Destiny Rising Best Builds

Destiny Rising gives each Lightbearer a distinct role, but the real customization comes from artifacts and weapons. Unlike talent trees or relic abilities, which follow a linear progression, artifacts and weapon rolls let you shape how each character plays. Choosing the right combination can make a huge difference in survivability, damage output, and overall effectiveness in endgame activities.

This guide covers the Destiny Rising best builds, one for each playable character. For every Lightbearer, we break down their recommended artifact slots, strongest weapon choices, and how these pieces come together to support their playstyle. Use this as a reference when planning your loadouts, whether you’re building for offense, defense, or flexible support.

Artifacts can be farmed quickly with the Destiny Rising Singularity Boost at SkyCoach. This service provides any number of legendary artifacts and other rewards obtained by pro gamers for your account. This is the easiest and fastest way to collect artifacts for crafting builds.

Read our other Destiny Rising guides:

• Characters Tier List
• Leveling Guide
• Beginner's Guide
• Weapons Tier List
• Gauntlet: Onslaught Raid Guide
• Best Settings
• Current and Next Banners

 

 

Wolf Best Build

How can you start listing the Destiny Rising meta builds without our poster boy? Wolf is a Solar melee caster who can also function as an off-tank thanks to reliable overshields. His builds focus on either boosting melee damage, enhancing overshield generation, or stacking survivability so he can stay safe in close combat.

Wolf’s primary slot can lean into Sweet Business for sustained firepower or Sworn Oath for stronger precision and burst potential. For heavy choices, Satiyaaliksni Smart Bomb offers AoE utility for wave clear. Obviously, the exotic weapon is not going to be available to you at the start of the game, but that’s why it’s part of the best builds in Destiny Rising. On the other hand, the Satiyaaliksni Smart Bomb can be obtained rather early on.

1. Slot 1: Nimble Veil helps Wolf survive during movement ability casts, while Ring of Abundance boosts the strength of his healing and overshields. Healing Radiation adds passive sustain when enemies are debuffed.
2. Slot 2: Healing Veil adds sustain tied to mobility, Resolute Radiation reinforces defense under status effects, and Inverted Tenacity gives survival tools for melee engagement.
3. Slot 3: Courageous Planetesimal restores health after ability usage, Ring of Morale enhances overshield tankiness, and Bellicose Radiation punishes enemies when Wolf is debuffed.
4. Slot 4: Valiant Veil adds mobility-based defense, Ring of Reflection improves shield-based survivability, and Rampaging Radiation grants bonus damage while afflicted by status.

Wolf’s build excels when played aggressively in melee range while maintaining overshield uptime. By mixing survivability artifacts with damage boosters, he can switch between tanking hits and pushing enemy lines. Choose artifacts that fit your comfort level — defensive if you want to play safe, or aggressive if you want to maximize Solar damage potential.

Kabr Best Build

Kabr is an Arc defender who specializes in protecting allies with powerful shielding. His Destiny Rising best PvE builds shine when they either reinforce his durability and shielding tools or shift toward a rapid-fire weapon setup for more offensive flexibility. BLOG20

Kabr’s primaries focus on sustained Arc fire, with Furies III bringing strong consistent damage and Ultimatum providing heavier bursts. For heavy weapons, Gallows excels at close-range explosive power while Scorched Earth dominates against clustered groups with high AoE damage.

1. Slot 1: Resolute Nutation adds stacking damage resistance on weapon and ability hits, Healing Radiation provides passive healing when enemies are debuffed, and Inverted Guard grants a shield boost at critical health.
2. Slot 2: Healing Nutation improves sustain during rapid-fire chains, Resolute Radiation offers defense against status, and Impregnable Pact increases damage reduction through stacking effects.
3. Slot 3: Bellicose Precession and Bellicose Radiation both amplify offensive and defensive strength in prolonged fights, while Inverted Fury provides survival tools when health or shield thresholds are crossed.
4. Slot 4: Rampaging Precession and Rampaging Radiation lean into offensive scaling when under pressure, while Inverted Vengeance gives durability in dire situations.

