The Perks of Being a Sunbreaker
Introduction
Now, I know what you're thinking....”Oh god, a Sunbreaker guide? They're the worst Titan subclass in the game! They nerfed the hell outta them right?!” Well...now...gimme a few minutes here to plead my case. I'm certain that by the end of it, you'll be itching to master the class yourself. So, slip back into that arm chair...or toilet...and read up on what I gotta say here... 'cause I promise, its going to be worth it.
Now, lets get started by getting some things out of the way first. I dont go over every grenade because I personally believe Thermite to be the best option for this kind of playstle. I dont go over the jumps because, well, lol. And I simply dont do too much math because lets face it, math sucks. Not really, I suck, but thats a hard pill to swallow so lets just keep it moving along here. Basically, below is going to be a little intro into the Sunbreaker Fire Forged Tree with some subtle hints on how to play and what to play with. I will go into little detail about actual numbers, but im going to let a super good guy by the name of The Bugler tell you all about that in detail, with his own wide array of excellent D2 video Guides. Along the way im going to have various links such as boss fights and other visual aid, not to mention a little more write up on how to maximize gameplay as this sort of Breaker. So lets get started...
“The best defense is a good offense”
Code of the Fire-Forged
Tempered Metal – Solar ability kills grant you and nearby allies bonus movement and reload speed,. Lasts 15 seconds, can reapply the time with additional solar ability kills and can stack your buff speed, up to 3x. Once good, you can have nearly zero downtime on your (TM) buff. The movement speed works in the same way as Mobility, therefore, youre base jump is whats going to be effected most.
How Tempered Metal Effects a slow reloading HC like the True Prophecy
Without Tempered Metal Buff
With Tempered Metal Buff
With Tempered Metal x2 Buff
With Tempered Metal x3 Buff
- Hammer Strike – While sprinting, use this Melee Ability to swing a blazing hammer that weakens enemies. Debuffs enemy for 6 seconds, increasing damage dealt from ALL sources. This talent is pivotal to you and your allies DPS capabilities.
Example of Hammer Strike buff on a Vex Minotaur HVT, using a Wardcliff Coil
Explosive Pyre – Enemies killed by Hammer of Sol explode. Realistically, you are rarely using your Super with this build. But I have also learned that many Boss like enemies will have trash mobs around them frequently, therefore both this and Vulcans' Rage are quite useful in that aspect.
- Vulcan's Rage – Hammers shatter into explosive molten embers on impact. As mentioned before, this finds its usefulness during the boss fight. But besides helping take out nearby trashies, it also makes your Hammers have cluster bombs thats simmer into molten embers. So you can find that these clusters actually do help out, especially with the Hammer Strike(HS)debuff active granting essentially much more damage potential than that of a Seigebreaker Sunbreaker.
Example of both Pyre and Rage on 2 Ultras during a HPE on Titan
- Thermite Grenade – A grenade that sends forward a burning line of fire. Very much essential to this build. Much wider than it looks, you can actually be 3-4 kills with every single grenade you throw, rather easily. Very long in distance, quite wide as well. Pulses and does decent damage. Will kill most things in a single pulse though. Try and throw it in front of the enemies you are looking to kill.
Example of Multikill with Thermite(throw nade in front of group)
Example of Hammer Strike buffing Thermite Nade
“The fire burned within us. Not by choice, not because we sought the flame. But because there was no other way”
Gear/Mods/Stats
Hallowfire Heart– Greatly improves the recharge rate of your Solar abilities while Hammer of Sol is charged. This Exotic Armor is essential to this build. It more than halves your cooldown times on abilities. *Does not effect Barricade
with Hallowfire Heart on;
Solar Ability C/Ds with Full Super
-Hammer Strike; 24 seconds
-Thermite Grenade; 24 seconds
-Barricade; 36 seconds
Solar Ability C/Ds without Full Super
-Hammer Strike; 1 minute 8 seconds
-Thermite Grenade; 1 minute 13 seconds
-Barricade; 36 seconds
*Mod setup I use is down below.
