A ‘Destiny 2’ Solar 3.0 class is god beast, the other two need work

Destiny 2’s Season of the Haunted is here and so is Solar 3.0. I’ve played around with all three classes so far and agree with the general consensus that void is 3.0 probably stronger with its chain explosions and overshields, but Solar can be a lot of fun.

But one class enjoys it more than the other two.

Unlike last season, where early Void 3.0 impressions said Hunters got the worse end of the deal compared to Titans and Warlocks, now it’s the other way around. Solar 3.0 Fighters feel great, while Warlocks and Titans feel like they’ve been nerfed almost a bit.

I think it’s early as two days without unlocking all fragments is a bit quick to judge, but here’s what’s going on right now:

Hunter: They feel fantastic. A new dodge instantly increases weapon damage from you and your allies with shine. A new Aspect dramatically boosts Super Attack, making Blade Barrage useful again. Gunpowder Gamble is a literal blast, a super bomb that works like a giant version of the Trip Mine and works perfectly with Young Ahamkara’s Spine build that I’ve been using. They really nailed the gunslinger fantasy with this kit and I’m not sure I’ve ever had more fun with Hunter.

Titans: You are in a strange place now after these changes. Personally, I don’t like sliding/charged melee moves, so this new aspect doesn’t do me any good as cool as it looks. The main issue is how many nerfs have taken sunspots with less uptime, less ability recharge, less amplified damage, less really everything, and mostly because of PvP. Also, Roaring Flames’ damage has been reduced and it doesn’t seem to work at all with Burning Maul, which seems bugged and somehow does less damage than a normal melee. So far, at least, I don’t really see the “big damage and blast” philosophy pulling through here in many ways.

Sorcerer: Warlocks have an instantly amazing build that spams repolished, lava spewing solar grenades with solar bracers. But other than that, it’s definitely very odd that two of the three aspects of warlocks are airborne based, which seems far too PvP focused and not nearly useful enough in PvE. They don’t have a single aspect related to healing, which is very strange, or burning, which again doesn’t really fit the healer/pyromist idea proposed by the designers. On the plus side is her fast melee attack is extremely cool. But it seems like they’ve lost a few key bits of their kit (Well of Radiance took a pretty steep nerf) and leaned way too much into air stuff, including Phoenix Dive as a replacement for class abilities. Lots of weird choices here.

Other problems: There are some general issues with Solar 3.0 that don’t seem ideal, such as the fact that Solar Exotics like Polaris Lance or Sunshot don’t trigger any of the Scorch or Ignite effects despite their fire and explosions. Only a small handful of Exotics were allowed this ability, like Skyburners and Prometheus Lens and Jotunn’s new Catalyst. Also, there’s nothing quite like Volatile Rounds, which boosts all Solar weapons (there’s a new Solar perk for some weapons, though, that spreads Scorch).

Again I think it’s early days but these are some of the first impressions based on the kits I’ve tried versus their older counterparts. Lots of improvements for sure, but Hunters definitely feels like a clear standout compared to the rest.

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