Destiny 2 Beginner Guide: Classes, Subclasses, Weapons & Progression

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Destiny 2 Beginner Guide: Classes, Subclasses, Weapons & Progression

Destiny 2 can feel overwhelming because it contains years of weapons, abilities, destinations and activities. The easiest way to begin is to understand your Guardian first, then gradually expand the number of systems you use.

Choose a Class

The three classes are:

• Hunter: agile and built around Dodge as its traditional class ability.
• Titan: durable and traditionally uses Barricade.
• Warlock: ability-focused and traditionally uses Rift.

All three can succeed in PvE and PvP.

You Can Use Multiple Subclasses

Bungie’s current guide confirms that every class can access all elemental families after they are unlocked.

The six current families are:

• Solar
• Arc
• Void
• Stasis
• Strand
• Prismatic

Do Not Learn All Six at Once

Pick one subclass and learn:

• Its Super.
• Grenade.
• Charged melee.
• Class ability.
• Aspects.
• Fragments.

Supers

Supers charge over time and through combat.

Use them deliberately for:

• Large enemy groups.
• Boss damage.
• Team support.
• Emergency survival.

Weapons

Destiny contains many weapon archetypes.

Do not decide whether you like a whole weapon category after using one poor roll.

Try several examples and learn the broad roles of:

• Auto Rifles.
• Scout Rifles.
• Pulse Rifles.
• Hand Cannons.
• SMGs.
• Shotguns.
• Sniper Rifles.
• Fusion Rifles.
• Heavy weapons.

Weapon Perks Matter

Two weapons of the same type can behave differently because of their perks.

Read what each perk does before dismantling something merely because its name looks familiar.

Keep Different Tools

Bungie recommends maintaining weapons with different:

• Archetypes.
• Elements.
• Ammo types.

This gives you options when an activity favors particular weapons or elemental effects.

Use Your Vault

You do not need to carry every interesting weapon at once.

Store potentially useful gear until you better understand what works for your build.

Armor

Armor contributes to buildcrafting through stats, archetypes, set bonuses and Exotic effects.

As a beginner, focus first on:

• Surviving.
• Supporting the abilities you actually use.
• Understanding your Exotic armor effect.

Do Not Chase Perfect Gear Immediately

Early progression is for learning.

Replace obviously weak equipment, but avoid spending all of your resources trying to perfect a build before you understand the activity system.

Guardian Progression

Follow available introductory objectives and Guardian progression to learn systems gradually.

Use those objectives as a checklist rather than trying to absorb the entire game from menus.

PvE First

If you are new, cooperative PvE activities are useful places to learn:

• Movement.
• Weapon handling.
• Ability timing.
• Reviving allies.
• Basic objective mechanics.

Play With a Fireteam When Useful

Destiny supports both solo and cooperative play.

More difficult activities often become easier when the fireteam coordinates:

• Damage.
• Champion or enemy counters.
• Revives.
• Supers.

Learn One Build Before Copying Endgame Setups

A complex build guide may assume you already own:

• A specific Exotic.
• Specific weapon perks.
• Unlocked Fragments.
• Particular armor pieces.

Build around what you actually own.

Use Loadouts Later

Once you have several coherent builds, save them instead of manually rebuilding the character every time.

Beginner Routine

1. Choose Hunter, Titan or Warlock.
2. Learn one subclass.
3. Try several weapon archetypes.
4. Keep useful weapons with different elements and ammo types.
5. Use introductory progression to learn activities.
6. Build around one Exotic or ability interaction.
7. Expand into additional subclasses and Loadouts later.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Trying to learn every subclass simultaneously.
• Dismantling all unfamiliar weapons immediately.
• Copying a gear-dependent build without the required equipment.
• Ignoring abilities and using only guns.
• Saving Supers forever.
• Trying to perfect armor before understanding the game.

Bottom Line

Destiny 2 is easier when you narrow the game down. Learn one Guardian, one subclass and a few weapon archetypes first. Once those systems feel natural, the larger buildcrafting and activity systems become much easier to understand.