*SIDE NOTE: Hallowfire is basically our only Exotic armor as of right now, but its also the only one we really need. We rely heavily on the increased recharge rate so that we can keep out Tempered Metal Buff up, and have Hammer Strike active when we need it. Some people see holding your super as a bad thing, but in all honesty, the ONLY time you are going to need your super is for actual Bosses.
Its also good to note that some people find it easier to use an Exotic such as the Mask of the Quite One until Super is fully charged, and then switching to the Hallowfire Heart. I find that I dont normally have toruble getting my super quickly, so its not something I do, but if you find yourself using the Coil glitch, I say why not? You're already in and out of your Inventory anyway.
Mods
Helm: Solar Grenade
Gauntlets: Kinetic Reload
Chest Armor: Solar Melee
Leg Armor: Solar Melee
Titan Mark: Power/Kinetic Reload
SIDE NOTE: Its wise to have a separate set for both PvE and PvP. With your Power Reload Mod on your mark, you can typically get of 2 rockets before Hammer Strike debuff wears off the enemy. Once you get good at keeping up your Tempered Metal buff, Kinetic reload speed will be trivial.
Stats
Stats, as of right now, dont really have a huge play in performance. I do prefer to have more Recovery, rather than Resistance or Mobility. The quicker you're back in combat, the better. So try and have a larger supply of Recovery if you can.
Further below will be the video that im sure most of us have seen, but directly explains each Stat and has amazing visual aid as well. It will be included in the Special Thanks, Section of the Guide, along with many other insightful videos. So be sure to watch them all for more info on Stats and other things!
My personal Stats are as follows;
3-Mobility/3-Resilience/7-Recovery
Kinetic/Energy Weapons
Since playing a Sunbreaker can be more of an aggressive playstyle, I tend to stick to Handcannons and SMGs, with a touch of Rocket Launchers or Swords on the power side of things. This gives me mid-long range with Explosive Payload in weapons like Sunshot or Better Devils, and keeps close quarters on lock with a Hero's or Royal – an SMG. Below are some weapons I have personally found to be good for this kind of gameplay.
Better Devils: 13 Rounds, Explosive Payload, Decent Reload http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/1048266744-better-devils
True Prophecy: 11 Rounds, Timed Payload, Slow Reload, High Impact http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/408440598-true-prophecy
Sunshot(Exotic Energy HC): 8 Rounds, Explosive Payload/Firefly Combo, Good Reload http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/2907129557-sunshot
Hero's Burden: 900 RPM, HiCal Rounds, Adaptive Frame, Threat Detector http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/2909905776-the-heros-burdenRoyal
- Dispensation II: 900 RPM, HiCal Rounds, Adaptive Frame, Grave Robber http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/3889907763-royal-dispensation-ii
Antiope-D: Kinetic 600 RPM SMG, Kill Clip, Precision Frame, Longer Range http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/566976653-antiope-d
Escape Velocity: Kinetic 900 RPM, Lightweight Frame, HiCal Rounds, Grave Robber. <3 http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/1459443448-escape-velocity
Strum(Exotic Kinetic HC) High Impact, 12 Rounds, REFILLS ENERGY AMMO. http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/2907129556-sturm
The Old Fashioned: Adaptive Frame, 9 Rounds, Kill Clip. Works great with your quick reloads. http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/1706536806-the-old-fashioned
Out of Options 600 RPM Edition: Lightweight Frame, Harder Hitting SMG http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/2700862858-out-of-options
- Older Sister II Energy HC: Adaptive Frame, AP Rounds, Ambitious Assassin http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/2693941407-older-sister-iii
Example of a Royal Dispensation II(SMG) buffed by Hammer Strike on an HVT Vandal
Example of an Hero's Burden(SMG) and True Prophecy(HC) buffed by Hammer Strike on a HVT Servitor
Its also worth mentioning that certain Auto's do work good as well, I just find them less effective in my sort of playstyle. But you might be different. Just use what you have play around with the loot pool!
*SIDE NOTE: I couldn’t tell you which is most effective to use, an HC or SMG after a singe Hammer Strike. But I can tell you that nothing beats watching those numbers pop up and seeing that HP Bar melt. Play around with what you have. Hammer Strikes makes nearly anything viable.
