Following the Void 3.0 subclass update, Bungie released the Solar 3.0 update along with the Season of the Haunted inDestiny 2. A lot of changes have fallen on Warlocks in particular, but the overall outlook on the Solar changes is lukewarm at best.
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While some parts of the Warlock’s kit have been effectively gutted (such as bottom-tree Dawnblade), other parts have been expanded upon and changed. An immense focus has been put on mobility, with a whopping two out of three Warlock Solar aspects dealing with mobility. Here’s how Warlocks can build around Solar 3.0 inDestiny 2.
Updated on August 04, 2025, by Anastasia Maillot:Much has changed since the release of Solar 3.0 for Warlocks. Lightfall’s balance changes, however, have proven to be extraordinarily good for the subclass, and now if ever is the perfect occasion for Warlock mains to revisit the Solar subclass.Starfire ProtocolWarlock, which has been dominating the PVE meta for the last six months or more, has become even more powerful thanks to two new Solar fragments introduced with Lightfall. The end of Elemental Wells has also spawned a new Solar pickup known as Firesprite, which works similarly but requires set fragments to be active. With balance changes toPhoenix DiveandDaybreakas well, the best Solar Warlock builds in Destiny 2 have become even easier to attain.
Solar Abilities, Aspects & Fragments
Much like Void and Stasis, players will now be able to tailor their Solar subclass to fit their wants and needs, whether it be PVEor PVP. As of Lightfall, Bungie has confirmed that new fragments will be introduced in the future to all subclasses, and such was the case in season 20. In Year 6 ofDestiny 2, here’s what Solar Warlocks have on their menu.
Solar Class Abilities
Players can now access all class abilities regardless of Super, including the special bottom-treePhoenix Dive.Phoenix Divealso Cures nearby allies, and ifHeat Risesis active, it scorches enemies and Restores the player. TheRift abilitiesremain largely the same.
Phoenix Divereceived a slight buff inLightfall, and its base cooldown decreased significantly to only 55 seconds. It now also pairs better withDaybreakbuilds: whenDaybreakis activated, its cooldown is even more reduced, making it spammable. The damage from the AoE scorch is also increased. IfHeat Risesis activated, the Restoration buff fromPhoenix Diveis increased to 3 seconds.
Solar Melees
In the melee department, players can choose between the classicCelestial Firemelee, a favorite of top-tree Dawnblade Warlocks, as well as a brand-new melee called theIncinerator Snap. In stylish fashion, Warlocks can snap their fingers and set targets on fire, scorching them.
Celestial Firestill remains the more consistent melee out of the two, with better range, thoughIncinerator Snapprovides far better stacks of scorch and has great synergy with Sunbracer builds.
Solar Grenades
New in this category areIncendiary, Tripmine, Thermite, and Swarm Grenades. TheHealing Grenadefrom middle-tree Dawnblade is also its own grenade now, making it the weakest choice as players will need to trade off their main offensive ability.
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The strongest choices remainthe good oldSolar GrenadeandFusion Grenade, especially when paired with theTouch of Flameaspect.
Solar Aspects
Warlocks can now choose from three different aspects:
Thanks to the buffs to these aspects shortly after season 17 launched,Heat RisesandIcarus Dashcan be interchanged depending on whether players prefer mobility over extra healing.Icarus Dashhas a clear preference for PVP, whereasTouch of Flamewill usually be solely usedfor PVE builds.
Solar Fragments
Brand new Solar fragments have been introduced inLightfall, which in turn have seriously buffedSolar Warlock, particularly anyStarfire Protocolplayers:
Both of these are absolute must-haves for Warlocks, especially if players plan on runningStarfire Protocol, which sacrifices the Healing Rift for the Empowering Rift. To extend the time of the Restoration effect, which is currently quite short,Ember of Solaceis one option. Firesprites are the new Solar pickups, which players can access easily by choosing theEmber of Searing, which spawns a Firesprite when scorched targets are killed and also grants melee energy.
Firespriteshave also been included in the following fragments:
Other good fragments that focus on scorching (and therefore ad-clearing) that Warlocks can try are:
These work fantastically withDawn Chorusin particular, and any weapons with theIncandescentperk.
Solar Supers
DaybreakandWell of Radiancecontinue to be the two core Solar Supers for Warlocks.Well of Radiancestill remains untouched in terms of balance since last year’s overshield removal, but that hasn’t stopped it from being among the best endgame Supers inDestiny 2.
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Daybreakreceived a bit of love from Bungie inLightfall. Each slash of the blade now consumes less of the Super’s charge as it did last year, and the Super also grants a maximum of 7 Orbs of Power instead of 5.Daybreakalso received a massive PVE damage buff of 25% against enemies and its cooldown went down by roughly a minute. All in all,Daybreakis now a serious contender for roaming damage Supers in PVE, perfect for ad-clearing even in tougher content.
Mods & Artifact Mods
Mods have been completely overhauled inLightfall, and the system has been greatly simplified. Chances are, most Solar builds won’t even require different mods, as Warlocks simply need to choose between melee or grenade equivalents of the same-ish mods. Players can also stack various mods up to three times to make incredibly powerful grenade-centric builds, which is truly what defines the Solar Warlock in every aspect.
Elemental Wells have now been replaced by Firesprites, which are Solar pick-ups that players can create if they have certain fragments equipped. Warlocks should take advantage of Firesprites regardless of whether they build into an offensive gameplay style or a more support-oriented style.
Weapons & Gear
Solar Warlockshave a variety of builds to choose from, though theRain of Fireexotic has seen less use due to fusion rifles still being weak. TheDawn Chorushelmet has instead taken its place among the top threeSolar WarlockExotics:
Other good (but not mind-blowing) Exotics that are staples inSolar Warlock buildsare Exotics that pair well withWell of Radiance, such asLunafaction Boots,Phoenix Protocol, andThe Stag.
Lightfall has brought in a lot of weapon changes as well. With seasonal artifact perks changing, it’s impossible to tell what weapons will benefit Solar builds the most in the future. That said, any weapons with the Incandescent perk will pair quite well with mostSolar Warlock builds. With SMGs so powerful still,the Calus Mini-Toolremains a strong contender.
For heavy, rocket launchers and grenade launchers with the Demolitionist perk are absolutely fantastic, particularly for players who use fusion grenades.The Bump in the Night rocket launcheris the ideal pick forStarfire Warlocksespecially as it allows a perfect cycle of rockets and grenades while standing in a Rift or Well during a damage phase.
Destiny 2is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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