What is the best Destiny 2 Titan build? Titans are often portrayed as big punchy bullies who would rather headbutt their way through a problem than give it a moment’s thought. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but in our Destiny 2 Titan build guide, we’ll show you that, just like the Hunters and Warlocks, there’s more to Titans than just hulking out. In fact, there are some very diverse playstyles for D2 Titan builds in both PvE and PvP, which we’ll highlight here.
Destiny 2 has evolved from launch through to the present day, and so too has the humble Titan. There are now more ways to build an offensive tank or defensive bulwark than ever before. In this Destiny 2 Titan build guide, we’ll give you a handful of options to start with in both PvE and PvP, including the best Destiny 2 weapons and armor to pair with them. And that’s before the Destiny 2 The Final Shape Supers add even more build options for D2 Titan builds.
Destiny 2 Titan build for PvE
The best Destiny 2 Titan build for PvE activities is:
- Subclass: Sunbreaker – Hammer of Sol
- Primary stat: Resilience
- Secondary stat: Discipline
- Grenade: Incendiary Grenade
- Melee Ability: Throwing Hammer
- Class Ability: Towering Barricade
- Aspects: Sol Invictus, Roaring Flames
- Fragments: Ember of Torches, Ember of Singeing, Ember of Searing, Ember of Solace
- Exotic armor: Lorely Splendor
- Weapons: Sunshot, Jotunn, weapons with Incandescent perk
- Mods: Ashes to Assets, Melee Kickstarter, Bomber, Distribution, Orbs of Restoration, Solar Siphon, Solar Weapon Surge, Better Already, Charged Up, Stacks on Stacks, Font of Focus, Font of Endurance
Few arguments for Titan superiority are stronger than a well-equipped Sunbreaker. Calling on fire and rage to reduce their enemies to smoldering ashes, they’re a menace in the field with this Rage of Apollo build. Ever since the Solar 3.0 update increased its offensive and defensive capabilities through new effects, Titans can become nigh-unkillable. In fact, you’ll be so tanky that you can withstand the punishment of activities like the Destiny 2 Ghosts of the Deep dungeon with ease. And we’re certainly not skimping on the damage either.
We’ve used this D2 Titan build as our main choice ever since it was possible, and it’s served us well in everything that we do, from farming Vanguard Ops to the Nightfall, and even raids and dungeons. In fact, with a few tweaks, it can even be a great contender for a PvP Titan build.
This particular build focuses on Sunspots, which are pools of fire that will regenerate abilities faster, apply Restoration to heal you, and damage any enemy that walks inside. The Sol Invictus Aspect is the most important part of this whole D2 Titan build, causing Solar ability final blows, defeating scorched targets, and Hammer of Sol impacts to create Sunspots. That’s right, it’s that easy to trigger a fiery pool that makes you nearly invincible and massively empowers you, and this is only step one. Standing in a Sunspot will regenerate abilities faster and also apply Restoration to heal you.
For our second Aspect, we recommend Roaring Flames. This will cause final blows with Solar abilities and ignitions to increase the damage of Solar abilities, stacking up to three times. So, as well as creating Sunspots, ability final blows will also further increase your ability damage. When paired together with the increased ability regeneration of Sunspots, you’ll be able to unleash incredibly powerful abilities left, right, and center. This comes in particularly handy with the Throwing Hammer melee ability which can one-shot most tough enemies once you’ve reached three stacks.
Regarding Fragments, you want to focus on Embers that trigger and prolong Radiant and Restoration and recharge your abilities, namely Ember of Torches, Singeing, Searing, and Solace. While Restoration is great for staying alive, Radiant improves weapon damage and also makes weapons effective against Barrier Champions. These are two truly superb buffs that you’ll be able to have nearly 100% up-time on when in combat, so long as you’re using abilities back-to-back. For some great alternatives, there’s also Ember of Benevolence, which is great for team-focused activities like raids, and Ember of Empyrean for even more up-time on restoration and radiant buffs.
As for gear, there are several Exotic armor pieces we recommend, so if you don’t have one of them then you’ll hopefully have one of the others.
Our first recommendation is Lorely Splendor. This Titan Exotic helm is a match-made in Heaven for the best Solar D2 Titan build, creating a Sunspot with improved restoration when critically wounded or after casting a barricade. Sure, it’s a little overkill when considering the Aspects and Fragments above, but it’s incredibly easy to equip and forget. Since it automatically triggers when you’re low on health, you can speed-run through even the hardest content and stay kicking.
