Whether you’re playing solo or with a full fireteam, bringing the best classes and builds into the new Onslaught mode in Destiny 2 Into the Light can make all the difference. That’s especially true on Legend difficulty as you get into the later waves.
6 Best Builds to Use in Onslaught in Destiny 2
The most important thing to consider when choosing the right class and build to use in Onslaught is how effective they are at crowd control and AoE damage over single-target damage. If you plan to go into the higher waves, you’ll also want tons of survivability, either via healing, damage mitigation, or preferably a mix of the two.
The Best Warlock Builds for Onslaught in Destiny 2
The best Warlock builds are fairly similar between Onslaught and the rest of Destiny 2. They’ll offer survivability, good damage, and plenty of utility besides.
Phoenix Protocol Infinite Well of Radiance Warlock
Centered around the Phoenix Protocol Exotic Warlock chest armor, this build is all about keeping your Well of Radiance up, providing healing and buffs to the team, and ensuring you’re always healthy enough to rescue teammates in trouble. There are lots of ways to make this build, but in my mind, there are a few things you need to have besides the Exotic:
- The Touch of Flame Aspect for enhanced grenades.
- The Ember of Torches Fragment to make you and your allies Radiant.
- Some ways to apply Restoration to yourself.
- The Ember of Empyrean Fragment to keep Restoration and Radiant active.
- Either the Dragon’s Breath Exotic Rocket Launcher or some other means of applying consistent Ignitions.
- A primary weapon with the Incandescent perk for additional scorch and Ignition activations.
With this build, you can consistently buff your allies, keep them alive with Well of Radiance, and ensure you’re always healthy via Restoration and other self-buffs. Ignitions are an added DPS bonus.
Necrotic Grip Strand Suspend Warlock
The Warlock Strand Suspend build might not be nearly as busted as it once was, but if you make it right, it can still trivialize Onslaught if you play the build well. The basic rotation for the build is to hold a reload to consume your Shackle Grenade and enter Weaver’s Trance. Defeat an enemy with the buff active to Suspend enemies near the one you just defeated. Necrotic Grip will send out a poison field that can defeat additional via DoT damage, which spreads more Suspend.
There are a few other things you’ll want, as well:
- The Osteo Striga Exotic SMG or Thorn Exotic Hand Cannon. Both synergize with Strand, and Osteo has its own poison burst that works alongside the one from Necrotic Grip. Thorn is similar and also gains a damage bonus from picking up the soul energy left behind by defeated enemies.
- The Mindspun Invocation Aspect to augment your consumed Shackle grenade.
- The Thread of Warding and Thread of Wisdom Fragments for protection and Super recharge, respectively.
- The Wanderer Aspect for even more Suspend.
You can add the Arcane Needle-powered melee to your combat rotation here as well for additional Strand DoT damage and Suspend spread.
The Best Titan Builds to Use in Onslaught in Destiny 2
Onslaught Titan builds follow much the same patterns as more standard PvE builds, as there has been no major sandbox update to make them worse.
Banner of War Strand Titan
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. You play Strand Titan, you put on Synthoceps, and you equip the Banner of War Aspect. Then you get a melee kill, defeat a few more enemies, and suddenly, you’re all but invincible. Yeah, I think this class will take a big hit come The Final Shape, but for now, you want the Synthoceps Exotic, Banner of War, and ideally a Shotgun with One-Two punch for massive Synthoceps-powered melee damage. Additionally, you should probably have:
- The Thread of Warding for massive Woven Mail damage resistance
- The Grapple melee for more maneuverability and powered melee on demand
- A consistent way of generating Orbs of Power to keep Woven Mail Active
- Friends who can kill things in your Banner of War to keep stacks high
Short of a total rework or nerf to Banner of War’s effects, I think it will be incredibly powerful up to the launch of The Final Shape. Enjoy it now.
Pyrogale Gauntlets or Synthoceps Solar Titan
Which of these two builds you choose ultimately depends on what playstyle you enjoy more. Pyrogale Gauntlets ensure your Consecration-powered melee slams and Burning Maul Supers do massive damage. Synthoceps can do the same, though you’ll need enemies around you for best results. In Onslaught, both are fantastic choices, given the enemy’s density.
Additionally, you’ll want:
- The Roaring Flames Aspect to increase your Solar ability and ignition effectiveness.
- The Sol Invictus Aspect for Synthoceps Titans for even more survivability.
- The Dragon’s Breath Exotic Rocket Launcher for Solar synergy.
- Alternately, the Sunshot Exotic Hand Cannon for more Solar Synergy.
- A Solar Legendary Primary like Calus Mini-tool or Zaoli’s Bane to open up Exotic slots.
With this build, you can easily keep Restoration and Radiant active almost indefinitely while dealing absurd amounts of damage and keeping your allies doing the same.
The Best Hunter Builds to Use in Onslaught in Destiny 2
There are tons of great Hunter builds for Onslaught, but few are as important for surviving the later waves as the first one listed here, especially on Legend.
Orpheus Rigs Void Hunter
If you want to have a much easier time playing late-wave Onslaught or just be a massive boon for your team, wear the Orpheus Rigs Hunter greaves to not only generate tons of Orbs of Power for your team but also earn back up to 50% of your Tehter Super. That way, you can loop Supers in relative impunity and ensure your teammates also have a much easier time getting theirs.
You’ll also want:
- The Echo of Undermining Fragment for additional Weakening when your Super isn’t up.
- The Stylish Executioner and Trapper’s Ambush Aspects for easy access to Invisibility.
- A Void Primary weapon to pair with Harmonic Siphon for even more Orb of Power Generation.
- The Echo of Starvation Fragment for easy access to Devour healing.
The rest of the build is ultimately up to you, but you’l want to add as much Super regeneartion as you can get your hands on.
Shards of Galanor Solar Hunter
While Orpheus Rigs Hunters are great no matter where you use them, I think playing a Shards of Galanor Solar Hunter is more fun. Combine the Super regen from the Exotic gauntlets with one of the eaiest and most powerful ways to apply Radiant, plus the massive damage from the Super itself and tons of survivability from Restoration. The build has it all.
To get there, you’ll also want:
- The Knock ‘Em Down and On Your Mark Aspects for better Solar projectile tracking and tons of additional Fragments, respectively.
- The Knife Trick Melee for the best Solar Hunter melee in the game.
- The Ember of Torches and Ember of the Empyrean for easier and longer Radian buffs.
- A good Solar Primary and the Dragon’s Breath Exotic Rocket Launcher for solid synergy.
Between these two builds, Solar Hunter offers a more mobile playstyle than Void, but both are fun and effective in any scenario, especially Onslaught.
For more Destiny 2 content, check out our Destiny 2 guides hub.
