Destiny 2 Strand brawler Titan build — Season 23 (Season of the Wish)

Screenshot by The Rejection Pile

Strand was my least favorite subclass for Titans when it was released in Destiny 2: Lightfall. The way it was presented in the story didn’t feel good at all. Fast forward a year to the extended Season of the Wish and I get it. This Strand build that makes me feel like a little Hive gremlin and I love it.

Become the ideal Titan and punch your way to victory

Despite my disappointment at Bungie not opting for something different with Strand for Titans and the involved process for unlocking Aspects and Fragments, I’ve finally come around. Strand is a subclass that takes a lot of work to fully master, but is completely worth it.

This build is focused entirely on melee attacks with charged melee abilities, glaive strikes, and swinging a sword. You’ll be in the thick of it, but each enemy that you fell only increases your damage output and healing. It’s like if you adjusted the tint on your TV to make Wolverine turn green.

Subclass, Aspects, and Fragments

• (Subclass) Bladefury
  - There isn’t any other choice for Strand Titans. Thankfully, it embraces that punch punch fantasy.
• (Class Ability) Towering Barricade
  - Much like my Void build, the barricade you choose here doesn’t matter too much. I simply prefer the Towering Barricade for the cover it provides.
• (Charged Melee) Frenzied Blade
  - You’ll get three charges of this melee attack and it is fantastic for building stacks of Burning Fists and Banner of War.
• (Grenade) Shackle Grenade
  - While this grenade doesn’t do a lot of damage, it suspends targets in the air, making them completely vulnerable to you and allied attacks. This is especially handy for Champions or bigger foes like Minotaurs.
• (Aspect) Into the Fray
  - Destroying a Tangle or popping your Super grants Woven Mail. While this buff is active, your melee ability recharges quicker.
• (Aspect) Banner of War
  - Defeating a target with a melee attack, finisher, or Sword creates the Banner of War AoE centered on you. When in the AoE, you and your allies are periodically healed. Additionally, melee and Sword damage is increased. Defeating enemies increases the speed of the healing pulses.
• (Fragment) Thread of Transmutation
  - While you have Woven Mail, weapon final blows create a Tangle. Also provides +10 Strength.
• (Fragment) Thread of Propagation
  - Powered melee final blows imbue your Strand weapons with Unraveling Rounds. When a target is Unraveled, it turns into a Tangle. Also provides +10 Strength.
• (Fragment) Thread of Wisdom
  - Defeating suspended targets creates an Orb of Power. When eliminated, suspended targets turn into a Tangle.
• (Fragment) Thread of Warding
  - Picking up an Orb of Power grants Woven Mail. Also reduces Resilience by 10.

Weapons

You’re going to be doing a lot of melee damage thanks to your glaive and sword. The only real ranged option is the Quicksilver Storm auto rifle. It’s a good thing it absolutely shreds.

Landing multiple hits with Quicksilver Storm turns your next shot into a homing micro-rocket. The completely necessary Catalyst changess the damage type to Strand and final blows with grenades from this weapon create Tangles.

When fully buffed by Banner of War and Burning Fists, you’ll be the wall upon which your enemies break. Dance on their corpses while channeling the Sword Logic to empower you and your allies.

• Quicksilver Storm Exotic Auto Rifle
• The Enigma Glaive
  - Adaptive Glaive
  - Impulse Amplifier (Adept)
  - Unrelenting (Adept)
  - Psychohack
  - Major Spec
• Thin Precipice Sword
  - Vortex Frame
  - Swordmaster’s Guard
  - Unrelenting
  - Chain Reaction

Armor & Mods

Screenshot by The Rejection Pile

If possible, equip gear that provides you with 100 Resilience and Strength. You’re going to be taking a lot of damage and this build requires you to kill the bulk of your enemies with melee attacks. Thankfully, the Exotic Wormgod Caress, will help in this endeavour.

Defeating a target with melee or a finisher grants escalating damage, which decays over time. Higher levels of Burning Fists grant increased weapon damage. This channels perfectly with your glaive and sword. It’s just a shame that Wormgod Caress is such an ugly piece of armor.

• Helm
  - Heavy Ammo Finder
  - Strand Siphon x2
  - Strength Mod
• Gauntlets
  - Fastball
  - Font of Vigor x2
  - Strength Mod
• Chest Armor
  - Font of Endurance x2
  - Charged Up
  - Discipline Mod
• Leg Armor
  - Minor Intellect Mod
  - Strand Weapon Surge
  - Recuperation
  - Stacks on Stacks
• Mark
  - Time Dilation x2
  - Minor Resilience Mod
  - Outreach