Kabr’s build balances defense and offense, making him ideal for team support while holding the line. His artifact options let him lean into near-unkillable shielding or pivot toward rapid-fire aggression when extra damage is needed.

Xuan Wei Best Build

Xuan Wei is an Arc melee attacker who combines ability usage with close-range weapon pressure. His builds are best when they either increase his survivability so he can stay in the fight or push his melee and weapon damage higher for aggressive burst potential.

Xuan Wei’s primaries highlight close-range aggression. Jötunn provides explosive burst damage while IST1 Parantha supports steady fire in duels. His heavy options are all high-impact: Octant Riot Disperser for AoE, The Chaperone for lethal precision at close range, Eternal Retribution for boss damage, and IST2 Niaatiks as a versatile endgame pick.

• Slot 1: Resolute Conjunction reduces damage taken at close range, Nimble Ground lowers damage while moving, and Impregnable Evolution stacks armor for heavy sustain.
• Slot 2: Healing Conjunction restores health when enemies are debuffed, Healing Ground provides regeneration while stationary, and Unrelenting Evolution gives defensive scaling while under pressure.
• Slot 3: Jolted Transit enhances offensive bursts, Valiant Ground reduces incoming damage while moving, and Predator Evolution boosts survival during melee engagements.
• Slot 4: Resonating Transit improves sustained damage through chained engagements, while Sympathetic Evolution provides team-oriented survivability through shared defensive buffs.

Xuan Wei thrives in the thick of combat, where his melee damage and weapon pressure work best. Picking between survivability and offensive scaling lets him adapt to content — going tankier for difficult encounters or all-in on damage when fights reward quick takedowns.

Ikora Best Build

Ikora is a Void AoE caster who excels at grouping enemies together and clearing them with powerful area damage. Her best DPS build Destiny Rising, can either push ability damage for faster wave clears or lean into weapon-focused setups that amplify her spread-heavy arsenal.

Ikora’s Present Fleet gives her a strong primary option for spreading damage across multiple targets. For heavy weapons, Two-Tailed Fox punishes groups with double elemental rockets, while HON2 Tutum provides high-output single-target damage for bosses or elites.

1. Slot 1: Abundant Planetesimal restores health after ability use, Unrelenting Subgravity reduces incoming damage while airborne, and Unrelenting Shell provides short bursts of resistance after reloading.
2. Slot 2: Binging Planetesimal offers sustain during repeated ability casts, Healing Subgravity restores health while airborne, and Bloodthirsty Shell grants offensive bonuses on weapon kills.
3. Slot 3: Courageous Planetesimal restores health when using signature abilities, Valiant Subgravity reduces damage while moving, and Scattering Shell expands AoE weapon potential.
4. Slot 4: Bellicose Planetesimal amplifies both offense and defense in long fights, Bellicose Subgravity layers in survival boosts, and Explosive Shell directly improves AoE damage potential.

Ikora’s build gives players flexibility between heavy ability focus for AoE clearing or weapon-centered loadouts that spread damage efficiently. She can adapt to either farming waves or targeting tougher enemies depending on which artifact path players choose.

 

Attal Best Build

Attal is an Arc support who specializes in healing and applying debuffs while still being capable of contributing meaningful weapon damage. Her builds usually emphasize survivability and healing output, though there are options that push her weapon effectiveness for a more hybrid style.

Attal’s primaries include Crimson for sustain through lifesteal, The Old Prefect for consistent Arc damage, and DEL7 SIMIT for flexible output. Her heavy choice, Royal Contravene, complements her support role with reliable Arc damage to keep pressure on enemies.

• Slot 1: Talisman of Revival – Healing a target to full health also restores 3.29% health every 2s for 8s afterwards. Impregnable Token – Precision final blows grant a 238-value overshield for 8s. Inverted Guard – Gain a +31.5% shield when health falls below 17.5%.
• Slot 2: Talisman of Luxuriance – Improves healing received by +16.8%. Unrelenting Token – Taking damage grants –10.5% damage taken while airborne. Pranayama – Supports energy sustain for casting abilities more often.
• Slot 3: Talisman of Unity – Restores 7% health after summoning. Calming Token – Taking damage reduces incoming damage by –0.63% per stack, up to 20x. Inverted Fury – Boosts survivability by granting +32.2% health when shield falls below 17.5%.
• Slot 4: Talisman of Inspiration – Healing a target to full health also increases healing given by +16.8% for 8s. Hawkeye Token – Precision damage grants a short-term 8.75% damage resistance. Inverted Vengeance – Taking damage while below 50% health reduces damage by –8.75%. BLOG20

Attal’s build is adaptable: players can lean into maximum sustain and team support with healing and overshield artifacts, or shift toward weapon-based options when extra damage is needed.