However, if you’d rather something more hands-on, then we’d recommend Phoenix Cradle or Path of the Burning Steps. Phoenix Cradle’s intrinsic perk increases the power and duration of Sunspots. If you want more damage over survivability, then Path of the Burning Steps will do just that, offering a weapon damage that actually stacks with radiant. You read that right…
From here, equip powerful Solar Exotic weapons like Sunshot or Jotunn, or Legendaries with the Incandescent perk, to apply scorch to enemies. Our personal favorite is the Calus Mini-Tool SMG with Incandescent, which also leaves your Exotic slot free for something strong like Witherhoard. This weapon has served us well in all manner of activities, from standard Strikes to raids.
3000 (+500 BONUS) Destiny 2 Silver – PS4/ PS5 3000 (+500 BONUS) Destiny 2 Silver – PS4/ PS5 $29.99 Buy Now Network N earns commission from qualifying purchases via Amazon Associates and other programs. 3000 (+500 BONUS) Destiny 2 Silver – Xbox 3000 (+500 BONUS) Destiny 2 Silver – Xbox $29.99 Buy Now Network N earns commission from qualifying purchases via Microsoft and other programs.As for mods, go all in on Armor Charge mods to boost survivability and ability recharge. Mods like Bolstering Detonation are perfect if you’re running Loreley Splendor, granting class ability energy when you cause damage with a grenade. Charged Up, Stacks on Stacks, Font of Focus, and Font of Endurance are a few more must-haves that make this Titan build run smoothly.
Destiny 2 Titan build for PvP
The best Destiny 2 Titan build for PvP is:
- Subclass: Striker – Thundercrash
- Primary stat: Resilience
- Secondary stat: Discipline
- Grenade: Storm Grenade
- Melee ability: Ballistic Slam
- Class ability: Towering Barricade
- Aspects: Touch of Thunder, Knockout
- Fragments: Spark of Recharge, Spark of Magnitude, Spark of Shock, Spark of Resistance
- Exotic armor: Peacekeepers, Heart of Inmost Light, One-Eyed Mask
- Weapons: Personal preference, Void weapons
- Mods: Targeting, Loader, Dexterity, Unflinching, Holster, Distribution, Outreach, Bomber
For PvP Titans, there’s one build that still stands above the rest despite the nerfs and that’s the agile Arc Titan. While it’s an incredibly aggressive playstyle, you’ll have several ways to boost your survivability, as well as control the enemy.
This D2 Titan build is our go-to option in PvP, particularly in Competitive play and the hardcore Trials of Osiris. After all, we all want that sweet, sweet loot. This is largely due just how agile this build can be, despite several nerfs looking to tone it down – which has had an impact on its overall effectiveness. Nevertheless, we love the strong opportunities this build sets up, such as great flanks and dupes, as well as pushing enemies out of their comfort zone.
First up are the Aspects – Touch of Thunder and Knockout. Touch of Thunder enhances all of your grenade abilities with alternative effects. No matter which grenade you choose, there will be something valuable to be earned. Since we recommend the Storm Grenade, Touch of Thunder will add a thundercloud that will track enemies and chase them. While it does significantly less damage than it used to, its main use now is to push enemies out of cover and into the barrel of your weapon.
Knockout, on the other hand, is all about melee. Critically wounding a target empowers your melee with Arc energy, increasing melee damage and range. Most importantly though, defeating enemies with melee attacks will heal you and amplify you. Amplifying boosts your overall movement speed and weapon handling for a short duration. In other words, getting up close and personal is much safer in this build than you might expect, so equip a shotgun or SMG if you’re comfortable and finish enemies with a swift punch to the pace. Our guide to the best Destiny 2 PvP weapons will also come in handy if you’re looking for a few pointers.
When it comes to Fragments, we recommend Spark of Recharge, Magnitude, Shock, and Resistance. Recharge causes grenade and melee abilities to recharge faster when critically wounded, often saving you in a pinch. Magnitude makes Storm Grenades last longer which, when paired with the Touch of Thunder Aspects, means enemies will have to avoid a thunderstorm for even longer. Shock will further enhance this by causing Arc grenades to jolt targets, making enemies take more damage and chain lightning to nearby allies – the perfect Fragment for annoying grouped enemies in Trials. Last but not least, Resistance will reduce incoming damage when surrounded, and the +10 Strength bonus sweetens the deal.
