Destiny Striker Titan PvE Guide

Destiny Striker Titan PvE Guide by Eterya

This guide will comprehensively discuss perks, playstyles and equipment choices, and how any Punchbros among you can crush any foe with their fists and lightning to the best of their ability. Massive Wall of Text inbound, brace yourself.

DISCLAIMER: This represents my experiences and opinions, and is not necessarily the “correct” or “definite” way to play. It’s what I do, and I’m quite successful with it. Also, these are guidelines, nothing more. If you find anything else you want to do, go ahead. It’s your game, so you should play the way you want to.

Basics: This will outline the Striker class and their special abilities. If you know anything about Strikers, feel free to skip this bit.

• The Striker is a tough offensive class that is strong and hard to take down in close quarters, but has options for a more strategical, ranged play too. Specialization can make them even stronger in close combat, enhance their devastating Fist of Havoc, or let them play a tactical role through the use of area denial.
• Lift: The Titan’s jump ability. Identical to the Defender’s in all aspects. The jetpack can be used either to gain height straight up, or if activated while in the air and moving to keep floating a bit vertically. Less influenced by momentum than a Warlock’s Glide.
• Fist of Havoc. Also known as “Titan Smash”, the Titan super is akin to the Voidwalker’s Nova Bomb in that it deals a great amount of immediate damage in a large area. Unlike the Nova Bomb however, it is resembles a melee attack, in that when triggered it hits the area around and in front of the user. Activating it in the air or while moving can extend the range. Once triggered, little can be done to adjust the direction afterwards, so make sure your aim is true. The attack can not deal friendly fire damage to the user or allies, and despite the animation hits a (partly) spherical area above and below the point of impact, not just a planar shockwave. During use, the user gains a significant damage resistance. Its perks grant additional benefits as follows:
• Perks: Aftermath: At the point of impact for several seconds lightning will strike, dealing AoE damage for its duration. Death from Above: When activated in the air, instead of dropping relatively straight down and foward, FoH will change its trajectory depending on the user’s momentum: If moving backwards or not at all, it will slam literally straight down, hitting enemies directly below; if moving sideways of forward, FoH will move down and forward in a 45° angle in the characters direction of view. This can be used to significantly increase the range, but requires precise aim. Also note that hitting another enemy during the animation (say, that Wizard who decided to float in your way) will immediately activate the super, even while in the air. Shockwave: On impact, FoH will send a total of 8 waves of energy along the ground in the cardinal directions and diagonals, increasing its destructive range. The waves can hit airborne targets (Shanks, Harpies), but have less vertical range than the primary super.
• Storm Fist: The Striker melee. If it is off cooldown any successful melee hit will and deal notable bonus damage. The special melee deals Arc damage and any hit will trigger a cooldown.
• Perks: Overload: Hits with SF have a chance to immediately reset its cooldown. I’m not sure how high the proc chance is, but it seems high enough to be usable. Discharge: Hits with SF deal area damage around the target. The damage seems similarly high to Storm Fist itself and is Arc-type as well, but requires additional targets to be relatively close to reliably hit them. Note that it can and will set off environmental hazards if striking an enemy close enough to them. Amplify: Kills with SF significantly reduce the cooldown of Fist of Havoc.

The following discussion will expect the reader to know and understand the various perks and Titan exotics. If you don’t, check out the perks by following the build links and reading their descriptions, and the armor by clicking here. (Ignore the exotic marks in that list, they’re datamined and not yet in the game).

