Destiny 2: Top Hunter Builds for PvE and PvP (Season 21)

Season of the Deep is in full swing, and Destiny 2 players are eagerly searching for new builds following changes to a wide range of Exotics. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with the best Hunter builds for both PvE and PvP.

Season 21 brought significant reworks to many Exotic Armor pieces, including fan favorites like ST0MP-EE5 facing nerfs and underappreciated Exotics like Oathkeeper and Sealed Ahamkara Grasps receiving noticeable buffs.

With all these changes, it can be challenging to keep up with the current meta. To help out Hunter players, we’ve put together a couple of build recommendations: a powerful DPS-oriented build for PvE and a defensive yet potent build for PvP.

Here are our favorite Hunter builds in Destiny 2, ready to dominate everything from Grandmaster Nightfalls to the Crucible.

Contents:

PvE Build

• Hunter PvE Lucky Pants Strand build
• Hunter PvE abilities, Aspects, & Fragments
• Hunter PvE Weapons & Exotic
• Hunter PvE Armor Mods
• Hunter PvE Stat Priority
• Hunter PvE Build Gameplay Loop

PvP Build

• Best Hunter PvP FR0ST-EE5 Strand build
• Hunter PvP abilities, Aspects, & Fragments
• Hunter PvP Weapons & Exotic
• Hunter PvP Armor Mods
• Hunter PvP Stat Priority
• Hunter PvP Build Gameplay Loop

Hunter PvE Lucky Pants Strand build

The Lucky Pants build is nothing new, but recent seasons have introduced two significant additions that make this incredible DPS loadout one of the best all-rounders in Destiny 2. The first addition is the Strand subclass, and the second is the shiny new catalyst for Malfeasance.

Thanks to these changes, gunslinging has become more versatile than ever. Not only can you melt anything in your path, but you can also assist your team in dealing with champions and slaying even the most formidable bosses.

Hunter PvE abilities, Aspects, & Fragments

Abilities:

• Super: Silkstrike
• Class Ability: Gambler’s Dodge
• Movement: Triple Jump
• Melee: Threaded Spike
• Grenade: Shackle Grenade

Aspects:

• Widow’s Silk: You have an additional grenade charge. Your grappling Hook creates a Grapple Tangle at the grapple point.
• Ensnaring Slam: Activate your air move to consume your Class Ability energy and dive to the ground, suspending all nearby targets on impact. Using this ability extends Class Ability cooldown time.

Fragments:

• Thread of Generation: Dealing damage generates grenade energy. (-10 Discipline)
• Thread of Isolation: Landing rapid precision hits emits a severing burst from the target.
• Thread of Mind: Defeating suspended targets grants Class Ability energy.
• Thread of Warding: Picking up an Orb of Power grants Woven Mail. (-10 Resilience)

Hunter PvE Weapons & Exotic

Kinetic: Malfeasance is the centerpiece of this build. It’s an excellent Exotic Hand Cannon that deals exceptional damage, stuns Unstoppable Champions, and has a 180 RPM fire rate, perfect for Lucky Pants. As a Legendary alternative, consider using the Seventh Seraph Officer Revolver with Reconstruction and Vorpal.

Energy: This slot is flexible, but some strong options include a Wave Frame Grenade launcher (Forbearance, Harsh Language), SMG (Funnelweb, IKELOS SMG), Glaive (The Enigma, Nezarec’s Whisper), or any other meta Energy weapon (Acasia’s Dejection, Iterative Loop, Nessa’s Oblation, etc.)

Heavy: A Rocket Launcher with Auto-Loading Holster pairs well with Lucky Pants. Shoot, switch to your Hand Cannon, deal damage, then switch back to the reloaded launcher for another shot once Lucky Pants goes on cooldown. The best options are Hothead, Palmyra-B, and Bump in the Night.

