WhileDestiny 2gives players several abilities to counter other foes across PvE and PvP, a new clip shows how effective Strand is proving to be inside the Crucible at shutting down opposing players' attempts to deploy their supers. Players have been experimenting with the new Darkness subclass since thelaunch ofLightfall, taking full advantage of the expansion’s buildcrafting reworks to unlock the full potential of the subclass. However, the clip in question highlights how one of the most basic abilities available to Titans can be the difference between life and death inside the Crucible.
Strand was one of the tentpole features ofDestiny 2’s latest expansion as only the second Darkness subclass in the game, after Stasis, and the fifth overall subclass. Players unlock the mysterious power while exploring the hidden Neptunian city of Neomuna due, narratively, to the presence of The Veil on the planet. The ability leans into ideas of weaving and tethering, which is highlighted in many of the suspend abilities and the hunter’s own rope dart super, titled Silkstrike.
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It was a Titan, though, that was the star of a clip posted to theDestiny 2subreddit highlighting how powerful some of the base Strand abilities can be against other supers. Reddit user TyberZann191 shared the clip from a Control match in Crucible showing their Titan effectively hunkered down on one of their team’s points when two opposing players begin to push in. An opposing Titan attempts to hit Tyber with a Thundercrash super when Tyber quickly deploys their barricade in combination with theAbeyant Leap exotic leg armorand Drengr’s Lash Aspect, deploying three Strand ripples that stop the opposing Titan’s super in its tracks.
The clip reflects how effective Strand’s suspending abilities have been, not just inCrucible, but the larger game thanks to how effectively it counters threats inside various endgame PvE activities. It makes activities like Battlegrounds, where enemy density is much higher, more manageable at higher difficulties given Strand’s emphasis on crowd control. Champions, in particular, are easily stopped in their tracks during endgame activities such as higher-difficulty nightfalls and raids as well, reflecting the emphasis Bungie put on abilities to counter champions withLightfall’s release.
Back on the PvP side, though,Strandhas not become the game-breaking monster Stasis was inside the Crucible followingBeyond Light’s release. It took several months and nerfs across the board to bring the ice-based ability in line, a fate Strand has been able to avoid as of this writing. That said, it doesn’t mean Bungie has completely avoided it happening again with Strand, and if it does, clips like what Tyber posted will just be the beginning of the chaos the Darkness subclass will unleash on PvP.
Destiny 2is currently available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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