In Destiny 2 Beyond Light, it is no secret that stasis has become the most common subclass in the game. Obviously, a frozen target is a very easy target to hit. Still, there are a handful of other grenades that can be dominant.
Gamers that have outlived their love for stasis should give some of the grenades at the bottom of this list a try. It is dumbfounding how many grenades are actually near the top tier if used in the correct build. This list includes all of the warlock grenades in Destiny 2 ranked from worst to best.
Updated on April 19, 2022, by Anastasia Maillot: Following the Void 3.0 updates, each subclass gained access to a bunch of new grenade types in the Void section. Warlocks were no different in this regard, and now have four new grenade types in the Void tree that they can use to their advantage. Given that Warlocks definitely received the long end of the stick with the Void 3.0 changes following the Witch Queen expansion, players have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to choosing the best grenades for Warlocks in Destiny 2. That said, other trees have become somewhat obsolete in season 16, so it remains to be seen what changes await in the future for Arc and Solar grenades.
16 Void Wall Grenade
As the name implies, the Void Wall grenade creates a line of purple Void flames that deal Void damage. It's an extremely niche grenade type that likely won't see use past season 16 if even this season. The main reason is that it's a pain to land and is far too unreliable, for both PVP and PVE.
15 Magnetic Grenade
Perhaps the most challenging grenade to land successfully, the Magnetic grenade attaches itself to enemies and creates two explosions of Void energy. The key here is to actually attach it to a target to get the job done, as otherwise this grenade just falls completely short of its main utility.
Again, much better options exist in the game for Voidlocks, so this is more of a cool niche feature for niche builds.
14 Spike Grenade
This grenade type is also Void and can be tossed in to attach to any surface, whether horizontal or vertical. The magnetic grenade then emits a shower of Void Light when triggered, damaging enemies on its path.
It's possible to use this in PVP to deny some paths from the enemy, but it's still a bit too niche and unreliable to really rank high enough. Voidlocks will still prefer the good old Vortex grenade over this one for consistent damage.
13 Scatter Grenade
Scatter grenades "scatter" on impact, creating six additional explosions. The initial blast, as well as all six subsequent explosions will deal impact and blast damage. While the grenade appears to be causing a lot of damage, the actual values are disappointing.
It is also common for the projectiles to split in the wrong direction, greatly reducing the already modest damage output. In PVP, the scatter grenade can actually be competitive. The issue is getting the small grenades to hit the intended target. Sometimes scatters feel broken, and sometimes they miss opposing players completely. On the off chance all of the projectiles hit one enemy, there is the potential for a one-hit kill.
12 Fusion Grenade
Like the other sticky grenades in Destiny 2, the fusion grenade leaves something to be desired. Even if enemies are stuck by the grenade, it will still output less damage than all three of the bolt grenades.
The fusion grenade is the worst Dawnblade grenade, and one of the worst grenades in Destiny 2. Based on the stats below alone, it is clear that the Fusion grenade is useless in all modes. In PVP, grenades are only useful if they can weaken an enemy enough for a one-shot headshot with a hand cannon.
11 Storm Grenade
The storm grenade is unique to the warlock, imposing both impact and lightning damage. Much to the dismay of players, it can only deal one tick of lightning damage to each enemy. Even if the enemy is within the area of effect, the enemy will be immune to subsequent strikes.
It is not clear if the grenade is bugged, or if the limited damage output is intentional. Because of this perplexing aspect of this item, players should never use the storm grenade.
10 Axion Bolt
The base axion bolt will deal a small amount of impact damage and send two seekers which will inflict moderate damage on enemies. Chaos accelerant will increase the number of seekers by two if equipped.
With chaos accelerant, the grenade can be used, but it will still only deal a fraction of the damage that the vortex grenade inflicts. Guardians should use the vortex grenade instead. Even if the seekers hit four different targets, 100 damage is not enough in PVP. The PVE values are disappointing as well.
9 Arcbolt Grenade
The Arcbolt grenade has the same damage values as the Hunter's Arcbolt grenade. On impact, the grenade outputs moderate damage to nearby enemies. After exploding, the grenade will chain up to four enemies, provided that they are lined up in the same direction.
The grenade also shares the same damage profile as the other bolt grenades. However, players will not need an ability or perk to inflict damage on four enemies, unlike the axion bolt. Guardians will have more success in PVE against adds, as 91 damage is moderate in PVP.
8 Firebolt Grenade
Firebolt grenades can affect up to four enemies as the grenade splits after impact. While the grenade only outputs one tick of moderate damage to each enemy, it will always seek multiple enemies.
