What To Know About Strand Before It Comes To Destiny 2: Lightfall

Much can be said about the most exciting aspects of a new Destiny expansion, however, in the rare instances where we are gifted a new subclass that feature truly takes the cake.

Today, Bungie revealed their official trailer for Strand as well as a full blog post detailing the verbage associated with Strand.

Similar to when Stasis first launched, Strand brings a new series of terms players should familiarize themselves with before jumping into Lightfall.  

Definitions:

• Weaving - Creating an object using Strand.
• Unravel - Defeating an enemy with Strand.
• Tangle - A swirling bundle of Strand fibers left behind after Unraveling an enemy. These objects will be able to be shot and thrown similar to Warmind cells. Hopefully we are able to build around them just the same.
• Suspend – A suspended PvE enemy is lifted off the ground for a brief duration and is essentially disabled. In PvP, suspended players are lifted off the ground but can still move (albeit slowly) and fire their weapon to fight back.
• Unravel – Attacking an unraveled enemy will cause threads to burst out of the target and attack other nearby targets. Once hit, that target will also become unraveled.
• Sever – A severed enemy is less capable of affecting the material world, reducing their damage output as a result.
• Woven Mail - A protective mesh of Strand matter that reduces incoming damage. In PVP, Woven Mail will not reduce headshot and melee damage.

Aside from all the lingo, Bungie also elaborated on how the new Strand grapple will work. Players will be able to use their grenade button to weave a Strand hook. The hook will pull the Guardian towards the object you "hook" into. Bungie did state that Guardians will be able to create grapple points out of thin air so even if you are falling away from any tall objects, you can still weave your way from death. A big takeaway I found in the article is that you will also be able to melee during the grapple, this grapple melee will deal bonus damage and unreavel an enemy.

Strand will also have Class specific Aspects and abilities:

Warlock: Broodweaver

• Weaver’s Call: On Rift cast, the Warlock weaves three Threadling eggs, which hatch into Threadlings when they hit a surface. Any perched Threadlings are converted to additional eggs.
• Mindspun Invocation: This Aspect improves several of the Warlock’s abilities:
• Grapple: When you execute a grapple melee, the Warlock weaves three Threadling eggs from the target.
• Threadling Grenade: You can consume your Threadling Grenade to generate a full complement of perched Threadlings.
• Shackle Grenade: You can consume your Shackle Grenade to gain a buff, creating a suspending detonation on every kill.
• Super - Needlestorm - A deadly combination of burst damage and area denial. On cast, the Warlock conjures Strand matter into a fusillade of hardened spikes, launching them forwards with a wave of their hand. The missiles will stick into enemies and the environment alike before detonating and reweaving themselves into an army of Threadlings that will hunt down any survivors.

The best part of the Warlock is its ability to create Threadlings. Threadlings are described as "explosive minions woven from Strand matter". All Threadlings will run forward, jump on enemies, and explode and only the Warlock’s Threadlings will return to the Warlock and travel with them if they can’t find a target.

Hunter: Threadrunner

• Ensnaring Slam: While in the air, press the air-move input to slam downward, suspending all nearby enemies.
• Widow’s Silk: This Aspect grants an additional grenade charge. The Hunter’s grapple ability creates a persistent grapple Tangle when it latches, which fully refunds grenade energy when grappled to. Hunters can use this ability to set up chains of grapple points that their entire team can use, greatly enhancing their ability to quickly move around in combat and/or traverse the environment.
• Super - Silkstrike - When activated, the Hunter uses their grapple to freely move through the world in third-person view, while also throwing their rope dart to strike down enemies. Hunters will be able to use grapple more often during the Super, and the rope dart features both a light and heavy attack.

The blog was unclear on whether or not the Hunter will be gaining any unique grenades.

Titan: Berserker

• Into the Fray: Destroying a Tangle weaves Woven Mail unto the Titan and nearby allies. In addition to reducing damage taken, this Aspect also increases the Titan’s melee energy regeneration while wearing Woven Mail.
• Drengr’s Lash: When the Titan casts their class ability, the Titan will blast forward a powerful ripple in reality, suspending enemies that are caught in the shockwave’s path.
• Super - Bladefury - dual-wielding fist blades and roaming the battlefield with ill intent. The Super’s light attack is a supercharged version of the Frenzied Blade melee attack, and each light attack that connects increases the next attack’s speed (which tops out after a maximum of three hits). In addition, connecting with light attacks also builds energy for the Super’s heavy attack with each hit. With the heavy attack, the Titan hurls a pair of projectiles forward that seek out enemies, suspending and damaging them on impact.

The blog did state the Strand grenades will be scene elsewhere but did not explicitly state they would be available on the Hunter and Titan class. Especially since the Threadling Grenade seems to be only able to be utilized by the Warlock class I do not see how it would make sense to bring it to the other two classes.

Four fragments will also be availiable for Strand when Lightfall lands February 28th:

• Thread of Ascent: Activating your grenade ability reloads your equipped weapon and grants increased weapon handling and airborne effectiveness for a short time.
• Thread of Fury: Damaging targets with a Tangle grants melee energy.
• Thread of Finality: Finishers generate Threadlings.
• Thread of Warding: Picking up an orb of power grants Woven Mail.

What are you most excited for with Strand? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter @Suttledge