters. Their shield can protect you and your teammates from enemy fire while boosting your teammate’s damage. Additionally, they can be helpful where you need to cover a specific target.
Sentinal features one of the best Titan supers. Sentinel summons a shield of Void Light, and while it is active, you can attack your opponent, guard your allies, and defend a target from opponents. In addition, they have three grenades: the Magnetic Grenade, the Voidwall Grenade, and the Suppressor Grenade, all of which are pretty deadly in their own right. They also have two perks: the Protector’s Code and the Aggressor’s Code.
Striker Subclass and Abilities.

Striker is an arc-based Titan subclass. The Striker Titan uses an Arc-enhanced fist to deal lightning damage up close, and Strikers are pretty lethal in a close battle. They can withstand significant damage while dealing moderate damage to their opponent.
The Striker class has a fantastic super known as Fist of Havoc. That can smash the ground and dissolve surrounding opponents in an ArcLight vortex. This is a lethal super for any opponent facing a Titan striker. Strike Titan also has the Flashbang Grenade, the Pulse Grenade, and the Lightning Grenade. Aside from these, they have two ability bonuses called the Code of the Earthshaker and the Code of the Juggernaut.
Sunbreaker Subclass and Abilities.

Sunbreaker is the Titan class’s solar-based subclass. The Sunbreaker Titan Subclass combines throwable-flaming and Solar-damage hammers to do splash damage from a distance while simultaneously delivering healing effects and other boosts to yourself and your friends.
Sunbreaker Titan possesses a powerful damage-dealing super called Hammer of Sol, which summons a fiery hammer and wreaks havoc on your adversaries. They also have three grenades, which can deliver a decisive blow to your opponent. Fusion Grenade, Thermite Grenade, and Incendiary Grenade may burn their opponent immediately. In addition to the sun breaker, Titan offers three excellent ability modifiers: Simmering Flames, Cauterize, and Fire Keeper.
Behemoth Subclass and Abilities.

Behemoth is the Titan class’s stasis-based subclass. The Behemoth is excellent for dealing damage to your enemies. They can freeze their enemies with their grenades and super and can boost players’ base damage.
Glacial Quake is an excellent super for Behemoth Titan. It can summon a Stasis gauntlet, which generates a shockwave that freezes opponents and sends out crystals to freeze more adversaries. In addition, you can increase the damage to your skill by supercharging it. Behemoth Titan uses Glacier Grenade, Duskfield Grenade, and Coldsnap Grenade. On top of that, they have two excellent class abilities: Towering Barricade and Rally Barricade.
Best Subclass Recommendation for PvE

Striker is one of Titan’s most powerful PvE subclasses. As a Striker Titan, you’ll be dealing lightning damage up close with your Arc-enhanced fists, especially with your Fists of Havoc Super ability’s area-of-effect lightning slams. The dire promise hand cannon is the best weapon for this subclass. Additionally, players can use the exotic duality shotgun for the energy slot. This weapon makes your fire pellet spread if you are hip firing.
Best Subclass Recommendation for PvP

Sunbreaker Titan is the best Titan subclass for both PvP. The Sunbreaker Titan subclass combines throwable, blazing, Solar-damage hammers to deal splash damage from a distance while also providing healing effects and other benefits to yourself and your allies. With the Code of the Fire-Forged talent, you can rush and incinerate opponents with a mighty Hammer of Sol. Sunspots are wells of fire that increase weapon damage, ability recharge rates, and super duration if you travel through them.
Should you play as a Titan?

When it comes to choosing a character, every player has their preferences. Titan is an excellent choice for those looking for the game’s toughest character who can soak up damage for their fireteam. With their ability to withstand immense damage, Titans are one of the toughest characters of the three classes. Their melee ability is somewhat repetitious, but they are pretty adaptable in other areas. So, if you want a tanky warrior who can deliver massive damage while still protecting their allies, Titan should be your first choice.
Titan class Pros:
- Titan has a lot of versatility to offer.
- They are Great with teams or Groups.
- Deadly at close combat.
Titan Class Cons:
- Titans all abilities are identical between subclasses.
- Struggles with soloing pinnacle PvE content.
- More Then one Titan is not that good for a group.
Now that you know what each of the subclasses has to offer in Destiny 2, you can finally choose the exact class that is suitable for you based on all the information that we have provided above. Best of luck, Guardian, on your journey.
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