The Final Shape expansion brought the Prismatic subclass to Destiny 2, allowing Guardians to combine Light and Darkness together. For Warlocks, this meant access to multiple auto-turrets from different subclasses that could help fight. This build guide aims to use Prismatic Warlock to generate as many elemental friends as possible.
Build Overview
Best Weapons
Dead Messenger (Exotic Grenade Launcher)
Dead Messenger works exceptionally well in this build due to its support for multiple elements and grenade-focused playstyles. This crafted Special Ammo weapon can be acquired from the Vox Obscura exotic mission, which can be completed multiple times to unlock all of its perk options.
Unlock Demolitionist to allow Dead Messenger to regenerate grenade energy quickly with kills. It also has the perk The Fundamentals, which changes the weapon's damage type by holding the reload button, then grants increased damage when a matching buff or debuff is applied. For the highest uptime on this damage buff, switch to Arc or Solar. Use Dead Messenger to quickly build up grenade energy, then use the grenade to spawn a Bleak Watcher and an Arc Soul, which can activate The Fundamentals.
Kinetic Slot: Strand Weapon with Hatchling
To generate as many elemental friends as possible, this build uses weapons to produce Threadlings. In the Kinetic slot, use a Strand weapon with the Hatchling perk, which creates Threadlings on precision final blows or by rapidly defeating targets. Strand weapons also benefit from artifact mods that unravel enemies and generate Threadlings.
Strong options include:
- Sixth Sense Hand Cannon from the Tenet of Bravery
- Nightshade Pulse Rifle from the Fireteam Ops playlist
Heavy Slot: Strand Machine Gun
A Strand Machine Gun is the best choice for the Heavy slot. It benefits from the same Strand weapon artifact mods as the Kinetic slot and from powerful Machine Gun perks in the artifact. These are the primary weapons for dealing damage to Champions and Bosses, so prioritize DPS perks like Target Lock or Killing Tally.
Easy-to-obtain options include:
- Diablerets 06 from Distortions
- Qua Vinctus IV from the Crucible
Best Armor
Getaway Artist (Exotic Gauntlets)
Getaway Artist gives Prismatic Warlock access to an elemental turret they would not otherwise have. By holding the Grenade button, Warlocks consume their Arc Grenade to create an Arc Soul and become amplified. The Arc Soul is a powerful auto-turret that deals high damage, and it also provides additional utility through Prismatic Aspects and Fragments. The Bleak Watcher Aspect is also triggered when the grenade is consumed, creating a powerful auto-turret combination.
First Ascent Armor Set
Use the First Ascent Armor Set from the Pale Heart location. The Prismatic subclass has access to the powerful Transcendence ability, and the First Ascent set improves it significantly.
- Two-piece bonus: Defeating targets with unique elemental damage builds stacks of the Stack 'Em Up buff, increasing Transcendence energy gain. This build deals Arc, Solar, Stasis, and Strand damage, allowing the bonus to generate full Transcendence energy quickly.
- Four-piece bonus: Activating Transcendence and using its unique Grenade Ability consumes all stacks of Stack 'Em Up to generate grenade energy. For Warlocks, this grenade slows enemies with Stasis and suppresses them with Void, making it a powerful control and damage tool.
After Getaway Artist activations, use Transcendence to gain access to a powerful Prismatic grenade with high uptime thanks to the First Ascent set.
Priority Armor Stats
Armor Mods
Use three-cost stat mods on every armor piece to increase Grenade and Class stats. Additional mods support Grenade and Class abilities and ammo generation.
- Head: Strand Siphon, Special Ammo Finder, Special Ammo Scout , Rapid Strand weapon final blows generate Orbs of Power. Special Ammo drops more frequently, and generating Special Ammo creates smaller bricks for teammates.
- Arms: Firepower, Bolstering Detonation, Bolstering Detonation , Grenade final blows generate Orbs of Power and Class Ability energy.
- Chest: Charged Up, Sniper Damage Resistance, Strand Ammo Generation , Increases maximum Armor Charge stacks. Gain damage resistance against distant enemies. Strand weapons have increased ammo generation.
- Legs: Absolution, Absolution, Better Already , Picking up an Orb of Power restores energy to all abilities and starts health regeneration.
- Class Item: Class Font, Time Dilation, Bomber , Armor Charge grants a Class stat increase. Decaying Armor Charge lasts longer. Using the Class Ability grants Grenade Ability energy.
Best Subclass Loadout
Abilities
The Prismatic Warlock has a wide range of ability options. Choices can be made based on playstyle:
- Super: Use Song of Flame for a more versatile option, or Needlestorm to focus on single-target damage and generating more Threadlings.
- Melee: Use Incinerator Snap to back up scorch produced by Hellion, or Arcane Needle to unravel targets more easily.
- Rift: Use Healing Rift for the best survivability.
- Grenade: Use Storm Grenade to gain the Arc Soul from Getaway Artist.
Aspects
- Bleak Watcher: Consumes the Grenade Ability by holding the button to create a stationary Stasis turret that slows and freezes enemies. Consuming the Storm Grenade to activate the Arc Soul also creates a Bleak Watcher when this aspect is equipped.
- Hellion: Creates a Solar turret that follows the player when the Class Ability is used. With this equipped, providing support through the Healing Rift also deals damage to enemies through scorch.
Fragments
Facet of Protection mitigates incoming damage at close quarters. Facet of Purpose provides healing via Restoration or damage resistance via Woven Mail depending on the chosen Super. Facet of Balance quickly regenerates abilities through the high output of both Light and Darkness damage. Facet of Dominance improves the Arc Soul by allowing it to jolt targets and spread debuffs , the Arc Soul is considered a grenade by the Fragment, so it is granted these jolting capabilities.
Best Artifact and Loadout
Tablet of Ruin Artifact
The Tablet of Ruin is the artifact of choice for its Prismatic elemental synergies, Strand weapon synergies, and Machine Gun synergies.
Prismatic Synergies
- Dielectric: Defeating Arc-debuffed targets grants Bolt Charge. Rapidly defeating Arc-debuffed targets spawns an Orb of Power and heals for a small amount.
- Limit Break: Casting a Super while critically wounded or with an elemental buff of the same element grants a period of increased Super damage.
Strand Weapon Synergies
- Unraveling Orbs: Picking up an Orb of Power or a Tangle grants Strand weapons Unraveling Rounds.
- Horde Shuttle: Damaging unraveled enemies with weapons spawns Threadlings. Threadlings sever targets they damage.
Machine Gun Synergies
- Hold the Line: While surrounded, Machine Guns and Glaives deal more damage, and final blows with these weapons heal the user.
- Gold from Lead: Picking up Special Ammo has a chance to grant Heavy Ammo.
- Heavy Ordinance Regeneration: Dealing sustained damage with a Machine Gun or Rocket Launcher grants damage resistance and increases grenade and melee regeneration. While active, defeating powerful combatants disorients nearby rank-and-file combatants.
If you're looking for harder content to take this build into, check out our guide for how to get Cull's Shadow, a new Exotic weapon. For another Warlock build, take a look at the Monument of Triumph Arc Warlock build guide. Click here for our full list of Destiny 2 guides.