Power Weapons
Wardcliff Coil(Exotic RL): Absolute in High DMG/DPS. Can 1 Shot things with Hammer Strike that normally takes multiple Coils, or up to 3 rockets. Its silly.
http://db.destinytracker.com/d2/en/items/1508896098-the-wardcliff-coil
Example of a Wardcliff Coil + Hammer Strike Vs 2 HVT Servitors
- Curtain Call: Vanguard RL, Cluster Bombs. Big Damage.
Example of the Curtain Call + Hammer Strike Vs Taken Ultra
- Crownsplitter: Titan Class Specific Sword, Aggressive Frame, Tireless Blade
It Stared Back: Raid Sword, Whirlwind Strikes, Relentless Strikes.
Example of a Whirlwind Blade Sword + Hammer Strike Vs HPE Mid-Boss
*Swords with En Garde and Whirlwind Strikes are both good. This allows you to stack these DMG Buffs on top of your Hammer Strike DMG Buff. You can typically get 3-4 swings off with an Upper-Cut style sword, and 3 with a Crownsplitters Heavy Smash.
- The Prospector(Exotic Grenade Launcher): 8 Rounds, Very quick Fire Rate, High DMG w/ Hammer Strike
Example of The Prospector buffed by Hammer Strike on an HVT Servitor
- Play of the Game: 6 Rounds, Proximity Grenades, Threat Detector
- Erentil FR4: Highest Impact Fusion Rifle, 5 Rounds, Under Pressure
Example of High Impact Fusion Rifle Buffed by Hammer Strike(IB FUSION)
- Hawthornes Field Forged Shotgun: Very Quick Fire Rate, Full Auto, Lightweight Frame, 7 Rounds
Example of Hawthorns Shotty buffed by Hammer Strike Vs HVT Fall Captain
- Unification VII Shotgun: Slug Rounds, Long Range, High Impact, Full Auto. Dont sleep on this one.
- Blue Shift: High Impact Rocket Launcher with increased Ammo reserve.
*SIDE NOTE: The great thing about Hammer Strike is that it allows you to play around with Power Weapons. Hammer Strikes DMG buff makes nearly any shotgun good, any Grenade Launcher good(if you have the aim), but tbh, it makes anything pretty decent. Play around with weapons, but Hammer Strike makes Sunbreaker a great Viable “Leveling Up” Build as mentioned before.
“Of all the Lights, we burned the brightest”
Getting Started
Playing a Sunbreaker isn’t easy. There is going to be a slight learning curve and core adjustments to your gameplay in order to maximize your capabilities. Well, for most people atleast. But we will discuss all that further down in the “Secrets in Maximizing”.
For now, lets start with the basics. I compiled a little list of things that, sure, are always good to know. But when dealing with Ally-wide buffs such as Tempered Metal, and enemy debuffs like Hammer Strike...its near essential to work on all these things, all the time. Plan ahead, always.
Situational Precognition; The ability to know exactly what you are doing, and what you are about to do..at the same time, at all times. You are basically Nostradamus'ing the shit out of the game here, and its not easy to do. But keep at it.
This is an extension of #1. Make a Checklist in your head of each section of whatever content you are running. Have Priority Targets, Spawn Locations and Objectives in mind at all times. This will help with knowing when and where to throw Thermites as well as when and where to use Hammer Strike. You will eventually form a kind of memory to each strike, mission or event, reducing the time it takes to actually think of all this. Again, this is a MUST KNOW if you want to be as effective as possible. You never want to be in a situation where you decided to use Hammer Strike to re apply Tempered Metal, when you could have used it on a Yellow Bar/Ultra or vice versa. you never wanna use a Thermite on 2 enemies, when there's 5-6 or more just a few moments after.
2. Stay Active; Keep moving. Use your vertical space to traverse the map, and the use cover given to you to get from Point A to Point B without drawing too much fire from enemies.
Aerial combat is essential to being as efficient and as effective as possible. Another reason I use Handcannons and SMGs is because the accuracy at which they can be fired in the air. You can jump around and hip fire and finish enemies off with a single melee most of the time...or you can just zoom around 1HKO'ing things and never feel out of the play with quick reloads.
