Is Stasis Still Good in Destiny 2 in 2023? An Expert’s Deep Dive
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Yes, Stasis remains a viable and potent subclass in Destiny 2 in 2023, although its position within the meta has shifted considerably. While it may not be the absolute top-tier choice for every situation, Stasis still offers unparalleled crowd control capabilities due to its freezing and slowing effects. Its effectiveness largely depends on the player’s build, chosen class, and the specific activity they’re undertaking. Post-Lightfall, various adjustments have influenced its standing, with some classes and builds shining brighter than others. For example, Stasis Warlocks remain a strong choice for PvE, excelling in ad control, survivability, and utility. However, Stasis Hunter is considered the weakest subclass in the game due to lack of good exotics, weak aspects and other contributing factors.
Stasis’s Place in the Current Meta
The Light 3.0 subclasses (Solar, Arc, and Void), with their improved customization and synergy, initially overshadowed Stasis. Furthermore, the introduction of Strand provided a new, powerful alternative. However, Stasis has found its niche, particularly in activities where controlling the battlefield is paramount.
The key strengths of Stasis lie in its ability to:
- Freeze combatants: Completely halting enemy movement and actions.
- Slow enemies: Significantly reducing enemy movement speed and firing rate.
- Shatter crystals: Creating bursts of damage and further crowd control.
These strengths translate into effective strategies for:
- High-difficulty PvE: Grandmaster Nightfalls and Master Raids, where controlling enemy flow is crucial.
- PvP: While heavily nerfed, Stasis can still disrupt enemy teams and create tactical advantages.
- Champion stunning: Stasis weapons can easily stun Unstoppable Champions.
Class-Specific Stasis Performance
Each class wields Stasis differently, influencing its overall effectiveness:
- Warlock (Shadebinder): Considered one of the best Stasis classes, especially for PvE. The Bleak Watcher turret is a standout aspect, providing constant freezing and slowing. Combined with the right fragments and exotics, Warlocks can become formidable crowd control specialists. They are powerful enough to be able to run this in endgame PVE content.
- Titan (Behemoth): Relies on creating and shattering Stasis crystals for both offense and defense. While not as dominant as Shadebinder, Behemoth can excel at clearing groups of enemies and providing area denial. They have great ability uptime and excel at breaking stasis crystals.
- Hunter (Revenant): The weakest Stasis subclass, the community believes. But still can be effective. Revenant focuses on mobility and precision freezing. While challenging to master, Revenant can be effective in PvP and niche PvE situations with the right build.
Build Considerations
The success of Stasis hinges on crafting effective builds that maximize its potential. Key elements include:
- Aspects: These define the core playstyle of each Stasis subclass.
- Fragments: These provide stat boosts and enhance Stasis abilities. Whisper of Shards and Hedrons are good for synergizing the subclass abilities.
- Exotic armor: Certain exotics synergize exceptionally well with Stasis, amplifying its effects (e.g., Renewal Grasps for Hunters, Eye of Another World for Warlocks).
- Stasis weapons: Weapons like Ager’s Scepter, Riptide, and Krait can freeze and slow enemies, creating powerful synergies with Stasis abilities.
- Mods: Armor mods can further enhance ability cooldowns and provide defensive benefits.
Stasis Weapons: A Chilling Arsenal
Stasis weapons play a crucial role in enabling Stasis builds. They can slow, freeze, and shatter enemies, complementing the subclass abilities. Some top Stasis weapons include:
- Ager’s Scepter: A powerful exotic trace rifle that freezes enemies.
- Riptide: A fusion rifle that can roll with Chill Clip, making it excellent for freezing targets.
- Krait: A versatile auto rifle with good range and stability.
- Deliverance: a fusion rifle.
- Eyestein-D: A pulse rifle that freezes targets.
- Syncopation-53: A pulse rifle that provides crowd control mechanics with its freezing powers.
- Aurvandil FR6: A rapid fire frame fusion rifle.