Hunter PvE Armor Mods

Helmet:

• +10 Stat Mod of choice (3-4)
• Kinetic Siphon (2)
• Siphon Mod that matches Special/Heavy weapon’s element (1-3)
• Hands-On (1, requires S21 Authorized Mods: Melee Artifact Perk)

Arms:

• +10 Stat Mod of choice (3-4)
• Kinetic Loader (3)
• Grenade Kickstart (3)

Chest:

• +10 Stat Mod of choice (3-4)
• Arc Resistance (2)
• Solar Resistance (2)
• Void Resistance (2)

Legs:

• +10 Stat Mod of choice (3-4)
• Absolution (3)
• Recuperation (1)
• Innervation (1)

Note: In easier content, Kinetic Weapon Surge (3) is optimal to maximize damage at the cost of survivability & utility.

Class Item:

• +10 Stat Mod of choice (3-4)
• Reaper (3)
• Outreach (1)
• Bomber (1)

Note: If using Kinetic Weapon Surge, Time Dilation (3) is preferred to Reaper (3) as it makes it easier to upkeep Weapon Surge damage bonus.

Hunter PvE Stat Priority

In this build, Discipline and Resilience are the most important stats to prioritize. Discipline is extremely crucial as the Shackle Grenade is central to this entire build. Having high Resilience is also beneficial, providing extra tankiness.

Both Recovery and Mobility are useful stats but not worth going out of the way for. Gambler’s Dodge isn’t particularly important here, as it’s more of a convenience than a necessity. Recovery, on the other hand, is situational and less impactful than using cover.

Hunter PvE Build Gameplay Loop

Lucky Pants revolve around a buff called ‘Illegally Modded Holster,’ which triggers every time you switch to a fully reloaded Hand Cannon. This buff increases Hand Cannon damage by 60% for every shot landed, lasting for up to 5.5 seconds. After the buff expires, Lucky Pants go on a 10-second cooldown.

To take full advantage of Lucky Pants, follow this rotation:

1. Start by firing a Rocket Launcher at a boss or group of enemies.
2. Immediately switch to Malfeasance and fire as many shots as possible, dealing massively increased damage thanks to Illegally Modded Holster.
3. Empty the Malfeasance’s magazine, reload, and continue dealing damage with either your Energy or Heavy weapon.
4. Once the ten-second cooldown of Lucky Pants has passed, repeat the rotation.

In addition to the DPS rotation, here are some additional tips to maximize this build in PvE:

• The Shackle Grenade is an incredible ability that can stun Champions, clear ads, and buy time.
• Use an Air Move to shackle enemies in a wide radius at the cost of Class Ability energy. When combined with the Shackle Grenade, you can stun a room full of enemies in seconds.
• Orbs of Power grant Woven Mail, a top-tier defensive buff that provides 72% damage reduction at 100 Resilience.
• Activating Silkstrike also provides Woven Mail. This Super should mainly be used to survive tough situations and pull off clutch revives rather than dealing damage. However, its alternate attack is excellent for dealing wide area of effect damage.

Best Hunter PvP FR0ST-EE5 Strand build

For the longest time, ST0MP-EE5 was the go-to Exotic for Hunter PvP builds. However, it received a hard nerf in Season 21, leaving it in an underwhelming state. Now, Hunter mains need to seek out an alternative Exotic to fulfill its role.

FR0ST-EE5, often referred to as “Frosties,” is a fantastic option. It boosts the regeneration of all your abilities while sprinting. Given the fast-paced and constantly moving nature of Crucible matches, FR0ST-EE5 is a natural fit for PvP.

Hunter PvP Abilities, Aspects, & Fragments

Abilities:

• Super: Silkstrike
• Class Ability: Marksman’s Dodge
• Movement: Triple Jump
• Melee: Threaded Spike
• Grenade: Shackle Grenade

Aspects:

• Threaded Specter: Activating Class Ability deploys a decoy that draws the attention of nearby combatants. After taking damage or when a combatant approaches, the decoy detonates, dealing damage and releasing Threadlings that seek out and attack nearby foes.
• Widow’s Silk: You have an additional grenade charge. Your grappling Hook creates a Grapple Tangle at the grapple point.

