Destiny 2: Hunter Arcstrider Guide – Abilities, skill tree, Super, passives
A closer look at the Arcstrider subclass coming to Destiny 2.
Our Destiny 2 Hunter Arcstrider guide contains everything you need to know about the subclass, from skill trees to passive abilities and everything else besides.
Hunters in Destiny 2 excel at short to medium range combat, using their heightened agility and melee weapon skills to devastating effect. In the original Destiny, Hunter Bladedancers imbue their knives with Arc Light, which allows them to slash through enemies with devastating effect. For Destiny 2, the Bladedancer subclass has been reworked, taking on the name of Arcstrider and receiving even flashier close-quarters capabilities in the process.
We sliced and diced as the Arcstrider throughout much of our playtime in the beta. From our experience twirling about disintegrating enemies, we’ve brought together a comprehensive look at the the new subclass coming to Destiny 2.
It’s worth noting that this guide will undergo many revisions when the game finally launches in September, but for now you should find the following a pretty solid primer on how things are shaping up for the Arcstrider in Destiny 2. You can read up on the rest of the subclasses coming with the sequel in our Destiny 2 Subclass guide.
Editor’s note: UPDATE #7: We’ve added some helpful Super tips to the top of our page as it’s an essential part of playing the Arcstrider right in both PVE and PVP. We’ll continue updating this page with further strategy advice and information when it comes our way – stay tuned for more!
Destiny 2: Subclass guides
- 1. Titan Striker – Titan Striker guide
- 2. Titan Sentinel – Titan Sentinel guide
- 3. Titan Sunbreaker – Titan Sunbreaker guide
- 4. Hunter Gunslinger – Hunter Gunslinger guide
- 5. Hunter Arcstrider – Hunter Arcstrider Guide
- 6. Hunter Nightstalker – Hunter Nightstalker Guide
- 7. Warlock Dawnblade – Warlock Dawnblade guide
- 8. Warlock Voidwalker – Warlock Voidwalker guide
- 9. Warlock Stormcaller – Warlock Stormcaller guide
Essential advice for your Super
Activating the Arcstrider’s Super is one of the most inviting in the game, practically screaming at players to dive straight into battle and start swinging. We always get a little carried away and we’ve seen other players do the same. Start getting overzealous in a Nightfall or PVE and it’ll end in your demise. That’s why we’ve put together some quick tips to make sure you’re using it correctly in every situation.
- When using your Super, make sure you’re pressing [dodge] constantly instead of running headlong at enemies sa this will make you almost impossible to hit. You don’t actually gain any speed or armour boost in Super form, so this will be your main way of closing the gap between you and any enemies.
- Make sure you activate your Super before you enter battle and take your opponents by surprise. You’re surprisingly fragile when running about with your Arc Staff so get into a habit of treating your Super with care.
- Before popping your Super, ensure that you’ve assessed the situation and haven’t overzealously activated it in a wide open space. You’re unlikely to close down multiple enemies quick enough out in the open, while in an enclosed area you’ll easily disintegrate anyone who dares challenge you. Remember – you aren’t invincible.
Super Ability: Arc Staff
- Form a staff of pure Arc energy and acrobatically take out your foes. Binds to [L1 + R1].
Make sure you check out our Super guide for more tips and tricks on how to master the Hunter Arcstrider’s Arc Staff ability.
Super Ability: Combos
The combos below were detailed in a thread by redditor LevelAtWork.
The gifs below are taken from IGN‘s Firsts series on Destiny 2.
- [R1]: Basic Slash – A standard swipe attack.
- [R2]: Razor’s Edge – Sends an arc beam forwards after slashing an enemy.
- [R1+R2]: Whirlwind – Leap into the sky and take out enemies in mid-air.
- [R1+R1+R1]: Ground Pole Slam – Slam your staff into the ground at the end of this combo, causing a small AoE (Area of Effect) eruption.
- [R1 + R1 + R2]: Arc Palm Blast – Finish your combo by thrusting your hand out and blasting any foes ahead of you in a high damage cone of effect.
- (Mid-Air) [R2]: Aerial Ground Slam – Plummet from the sky and crash your staff into the earth. Deals a huge amount of AoE damage.
We’ve embedded a video below which takes you through each combo, so you can see them in action. It’s worth memorising them too, so when it comes to dominating in PVP or PVE, you’ll be at a distinct advantage knowing how to pull off all these fancy moves!
Way of the Warrior
These are passive class abilities.
- Combat Flow: Finishing off an enemy with a melee hit instantly recharges your dodge ability.
- Deadly Reach: Dodging increases your melee range, allowing you to lunge further to strike enemies.
- Lethal Current: After dodging, each Arc Staff hit creates a damaging lightning aftershock.
- Combination Blow: Kill an enemy with this melee ability to triger health regeneration and increase your melee damage temporarily.
Way of the Wind
An alternate set of passive class abilities.
- Disorienting Blow: Strike an enemy wih this melee ability to disorient the target and nearby enemies.
- Focused Breathing: Sprinting recharges your dodge ability. Increased maximum sprint speed.
- Combat Meditation: While critically wounded, melee and grenades recharge drastically faster.
- Lightning Reflexes: You are harder to kill while dodging.
Our most popular Destiny 2 guides:
- 1. Guide – Destiny 2 Guide
- 2. Crucible – Destiny 2 Crucible PVP guide
- 3. Beta – Destiny 2 Beta guide
- 4. Subclasses – Destiny 2 Subclass guide
- 5. Strikes – Destiny 2 Strike guides
Grenades
- Skip Grenade: A grenade that splits on impact, creating multiple projectiles that seek enemies.
- Flux Grenade: An explosive grenade which deals additional damage when attached to enemies.
- Arcbolt Grenade: A grenade that chains bolts of lightning to nearby enemies.
Dodges
Two types of dodge are tied to the Hunter class.
- Gambler’s Dodge: Dodging (double tapping circle) near enemies generates Melee energy.
- Marksman’s Dodge: Automatically reload your equipped weapon when Dodging.
Jumps
- High Jump: While airborne, jump a second time to reach greater heights.
- Strafe Jump: While airborne, jump a second time with strong directional control.
- Triple Jump: While airborne, sustain your air control with a second or third jump.
