Destiny – Titan Class Guide: How to Create the Best Striker or Defender

How to find all the gold chests in Destiny. Want more? How to find all 62 Dead Ghosts.

When players first launch Destiny, they have some important decisions to make. Aside from making sure they look good, the choice of which class of character to create will shape their experience among the four planets. We already spoke about the Hunter, breaking it down so players can mold a character that compliments their play style, and today we’re going to move on to the Titan. If you’re here for the Warlock, don’t worry. That will be covered as well.

On top of that, here are the Titans that Bungie’s developers use.

Titan Class Overview

The Titan class is one that specializes in armor. In fact, they are the most heavily armored of the three classes, and are known for their brute force. They are effective when attacking targets head on, taking advantage of their mastery of the Light to protect themselves and their comrades. Like all character classes in Destiny, the Titan has two subclasses: Striker which is the default, and Defender which is unlocked at level 15.

Striker Subclass

As we mentioned above, the Titan starts out using the Striker subclass, and must rank up and gain experience to unlock the various Abilities, Grenades, Ability Modifiers and Passives. We’re going to outline each of the options in the class, then show you an example (not a best loadout) of how you could configure your Titan. Study the benefits of each upgrade, then make choices that compliment your play style.

The Striker subclass will allow players to choose one of the three Grenades listed below. You won’t be able to choose between all three until you rank up your character to unlock them, but here is what you can expect when you reach that level.

• Flashbang: This is an explosive grenade that will disorient your adversaries, giving players an opportunity to escape to safety, or deliver the finishing blow.
• Pulse: This grenade will periodically damage enemies that walk within its range. It works best in large battles where your opponents are bunched up.
• Lightning: A grenade that sticks to any surface and will occasionally fire bolts of lightning at nearby enemies.

After unlocking their first Grenade, Titans will then move on to unlocking their three Abilities, the first of which is tied to Movement and is called Lift. This will allow players to jump, then press the jump again while in the air provide a blast of acceleration. This will keep Titans in the air for a short time. As with all Abilities for each of the three character classes, it has three modifiers that can enhance it.

• Increased Height: The first available modifier will upgrade the Lift to launch Titans to greater heights.
• Increased Control: Provides an enhanced directional control while in mid-air.
• Catapult: This upgrades the Lift to provide a powerful burst of momentum.

The second of the three Abilities, called the Fist of Havoc, allows players to smash the ground, destroying nearby foes with the Arc Light. Unlike the Super Ability from the Hunger class which has a cool down time of four minutes and 30 seconds, this one recharges in only four minutes. Players will be able to choose one of the enhancements below.

• Aftermath: After using the Fist of Havoc, a damage-dealing field will be left behind and can harm enemies that enter its zone.
• Death from Above: After jumping in the air you can aim the Fist of Havoc at enemies below.
• Shockwave: The Fist of Havoc will generate a wave that travels along the ground, devastating anything in its path.

Rounding out the Abilities is the one that falls under the Melee category. Unlike the Hunter which focuses on Throwing Knives, the Titan is given the Storm Fist, a devastating melee attack that will continue to deal bonus damage. In the order they are unlocked, here are the three enhancements players will have to choose from.

• Overload: Attacks with the Storm Fist have a chance to immediately reset its cool down, allowing players to use it again immediately.
• Discharge: Strikes from the Storm Fist have a chance to deal area-of-effect damage around the target that is attacked.
• Amplify: Kills with the Storm Fist will significantly reduce the cool down time for the Fist of Havoc. Using your Storm Fist while your Fist of Havoc recharges can provide a massive benefit.

Moving out of the Abilities, players will next unlock the first of a series of upgrades called Passives. These benefits will directly impact the attributes that you see at the top left of your inventory screen. These Passives will be the same for both Titan subclasses, meaning that what you see here will be the same as what you see for the Defender. They are broken down into two tiers, and here is a look at Tier 1.

• Titan Codex I: Provides +2 Armor and +2 Recovery.
• Titan Codex II: Provides + 2 Armor and +2 Agility.
• Titan Codex II: Provides +2 Agility and +2 Recovery.
• Tier 2 will have players choose one of the following once they are unlocked.
• Titan Codex IV: Provides +2 Armor, +1 Agility and +2 Recovery.
• Titan Codex V: Provides +5 Recovery.
• Titan Codex VI: Provides +1 Armor and +4 Agility.

The final two selections that players must make when configuring their Striker subclass for the Titan character are called Ability Modifiers. Just as the Passives were, they are broken down into two tiers, and will directly enhance one of the player’s three Abilities. Once a player has unlocked all three, they will only be able to choose one Ability Modifier at a time, but can change it out for another at their leisure. Tier 1 is as follows.

• Headstrong: Sprinting will increase the leap distance for the Fist of Havoc and +1 Agility.
• Aftershocks: Increases the duration of any of the three grenade types.
• Transfusion: Earning kills with the Storm Fist will immediately trigger health regeneration.
• Tier 2 of the Ability Modifiers.
• Unstoppable: Makes players harder to kill while using Fist of Havoc and +1 Armor.
• Shoulder Charge: After players sprint for a short distance they can perform a devastating melee attack.
• Juggernaut: Players will gain a protective shield after they sprint for a short distance.