Close quarters build “What about the Darkness itself? What then? – ‘I’ll punch it too.’ – Wei Ning” The first thing you’re gonna think about when thinking ‘Titan’. A both quick and resilient build that can destroy most anything short of an Ultra (and with team support even some of those). This is the build I typically play when Striker, unless there’s a specific reason against it. Build. Discussion on why I use these particular perks:

• Flashbang grenade. To a degree this boils down to personal choice. Both Lightning and Pulse grenades are AoE grenades that need to be used tactically, and have a greater risk of hurting the user, making them sub-ideal for a close-quarters playstyle. The Flashbang can shut down a group of enemies completely and deal decent damage. They behave like actual grenades that bounce a few times, so aiming them may take a little practice. If used in close quarters there’s a good chance they’ll partially blind the user too, but generally for a human player the effect is less dramatic than on AI mobs, unless you were right at the center of the explosion and are completely blind. Bottom line, use whatever grenade you like best, though I strongly recommend Flashbangs for this one.
• Catapult. Again mostly personal preference. I feel there’s less difference between the jump perks than on other classes. But I find that the bit of initial momentum is useful to dodge some attacks. Ultimately, try out all three and pick what feels best for you.
• Shockwave. I use this one to increase the immediate destructive range of Fist of Havoc. You’re gonna have enemies around you anyway, so more range on your super is good. Aftermath is okay, but on this build you’re gonna nuke a batch of enemies and then mop them up before moving on, so the AoE will not be as useful. For the above reason, Death From Above is not ideal here. You will have enemies close to you anyway, so there’s likely little need to use FoH from range.
• Overload. You’ll be punching a lot, so having Storm Fist up more often is great. Overload is equally good, more so when you have particularly many particularly weak stuff (Thrall, Dregs) around you. Amplify is another great choice, allowing you to have your super available more often. All three are good options, so pick whichever you prefer.
• Titan Codices II and VI. Pretty straightforward, equal parts high Agility and Armor.
• Transfusion. A melee class needs a healing option off their melee. It helps that both other options are a bit lackluster on this build. Headstrong is okay, but I hardly ever notice a difference when using it. Aftershocks is not bad per se, but on this build it’s not really appropriate.
• Shoulder Charge. More melee, a way to close the final meters to an enemy quickly, and another way to trigger Transfusion. Unstoppable only has a real use in PvP. Juggernaut is good too, but the goal of this build is damage output over protection. Who needs a shield when you can charge an enemy and heal off instead? But if you absolutely want to be sure to get into punching range of the enemy at full health, feel free to use it instead. Interesting fact: Shoulder Charge deals Arc damage for the purposes or Eris bounties and (most likely) Burns.

(I did other melee builds before, so the next bit is copy-pasted) This build is somewhat defined by the weapons it uses, so the gear section comes first.
Weapons: Shotguns, obviously. Standard issue is any SG you work well with, plus a weapon that can cover longer ranges, should the need arise. I personally like Scout Rifles with a long-range scope (Focus Lens) for that. Of note are two combinations I found while perfecting the build, both (rather obviously) using an exotic Shotgun: First off we have Invective. It’s a seriously strong gun that regenerates reserve ammo (slower than IB, but you can also pick up ammo drops). Combined with any long-range primary (I use the Fang of Ir Yut), you can get in and wreck stuff while hardly ever needing to worry about ammo. Second is the Universal Remote. Somewhat considered a gimmicky weapon (tbh, it kinda is, but it’s great fun), on this build it is seriously powerful. Here too you will have relatively few issues with ammo, because it’s a primary. As a secondary you want something to cover the longer ranges. I found a Sniper with a low-zoom scope (Ambush, Shortgaze) to be the best option. Personally I have a custom Solar LDR with Field Scout and Outlaw, just use whatever you want. But get used to switching weapons quickly to accommodate the situation. Also interesting is the Red Death combined with an SG, because it gives you another source of healing top of your Transfusion, and is decent at hipfiring, but the combination is lacking at long-to-far ranges. For PS players Monte Carlo is a nice option too, giving you even more Storm Fist. Note that a HMG may be a safer choice than rockets because dying to your own splash damage is dumb (and totally not what happened to me numerous times before.)

