Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 builds for Hunter, Warlock, and Titan

Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 warlock hunter titan
(Image credit: Bungie)

Try these Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 builds for Hunters, Warlocks, and Titans. Much like the Stasis and Void Subclasses, the Solar ones have received a massive update that introduces Aspects and Fragments with familiar and fresh abilities to mix up the game with Season of the Haunted. As a Warlock you can heal your allies and float through the air, Titans can cause devastation with flaming hammers, and Hunters can make themselves into literal hotshots with lethal throwing knife and weapon precision. These are by no means the best or most optimized Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 builds, but they are good to try out and experiment with, helping you learn more about the potential of Solar 3.0 to create your perfect build.

How to unlock Solar 3.0

(Image: © Bungie)

Every Destiny 2 player automatically has Solar 3.0 ready and waiting for free. There’s no need to buy any expansions or Season of the Haunted to get access, just open up your character screen, select the Solar Subclass, and then inspect it to bring up the customization menu. Here you can learn about all the Aspects, Fragments, and other abilities that you’ll be using. You can also learn about the Scorch and Ignition debuffs that cause burn damage and explosions respectively, and the Radiant, Restoration, and Cure buffs that enhance healing and weapon damage.

Destiny 2 Duality Dungeon

Destiny 2 Duality Dungeon

(Image credit: Bungie)

Try out your Solar 3.0 build in the new Destiny 2 Duality Dungeon

You’ll notice that a few things are locked, however – mainly a few Grenade abilities and some Fragments. If you want to get those, head to the Tower and speak to Ikora Rey at the Bazaar. You can spend Glimmer to receive any of the locked Solar 3.0 Subclass abilities that you don’t have. To fully unlock them, you need to follow the button prompt to meditate at the motion sculpture next to Ikora. Now you can head back into the Solar Subclass screen and equip the things you just unlocked.

Note that some items are currently locked as they are part of a community challenge and will be unlocked over time. Some new players are finding that some Solar Fragments are locked off that shouldn’t be. The Ember of Benevolence Fragment has also been temporarily disabled due to a bug but will be fixed soon.

Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 Hunter build

Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 builds Hunter

(Image credit: Bungie)

Hunters have received some significant changes and new skills to try out with Solar 3.0. This build specifically revolves around the new Acrobat’s Dodge that applies the Radiant weapon damage buff to yourself and allies, as well as other ways of becoming Radiant. It’ll ensure you’re a highly lethal marksman on the battlefield while also supporting your fireteam. Here’s what you need for this Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 Hunter build:

Subclass

  • Marksman Golden Gun Super Ability: Summon a flaming Hand Cannon that deals high precision damage, overpenetrates enemies, and creates Orbs of Power on precision hits. It also benefits from the Radiant buff
  • Acrobat’s Dodge Class Ability: An acrobatic flip that makes yourself and nearby allies Radiant.
  • Weighted Throwing Knife Melee Ability: A throwing knife with a short wind-up throw that deals extra precision damage, and causes Scorched targets to Ignite.
  • Grenade Ability: Swarm Grenade
  • Knock ‘Em Down Aspect: Improves your Marksman Golden Gun by increasing its durationyou’re your damage resistance. While Radiant, your Melee Ability kills will immediately recharge your Melee Ability.
  • On Your Mark Aspect: Precision final blows grant you and nearby allies a stacking buff that improves weapon handling and reload speed for a short time. This buff stacks up to three times. Using your Dodge immediately grants three stacks of the On Your Mark buff too.
  • Ember of Singeing Fragment: Your Dodge will recharge faster when you Scorch enemies.
  • Ember of Torches Fragment: Hitting and enemy with your Throwing Knife will make you and nearby allies Radiant.
  • Ember of Tempering Fragment: Kills with Solar weapons grant you and your allies increases Recovery for a short time. This stacks up to three times. While this Recovery buff is active, you also have increased airborne effectiveness. -10 to your Recovery stat.
  • Ember of Searing Fragment: Defeating Scorched enemies grants Melee Ability energy. +10 to your Recovery stat.
  • Ember of Empyrean Fragment: (this Fragment is currently unavailable) Solar weapon or ability kills extend the duration of Radiant and Restoration buffs applied to you. -10 to your Resilience stat.

Gear

  • A Solar Energy weapon and a Solar Heavy weapon: You’ll need these activate a few of your Fragments and create Solar Elemental Wells. Weapons with the Swashbuckler trait will benefit greatly from this build.
  • Ophidia Spathe Exotic Chest: Grants an extra Throwing Knife. Very useful for keeping Radiant applied to yourself and in case you miss your first knife. The Celestial Nighthawk Exotic Helmet and Star-Eater Scales Exotic Boots are good alternatives, particularly if you’re using your Golden Gun against strong boss enemies.
  • Mods: Hands-On, Impact Induction or Bolstering Detonation, Perpetuation or Outreach, Font of Might, Font of Wisdom, Elemental Armaments, Melee Wellmaker, and Bountiful Wells.
  • Armor Stats: High Mobility and Strength are essential to ensure you have your Acrobat’s Dodge and Weighted Throwing Knife as often as possible. Follow up with good Intellect to help out with your Golden Gun regeneration.

Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 builds Hunter

(Image credit: Bungie)

The two focuses of this build are the Acrobat’s Dodge and Weighted Throwing Knife. Both are going to be used to apply the Radiant buff to yourself and the throwing knife is going to help with recharging your Acrobat’s Dodge and itself, meaning you’ll rarely be without either of these abilities, and therefore rarely without Radiant.

You’ll be generating Solar Elemental Wells too which, thanks to the Font of Might and Font of Wisdom Mods, will increase your Solar weapon damage and your Golden Gun regeneration rate. When it comes time to use Golden Gun, make sure you’re Radiant – if not, a quick Acrobat’s Dodge will sort that – and then aim for precision shots to deal massive damage and generate extra Orbs of Power for your fireteam.

Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 Warlock build

Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 builds Warlock

(Image credit: Bungie)

To be blunt, Warlocks have not come out well from the Solar 3.0 changes. While Well of Radiance remains a solid support choice despite nerfs, and Grenades are very powerful with the right Aspect, the Daybreak Super Ability feels substantially weaker, making a good versatile build hard to achieve. With this build, the focus is on getting your Well of Radiance as often as possible. This’ll be done by using your other abilities to create Solar Elemental Wells and the Phoenix Protocol Exotic Chest, which’ll allow you to rapidly snowball into your next Well and so on. For this Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 Warlock build, you will need:

Subclass

  • Well of Radiance Super Ability: Thrust a sword into the ground to apply Scorch to nearby enemies and create a static aura that continuously grants the Restoration and Radiant buffs to allies within. The aura also protects those inside from the freezing effects of Stasis.
  • Healing Rift Class Ability: A small well that continuously heals those inside. You could also use Empowering Rift for extra weapon damage and switch out your Solar Grenade for a Healing Grenade to make up for the loss of healing power.
  • Incinerator Snap Melee Ability: Covers a wide area with burning sparks that explode and apply Scorch to enemies but has a very short range. The Melee Ability is mostly going to be used apply the Radiant buff thanks to the Ember of Torches Fragment. Celestial Fire has less destructive power but has a much longer range compared to Incinerator Snap, making it good for applying Radiant from far away.
  • Grenade Ability: Solar Grenade
  • Touch of Flame Aspect: Enhances Grenades. Your Solar Grenade has a longer duration and spits out blobs of lava for extra damage.
  • Heat Rises Aspect: You can fire weapons, aim, melee, and throw Grenades while Gliding. You can consume your Grenade to activate the Heat Rises buff which allows you to stay airborne for longer. Kills while airborne increase the buff’s duration and grant Melee Ability energy.
  • Ember of Benevolence Fragment: (this Fragment is currently unavailable) Applying Restoration, Radiant, or Cure to allies increases your Grenade, Melee, and Class Ability regeneration speed for a short time. -10 to your Discipline stat
  • Ember of Torches Fragment: Hitting and enemy with Incinerator Snap or Celestial Fire Melee will make you and nearby allies Radiant.
  • Ember of Solace Fragment: Radiant and Restoration effects applied to you last longer.
  • Ember of Empyrean Fragment: (this Fragment is currently unavailable) Solar weapon or ability kills extend the duration of Radiant and Restoration buffs applied to you. -10 to your Resilience stat.

Gear

  • Phoenix Protocol Exotic Chest: Getting kills and assists while inside your Well of Radiance gives you Super energy. You’re capped at getting half of your Super energy back, but that makes getting your next Well incredibly easy. This one of the Best Destiny 2 Exotics and is essential for this build.
  • A Solar Energy weapon and a Solar Rocket or Grenade Launcher: You’ll need these to extend any Radiant and Restoration buffs you have and to create Solar Elemental Wells.
  • Mods: Harmonic Siphon, Ashes to Assets, Impact Induction, Innervation, Bomber, Font of Might, Elemental Armaments, Bountiful Wells, and Explosive Wellmaker
  • Armor Stats: High Intellect and Recovery are the main stats to focus on for rapid Well and Rift cooldowns. Good Discipline will help you get your Solar Grenades quickly, which will help you get all your other abilities thanks to mods and Elemental Wells.

Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 builds Warlock

(Image credit: Bungie)

With this build, you’re going to be using your Grenade and Melee Abilities to be constantly defeating enemies, getting the Radiant buff for yourself and allies, and providing plenty of healing with Rifts and Wells of Radiance. With the right weapon loadout, you can generate plenty of Elemental Wells to keep your abilities topped up and buff your weapon damage, even without the Radiant buff. Once you’ve got your Well of Radiance, place it in an area where there are lots of enemies. You’ll be halfway to your next Well before the one you just placed is even over.

Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 Titan build

Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 builds Titan

(Image credit: Bungie)

Titans can rain down some serious destruction with Solar 3.0. The build here is all about dealing maximum damage with your abilities by constantly keeping the Roaring Flames buff at x3. Solar Elemental Wells will be spewing out with every ability kill you get and you’re abilities will be off cooldown in no time thanks to the Heart of Inmost Light Exotic Chest. Here’s what you need for this Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 Titan build:

Subclass

  • Hammer of Sol or Burning Maul Super Abilities: Both Supers benefit from the Roaring Flames damage buff, but neither contribute anything other than massive damage, so it’s down to personal preference. Throw small, exploding hammers with Hammer of Sol or spin wildly and create flaming cyclones with Burning Maul.
  • Towering Barricade Class Ability: Create a large barrier of Light to act as cover.
  • Throwing Hammer Melee Ability: Throw a mini hammer at enemies to deal damage. Picking the hammer up instantly recharges it, and if it struck an enemy, you’ll also get Cure.
  • Grenade Ability: Thermite, Fusion, or Incendiary Grenade
  • Roaring Flames Aspect: Solar Ability kills and Ignitions apply the Roaring Flames buff which increases Solar Ability damage. Stacks up to three times.
  • Consecration Aspect: While sliding you can activate your Melee Ability to leap into the air and launch a wave of fire, causing damage and applying Scorch to enemies caught in the wave. Activate your Melee Ability again when you’re in the air to slam down and create another larger fire wave that Ignites Scorched enemies.
  • Ember of Blistering: Defeating enemies with Solar Ignitions grants Grenade Ability energy.
  • Ember of Ashes Fragment: You apply more Scorch stacks to enemies.
  • Ember of Searing Fragment: Defeating Scorched enemies grants Melee Ability energy. +10 to your Recovery stat.

Gear

  • Heart of Inmost Light Exotic Chest: Using one of your abilities (Grenade, Melee, and Class) briefly improves the regeneration rate of the other two. This’ll really help you ensure you have maximum uptime for all your abilities, provided you use them frequently. The Hallowfire Heart Exotic Chest is a good substitute.
  • Monte Carlo Exotic Auto Rifle: Kills with this weapon grant Melee Energy which means you’ll easily be able to get your Melee Ability back after using Consecration or if you can’t pick up your Throwing Hammer.
  • Mods: Kinetic Siphon, Impact Induction, Bomber, Elemental Ordnance, Font of Wisdom, Melee Wellmaker, Explosive Wellmaker, Bountiful Wells.
  • Armor Stats: High Resilience will allow you to tank more damage as you get in close with your abilities. High Strength and Discipline will obviously help you out in getting your Melee and Grenade Abilities back even faster.

Destiny 2 Solar 3.0 builds Titan

(Image credit: Bungie)

Ability spam is what this build is all about, and Elemental Well Mods, Monte Carlo and Heart of Inmost Light, all work together to make sure you’re seldom without Grenades or hammer to throw. Get Roaring Flames up and running with a well-placed Grenade Ability, then keep it going with your Throwing Hammer or Consecration until you get your next Grenade. Ensure you’re still at x3 and then activate your Super to get a high-powered fire hammer!

You can learn about all the other Subclasses in our Destiny 2 Class guide too. 

Destiny 2 weekly reset | Destiny 2 tips | Destiny 2 Crucible tips | Destiny 2 Gambit tips | Destiny 2 Heroic Public Events | Destiny 2 Prime Engrams | Destiny 2 Adept mods | Destiny 2 The Witch Queen | Destiny 2 how to beat Savathun on Legendary difficulty | Destiny 2 Altars of Reflection puzzle | Destiny 2 faction chests for Trust Goes Both Ways | Destiny 2 Preservation mission | Destiny 2 Swift Destruction challenge | Destiny 2 Base Information challenge | Destiny 2 Defenses Down challenge | Destiny 2 Looping Catalyst challenge

Will Sawyer
Guides Writer

Will Sawyer is a guides writer at GamesRadar+ who works with the rest of the guides team to give readers great information and advice on the best items, how to complete a particular challenge, or where to go in some of the biggest video games. Will joined the GameRadar+ team in August 2021 and has written about service titles, including Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Warzone, as well as some of the biggest releases like Halo Infinite, Elden Ring, and God of War Ragnarok.