If you’re looking for an even more agile brawler setup, then you could use Spark of Frequency instead. With this, landing a melee hit will greatly increase your reload speed for a short duration. We find this comes in very handy when battling multiple enemies to reduce the amount of time you’re vulnerable reloading for.
When it comes to gear, it’s largely up to personal preference. However, we recommend Peacekeepers, Heart of Inmost Light, or the One-Eyed Mask. SMGs are all the rage right now and likely still will be after another round of nerfs, so the Peacekeepers are a natural fit for such an aggressive Titan PvP build. The Peacekeeper will reload stowed SMGs and allow for instant ready-speed after sprinting or swapping weapons, so you’re able to zip around the area and fire at enemies without any delay.
However, if you don’t like SMGs or simply don’t want to use the Peacekeepers, then Heart of Inmost Light is a straightforward pick. Sure, it’s not flashing, but it’s great for increasing ability regeneration, which will often make the difference between life and death. Likewise, One-Eyed Mask is a shadow of its former self, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still a strong choice.
Destiny 2 Titan build alternatives
Besides the best Destiny 2 Titan builds designed for PvE and PvP featured above, there are also two Void and Strand builds that are perfect for general activities.
The best Strand Destiny 2 Titan build for general activities is:
- Subclass: Berserker – Bladefury
- Primary stat: Resilience
- Secondary stat: Discipline
- Grenade: Grapple/Shackle Grenade
- Melee ability: Frenzied Blade
- Class ability: Towering Barricade
- Aspects: Into the Fray, Drengr’s Lash
- Fragments: Thread of Mind, Thread of Warding, Thread of Generation, Thread of Isolation
- Exotic armor: Abeyant Leap
- Weapons: Quicksilver Storm
- Mods: Font of Focus, Charged Up, Stacks on Stacks, Bomber, Time Dilation, Font of Restoration
Strand has been a powerful subclass ever since its addition in Lightfall, but it’s one of the trickier subclasses to understand at first glance. Without the right build, Strand doesn’t feel quite as impactful as the others. Luckily that’s where we come in, with a Strand D2 Titan build focusing on survivability and crowd control.
The Aspects are the most important part of this build, significantly dictating the overall playstyle. While Flechette Storm and Banner of War are undoubtedly a lot of fun (and a great build overall), it’s hard to trigger in endgame activities and requires a lot more work, so it’s not as new-player friendly. That’s why we recommend Into the Fray and Drengr’s Lash. Into the Fray will grant Woven Mail – a damage-reducing shield – when destroying a tangle or casting your Super. Additionally, while Woven Mail is active, you’ll also gain increased melee regeneration rate. On the other hand, Drengr’s Lash adds invaluable crowd control by releasing suspending waves after casting your class ability, making them unable to move and even fight back. So, slide into a crowd of enemies in PvE and cast your barricade right away to immobilize them all.
Given how powerful suspend is even after several nerfs, we’ve chosen Fragments that help us cast our class ability more frequently or offer other buffs. Thread of Mind is the most simple but effective of them all, granting class ability energy when defeating suspended targets. Then we’ve got Thread of Warding which grants Woven Mail when picking up Orbs of Power. Thread of Generation generates grenade energy after dealing any damage – perfect whether you’re using Grapple or Shackle Grenade. Last up is Thread of Isolation, adding a severing effect after landing rapid precision hits, reducing the damage the target deals.
As for Exotic armor, Abeyant Leap is by far the best choice. Adding additional Strand Lashes to Drengr’s Lash as well as improving tracking, these Exotic legs let you easily suspend a large group of targets with little precision.
Pair this with any of the best Destiny 2 weapons, particularly Strand weapons like Quicksilver Storm and Circular Logic, and you’re in for some chaos. Despite the nerfs, this Strand Titan build is still one of the best in the entire game for PvE activities thanks to how easy to use it is and how rewarding it is in return.
Strand might be the new kid on the block, but Void is still towards the top in terms of subclass ranking. In fact, you might not even have access to Strand if you don’t own Lightfall, making Void a strong contender for crowd control prowess. Be sure to check out our Destiny 2 Lightfall review to find out whether the expansion – and Strand – is worth picking up.
