It’s already challenging to decide on a Destiny 2 build when a new season starts. Each one usually brings new artifact mods, introduces a few new permanent mods, and includes some balance changes. Add in a whole new expansion like The Witch Queen with new exotics, weapons, and the weapon crafting system, and things get even more complicated. If you are struggling to make up your mind and want what’s best, we’ve put together what we consider to be the best available build for Warlocks in Destiny 2 right now. Read on to see how we make Secant Filaments work for us.
For builds, I highly recommend using a third-party app like Destiny Item Manager. Destiny still doesn’t have custom loadout slots, nor can you filter items in your Vault according to category, element, ammo type, etc. No one Warlock build is ever best for every situation! So saving loadouts will save you a ton of hassle down the line. With that said, let’s get to it!
More Destiny 2:
- Destiny 2 Mementos Guide – How to Get the Gambit Memento
- The Best Way to Farm Fynch Rank XP in Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
- Destiny 2 Deepsight Guide – How to Unlock Deepsight Tier 2 & 3
Destiny 2 Warlock Secant Filaments Build
With the release of Void 3.0, everyone has a choice between two of the three Void Aspects. Warlocks, however, can effectively have all three because of the new Secant Filaments exotic legs. With these, casting an Empowering Rift grants you Devour, and any damage you or your allies deal from within the rift disrupts combatants.
Void 3.0 Build
For the most part, you can use anything you want for the primary five slots. The only thing you absolutely must have is Empowering Rift for Secant Filaments. For grenades, we recommend Vortex Grenade, but you can also go for Axion Bolt.
Main Abilities
- Super Ability: Any
- Class Ability: Empowering Rift (Required for Secant Filaments)
- Movement Ability: Any
- Void Grenade: Any (We recommend Vortex Grenade)
Since we’re running Secant Filaments which gives us access to Devour, we are not going to run Feed the Void.
Aspects
- Chaos Accelerant: Hold down the grenade button to overcharge your Vortex, Axion Bolt, Scatter, and Magnetic grenades. Magnetic grenades overcharge into Handheld Supernova.
- Child of the Old Gods: Cast your Rift to summon a Void Soul. When you damage an enemy with your weapon, your Void Soul will launch itself towards them and detonate nearby, attaching draining tendrils, which deal damage and weaken the target. When your Void Soul deals damage, it restores either melee and grenade energy (if running Healing Rift) or health (if running Empowering Rift) back to you. Defeating an enemy who is being drained grants Rift energy.
You have some room to play around here. Since we’re so heavily invested in Void abilities, we’re fans of weakening enemies and making all of those minors explode.
Fragments
- Echo of Undermining: Void grenades weaken enemies; Discipline penalty.
- Echo of Explosion: Void ability kills cause enemies to explode; Intellect bonus.
- Echo of Remnants: Your lingering grenade effects (Vortex Grenade, Void Wall, Void Spike, and Axion Bolt) have increased duration.
Required Armor
You’re free to use all of your best in stat armor pieces. We recommend focusing on Recovery, Discipline, and Intellect as your primary three stats.
- Helmet: Any (Solar)
- Arms: Any (Arc)
- Chest: Any (Void)
- Legs: Secant Filaments (Void)
- Class: Any (Solar)
Weapon Recommendations
From early tests, Osteo Striga is one of the most powerful Primary weapons in the game at the moment. When combined with the catalyst, it’s entirely possible for you to mow down waves of enemies — both major and minors — without reloading. The weapon seems to return much more ammo than others, oftentimes leaving you with more than 100 rounds in the clip.
With this loadout, you also get to take advantage of the other “broken” combination this season: Suppressing Glaive, and well, any Glaive. When equipped, hits with your Glaive suppress opponents, preventing them from using abilities and blinding them for a decent period of time. Melees also apply the effect, meaning you can easily get out of situations where you find yourself surrounded. You can even charge a Hive Lightbearer and melee them repeatedly, keeping them from ever fighting back.
For your Power slot, you can really use whatever you want. We recommend Ascendancy because it’s now available in the Monument to Lost Lights and is buffed by the ever-popular Gjallarhorn.
- Primary: Osteo Striga (SMG)
- Secondary: The Enigma (Glaive)
- Power: Ascendancy (Rocket Launcher)
Mod Recommendations
Regardless of whatever you decide to use, you’re going to want to equip the following mods.
- Helmet: Elemental Ordnance (Combat Style), Ashes to Ashes (Solar)
- Arms: Seeking Wells (Arc Combat Style), Momentum Transfer (Arc)
- Chest: Thermoshock Plating (Artifact Mod)
- Legs: Well of Tenacity (Void Combat Style)
- Class: Suppressing Glaive (Artifact Mod), Bomber (Solar)
You can do whatever you like with your remaining energy, whether that’s toying around with Elemental Wells, Charged with Light, or something else. Keep in mind that Protective Light has seen a substantial nerf. If you’re looking to replace it, we recommend Well of Tenacity, Elemental Ordnance, and Seeking Wells. It’s not as good as pre-nerf Protective Light, but to be fair, nothing is. In short, you’ll take 10 percent less damage for five seconds after picking up a well. That’s not a very long amount of time, but if you’re in a pinch, it can really help.
Have a build you recommend? Leave it below in the comments with details on how to put it together!
