Destiny 2 Prismatic subclass guide

What is Prismatic in Destiny 2? Prismatic is the brand-new subclass introduced with The Final Shape, the conclusion to the ten-year Light and Dark saga. Unlike previous subclasses, it’s not a whole new element. Instead, the key focus for Prismatic is on breaking down barriers between existing abilities, letting you combine them in new and exciting ways. It’s also introducing three new Supers, one per class, alongside a few new mechanics, including an “elemental decoupling” to allow previously disparate effects to interact.

One of Prismatic’s key new mechanics is Transcendence. As you deal Light or Dark damage, or debuff enemies, you’ll fill the relevant Light or Dark portion of the new Transcendence meter. Kinetic weapons fill both sides, albeit at a reduced rate, and once one side is full, it’ll fill the other faster. Once both sides are full, you can activate Transcendence. This state gives you some big bonuses to ability recharge rate, weapon damage, damage resistance, the ability to shatter Witness shields, and class-specific grenades that entwine both Light and Dark with new, explosive results. It’ll tie in with all the new exciting changes and content coming to Destiny 2 that you can read all about in our The Final Shape preview.

How to unlock Prismatic

In The Final Shape, you’ll unlock Prismatic during the campaign’s first mission. Once you’ve reached the first Prismatic Wellspring, you’ll unlock a starter build with a selection of fragments and aspects.

While your options are limited initially, you’ll gradually unlock more as you progress through the campaign to perfect your Prismatic build, or at least tinker to your heart’s content.

Prismatic aspects

When you first unlock Prismatic, you’ll have a starter selection of aspects, noted with an (s). Each class is getting a brand-new aspect, which we’ve noted with (n).

Titan

Knockout (s) – Critically wounding an enemy or breaking their shield infuses your melee with Arc energy for a short time. Defeating targets gives health regeneration and Amplifies you.
Consecration – Activate your charged melee ability while sliding to fire a wave of Solar energy forward, damaging and scorching enemies while you leap into the air. While airborne, activate it again to slam down and create a second larger Solar blast. If this hits a Scorched target, they ignite.
Unbreakable (n) – Lets you use your grenade to cast a Void shield, protecting you and allies from incoming damage by absorbing it. This damage can be released in a Void blast.
Diamond Lance (s) – Shatter or defeat enemies with Stasis abilities or weapons to create a lance. Throw it to freeze targets on impact, or slam it to the ground to freeze enemies in a small area.
Drengr’s Lash – Activating your class ability sends a Strand ripple forward along the ground, suspending and damaging enemies it hits.

Hunter

Ascension (n) – While airborne, activate your class ability to twirl upwards, Jolting and damaging enemies below while you and nearby allies become Amplified.
Gunpowder Gamble – Defeat targets with elemental abilities, debuffs, or weapons to charge up an improvised Solar explosive. When thrown, it can be shot in mid-air to cause an ignition.
Stylish Executioner (s) – Defeating a weakened, suppressed, or volatile target grants Invisibility and Truesight. After performing a Stylish Execution, your next melee attack while invisible weakens targets.
Winter’s Shroud (s) – Dodging slows nearby targets.
Threaded Spectre – Your class ability leaves behind a Strand decoy that draws the attention of nearby enemies. After taking significant damage or when enemies approach, it detonates, dealing damage and releasing Threadlings that seek out and attack nearby foes.

Warlock

Lightning Surge – Activate your charged melee while sliding to blink forward. Lightning strikes Jolt targets as you rematerialize.
Hellion (n) – Casting your Rift launches a Solar Soul at an enemy, Scorching and damaging them.
Feed the Void (s) – Defeating a target with Void abilities activates Devour. Devour effects are improved, restoring additional grenade energy and health.
Bleak Watcher (s) – Press and hold your grenade button to convert it to a Stasis turret that fires slowing projectiles at enemies in range.
Weaver’s Call – Casting your Rift weaves three Threadlings, and deploys any you have perched.