The best Void Destiny 2 Titan build for general activities is:
- Subclass: Sentinel – Sentinel Shield
- Primary stat: Resilience
- Secondary stat: Discipline
- Grenade: Suppressor Grenade
- Melee ability: Shield Throw
- Class ability: Towering Barricade
- Aspects: Controlled Demolition, Bastion
- Fragments: Echo of Expulsion, Echo of Exchange, Echo of Leeching, Echo of Dilation
- Exotic armor: Heart of Inmost Light
- Weapons: Any Void weapon, particularly those with Destabilizing Rounds
- Mods: Void Siphon, Font of Focus, Font of Vigor, Font of Endurance, Font of Restoration, Charged Up, Elemental Charge, Stacks on Stacks, Recuperation, Time Dilation, Powerful Attraction
If you’re looking to cover your entire screen with purple explosions, then the Void D2 Titan build is the way to go. Through rapid ability regeneration, this build is capable of wiping out rooms of enemies in PvE with just a few button inputs. Even better though is that this build doesn’t sacrifice survivability as a result.
Starting off strong, Controlled Demolition makes enemies volatile after hitting them with a Void ability or volatile explosion. Volatile enemies will explode after taking enough damage. So, with enough ability generation, this Aspect alone is capable of devastating foes. However, these volatile explosions can also heal you if you’re standing close enough. And to help you get in close, we recommend taking Bastion as your second and final Aspect. With Bastion, you can easily grant yourself and allies an Overshield by casting your class ability. Now that you’re nearly invincible, simply charge into your foes and throw out both your grenade and melee ability to get the ball rolling.
As for Fragments, you can’t go wrong with Echo of Expulsion, Exchange, Leeching, and Dilation. As the name suggests, Echo of Expulsion results in even more vibrant (and deadly) explosions by making Void ability final blows to also cause targets to explode. Echo of Exchange is all about aiding with ability regeneration, with melee final blows granting grenade energy – thanks to the Shield Throw melee, this is very easy to trigger. To bolster this further, Echo of Leeching causes melee final blows to trigger health regeneration, which comes in handy if you’re low on health as killing a foe will set off all the buffs we’ve already mentioned. Lastly, Echo of Dilation is mainly used for the +10 Mobility and +10 Intellect, though you could swap this for Echo of Domineering if you need more Discipline instead.
The Heart of Inmost Light Exotic chest armor is the last piece of the puzzle, as the weapons you choose are largely up to personal preference – though any Void weapon with the Destabilizing Rounds perk is a safe bet. Heart of Inmost Light has seen several nerfs but in spite of that, it’s still one of the best Titan Exotics for nearly all builds. Increasing ability damage and regeneration after using abilities, Heart of Inmost Light allows for devastating ability spam that needs to be seen to be believed. And remember, thanks to the Aspects and Fragments above, Void ability kills put the build into overdrive.
What makes a strong Destiny 2 Titan build?
When it comes to crafting your own Destiny 2 Titan build, whether that be for PvE or PvP, there are a few important factors to consider:
- Playstyle – Knowing how you’d like to play and what role you want to fill is the first step in making any build. Generally, this comes down to what activity you’re looking to do. For example, in a raid or dungeon, you could run a supportive build using the Void bubble.
- Survivability – In both PvE and PvP, you’ll want additional ways to stay alive outside of cowering behind a wall – you are a Titan, after all. This can either come in the form of healing for the Solar subclass, Overshields for Void, or even Amplify speed boost for the Arc subclass. Remember, you’ve always got your trusty Barricade to protect you too.
- Abilities – The Titan has access to some of the best abilities in the game, such the various shoulder charges that can be used to wipe out foes in PvP or even as a dodge. Likewise, Titan’s also have a variety of Supers, including a damage-boosting wall and protective bubble.
- Mods – Due to these powerful abilities, you’ll want Mods that let you chain abilities, particularly in PvE where crowd control is paramount. Remember, these more often than not require you to use weapons of the same element as your subclass.
- Exotics – Consider which Exotic weapon and armor pieces synergize well with your overall build. Are you using SMGs in PvP? Equip the Peacekeepers. Love creating solar flares in PvE? Take a look at Loreley Splendor, Hallowfire heart, or Path of Burning Steps.
And that’s all our recommendations for the best Destiny 2 Titan build for PvE and PvP, as well as some strong alternatives. Hopefully, this guide has given you some ideas for the next time you jump into Destiny 2, one of the best FPS games. Remember, these are just a few examples of the kind of devastating endgame D2 Titan builds you can create without the need for particularly rare gear. There are countless alternatives to consider, but ultimately you’re always going to benefit from committing to a singular playstyle that you feel comfortable with. If you’re also grinding on a Hunter or Warlock account, check out our Destiny 2 Hunter build and Destiny 2 Warlock build guides.