The Banner of War is a remarkably powerful Aspect in Destiny 2 that turns a Titan into a close-range powerhouse that can support allies with potent buffs. Let me explain the best Titan Banner of War build in Destiny 2.
Related: Best Exotic Weapons in Destiny 2
What does the Banner of War do?
You raise the Banner of War for a short time whenever you kill an opponent with a melee attack, finisher, or Sword attack. While the Banner is active, you periodically let off healing pulses that affect you and nearby Guardians.
As long as you or nearby allies score kills, the Banner of War buff won’t run out. In busy areas, it’s possible to have this Aspect live for large portions of the mission.
Best Abilities for Banner of War Titan
There are a lot of moving parts in this build, so here are the Strand options I recommend:
Aspect: Banner of War
We use the Banner of War Aspect in the build for obvious reasons. As explained above, this Aspect turns us into a melee powerhouse and is so strong you need a good reason not to use it.
Aspect: Into The Fray
Into The Fray grants us “Woven Mail,” which reduces incoming damage and makes the Titan extremely tanky. This Aspect is triggered when you use a Super or destroy a Tangle.
Grenade: Grapple
Although it’s not essential, I’m a sucker for the Grapple Grenade. I love movement tech, and the Grapple fits my play style perfectly. The Banner of War requires us to score melee kills, and the Grapple Grenade is good for closing the distance. I’ve seen other Titans use the Shackle Grenade with great success, too, so it’s a viable alternative.
Class Ability: Towering Barricade
Go with your favorite for the Class Ability, but the Towering Barricade has saved my bacon more times than I can count. The ability to block incoming damage from any direction is incredibly strong, and I prefer it to the Rally Barricade.
Movement Ability: Strafe Lift
Your jump style has no bearing on the Banner of War aspect of the build, but I usually go for Strafe Lift. I sometimes swap this in niche circumstances, but I love the horizontal control I get with this Movement Ability.
Suggested Fragments for Banner of War Titan
There’s a case to be made for several Fragments for the Banner of War builds, but here’s what I recommend:
Thread of Generation
We will have our Grenades available much more often with Thread of Generation, so this choice is a no-brainer.
Thread of Warding
Woven Mail gives us fantastic survivability, and the Thread of Warding grants it whenever we pick up a Power Orb. As many Guardians save their Supers for boss encounters, this gives us damage reduction when we need it most.
Thread of Transmutation
The Thread of Transmutation makes Tangles whenever we land Final Blows and pairs nicely with our Into The Fray Aspect.
Thread of Fury
The Thread of Fury Fragment grants Melee energy when we attack enemies caught in Tangles. Although we don’t rely on this, we make a lot of Tangles, so why not reap the benefits?
Best weapons for Banner of War Titan
The most important weapon to run with this build is a decent Sword. The Glaive is a viable choice, although admittedly, I rarely use one. Strand weapons will nicely accompany the Banner of War Aspect, but you have plenty of freedom here.
Kinetic Weapon
Any Strand weapon will work nicely, but the Quicksilver Storm is one of my favorite weapons in Destiny 2 and gains the Strand element with its catalyst. Decent Non-Exotic options include the Kept Confidence and Glissando-47.
Energy Weapon
Shotguns work well for our close-range playstyle but can also roll with a fantastic Trait. One-Two Punch grants a melee damage buff when every pellet in a round hits an enemy. The buff is brief but works with swords, and a 40% damage increase is nothing to scoff at. The Ikelos_SG_v.1.0.3 is a great Shotgun that can roll with One-Two Punch, but use whatever you have available.
Heavy Weapon
Any Sword you have will complete this build and make you a monster in close-range combat. I like the Thin Precipice Legendary, which works nicely as its Strand.
Best Armor for Banner of War build
The most common Exotic choices I’ve seen for Banner of War Titans are the Synthoceps or Stronghold Gauntlets. I usually rock the Synthoceps as they increase Melee and Super damage when multiple enemies are nearby. Stronghold Gauntlets make the user extremely tanky when blocking with a Sword and is a great option when you need to stay alive.
Feel free to use your favorite armor for your other slots, although gear with a decent Resilience roll is always a good idea. As our Swords require Heavy Ammo (It’s never made sense to me either), I recommend using the Heavy Ammo Finder Mod in any slots you can spare.
