Destiny 2 Hunter Class Overview: Beta Subclasses, Skills & What's Changed from Destiny

Jul. 20, 2017

Destiny 2 Hunter Class Overview: Beta Subclasses, Skills & What’s Changed from Destiny

The launch of theDestiny 2beta, for those who have preordered, brought thousands more players the chance to experience the latest iteration of what has been one of the most loved AND criticized franchises this generation. With the open beta on all consoles launching on Friday and a beta on PC to release some time in August, thousands more will get their chance to see if this is a game worth putting out the cash for.  While Destiny 2 at it’s core is mainly the same game, many changes have come to balance the game in new ways that will have some players happy and others frustrated.  You’ll be able to dive back in to the Destiny universe in Destiny 2, playing as your favoriteHunter,WarlockorTitanagain this fall when it releases in September.

For all of the kinder-Guardians out there playing Destiny 2 for the first time, things won’t seem jarring at all.  Gameplay is smooth, dueling with guns feels familiar enough to pick up quickly yet unique enough to stand apart, and shooting bad guys is never something that people will frown upon.  For the veteran players out there however, some of Destiny 2’s minor and major changes will take a bit of getting used to.  There are some overall changes that might seem like a mistep to some but not all, and changes specific to each Guardian subclass that will take a little bit of experience and practice to get used to.  In this guide we will take a look at what you can expect from theHunter Classas well as how its subclasses have changed. Be sure to check out our guides for theWarlockandTitanClasses as well.

The first thing I noticed when inspecting my newly minted Guardian as I loaded up the Destiny 2 Beta was that there are no more stats with regards to Intellect, Discipline and Strength.  Gone are the days of finding that perfect set of tier 12 gear to get the best possible balance for your play style.  It seems that Bungie has opted to make most of the alterations to Destiny in favor of leveling the playing field and equalizing things for everyone.  Replacing the Intellect, Discipline and Strength stats are now:

These stats can all be adjusted to fit your play style depending on the armor you have equipped.  Each piece of armor except your class armor (i.e. Hunter Cloak, Warlock Bond or Titan Mark) can change the amount of increase you get to each stat so play around a bit until you find a configuration you like.  Some might find different configurations are more suited for either PvP or PvE.  It’s also worth mentioning that the spot that had previously housed your guardians “artifact” is now gone and is replaced by a lock that will display your Clan Banner.  These are inaccessible in the beta.

Another modification to how you will use your guardian in Destiny 2 is how yourweaponswill change your gameplay.  With the addition of a couple of new weapon types, and changes to where weapons can be slotted in your inventory, you’ll have to make some wise decisions as to what your loadout will be given that there will be certain activities where your loadout will be locked once selected.  A huge change to the weapons your guardian uses is that there are no more random rolls for the weapons.  In Destiny 1 all weapons except for exotics could be rolled with different stats that could drastically change a weapon, from its range or ammo capacity, to weather or not you land a precision kill shot would cause your enemy to explode.  This has been cast aside in favor of a more balanced approach.  Each unique weapon will have the same stats the first time you obtain it as the hundredth time you do.

Now that we have the general base line changes laid out, let’s see how the Hunter Class and its Subclasses look in the new game.

Quick on the trigger and deadly with a blade. Cunning and ruthless,Huntersstalk the battlefields, taking big risks for bigger rewards. This is the class for the gun nut in your group with subclasses that allow for specialization.

The skill tree is set up a little differently in Destiny 2.  Here’s a break down of what it has in store for the Arcstrider, the new subclass for the Hunter.

Super

Grenades

Class ability: Dodge

Jumps

Way of the Warrior

Way of the Wind (Note: Not available during Beta)

The Hunter has had some changes from Destiny 1 to Destiny 2, most notably the addition of theArcstridersubclass.  Similar to the Bladedancer subclass from Destiny 1, the Arcstrider is an arc based subclass that focuses on quick movement and melee attacks to dispatch enemies.  The Arcstrider is a ton of fun to use though depending on the situation, not always the most practical.  While using the Arc Staff Super, melee striking is fast paced and deadly to low level enemies or Gaurdians in the crucible.  Higher tier enemies might take several hits to kill while the damage to bosses is laughable.  It shares a lot in common with it’s Destiny 1 variant, the Bladedancer.  So much so that some might say that Bungie phoned it in with this subclass and simply changed the combat animation to make this “new” class.  Personally, I think it’s distinctive enough to be called new.

Here’s a breakdown of the skill tree for the Gunslinger.

Super:

Grenades

Class ability: Dodge

Jumps

Way of the Outlaw

Way of the Sharpshooter (Note: Not available during Beta)

TheGunslingerclass in Destiny 2 has remained largely unchanged with the exception of a couple minor tweaks.  The dodge ability is also present in this skill tree.  Perhaps the biggest change to the Gunslinger is that theGolden Gunsuper ability now has 6 shots instead of 3.  The drawback however is that the time the super is available once activated is significantly less than before.  That being said, it’s still one of the best ways to turn the tide in theCrucibleor to dole damage to enemies and bosses in PvE.

The Hunter Class and its Subclasses have introduced some freshness into Destiny 2 without totally leaving long time players scrambling to adjust. Thoughts on how the Hunter Class has come along? Too many changes? Not enough? Share your opinions in the comments.

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