Destiny 2: All Strand Effects Explained

With the release of Destiny 2: Lightfall, players gained acces to a new Darkness power, Strand. In Destiny, all subclasses have certain verbs or keywords that describe effects they can apply to foes. Each subclass typically has around four keywords, each doing different things. Some will provide damage resistance, some will provide damage, and others offer utility-based effects, like crowd control.

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The core idea of Strand is Weaving, essentially the Guardian’s ability to create Strand matter. Strand is described as a psychic power, like a cosmic web, with strings connecting every living being. With Guardians accessing the power to manipulate these strings of Strand, they can weave it into new creations that aid them in battle. Here are the main features of Strand, what they do, and the builds they commonly appear in. Some Strand effects are potent and make for some incredibly effective builds.

Suspend

Suspend is one of the core parts of Strand. It can fully crowd-control enemies by slightly lifting them into the air, rendering them helpless while they still take full damage. Suspend can be triggered through several different methods, most prominently through the Shackle Grenade. While Shackle Grenade does very little damage, it acts as an instant crowd-control source and can even deal with Unstoppable Champions, which can be a massive help in Grandmaster Nightfalls. Suspend is incredibly powerful against tanky targets like elite enemies, as they are also Suspended, making them much easier to take down.

Obtaining Suspend

Every class has accessible pathways to Suspending a target. A Titan’s Drengr’s Lash barricade, Weaver’s Call with Shackle Grenade, and a Hunter’s Ensnaring Slam are straightforward and fast ways to Suspend a crowd of targets. The effects of Suspend can be furthered by a selection of Strand Fragments like Thread of Continuity, while Thread of Warding and Thread of Wisdom contribute to Fragment combinations.

Unravel

Unravel is the weapon-based keyword for Strand. Unravel itself places a debuff on the enemy, which, when attacked, takes bursts of damage from Strand Unraveling matter, which also seeks out other nearby enemies. Most importantly, Unravel is tied to the Unraveling Rounds buff on your weapons, which grants Strand Weapons the power to cause Unravel on any targets you shoot.

Obtaining Unravel

Unravel isn’t something that is typically built for. Instead, it is simply an excellent benefit to any setup you use. Players often Unravel tanky enemies, like bosses, to increase damage output. Unravel and Unraveling Rounds can be obtained through several sources. The Season of the Deep Titan Aspect, Flechette Storm, Warlock’s Arcane Needle melee ability, a Grapple Melee attack, and Thread of Propagation all provide your Strand Weapons with Unraveling Rounds on a powered melee final blow.

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Sever

Sever is a utility-based effect that can be applied to enemies. A Severed enemy deals around 33% reduced damage, meaning that, by proxy, you are effectively 33% tankier. Like Unravel, Sever is often overlooked, as it is a simple effect that doesn’t do much visually. However, you will notice that if you can Sever as many enemies as possible on the battlefield, your time fighting will be much easier.

Obtaining Sever

Again, like Unravel, players don’t aim to build into Sever; but some tools in the Strand kit provide Sever naturally. The Hunter’s Threaded Spike and the Titan’s Frenzied Blade provide Sever to any enemy hit by them. The exotic weapon The Navigator (from the Ghosts of the Deep Dungeon) can also apply Sever onto targets; however, it is quite a grind to obtain it and its catalyst.

Sever is an easy-to-apply debuff, especially on Titan and Hunter. It has quite a debilitating effect on enemies, especially in more challenging content, as it can turn a one-shot into a two-shot.

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Woven Mail

When you have Woven Mail, enemies deal 58% less damage to you, which is a considerable amount of damage resistance. When combined with other sources of resistance, like Chest Armor mods or even just the Resilience stat, you can become incredibly tanky and take hits from practically any enemy in the game.

Obtaining Unravel

Woven Mail is often something players look to build into. The Into the Fray Aspect on Titan and Cyrtarachne’s Facade are straightforward pathways to Woven Mail. Berserkers provide Woven Mail in abundance with the right build due to Into the Fray, which provides Woven Mail on Tangle destruction or Super cast. Thread of Warding is also incredibly popular due to its ability to grant Woven Mail on orb pickup, which is incredibly accessible these days with the sheer number of Orbs of Power generated in a fight.

Tangles

Tangles are Strand’s spawning item, and they are very unique compared to the equivalents other subclasses offer. They can be picked up and destroyed by players, dealing considerable damage. Tangles are a core part of the Strand kit, especially with certain builds on Strand Warlock using The Wanderer Aspect.

How to use Tangles

Tangles function relatively simply. The person who created the Tangle deals considerably more damage to them, to prevent teammates from destroying them first. When destroyed or thrown, they deal solid AoE damage, making them quite an effective add-clearing tool. To spawn a Tangle, simply get a kill with a Strand ability, and it will appear above the defeated target’s body.

Grapple

Grappling is a key part of the Strand kit. Grapple is involved in several attacks that can be used in various builds, and is one of the most fun parts of Strand. Threadrunners can take advantage of the Grapple grenade with the Widow’s Silk aspect and the new Exotic Helmet, Cyrtarachne’s Facade.

How to use Grapple

Grapple functions very simply. All a player has to do is look in a direction, and they will grapple onto the invisible strings of Strand via a grapple point and fly towards their destination. Grapples also have offensive functionality through the Grapple-Melee combo. When near an enemy in flight during a Grapple, you can use your melee input to deal decent damage in a small AoE around the target.

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