Guardians can use the firebolt grenade, but they will have more success with the stronger options lower on this list. The grenade will be viable against low-level ads but not much else. There are more powerful add clearing grenades in Destiny 2.
7 Solar Grenade
Gamers should imagine the solar grenade as a small sun or orb of nuclear fusion. Similar to the vortex grenade below, the solar grenade will provide both impact and AOE damage. Unlike the vortex grenade, the solar grenade causes burn damage too. This means that head to head, the solar grenade will deal more damage than the vortex grenade.
However, chaos accelerant's effects give vortex grenades a small damage advantage. Thus, the vortex grenade has a slight edge over the solar grenade. It is the best Dawnblade grenade. Any solar grenade that touches an opponent in PVP will remove shields almost instantly. Solar grenades have a surprisingly large AOE for grenades that output high damage.
6 Pulse Grenade
The warlock pulse grenade mirrors the effects of the titan pulse grenade. When the grenade impacts, it will inflict a small amount of damage and pulse five times. Each pulse of the grenade causes two times the impact damage on enemies.
After doing the math, it is clear that the pulse grenade is one of the most powerful warlock grenades in Destiny 2. Compared to others in the class, the pulse grenade is the best Warlock Arc grenade. Pulse grenades have a massive AOE and fair well in any mode in the game.
5 Glacier Grenade
Each class in Destiny 2 has the same three stasis grenade options. All three are top-tier grenades in Beyond Light. To unlock the stasis subclass, players will need to purchase the Beyond Light expansion in the store. After downloading and installing the update, gamers must play through the Beyond Light story missions to unlock the various abilities in the new subclass.
The glacier grenade is incredible because of its versatility in the game. The grenade can be used as a wall to block gunfire. Glacier grenades can be used to create platforms and propel players into the air as well. More importantly, it will freeze enemies near the impact AOE. Once deployed, the grenade will remain active for 15 seconds or until it is broken or shattered.
If an enemy is near the shatter, it will cause splash damage. Frozen enemies will be eliminated if the glacier is shattered. The overpowered grenade can trap multiple enemies, and one melee will kill them all. For the Warlock specifically, players are better off with the duskfield or coldsnap grenades.
4 Duskfield Grenade
Despite not lasting as long as the glacier grenade, the duskfield grenade is better for the warlock class. The grenade creates a bubble of dark energy that pulls nearby opponents into its effects. Once in the bubble, enemies will be slowed and eventually freeze after three seconds. Once frozen, the enemies will be target practice for the caster.
In total, the grenade will stay active for seven seconds, trapping any enemies that are close to the AOE. Guardians that use the grenade correctly will eviscerate hordes of enemies in just a few seconds. The duskfield does not inflict very much damage, but it will immobilize enemies within a large radius.
3 Suppressor Grenade
Now that Suppressor grenade is available for all classes, it has become somewhat of a beast, though still isn't the top option for a lot of Warlock builds. What makes this ability so great is the fact that seasonal mods are currently favoring Suppression effects quite heavily, so this grenade type receives a bit of a seasonal buff that likely won't carry past season 16.
However, for now, it's a beastly ability that prevents enemies from using their abilities. It's more of a niche pick in PVP, but when landed can be a real annoyance to other players. Suppression is best used in PVE, against champions, for example, rendering them completely useless.
2 Vortex Grenade
The Warlock's vortex grenade creates a stationary AOE after impact. The vortex grenade deals moderate damage on impact and 12 ticks of damage. Each tick occurs four times every second for three seconds. By using the chaos accelerant perk, the vortex grenade will deal damage for an additional second.
This means that the vortex grenade will do 30% more damage with Chaos Accelerant active. Overall, the vortex grenade is a health decimator, and it is a good option for Warlocks in all modes. In the base game, the vortex grenade was the best Warlock grenade.
1 Coldsnap Grenade
Stasis grenades have taken over PVP in Destiny 2, and the coldsnap grenade is the one all warlocks should be using. While the effects of the glacier and duskfield grenades are impressive, the coldsnap grenade will freeze any nearby enemies right after activation. If one enemy is frozen, the grenade will seek additional foes. Much like the arcbolt grenade, the coldsnap will chain up to four enemies. Any enemy that is frozen will be eliminated in short order.
Warlocks can freeze any enemy in a one-on-one engagement and kill them in one fell swoop. The coldsnap grenade is just unfair, but until it gets nerfed, players need to be using it in their classes.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.