3. Ally Awareness; This is the last one, because its least important. Well, sorta. You are going to be a force to be reckoned with no matter what, but if you manage to have the awareness to toss a grenade when close to an ally, or Hammer Strike them when an Ally makes eye content and ADS. They will be even happier than you are. Sunbreaker is flat out KEY to speed running content imo. If you really want to maximize your speed run time, having this dude is a must. 2 Imo is for maximum DPS output in the shortest amount of time. This would give your team 10 seconds of increased damage.
Down below are a few Strike boss fights where we utilize 2 Hammer Strikes. Keep in mind my teammate is my girlfriend, bless her heart. These are not pre made groups trying to train wreck content, I'll leave that up to you guys.
(2) Sunbreakers and a Voidwalker Destroy Bracus Zahn(Arms Dealer Strike) in 30 seconds!
(3) Sunbreakers Take on Grask(Lake of Shadows Strike Boss)
(2) Sunbreakers and Protheon, less than a minute!
(2) Sunbreakers Sing Songs to Savathun's Own damn Song for 3 minutes straight.
(2) Sunbreakers and a GG Put down on Brakion, The Genesis Mind in 1 minute!
“If our flame should one day flicker and die, should it be to set your history ablaze.”
Secrets in Maximizing
Maximizing your gameplay can be done in many different ways. There are a few thing small things I have learned over the course of playing a Fire Forged Sunbreaker that might be of interest to you once you get the basics down.
Killing Exploder Shanks and getting a double or multikill with the explosion, will result in a Team wide Tempered Metal Buff. Cabal with the tanks on their back is the same way. Keep this in mind when that Timer's getting low.
Example of proc'ing Tempered Metal by killing Cabal Exploder
This was patched in Curse of Osiris
- During the 2nd phase of the Pyramidion Strike, Protheons slams can be negated by a Towering Barricade, set up on the side of the inner circle that Protheon stands on. An entire fireteam can hide behind this and shoot him, and you are off the floor away from the “lava DoT”.
Example of using the Tower Barricade to negate Protheons "Slam" Effect
- Bracus Zahn(Arms Dealer Strike Boss) can be delayed by getting near him. He will slam the ground and put a Solar DoT on the floor, much like the Shield Brother in D1. He can push you back into walls, killing you. So be mindful of your surroundings and try to only get near him when you have an open map behind you.
You can see an Example of this in the Bracus Zahn Video Clip up above(Youtube Video)
Thermite Grenades can be tossed “inside” of the Savathuns Song Boss, acting similarly to a Pulse grenade. Can be quite effective with Hammer Strike active.
You can see an example of this in my Svathuns Song Boss Kill video.
Use your knowledge of the content you are running to extend your Tempered Metal Buff, at times giving 80-100% uptime once mastered. Below is a video of me casually running a Lost Sector in the EDZ. Once I start the buff, it doesn't drop. You can see that its not really difficult at all to do, and plays well with the playstyle as it keeps your moving and in the air, punching things.
Thanks And Credits
Click down below for incredible visual aid and help understanding Stats in Destiny 2. Thanks to Fallout Plays for the amazing content.
Fallout Plays Youtube Video on Stats
Another amazingly informative Youtube Creator by the name of The Bugler. He has these amazing guides on every single Subclass and most the gear you'd ever wanna use. For more in depth info on Hammer Strike, Tempered Metal buff and the Sunbreaker subclass, check him out! Big Thanks to him for making it a little easier for us to understand it all.
The Bugler's Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv8KScoThRCIW1q5wEmXsXw
Down Below are some Quick Click Videos I suggest taking a Peak at!
Complete Breakdown of the Fire Forged Subclass is getting a makeover really soon, if not has already. There's some slight problems with numbers but its nothing that makes the class less viable. Watch it!
Also, here's a link to my Youtube channel as well. For now, its got basically every single strike boss getting wrecked in devastating ways. Also once I have finished moving(the reason content is running slow and these other guides are taking a while is that im currently moving to another nearby city) I will get back into the grind of things. I also plan on getting Mic'd up soon aftrer that as well so expect to hear me explain all this nonsense to you personally. Thanks!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPssJmgI4F5z-sTNWqJdtQg
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