Destiny 2: Best Warlock Subclasses

Summary

Shadebinder is weak and too slow for the current meta.
Voidwalker and Stormcaller are interchangeable in strength, both having their merits and drawbacks.
Dawnblade is the best subclass in the game, with strong Aspects and the must-have Well of Radiance.

Warlocks in Destiny 2 have always been quite powerful. This is largely thanks to their remarkable subclasses and the balance changes they receive. Players can wield both the Light and Dark with each subclass in Destiny 2, with each of them providing players with unique strengths and weaknesses, regardless of whether it's Solar, Arc, Void, Strand, or Stasis.

Berserker Titan, Well of Radiance and Frozen Enemy Destiny 2 Abilities Supers

Destiny 2: 8 Tips For Increasing Damage Resistance

When looking to build up solid damage resistance in Destiny 2, be sure to implement these helpful tips and strategies.

Posts

By Matthew Evans

With the vast number of potential options, it can be pretty overwhelming for novice Warlocks and New Lights to know which subclass to lean into and use the most due to the number of Aspects, Fragments, and Exotics that complement them. Thankfully, ranking each subclass and discussing their strengths and weaknesses while mentioning the best features of the subclass, will help players know what subclass to run on a Warlock.

5 Voidwalker

Consistent, But The Weakest Super

Explosive Super that deals less damage than others
Debuff with Weaken
Devour provides excellent survivability and healing

Voidwalker is not what it used to be. The subclass has slowly been losing identity since the release of Void 3.0 due to every Void class gaining access to Devour, and the overall kit is not as powerful as it used to be. This isn't to say that Voidwalker is weak, but it is near to the weakest of the list.

Void Warlocks can utilize several builds for some powerful effects, but they feel pretty limited in their potential, and the subclass is honestly not as enjoyable as some other options. While this may be down to personal preference, it isn't easy to repeatedly enjoy the single gameplay loop of Child of the Old Gods and Devour. All this, combined with the general lack of unique supporting potential, puts Voidwalker in fourth.

4 Stormcaller

Chaining Lightning Has Never Been So Strong

Arc Warlock Stormcaller Destiny 2 Subclass Screen

Fun power fantasy
Arc Souls are very versatile, and can be used to help with ad-clear or boss damage
Amplified is a solid buff

Stormcaller has seen glow-up after glow-up, the biggest being Arc 3.0's rework in Season of the Plunder. Arc Warlock has always been seen as a niche class, but it now has more widespread viability thanks to the strength of Arc Souls and Ionic Traces. The build potential with these two subclass traits is incredible, especially with Exotics like Fallen Sunstar.

Stormcaller isn't perfect, though. It lacks a powerful Super and some survivability. Chaos Reach and Stormtrance aren't strong Super options, and only being able to blind enemies for surviving isn't as consistent as other forms of defense. However, using a Special Weapon like Forbearance or Coldheart and combining them with either Spark of Beacons or Brilliance can make surviving a bit easier.

3 Shadebinder

Freeze Anything & Everything

Bleak Watcher and Iceflare Bolts chaining
Strategic in Nightfalls
Good synergy with Osmiomancy Gloves

Despite the potential builds a Stasis Warlock lover can make, the subclass pales compared to the competition. While Aspects like Bleak Watcher and Iceflare Bolts are potent in their own right, the subclass is a tad dangerous for the current meta in Destiny 2. Certain Aspect choices are also far too weak; options like Glacial Harvest are useless, as Stasis Shards have little to no practical use inside challenging content.

Stasis has been weak overall for quite some time, and unfortunately, the recent buffs to Stasis haven't changed that for Shadebinder. The Super feels sluggish to use, and the kit does not have enough damage or survivability to warrant use. However, combined with the right Exotics, players are going to be able to utilise a freeze turret that will keep the competition stunned and frozen, which is great for Nightfalls.

2 Broodweaver

A Legions Of Threadlings Overwhelm Enemies

Destiny-2-Unveils-Massive-Strand-Reveal-For-Lightfall-Keywords-Abilities-Supers-and-More-Broodweaver-Warlock-1

Excellent for damage with Needlestorm and Threadling Grenades
Woven Mail is good for survivability
Suspend capabilities thanks to Weaver's Trance

Broodweaver is the go-to subclass for damage on Warlock. With powerful builds available, Strand Warlocks have a ton of solid options. Broodweavers can either opt for a setup that looks to Suspend as many enemies as humanly possible, or they can look to build their Warlock to do damage by using Exotics like Apotheosis Veil and Grapple Grenades with Thread of Ascent to maximize damage from their Rocket Launchers.

Destiny 2 Warlock Showing Exotic gauntlet, next to two exotic chest armors

Destiny 2: 21 Best Exotic Armor For Warlocks

Warlocks are quite the spoiled class when it comes to great exotic armor in Destiny 2. Here's which ones Warlock mains need to get first.

Posts

By Anastasia Maillot

There is not anything truly weak about Broodweaver. It has damage resistance thanks to Woven Mail, excellent boss damage because of Needlestorm and Threadling Grenades, and excellent add-clear potential due to the Weaver's Trance Aspect. However, compared to other classes, Broodweaver will do less damage than a perfectly set-up Hunter with Celestial Nighthawk or a Titan using Banner of War and Synthoceps.

1 Dawnblade

Constant Healing, Ignitions, And Amazing Support

Well of Radiance is the strongest Super in the game
Restoration x2 is very accessible
Ad-clear with Sunbracers is nearly unmatched

Dawnblade is arguably the best subclass in all of Destiny 2 right now. What truly makes Dawnblade tick is the selection of Aspects available. Each option is as strong as the next, and Solar Warlocks are completely spoiled for choice, as each option is entirely viable. With incredible builds for Dawnblade, it's hard to recommend this subclass enough; it's that strong.

Of course, there is the elephant in the room, too. Well of Radiance. Practically a must-have in all raid settings, fireteams will actively complain if there isn't a Warlock on Well of Radiance. Making anyone inside the Well near unkillable while providing a 25% damage buff is quite absurd compared to some of the other options on Warlock, and it's entirely recommended that players take advantage of this subclass from its ad-clearing builds to the infinite survivability of Well of Radiance.