5 best loadouts for Grandmaster Nightfall in Destiny 2 Season of Defiance

Grandmaster Nightfall Strikes are only a few hours away from going live on Destiny 2 servers, and everyone is looking to participate in high-tier challenges. Completing one mission with the upcoming reset will help Guardians reach Rank 10 and drop bonus Adept weapons.

This article will guide you through different builds for Grandmaster Nightfall Strikes in Season of Defiance. While most of these loadouts are optimal for the end game only, some can be used in any activity.

Additionally, the builds mentioned here are viable for Season 20 only, as the current meta is likely to change with the arrival of Season of the Deep and beyond.

Disclaimer: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinion.

All recommended loadouts you can use in Destiny 2 Season 20 Grandmaster Nightfall (April 11 to May 23)

1) Poison suspend Warlock (Necrotic Grip)

While Strand has made way for countless new builds since the launch of Lightfall, one particular loadout has stood out while being paired with two Exotics and a few Fragments. As mentioned, the 'suspend' buff plays a key role here, allowing you to keep elites and adds (additional enemies) out of the fight for breathing space.

The Grenade ability you need here is the Shackle Grenade, which can suspend targets within an area if thrown amidst a pack of enemies. However, you will want this specific ability to be up at all times, which requires you to have a tier 10/100 stat Discipline to start preparing your load-out.

The two Exotics that are mandatory here are the Osteo Striga Kinetic SMG and the Necrotic Grip Exotic Gauntlet.

Alongside the two only available Aspects, the Fragments you need are as follows:

Thread of Mind to gain class ability energy after defeating suspended targets.
Thread of Continuity for increased duration of suspend.
Thread of Isolation for a severing burst from targets after landing consistent precision shots.
Thread of Generation for increased grenade regeneration simply by dealing damage.

Thread of Generation (Image via Destiny 2)

The loop here is to start your engagement by shooting your melee needles and activating the intrinsic perk of Necrotic Grip. Let Osteo Striga and Necrotic Grip play out their traits, as landing precision shots with the former will spread poison and deal increased OTD (overtime damage) due to the latter.

Keep throwing your Shackle Grenades during this loop, preferably on Unstoppable Champions. Osteo Striga can deal with the Overload Champions, so the only thing left is to have an Anti Barrier ready, depending on the Strike. Throw your Shackle Grenades for suspension, followed by precision shots using Osteo Striga.

Spreading poison damage will be enough for increased Grenade regeneration due to the Fragment "Thread of Generation."

2) Fusion burst Well Warlock (Starfire Protocol)

One of the most popular loadouts in any Destiny 2 endgame currently, the Starfire Protocol Warlock paired with the Well of Radiance is any fireteam's dream to have. However, the addition of certain buffs, such as Firesprites in Destiny 2 Solar 3.0, further increases survivability in tough situations.

The only Exotic necessary here is the Starfire Protocol, with abilities including Fusion Grenade, Empowering Rift, and the Well of Radiance.

The Fragments you should follow here are as follows:

Ember of Ashes to apply for scorch to targets.
Ember of Mercy for Resilience and restoration upon picking up a Firesprite.
Ember of Char for spreading scorch from solar ignitions to affected targets.
Defeating scorched targets grants melee energy and creates a Firesprite.

Weapons can be anything as long as you can damage enemies from your Empowering Rift.

Ashes to Assets is one of the primary mods you need to gain super energy upon Grenade kills. For Aspects, having the Touch of Flame is the only necessity, alongside Icarus Dash, to get out of the crowds.

The loop here is to spam your Fusion Grenades on anything and everything, followed by casting your empowering Rift to get the Grenades back.

Do not shy away from using your Well of Radiance in tough situations, as you can always get it back at a significant rate with Grenade kills.

3) Invisible on-demand Hunter (Omnioculus)

Since enemies in Grandmaster Nightfall can easily shut you down, it is always a nice idea to have someone who can get you out of everyone's sight.

Hunters, being the masters of trickery, can get their allies in on the fun as well. Being invisible throughout the jumping puzzle of a Strike, or for a quick breather, can prove to be quite helpful in a stressful Grandmaster run.

For this build, you're going to need the Omnioculus Exotic chest piece alongside 100 Mobility for maximum dodge uptime. The Exotic will grant you two melee charges, with the Trapper's Ambush Aspect further allowing you to make yourself and your allies disappear temporarily.

The Fragments you need for this build are as follows:

Finisher final blows grant invisibility.
Echo of Persistence for the increased duration of invisibility.
Echo of Dilation if you're missing out on Mobility, or Echo of Reprisal for increased super energy with final blows while surrounded by enemies.

The loop here is to dive near your two fire team members and make them invisible. The number of people you make invisible will directly affect the amount of melee energy you get as a refund.

4) Suspend Barricade Titan (Abeyant Leap)

While Strand Titan's super got a fair amount of backlash before launch, the subclass has some of the best synergies for endgame content.

From granting damage resistance to allies to suspending targets on demand, the Strand Titans are just as powerful as any other subclass in the game.

The Exotic for this loadout is the Abeyant Leap, which can be obtained after completing the Lightfall campaign. It improves the suspending bursts from barricades while granting Woven Mail to the user upon suspension of a combatant.

The Fragments you can use for this loadout include the following:

Thread of Mind for ability energy upon defeating suspending targets.
Thread of Transmutation for creating a tangle upon with weapon final blows while having the Woven Mail buff.
Thread of Generation for increased Grenade regeneration upon dealing damage.
Thread of Continuity for increased duration of the suspension.

The loop here is to cast your barricade and suspend anyone in front of you. Doing so will grant you Woven Mail, which can be further used to create tangles upon weapon kills. Destroying these tangles will also grant your allies a Woven Mail buff.

5) Unkillable Solar Titan (Loreley Splendor Helm)

Despite the nerf it received, Loreley Splendor Helm is still one of the most powerful Exotics for Titans. It protects the user after a critical hit, creating sunspots with improved restoration and ability regeneration, all while draining a fully charged class ability. Other triggers include casting a barricade.

The Fragments needed for this build include the following:

Ember of Torches for obtaining the Radiant buff upon hitting combatants with powered melee abilities.
Ember of Solace for the increased duration on Radiant and Restoration.
Ember of Searing for creating a Firesprite upon defeating scorched enemies.
Ember of Mercy for Resilience and restoration upon picking up Firesprites.

The only loop here is to keep spamming your Throwing Hammer melee ability and activate Radiant for yourself and your allies.

Tier 10 Resilience will help in keeping your class ability up at all times. It will also help in the activation of Loreley Splendor's perk at low health. The Aspects should be Sol Invictus and Roaring Flames.