Finnala Best Build

Finnala is a Solar defender who focuses on regeneration and crowd control, excelling at applying Scorched, Taunt, and Suppression debuffs. Her damage output is limited, so her builds are best when stacked with defensive and sustain-oriented artifacts to keep her alive while she locks down enemies.

Finnala’s primaries include Sweet Business, a Solar weapon suited for sustained fire, and Sworn Oath for precision-based damage. For heavy options, Partridge Sky brings reliable burst power, while Nobunaga offers flexible utility in harder encounters.

1. Slot 1: Healing Radiation – Restores 1.05% health per second while within 20m of a debuffed enemy. Chiaroscuro – Reduces incoming damage by –8.75% but lowers healing received by –17.5% when above half health. Impregnable Evolution – Taking damage grants –0.63% damage per stack, up to 20x.
2. Slot 2: Resolute Radiation – Grants defensive resistance while enemies are afflicted with status. Inverted Tenacity – Provides scaling survival bonuses under critical conditions. Unrelenting Evolution – Increases durability through sustained damage reduction effects.
3. Slot 3: Bellicose Radiation – Boosts both offense and defense when debuffed. Upright Vengeance – Restores +32.2% health when shield falls below 17.5%. Predator Evolution – Reinforces survival through melee engagement sustain.
4. Slot 4: Rampaging Radiation – Increases damage dealt while under a status effect. Inverted Survival – Offers additional survival bonuses when at low health. Sympathetic Evolution – Shares defensive buffs with allies nearby.

Finnala’s build makes her incredibly resilient, letting her maintain control over enemies through debuffs while staying healthy with layered sustain. She won’t top damage charts, but her durability and crowd-control utility make her invaluable in team content.

Tan-2 Best Build

It’s time for another support build in this Destiny Rising best builds guide. Tan-2 is a Solar support who can switch seamlessly between dealing damage and keeping allies alive. His flexibility makes him highly customizable, with artifact choices that let him lean fully into healing, offense, or a balanced hybrid style.

Tan-2’s primaries include Polaris Lance, which rewards precision play and Solar explosions, and DEL3 Lassi for steady, reliable fire. His heavies, Borealis and Izanagi, are both strong Solar picks — Borealis for elemental versatility and Izanagi for single-shot burst potential.

1. Slot 1: Talisman of Revival – Healing a target to full health also restores 3.29% health every 2s for 8s. Impregnable Token – Precision final blows grant a 238-value overshield for 8s. Inverted Guard – Grants a +31.5% shield when health drops below 17.5%.
2. Slot 2: Talisman of Luxuriance – Increases healing received by +16.8%. Unrelenting Token – Taking damage whileairborne reduces damage by –10.5%. Pranayama – Restores ability energy when healing, improving support uptime.
3. Slot 3: Talisman of Unity – Restores 7% health after summoning. Calming Token – Taking damage grants –0.63% damage taken per stack, up to 20x. Inverted Fury – Restores +32.2% health when shield falls below 17.5%.
4. Slot 4: Talisman of Inspiration – Healing a target to full health also increases healing output by +16.8% for 8s. Hawkeye Token – Precision hits grant +8.75% damage resistance for 3s. Inverted Vengeance – While below 50% health, damage taken is reduced by –8.75%.

Tan-2’s build adapts to the team’s needs. With full healing artifacts, he becomes a pure support, while offensive picks let him add significant Solar damage. Mixing sustain with burst damage options creates a hybrid build that makes him one of the most versatile characters in Destiny Rising.

