Destiny 2 Stasis Warlock Build Guide

Stasis has been sort of left in the dust in Destiny 2 following the extensive light subclass 3.0 updates. It definitely has less going on for it than most of the light subclasses, and following a ton of balance changes, Stasis isn't quite what it used to be when it was first released into Destiny 2 around Beyond Light.

That said, Warlocks are perhaps the one and only class in PVE that rule over the Stasis subclass thanks to their powerful Shadebinder subclass build options. Warlocks are in fact so powerful with Stasis that they can get away with running Stasis for most difficult, endgame PVE content, including Master raids and Grandmaster Nightfalls. It may not be a perfect trade for the Well of Radiance and Solar 3.0's power, but it does come with a ton of utility. So, here's how to make the best Warlock Stasis build in Destiny 2 (as of Season of the Seraph).

Stasis Abilities, Aspects & Fragments

Stasis comes with a few unique abilities that players can experiment with, though for the most part there aren't quite as many alternatives and options compared to Solar 3.0 for instance, which has Phoenix Dive as a class ability and two different melee options.

Stasis Class Abilities

Destiny 2 Warlock Healing Rift Class Ability

The standard class ability options are presented here. Players can choose between an Empowering Rift and Healing Rift, depending on their preference. Both Rifts are viable and can be spiced up with the Frostpulse Stasis Aspect, which freezes enemies nearby the Rift. Since Stasis doesn't have any mods that provide armor or healing, cautious players may want to go for Healing Rift.

Stasis Melees

Destiny 2 Shadebinder Penumbral Blast Melee Ability

Penumbral Blast is the only Warlock Stasis melee for now. Players send forth a Stasis crystal that soft-tracks enemies and freezes them. It can still be easy to miss this melee, and with long cooldowns, players should be meleeing only when they know they can hit an enemy for certain.

Stasis Grenades

Three options are available for Shadebinders when it comes to the grenade category:

Coldsnap Grenade: Targets are frozen on impact. Frozen targets send out seekers that search out more targets to freeze.
Glacier Grenade: Spawns a solid wall of ice that freezes and blocks enemies.
Duskfield Grenade: Spawns a round field of freezing Stasis energy. Enemies stuck inside are first slowed down and then freeze up.

Out of all these the Coldsnap Grenade is without a doubt the best one to choose, following multiple buffs it has received in The Witch Queen year. Moreover, a key Exotic armor piece which will be discussed below will further expand the utility and strength of Coldsnap Grenades.

Stasis Aspects

Destiny 2 Bleak Watcher Warlock Stasis Aspect

Stasis does rule when it comes to Aspects, as it has the most Aspects out of any other subclass in the game. Stasis Warlocks can pick between the following and equip two at once:

Iceflare Bolts: When players shatter Stasis crystals, they spawn seekers that will search for more enemies and freeze them.
Frostpulse: Casting a Rift will freeze enemies in its vicinity.
Bleak Watcher: Charging a grenade and throwing it spawns a Stasis turret that damages and freezes targets.
Glacial Harvest: Frozen targets will spawn Stasis crystals around them.

Although Frostpulse is nice, Bleak Watcher and Glacial Harvest are by far the strongest Aspects and favorites among Shadebinders. The Bleak Watcher turret is absolutely fantastic in controlling and slowing down ads without the player having to split their attention. Glacial Harvest comes into play later with the choice of mods the player will have equipped.

Stasis Fragments

Destiny 2 Warlock Shadebinder Fragments Stasis

There's a ton of flexibility when it comes to the fragments in Stasis. This guide won't name all of the fragments, but it will cite the ones that will likely be of best use to the player. A few favorites, emerge at the top:

Whisper of Torment: When players take damage, their grenade energy recharges faster.
Whisper of Bonds: Killing enemies that are frozen grants players Super energy.
Whisper of Fissures: Deal more Stasis burst damage when shooting Stasis crystals or frozen targets.
Whisper of Conduction: Stasis shards that are close enough track to the player.

A few honorable mentions can be added to the mix, but are perhaps a bit more niche compared to the ones cited above:

Whisper of Refraction: Killing frozen or slowed targets grants class ability energy.
Whisper of Shards: Shattering Stasis crystals boosts the player's grenade recharge rate. This effect is extended if players keep shattering more crystals.
Whisper of Chains: Players close to frozen enemies or friendly Stasis crystals gain damage resistance.
Whisper of Rime: Picking up a Stasis shard grants a short 10-second overshield. The shield's timer is extended if players keep picking up more shards.

The Stasis Super: Winter's Wrath

Winter's Wrath is the only Super available for Shadebinders at this stage, and it's still unclear whether or not new Stasis Supers will be introduced in the future. That said, Winter's Wrath is a great Super of clearing ads, as it freezes them. Alternate fire allows the player to blast any frozen targets with a powerful shockwave.

Mods & Artifact Mods

Stasis, like most other subclasses as of right now, benefits greatly from Elemental Well mods. Check out this dedicated guide for Elemental Well mods and how they can be used to one's advantage. That said, here are some great Stasis Elemental Well, as well as general Stasis mods. Note that the Elemental Shards mod is pretty much a must-have for any Stasis Warlock build.

Elemental Shards: Stasis shards now count as Elemental Wells.
Grenade/Melee Kickstart: When grenade/melee energy is fully depleted, the player gains grenade/melee energy faster.
Well of Restoration: Picking up a Stasis Elemental well grants the player energy for their lowest energy ability.
Elemental Time Dilation: Timed Elemental Well effects are extended.
Supreme Wellmaker: Casting the one's Super drops spawns three Stasis Elemental Wells by the player.
Utility Kickstart: When class ability energy is fully depleted, the player gains class ability energy faster.
Power Preservation: Scoring kills with a Stasis Super creates additional Orbs of Power for allies.

From season 19's artifact, two different anti-champion mods come in Stasis flavor, which is good news for Shadebinders.

Lord Kelvin's Basilisk: Stasis/Solar melees stun Overload champions.
Low Entropy Superconductor: Stasis/Arc melees stun Unstoppable champions.

Weapons & Gear

Destiny 2 Osmiomancy Gloves For Warlocks

The only piece of gear Shadebinders will need in Destiny 2 is Osmiomancy Gloves. These Exotic gauntlets are so powerful that they trivialize almost any other build option for Stasis Warlocks, and they truly hold their own in any difficult content.

Osmiomancy Gloves grant the player two Coldsnap Grenade charges. Direct hits on charges instantly return grenade energy. Moreover, the seekers spawned from the grenade travel much further, making Coldsnap Grenade incredibly strong when controlling ads.

Destiny 2 Syncopation-53 With Headstone Perk

For those wanting to use Stasis weapons, there are a few good options in the game. These are great for players who use mods like Harmonic Siphon to make more Orbs or players who use Elemental Armaments and Font of Might to boost damage. Some Stasis weapons can also get Stasis-related perks like Chill Clip and Headstone, which work nicely together with the Stasis subclass itself, so look for those in ideal rolls.