Fragments:

• Thread of Ascent: Activating your Grenade ability reloads your equipped weapon and grants bonus Airborne Effectiveness and handling for a short duration. (+10 Mobility)
• Thread of Evolution: Threadlings travel farther and deal additional damage. (+10 Intellect)
• Thread of Finality: Finisher final blows create Threadlings. (+10 Recovery)
• Thread of Binding: Super final blows emit a suspending burst from the target. (+10 Resilience)

Hunter PvP Weapons & Exotic

Kinetic: For the Kinetic slot, choose a close-range gun like an SMG or Shotgun. Top-tier options include The Immortal, Fractethyst, and Imperial Decree. Alternatively, for maps with long sight lines, consider using a strong sniper like Bite of the Fox, Defiance of Yasmin, or The Supremacy.

Energy: Graviton Lance is a must-have in any PvP build. This Exotic Pulse Rifle offers a fantastic Time-to-Kill (TTK) and is incredibly user-friendly. Other great alternatives include IKELOS_SMG_V1.0.3, Matador 64, Cloudstrike, Beloved, and Iterative Loop.

Heavy: While heavy isn’t as important in PvP, having a strong option is nice when the opportunity arises. Opt for a Machine Gun or Heavy Grenade Launcher for raw killing potential. For utility, The Other Half with Eagar Edge is excellent for corner peaking in third-person and quick maneuvering.

Hunter PvP Armor Mods

Helmet:

• +10 Stat Mod of choice (3-4)
• Kinetic Targeting (3)
• Void Targeting (3)

Arms:

• +10 Stat Mod of choice (3-4)
• Kinetic Dexterity (3)
• Void Dexterity (3)
• Fastball (1)

Note: Drop Fastball if using a General Armor Mod that requires four energy.

Chest:

• +10 Stat Mod of choice (3-4)
• Unflinching Kinetic Aim (3)
• Unflinching Void Aim (3)

Legs:

• +10 Stat Mod of choice (3-4)
• Insulation (1)
• Recuperation (1)
• Kinetic Holster (1)

Class Item:

• +10 Stat Mod of choice (3-4)
• Utility Kickstart – x2 (6)
• Bomber (1)

Note: Drop Bomber if using a General Armor Mod that requires four energy.

Hunter PvP Stat Priority

In this build, the most important stats to prioritize are Mobility, Recovery, and Discipline. Mobility ensures Gambler’s Dodge is available as often as possible, which is key for this build. Recovery helps you heal faster between gunfights, and Discipline keeps Shackle Grenade off cooldown.

Both Resilience and Intellect are useful but should only be considered after optimizing the main three stats. Strength has the lowest value, as Threaded Spike is a weak ability in PvP with limited use.

Hunter PvP Build Gameplay Loop

Compared to other subclasses often paired with FR0ST-EE5, this build has a relatively defensive playstyle. It revolves around Marksman’s Dodge triggering the Threaded Specter Aspect.

When activated, Threaded Specter deploys a decoy that damages anyone who gets close. It’s excellent for disengaging, as you can turn a corner, place a decoy, and punish aggressive players who run into it.

An additional benefit of Threaded Specter is that the decoy releases Threadlings on detonation. The decoy can get kills, and the Threadlings can chain additional kills. You can manually trigger this by destroying your own decoy.

The best part about this build is that FR0ST-EE5 is entirely passive. You don’t need to do anything special to trigger its ability regeneration effects. Just sprint around, place decoys, throw Shackle Grenades, and get kills. It’s a simple yet effective PvP Hunter build.

That covers everything you need to know about the best Hunter builds for PvE and PvP. For more useful Destiny 2 content, including tips, tricks, and explainers, check out our other articles:

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• How to fish in Destiny 2
• Best Exotic weapons
• Best PvP Weapons
• Best PvE Weapons
• How to get the Infinite Prismatic Pride emblem
• Season of the Deep Season Pass: Rewards & ranks
• How to get Epochal Integration
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