We’ve got some exciting changes coming to Destiny 2 for Episode Heresy including a new Aspect for Titans, Hunters and Warlocks. We also have a new Arc keyword being added to the Arc kit for all Guardians. Today I’m going to check out all the key changes to aspects and Arc abilities in Destiny 2.

Bungie updated us with some new info recently in their This Week At Bungie update on 16th Jan. Loads of good stuff in there, but some of the key info was related to Arc and Aspects. First of all, I’ll go into the Arc changes, then we’ll have a look at Aspects.

Bolt Charge

We’ve had time to sit with the Arc subclasses for some time now, and wanted to address a systemic need they had with the reduced number of buffs the damage type has versus others. We wanted to use that space to add something that brought Arc a powerful damage tool which we felt was missing. However, Bolt Charge is a little different mechanically than our previous ones.

Bolt Charge is a positive stacking buff that you build up on yourself over time. Once you reach max charge, your next ability attack will unleash a devastating bolt of Arc lightning.

While you have one or more stacks, from any source — Aspects, Fragments, weapon perks, etc. — dealing damage with any weapon increases your Bolt Charge stack count. Each time a stack is gained, you gain a chunk of melee energy. At 10 stacks, your Bolt Charge is ready and any ability damage — Arc or otherwise — summons a powerful Arc bolt, dealing roughly the same amount of damage as a Solar Ignition with a smaller area of effect. Different from Ignition though, Bolt Charge is tuned to have more consistent and predictable uptime.

Similar to the addition of Frost Armor to Stasis with the release of The Final Shape, we have woven Bolt Charge into Arc and Prismatic suites to allow those subclasses to access this new keyword. The new Arc aspects for Striker Titan and Stormcaller Warlock also feature Bolt Charge. Please refer to the balance pass section below for full details.

We’ve had fun designing and playing with Bolt Charge. The loop of gaining a Bolt Charge stack, building it up through combat, and then receiving a big payoff ties deeply into the fantasy of Arc’s momentum-based gameplay, as well as being deeply tied into the Arc ecosystem which has opened new buildcrafting options consistent with the other damage types.

We can’t wait to see the new builds and combos players cook up with Bolt Charge and, as always, we will be monitoring feedback and will adjust accordingly.

OK, let’s move on to the new subclass Aspects.

On The Prowl

All right, Nightstalkers. You’re first. On The Prowl is a new Void Aspect for Hunters that embodies the fantasy of hunting down prey and being rewarded for the kill.

On The Prowl

• Entering invisibility marks a nearby enemy as a priority target for you and your team.
  Note: this does not enable players to see marked targets through walls in the Crucible.
• Defeating priority targets creates a weakening cloud of smoke that makes you and allies invisible when passing through it.
• When priority targets are defeated, you and nearby allies gain increased weapon reload speed and stability for a short duration and are granted grenade, melee, and class-ability energy.

The Nightstalker has many ways to go Invisible to kick off On The Prowl, including Vanishing Step, Stylish Executioner, Spectral Blades, Rat King… pick your favorite. When that happens, a nearby non-boss target will be highlighted for you and your fireteam. Once the highlighted target has been defeated by you or anyone in your fireteam, the entire fireteam is granted a stack of Successful Hunt, a buff that grants weapon reload speed and stability bonuses along with a small chunk of melee, grenade, and class-ability energy. Successful Hunt can also stack up to three times.

Also, when a highlighted target is defeated, a weakening cloud of smoke is created that will make you and any ally that passes through it invisible, thus meeting the condition for activating On The Prowl again.

What we envisioned for this Aspect was to embody what it means to be a Void Hunter. To us, it was important to reflect the fantasy of bounty hunter. On The Prowl works well with the entire Nightstalker kit and allows your allies in on the fun; for a short time, even Warlocks and Titans can feel what it’s like to be a bounty hunter. Wait, didn’t we ship a bounty hunter gun too? Curious…

Storm’s Keep

Strikers, you’re up. Storm’s Keep is a new class-ability-focused Aspect for Arc Titans that utilizes Bolt Charge to its fullest potential.

Storm’s Keep

• Cast your class ability to grant a moderate number of Bolt Charge stacks to you and nearby allies. While behind your Barricade, you and allies gain stacks of Bolt Charge over time and any weapon damage will discharge max stacks of Bolt Charge.
• We wanted to do a few things with this Aspect for Strikers. We wanted to create an opportunity for Barricade to be used offensively and we wanted to capitalize on what Bolt Charge can provide. * We envision Strikers pushing forward on the battlefield and using their class abilities to cement themselves as the tip of the spear in any fireteam.

Casting Thruster or Barricade will give you and any nearby allies a good chunk of Bolt Charge stacks (and the melee energy that comes along with Bolt Charge.) If you opt for the Barricade version, standing behind the Barricade will grant additional Bolt Charge stacks over time. Once you’re at full stacks, any weapon damage you deal while standing behind your Barricade will also cash in Bolt Charge, calling down a lightning bolt at your target’s location. Standard Bolt Charge allows you to call down lightning by dealing ability damage, but with Storm’s Keep, you can call down lightning just by shooting enemies while behind your Barricade. This is especially potent with Rally Barricade as it allows multiple bolts from you and your allies and provides solid boss damage.

We’re excited to see how players buildcraft around Bolt Charge and Storm’s Keep to maximize damage and add to Striker’s legacy as the “hit fast, hit hard” subclass.

Ionic Sentry

We’re just going to come out and say it: everyone loves buddies. And Arc Soul was begging us for a sibling. Behold, we found one in Ionic Sentry, our new Arc Aspect for Stormcaller Warlocks.

Ionic Sentry

• Defeat targets with Arc abilities or weapons to charge up an Ionic Sentry.
• Activate Grenade: Deploy a powerful Arc turret which Blinds on impact and sends out bolts of lightning that chain to nearby enemies and grants stacks of Bolt Charge when it defeats enemies.

Stormcallers are masterful at channeling Arc energy, reshaping and redeploying it to cause mayhem on the battlefield. With Ionic Sentry, Stormcallers have harnessed Arc energy and coalesced it into a perfect orb of hurricane and harmony. Once it is charged up through Arc ability and weapon kills, you gain access to Ionic Sentry as a special grenade throw, similar to how Gunpowder Gamble works for Gunslingers.

When it first lands on the battlefield, Ionic Sentry will Blind any nearby enemies and begin to chain lightning between enemies, dealing damage. When Ionic Sentry defeats any target, you will gain a stack of Bolt Charge, making it a great way to build up Bolt Charge stacks quickly.

In our playtests, Ionic Sentry has been a favorite of Stormcallers, providing much-needed area control during combat and access to potent damage through Bolt Charge. The buildcrafting paths for Stormcaller are much wider with Ionic Sentry in the mix, and we’re excited to see where players take it.

As always, we’re so excited to get these Aspects into player hands and will be keeping an eye on feedback.

Let me know in the comments what you think.