Destiny: Warlock Class Guide – Sunsinger Subclass

The Warlock class focuses more on your use of grenades and your Special. When played to its fullest potential, you’ll do an immense amount of burst area damage. I find the Scout Rifle, Shotgun, Rocket Launcher build is the most effective for this class.

Sunsinger Specifics

Each subclass has its own unique style, meaning that when you play different subclasses the feel of the character will change. The Sunsinger gains access to a unique utility Special that boosts your damage resistance, skill recharge speeds and melee damage for 1.3 seconds. With the Fireborn modifier, you can even come back from death by activating the ability. This subclass makes your Warlock a powerful brawler during your Special.

 Attribute Points

Like most RPGs, Destiny also has attribute points, but they work slightly different. Attribute points are only acquired through equipping gear that has points on it. Below are the attribute points and how they affect the Sunsinger.

• Intellect: Reduces the cooldown time of Radiance, allowing you to use it more often.
• Discipline: Reduces the cooldown of grenades, allowing you to use them more often.
• Strength: reduces the cooldown of Scorch, allowing you to use it more often.

Grenades

Here I’ll cover all three grenade tiers available to the Sunsinger. To unlock higher tiers, you have to actively use your grenades. Whether it levels up based on kills with a grenade or just by use, I haven’t figured out yet. To use your grenades, push L1 or the left shoulder button depending on which system you’re using.

Solar Grenade

A grenade that creates a flare of Solar Light that continually damages enemies trapped inside.

Firebolt Grenade

A grenade that unleashes bolts of Solar Light at nearby enemies.

Fusion Grenade

An explosive grenade that causes bonus damage when attached to its target. This grenade isn’t very effective for PvE, but can instantly kill most enemies in PvP.

Jump

The Warlock’s Jump modifier is Glide. This is the same for both Voidwalker and Sunsinger, where they differentiate is the upgrades. To jump, push X or A depending on the system you use. Jump modifiers are really more about personal preference than anything else.

Glide

Jump and then press X again while in the air to activate Glide.

Focused Control

Upgrades Glide for better directional control while in the air. This allows you to better control where you wish to land.

Focused Burst

Upgrades Glide to provide an initial boost of speed. Good for moving faster while trying to avoid big blasts.

Balanced Glide

Upgrades Glide to provide bonuses to both speed and control. While the upgrade isn’t as potent as Focused Burst or Focused Control, Balanced gets a lesser effect of both.

Special

The Sunsinger’s special is Radiance. The upgrades are preference based for this option. To use your special, press L1 and R1 or the Xbox equivalent at the same time. 

Radiance 

Fill yourself with Solar Light, dramatically increasing the effectiveness of all your abilities. Four-minute recharge. Radiance boosts your damage resistance, skill recharge speeds and melee damage for 13 seconds.

Radiant Skin

While active, Radiance reduces incoming damage. This modifier makes it safer to use the melee bonus damage effect.

Song of Flame

While active, Radiance reduces all cooldowns for nearby enemies. An area-of-effect based utility modifier that boosts the fireteam’s damage potential.

Fireborn

Radiance can now be activated from beyond the grave. Doing so returns you to life. Fireborn is useful to save a wipe in PvE, or get a kill on the individual who just killed you in PvP.

Melee Skill

The Sunsinger’s melee skill is Scorch. To use this skill, press R1 or the Xbox equivalent just like you would for a basic melee attack when the icon is full.

Scorch

A powerful melee attack that ignites enemies, causing burn damage over time.

Flame Shield

Killing an enemy with Scorch reduces incoming damage for a short time. Taking this modifier also slightly increases Armor rating.

Solar Wind

Hitting an enemy with Scorch knocks them back.

Brimstone

Killing adversaries with Scorch causes them to explode. This is good for area blast damage. The blast also counts a a grenade for the purposes of the Touch of Flame passive.

Passives

There are four bonus trees with different options for different playstyles. It seems you’re only allowed to have one bonus in each tree. Below I’ve listed the bonuses based on their tree.

Tree One

• Arcane Wisdom: Raises base Recovery and Agility.
• Arcane Spirit: Raises base Armor and Recovery.
• Arcane Force: Raises base Armor and Agility.

Tree Two

• Radiant Will: Increases the duration of Radiance.
  
• Sunburst: Killing an enemy with Scorch has a chance to generate Orbs of Light.
• Viking Funeral: Enemies you ignite burn longer and take more damage.

Tree Three

• Ancestral Order: Minor increases to Armor, Recovery, and Agility.
• Chaos Order: Massive increase to Agility.
• Divine Order: Massive increase to Armor, with a minor increase to Recovery.

Tree Four

• Touch of Flame: All grenades ignite enemies, causing damage over time.
• Gift of the Sun: Gain an extra grenade.
• Angel of Light: Aiming your weapon while in the air holds you in place for a short time. Taking this passive also grants a slight increase to your Agility rating..

That wraps up the Sunsinger specific details guide. Check out my Class and Subclass overview for general details, and links to more specific detail guides.