Armor: The Insurmountable Skullfort is a nice option. It grants the Transfusion perk, allowing you to use Headstrong on top, though it really feels like the greater benefit if the +1 Agility is gives. The Helm of Inmost Light is okay, but not great, and the Mk.44 Stand asides are, for a change, not absolutely terrible here. If they’re your only Striker or neutral piece, feel free to use them. Ruin Wings and Armamentarium are great subclass-neutral options too, though I guess I prefer the latter for more Flashbangs. Lastly, the Crest of Alpha Lupi is okay too, especially when you’re playing with a team and acting as a medic. As for stats, prioritze STR, then DIS and INT about equally.

Playstyle: Typical melee/Shotgun. (Shoulder) Charge right at the enemy and hit them like a freight train. Try to get killing blows with Storm Fist and Shoulder Charge to proc Transfusion frequently. Use grenades to either shut down a group before attacking them, or to disable a single big target. Similarly, use Fist of Havoc to nuke a group or major target. Try to keep aware of enemies able to attack you from long range, and whom to not engage up close (Explodie Thralls, Fanatics, possibly Ogres/Colossi). I did a writeup on melee against all enemies here.

Lightning area denial build “Shocking…” A more strategic build that focuses on area denial and tactical support. Also the key perks are available relatively early on in the subclass progression, making this build an option for beginners. Build. I will only be discussing changes from the build outlined above:

• Lightning grenades. Yeah. Area denial is the name of the game this time around. These are better than Pulse grenades, but also are harder to use. Compared to Pulse, their hitbox is more of a cone than a sphere, and they pulse slower, but their damage is higher. The key is to place them on walls or ceilings and not on the floor. If you hit them into a doorframe, you pretty much have a fence that one-hit-kills tier 1 mobs that try to pass. Practice using these, and if they’re just not working for you, use Pulse grenades instead.
• Increased Height. This build won’t need as much quick movement, so more actual height is neat. But really use whatever you want.
• Aftermath. See above. Area denial.
• Amplify. The build gets strategical use out of its super, so more super is always good. The other options are okay, but not as strong as on a dedicated melee build.
• Titan Codices III and IV. This build is a bit more strategic, so some Agility is traded for Recovery.
• Aftershocks. A bit of the defining feature, or at least the key strength of the build. More duration for all AoE is highly useful. None of the other options are even worth considering.
• Juggernaut. This isn’t really a melee build, so Shoulder Charge is less useful, also for lack of Transfusion. Once more, Unstoppable is more of a PvP perk, and the survivability from Juggernaut is nice.

Playstyle: Pretty straightforward. Fight at medium ranges and use grenades and supers frequently but strategically. Aim them at grouped up enemies or preemptively at chokepoints that have enemies inbound. (Or at open space to try to create chokepoints and funnel enemies).

Armor: There is no exotic that directly interacts with AoE effects, but two choices stand out anyway. The Armamentarium grants an extra grenade (and a DIS stat roll), which obviously benefits a grenade-heavy build. The other is the above-mentioned Skullfort. Here the bonus Transfusion comes in handy, allowing you to act more in close quarters. Ruin Wings are great as always, Alpha Lupi is okay as always. Stand Asides are crappy again here. Inmost Light can allow you to place the Aftermath field at range, but that’s about it. Focus on DIS, then INT.

Weapons: There’s no particular preferences for anything, though obviously you want guns that work in your range category. Either mid-range, or if you have the Skullfort and want to punch more things, close. Of note are weapons with the Grenadier perk to help recharge your grenade faster. Primaries are particularly useful here. The perk can roll on most (every?) legendary weapon, but is guaranteed on Murmur, Swordbreaker, Song of Ir Yut and The Chance (FWC vendor version).

