With 9 sub-classes in Destiny, it can be difficult to compare them all against each other, especially since each type of Guardian plays so different than the next. The Hunter has a pretty diverse sub-class offering, as each one fills a very specific role in a team. Outside of their high mobility and excellent mid-game in PvP, each one of the three different sets of abilities offers players a surprising amount of flexibility in their builds.
Though with the constant stream of nerfs and buffs flowing through Destiny, the power of each subclass has changed substantially. For better or worse, each one of the three Hunter sub-classes has gone through restructuring, altering their effectiveness in battle. So in the current meta, which one of the Hunter’s sub-classes is the best? Sure everyone has their favorites, but we are looking at sheer utility across all game modes. If we could only pick one sub-class this Is what we’d want to be stuck with.
3) Bladedancer
The Bladedancer is the sub-class that has gone through the most changes during Destiny’s lifespan and sadly many of them were quite negative. While every super did get a buff in damage thanks to the new update, Arc Blade still is not terribly useful. It should be a class that can take on a hoard of enemies, but unless you are running the Encore perk, your super won’t last long. Unlike other crowd controlling abilities like Stormtrance or Hammer of Sol, both of which can deal with a large amount of groups in no time at all, Arc Blade just doesn’t match their raw killing potential.
Now that’s not to say the entire sub-class is bad, in fact, Bladedancer has some really useful utility for PvP. While turning invisible isn’t exactly helpful in most PvE engagements, utilizing this in an online match can be quite useful. Though with both Blink Strike and Skip Grenades receiving nerfs, it’s hard to argue that this class isn’t up to par with the others.
2) GunslingerIf it wasn’t for the June update, the Gunslinger sub-class would probably be at the bottom of this list. However, there is no denying that the nerf to Trip Mines impacted their viability in both PvE and PvP. Thankfully, this was balanced out with buffs to Swarm Grenades and passives like Scavenger and Chain of Woes.
Yet, it’s the sheer killing power now afforded to the Golden Gun super that pushes it over the edge. There once was a time when this powerful ability could barely knick a yellow bar enemy, but now it tears straight through them. As it should, especially since the Golden Gun is clearly designed to deal a ton of damage to one specific target. There is no other sub-class in the game that can now output the sheer damage, which makes it quite a potent class for focusing on bosses in Nightfalls and Strikes.
The problem, sadly, is that there was a point when the Golden Gun was useful in higher level content like King’s Fall. However, once everyone leveled up and acquired better gear, it became infinitely obviously that the Shadow Shot’s pure utility was the go-to choice. Which honestly is disappointing given that Golden Gun is a truly powerful super when wielded in the hands of an expert marksman. It’s just too bad the game design overall doesn’t reward this class like it does for ones that buff damage.
1) Nightstalker
Speaking of buffing damage, there is little doubt that the Nightstalker subclass is one of the best, if not the best in the entire game. While Nightstalker itself doesn’t output the same type of damages as 90% of Destiny’s other sub-classes, the massive damage buff you get from Shadowshot makes it useful in almost every scenario. Not only are you able to output a ton of damage on the affected targets, but so is the rest of your team. With one ability alone you can maximize your team’s DPS capabilities beyond reason while suppressing both their movement speed and the foes around them.
This super only got better with the nerf as the effect instantly triggers on contact, making it even more viable for shutting supers down in PvP. Much like Bladedancer, you have the ability to go invisible, however, this doesn’t require you to crouch for an arbitrary amount of time. It also has the added effect of camouflaging anyone you throw it at or the people around you. Nightstalker has infinite utility and there is something to be said when the class is basically required by any raid group trying to finish in a timely manner.
That being said, there is no doubting the power of each of these sub-classes in the right hands. Though if we had to put our money on one that will be more valuable in the upcoming Rise of Iron expansion, it would have to be Nightstalker. After all, who doesn’t enjoy wielding a bow of pure cosmetic energy?
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