Final Verdict
Stasis is still a good choice in Destiny 2 for 2023, excelling in crowd control and offering unique tactical options. While the Light 3.0 subclasses and Strand have raised the power ceiling, Stasis remains a viable and rewarding choice, especially with optimized builds and in specific activities. The class you choose will have a great impact on your gameplay. Don’t dismiss the power of the freeze!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Stasis still time-gated in Destiny 2?
No, Stasis is no longer time-gated. All Stasis abilities, grenades, fragments, and aspects can be purchased with glimmer, eliminating the previous restrictions.
2. Is Stasis locked behind the Beyond Light DLC?
Yes, accessing the Stasis subclass requires owning the Beyond Light DLC. While some aspects of Beyond Light may be tied to Lightfall due to Nightfall strike requirements, the core Stasis subclass is unlocked through the Beyond Light campaign.
3. Is Stasis worth the grind in Destiny 2?
The Stasis subclass can be difficult, however, it is worth it. The unique crowd control abilities and tactical options make it a valuable addition to any player’s arsenal.
4. Is Stasis worth it for Warlocks?
Yes, Stasis is particularly strong for Warlocks. Shadebinders excel in PvE due to their ad control, survivability, and utility. It’s a great choice for end-game content, offering a unique alternative to Solar 3.0’s power.
5. Is Stasis better than Kinetic?
Stasis weapons no longer benefit from the 5% damage buff that they had prior to Lightfall. Kinetic primary weapons now have a 10% damage multiplier against unshielded targets, making them more desirable in many situations.
6. Does Stasis do more damage than other elements?
Previously, Kinetic and Stasis weapons did 5% more damage to unshielded combatants. Now Kinetic primary weapons do 10% more damage to unshielded targets, while Kinetic special weapons do 15%. Stasis’s damage comes more from shattering crystals and freezing enemies than from the weapons themselves.
7. What is the best Stasis weapon in Destiny 2?
The best Stasis weapon depends on the player’s playstyle and the activity. Ager’s Scepter, Riptide, and Krait are all excellent choices.
8. Do Stasis weapons slow or freeze enemies?
Yes, Stasis weapons can slow and freeze enemies. They are a crucial part of Stasis builds.
9. What is the best endgame class in Destiny 2 for PvE?
While opinions vary, Dawnblade (Solar Warlock) is often considered one of the best endgame PvE classes due to its healing and damage output. However, Stasis Warlock remains a viable choice for crowd control and support.
10. What Exotic armor works well with Stasis?
Several Exotic armor pieces synergize well with Stasis:
- Renewal Grasps (Hunter): Enhances Duskfield Grenades.
- Eye Of Another World (Warlock): Improves ability regeneration.
- Ballidorse Wrathweavers (Warlock): Buffs Stasis super.
- Cadmus Ridge Lancecap (Titan): Improves Stasis crystal creation.
11. What is the strongest Warlock Super?
Well of Radiance (Solar) is generally considered the strongest Warlock Super due to its healing and damage buffing capabilities. However, Winter’s Wrath (Stasis) can be effective for crowd control in certain situations.
12. Can Stasis freeze Guardians in PvP?
Yes, Stasis can freeze Guardians in PvP. However, the duration of the freeze is shorter than in PvE.
13. What is the most powerful class in Destiny 2 for PvE?
All three classes are strong in PvE. Warlock’s are generally the strongest in PVE. Hunters are considered to have the highest skill ceiling for endgame PvE.
14. Does Stasis work on bosses?
Yes, Stasis can affect bosses, but they break out of it quickly. It is more effective for crowd control against weaker enemies.
15. How has Stasis changed since Lightfall?
Since Lightfall, Stasis has seen a reduction in weapon damage bonuses, with Kinetic weapons now providing higher damage against unshielded targets. While still effective for crowd control, Stasis requires more strategic build crafting to remain competitive in high-level content. The nerfs of Stasis have made players think twice about the subclass.
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