Summary
Destiny 2sits as one of the best looter-shooters on the market, and a big reason why is that players have plenty of gear to find and options to choose from in every activity. Of course, guns are a huge part of the gameplay loop, andDestiny 2’s Exotic weapons can be particularly interesting due to their unique and sometimes build-enabling perks, such as Ager’s Scepter for Stasis or Sunshot for Solar. WhileDestiny 2’s Raid and Dungeon Exoticscan be hit or miss and rarely key to a given build, a recent addition has skyrocketed to the very top of the meta - particularly for Strand subclasses and low-man PvE content, like Dungeons.
WhileDestiny 2’s endgame activities vary in difficulty and player numbers, most of them have some encounters that act as survivability or DPS checks, and dealing as much damage as possible in each boss phase or to targets like Champions can make the difference. When it comes toDestiny 2’s Strand subclasses, they can be great across the board at different roles, but one of the core conceits is that Grapple is one of the best abilities in the game thanks to its mobility and Grapple Melee. Enter The Navigator Exotic trace rifle, and now the endgame meta has some clear winners.
Destiny 2’s The Navigator Takes Strand Melee Builds to The Next Level
How The Navigator’s Exotic Catalyst Changes Strand Gameplay
Destiny 2’s Ghosts Of The Deep Dungeonwasn’t met with glaring opinions, and that’s mainly because of the exceedingly big health bar of the final boss, so that may be one of the reasons why The Navigator didn’t pick up in popularity from the get-go. Though its support functions are great, The Navigator is capable of incredible damage - not on its own, but rather thanks to its Exotic Catalyst. What the Catalyst does is allowDestiny 2players to create a Strand Grapple Tangle, which can have multiple uses.
True to its name, The Navigator potentially allows multiple players to Grapple to any place they want, but since Strand Grapple charges are refunded when grappling a Tangle, this can virtually be used infinite times to use an infinite number of Strand Grapple Melees. When used byDestiny 2’s Strand Titans, in particular, this Exotic can single-handedly allow players to melt all bosses, and it has been a highlight in speedruns of endgame content for a while now, including the more recent Warlord’s Ruin Dungeon. All classes can benefit from The Navigator, but Titans' focus on melee abilities gives them a massive edge, to the point that one can potentially solo bosses and other encounters with this type of build.
How Things May Change For The Navigator After The Final Shape and With Prismatic
Destiny 2’s The Navigatorwill most likely remain as is for the foreseeable future, as creating Grapple Tangles is part of its identity. However, there is a chance that seeing how out-of-this-world a Strand Titan’s DPS can be when using a single Navigator Grapple Tangle, the ability to have one’s grenade charge refunded upon using Strand Grapples on existing Tangles may be nerfed in The Final Shape or future releases. Melee Titan builds have time and again caused similar issues in the past due to how much they can scale, and The Navigator takes this to the next level.
Still, for the time being, Strand melee builds inDestiny 2can greatly benefit from The Navigator to spam Grapple Melees - be it for DPS or clearing adds. With the saga-ending expansion coming in just two months, it will be interesting to see if and how The Navigator will impactDestiny 2’s Prismatic subclasses in The Final Shape, considering Strand abilities will still be available across the board, albeit with limited access.
Destiny 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Dive into the world of Destiny 2 to explore the mysteries of the solar system and experience responsive first-person shooter combat. Unlock powerful elemental abilities and collect unique gear to customize your Guardian’s look and playstyle. Enjoy Destiny 2’s cinematic story, challenging co-op missions, and a variety of PvP modes alone or with friends. Download for free today and write your legend in the stars.An Immersive StoryYou are a Guardian, defender of the Last City of humanity in a solar system under siege by infamous villains. Look to the stars and stand against the darkness. Your legend begins now.Guardian ClassesChoose from the armored Titan, mystic Warlock, or swift Hunter.