Example Striker Subclass Setup

• Pulse Grenade
• Lift (Increased Height)
• Fist of Havoc (Aftermath)
• Storm Fist (Overlord)
• Passive Tier 1 (Titan Codex II)
• Passive Tier 2 (Titan Codex IV)
• Ability Modifier Tier 1 (Transfusion)
• Ability Modifier Tier 2 (Juggernaut)

Unlock the official Destiny Digital Guide  (also available in a Print Edition).

Defender Subclass

The second subclass for the Titan is called Defender, and it is unlocked at level 15. As the name suggests, it specializes in defense and protecting your allies. As we did with the Striker subclass, let’s start off by talking about the three Grenades you’ll have to choose from once you unlock them.

• Magnetic: This grenade will attach itself to enemies and then explode twice.
• Spike Grenade: This grenade will attach itself to any surface, then give off a damaging Void Light.
• Suppressor Grenade: This explosive grenade will stop enemies from using special abilities for a short time. Used correctly it can be very helpful in taking down high level foes.

After unlocking a Grenade, players will then move on to the first of three Abilities. Just as it was in the Striker subclass, this Ability relates to Movement and is called Lift. In fact, the enhancements for this Ability are identical to that of the Striker.

• Increased Height: The first available modifier will upgrade the Lift to launch Titans to greater heights.
• Increased Control: Provides an enhanced directional control while in mid-air.
• Catapult: This upgrades the Lift to provide a powerful burst of momentum.

The second of three, Ward of Dawn, is the Super Ability that the Defender subclass gets to enjoy. It might not be as popular given it is more of a defensive Super Ability, but it’s something that will come in very handy in some of the more intense Strike missions that Destiny has to offer. It also comes with three enhancements, but players can only choose one.

• Armor of Light: While inside the Ward of Dawn, the deploying player and their allies will receive a significant enhancement when resisting damage.
• Blessing of Light: Passing through the Ward of Dawn will give you and your allies a temporary shield.
• Weapons of Light: Passing through the Ward of Dawn will grant you and your fire team a temporary increase in weapon damage.

The final Ability of the Defender subclass relates to Melee and is called Disintegrate. Like all other Abilities it comes with an option to add an enhancement, but even in its most basic form will create a Force Barrier around players that absorbs incoming damage. To add onto that, players can choose one of the following.

• War Machine: During the time that Force Barrier is active, all of your weapons will reload and move to the ready position incredibly fast.
• Unbreakable: The Force Barrier will continuously recharge.
• Gift of Light: While the Force Barrier is active, all melee kills will also create Orbs of Light.

While there are many differences between the Striker and Defender subclass, the Passives they offer are exactly the same. You may want to try alternate combinations in order to compliment the different Abilities, but they are broken down into the same two tiers. Here is Tier 1.

• Titan Codex I: Provides +2 Armor and +2 Recovery.
• Titan Codex II: Provides + 2 Armor and +2 Agility.
• Titan Codex II: Provides +2 Agility and +2 Recovery.

Tier 2 will once again allow Titans to choose one of the three following Passives.

• Titan Codex IV: Provides +2 Armor, +1 Agility and +2 Recovery.
• Titan Codex V: Provides +5 Recovery.
• Titan Codex VI: Provides +1 Armor and +4 Agility.

The final two choices that Titans will make regarding their configuration is related to Ability Modifiers. Just as their name suggests, these are another enhancement for the three Abilities listed above. They are broken down into two tiers, with players choosing one from each list. Tier 1 is as follows.

• Bastion: This will increase the duration of the Ward of Dawn and comes with +2 Armor.
• Relentless: This will increase the strength and duration of the Force Barrier.
• Gift of the Void: As the Ward of Dawn takes fire from the enemy and becomes damaged, it will create additional Orbs of Light.

Tier 2 of the Ability Modifiers will be the final choice that players need to make when configuring their Titan.

• Untouchable: This will reduce the cool down time of the Ward of Dawn and provide +1 Armor.
• Iron Harvest: Kills with the Heavy Weapon will have a chance of creating Orbs of Light for your fire team.
• Illuminated: This will increase the benefits of Blessing of Light and Weapons of Light.

Example Defender Subclass Setup

• Spike Grenade
• Lift (Increased Height)
• Fist of Havoc (Aftermath)
• Storm Fist (Overlord)
• Passive Tier 1 (Titan Codex II)
• Passive Tier 2 (Titan Codex IV)
• Ability Modifier Tier 1 (Transfusion)
• Ability Modifier Tier 2 (Juggernaut)

That will just about do it for the Titan class and both its subclasses, Striker and Defender. Study the available upgrades to craft a character that compliments your style of play, and don’t be afraid to switch things up if you know a certain situation will benefit more from a Defender than a Striker. While we’re almost positive that specific formulas will develop as players get the hang of Destiny, we’re big believers that you should always play to your individual strengths.

Made for the ultimate Destiny fan, the Destiny Limited Edition Strategy Guide is a beautiful 400-page guide that comes with two exclusive lithographs, a gorgeous premium double-sided dust jacket (featuring a unique cover design on the exterior and additional artwork direct from Bungie on the interior), as well as one of Three Deluxe, Collectible Covers based on the Hunter, Warlock, or Titan. This Limited Edition book is a must-have collectible for Destiny fans.

The Destiny guide is also available as a Signature Series Guide and as a Digital Guide.