Prismatic fragments

With Prismatic, fragments are no longer unique to your class, and once you unlock one, it’s available for all your Guardians. We’ve highlighted the starter fragments for Prismatic with (s).

Facet of Awakening – Rapid elemental final blows and Super final blows generate an elemental pickup of the matching damage type. +10 Resilience
Facet of Balance – Rapidly defeating targets with Light damage grants melee energy, rapidly defeating targets with Dark damage grants grenade energy.
Facet of Bravery – Defeating targets with grenades grants Volatile Rounds to your Void weapons, defeating targets with powered melee final blows grants Unraveling Rounds to your Strand weapons.
Facet of Blessing – Melee final blows start health regeneration. While Transcendent, Melee final blows start health regeneration for you and nearby allies.
Facet of Command – Freezing or Suppressing a target reloads your equipped weapons and increases stability, aim assist, and airborne effectiveness. Defeating Frozen or Suppressed targets creates a Stasis Shard or Void Breach.
Facet of Courage – Your Light abilities deal increased damage to targets afflicted with Darkness debuffs. +10 Discipline
Facet of Dawn (s) – Powered melee hits against targets make you Radiant. Powered melee final blows make both you and nearby allies Radiant. -10 Strength
Facet of Defiance – Finishers create a detonation that either Jolts, Scorches, Slows, Severs, or makes targets Volatile, based on the damage type of your equipped Super.
Facet of Devotion – Defeating targets afflicted with a Darkness debuff grants bonus Light Transcendence energy. +10 Strength
Facet of Dominance – Your Void grenades Weaken, and Arc grenades Jolt targets.
Facet of Generosity – Defeating targets while Transcendent creates Orbs of Power for your allies.
Facet of Grace – Damaging targets with Kinetic weapons grants you bonus Transcendence energy. Defeating targets with your Super grants you and nearby allies bonus Transcendence energy. -10 Resilience
Facet of Honor – Collecting an elemental pickup or destroying a Tangle grants Transcendence energy of the same type. +10 Strength
Facet of Hope (s) – While you have an elemental buff, your class ability regenerates more quickly.
Facet of Isolation – Rapid precision hits emits a severing burst from the target. While Transcendent, this effect is amplified.
Facet of Justice – While Transcendent, your ability final blows explode. +10 Intellect
Facet of Mending – Grenade final blows Cure you. Transcendent grenade final blows increase the strength of this effect.
Facet of Protection (s) – While surrounded by enemies, you are more resistant to incoming damage. +10 Strength
Facet of Purpose (s) – Picking up an Orb of Power grants either Amplified, Restoration, Frost Armor, Woven Mail, or Overshield, based on the damage type of your equipped Super. -10 Recovery
Facet of Ruin (s) – Increases the size and damage of the burst when you shatter a Stasis Crystal or Frozen target. Increases the size of Solar Ignitions.
Facet of Sacrifice – While you have a Light buff, ability, final blows grant bonus Darkness Transcendence energy. +10 Discipline

Prismatic grenades

When you activate Transcendence, you’ll receive one of three Prismatic grenades depending on your class:

Hailfire Spike: the Hunter’s fusion of Stasis and Solar energy that first attaches to surfaces and slows all within it, before erupting into a scorching cyclone. This’ll stun Overload and Unstoppable champions.
Electrified Snare: Titans get a mix of Arc and Strand that not only suspends targets caught in the blast but deals heavy damage over time as well as chaining jolting lightning to nearby foes. This stuns both Overload and Unstoppable champions.
Freezing Singularity: Warlocks grab this Stasis/Void hybrid that deploys a miniature black hole orbited by a halo of slowing ice for a short duration. After that, the black hole implodes, suppressing and dealing heavy damage to all nearby targets. Chuck this and stun Overload champions.

For more information about all the new Exotics coming in The Final Shape – including class armor for the first time – we’ve got a handy The Final Shape Exotics round-up for you including their perks that’ll make your Prismatic buildcrafting even more fun. The Final Shape release date is June 4. with its first raid just three days later.