Super-(Wo)Man build “It’s a bird…It’s a plane…It’s a – Titan SMASH!” A super-centric build that enhances the Fist of Havoc as far as possible to crush enemies with overwhelming force. In truth this one may be a bit gimmicky, but it’s great fun, and useful for some Eris bounties (Arc damage kills and Orbs of Light). Also I think it could reasonably used in PvP (with some alterations, and don’t quote me on that). Build. Again I’ll only highlight the differences to the first build:

• Increased Height. As on the second one. Plus it synergizes with Death From Above to increase its range.
• Death From Above. The centerpiece of the build as I envision it, for reasons expanded on below.
• Amplify. As on the second one, more super. But this time it’s more or less the only option.
• Titan Codices III and IV for similar reasons as on the second.
• Headstrong. Gives +1 Agility, and improves Fist of Havoc. Aftershocks is useless here, and Transfusion is not that necessary on a non-melee build either.
• Unstoppable. Improves FoH. Just to make sure; absolutely nothing will stop you now when using you super. If you really want, use either of the other perks.

Playstyle: This build is a little bipolar. You fight at mid ranges until you have your super up, then pick a target (high-value or group) and either fly up to use Death From Above, or just charge them head on and smash them with Fist of Havoc. Then mop up any remains (ideally triggering Amplify on one of them) before gaining a little distance and getting you super up again.

Armor: The Helm of Inmost Light has real value here. It allows you to choose both Shockwave and Transfusion (or Aftermath + Aftershocks, if you’re so inclined) in you subclass, enhancing your potential even more. The Skullfort is good here too, as it gives you Transfusion. As usual, Ruin Wings/Armamentarium great, Alpha Lupi okay, Stand Asides crap. Stats INT, the STR and DIS.

Weapons: Things that work both close and mid-ranges (or one each). Very notable is Bad Juju to get Fist of Havoc ready far more often. But just about anything you work well with is fine. As a secondary option for cleaning up after your Titan Smash, use a Shotgun, but once more, anything is fine. For PS users, Monte Carlo is helpful in getting Amplify available more often.

About the Titan exotics: Guess. A short discussion on all currently available exotic armors.

• An Insurmountable Skullfort: The Infusion perk is good for HM Crota, and Impact Induction is decent. Seeing as Transfusion is easily the best perk in that column, its real use is for specific builds that require one of the other perks.
• Crest of Alpha Lupi: Special ammo is great. The signature perk increases the revive speed, and creates more Orbs from your super. It’s okay for a support playstyle, but there’s better.
• Helm of Inmost Light: Melee speed is pretty good. Melee for Orbs is a bit situational. It gives both Death From Above and Headstrong, freeing up each column for another choice. These are okay, but not outstanding, and so is the entire helmet.
• Helm of Saint-14: Defender-specific. Melee speed is nice, and Inverse Shadow is great, but you have no benefit of its real main bonus.
• Mk.44 Stand Asides: Heavy Ammo is on any raid boots which makes it a little redundant here. The only time the increased activation window for Shoulder Charge is not absolutely terrible is on a dedicated melee build when you literally have no other exotics (or through some odd stroke of RNG need exotic boots for Light requirements). Other than that, forget them, they’re considered generally crappy, and with good reason.
• No Backup Plans. Defender-specific. Melee speed and Special Weapon Loader are pretty good, but without the main bonus there’s little reason to use these.
• Ruin Wings: These are great. Because who doesn’t love more heavy? And again, special weapon loader is neat. Not much more to say here.
• The Armamentarium: Loses out slightly because of Heavy ammo being found on all raid boots. The second grenade is still useful, as the Striker grenades are pretty useful, either Flashbangs for melee or Lightning/Pulse for AoE.
• The Glasshouse: Defender-specific. Melee speed and super for grenade kills are neat, but as above you wouldn’t use an exotic without getting use of its main perk.

That got just a little longer than I thought. This about sums up just about everything you need to know for punching all the things as a Striker in PvE. Anyone who got this far deserves a cookie.

Do you guys know of anything I missed, forgot, or have wrong? If so, comment and I’ll change it accordingly. Of course feel free to comment with any other opinions questions, or whatever too xD

Thanks for reading, and see you on the battlefield, fellow Guardians.