Ning Fei Best Build

Ning Fei is an Arc summoner who excels at mobility, quickly moving between enemies and leaving behind damaging clones. His Destiny Rising builds meta, typically strengthening either his clone generation or his movement-based survivability, letting him thrive in fast-paced combat. It is no wonder, he is at the top of the leaderboards in the Shifting Sands activity.

Ning Fei’s primaries are fast and aggressive: The Huckleberry chains kills for momentum, Riskrunner punishes Arc damage with chained lightning, and Wolfpack provides strong sustained fire. His heavies — Mahamayuri, Saizo, and HON3 Eibellaks — offer a mix of burst and AoE options to support his clone-based playstyle.

1. Slot 1: Nimble Veil – Casting a movement ability reduces incoming damage by –14.7% for 3s. Healing Radiation – Restores 1.05% health per second when within 20m of a debuffed enemy. Nourishing Pact – Summoning restores 7% health, giving sustain while deploying clones.
2. Slot 2: Healing Veil – Grants regeneration tied to movement usage. Resolute Radiation – Reduces damage taken when enemies are afflicted with status effects. Inverted Tenacity – Provides additional durability during critical health situations.
3. Slot 3: Courageous Planetesimal – Restores 0.86% health every second for 5s (stacks 3x) after casting signature abilities. Bellicose Radiation – Improves offensive output while under debuff. Rampaging Pact – Summons deal increased damage while active.
4. Slot 4: Bellicose Planetesimal – Boosts both offensive and defensive performance in prolonged fights. Valiant Veil – Reduces incoming damage while moving. Rampaging Radiation – Increases damage dealt while under a status effect.

Ning Fei’s build thrives on momentum, chaining mobility and clones while staying alive through healing triggers. Depending on artifact choices, he can lean into pure summoner play or a mobile duelist style that makes him one of the hardest characters to pin down.

Jolder Best Build

Jolder is a Void defender who specializes in drawing enemy attention, generating overshields, and creating protective barriers. Her builds shine when focused on reducing incoming damage and amplifying her shield strength, keeping her team safe while she holds the frontline.

Jolder’s primary options all reward aggressive frontline play: The Huckleberry chains kills to maintain pressure, Riskrunner offers resistance and lightning chains against Arc damage, and Wolfpack provides consistent fire. Her heavies, Partridge Sky and Nobunaga, add burst potential and flexible damage for tougher encounters.

1. Slot 1: Resolute Conjunction – Reduces incoming damage from enemies within 15m by –12.25%. Ring of Abundance – Increases potency of healing and overshields received by +16.8%. Healing Radiation – Restores 1.05% health per second while near a debuffed enemy.
2. Slot 2: Healing Conjunction – Restores health when casting abilities while close to enemies. Ring of Safeguarding – Increases overshield capacity for added durability. Resolute Radiation – Reduces damage taken when affected by status effects.
3. Slot 3: Jolted Transit – Boosts offensive capability when chaining melee or ability damage. Ring of Courage – Improves overshield strength and regeneration. Bellicose Radiation – Increases both offense and defense while debuffed.
4. Slot 4: Resonating Transit – Extends durability through improved sustain in prolonged fights. Ring of Reflection – Enhances survivability by reflecting damage while shielded. Rampaging Radiation – Increases damage dealt while under a status effect.

Jolder’s build cements her role as a frontline defender, keeping enemies focused on her while allies operate safely behind. Her artifact options give her the choice between sheer durability, stronger overshields, or situational damage boosts when debuffed.

Gwynn Best Build

Gwynn is a Void melee caster who darts in and out of combat, collecting Void Spirits and dealing damage with her abilities. Her top Destiny Rising DPS build can either lean into burst melee offense or add survivability tools so she can dive into melee range more safely.

Gwynn’s primaries include Concerto for reliable Void damage, DEL6 Kokoretsi for versatile combat scenarios, and Chushingura for precise melee setups. Her heavy options are strong finishers: Octant Riot Disperser for AoE, The Chaperone for lethal precision at close range, Eternal Retribution for bosses, and IST2 Niaatiks as a flexible endgame option.

1. Slot 1: Abundant Planetesimal – Casting signature abilities restores 0.86% health every second for 5s (stacks 3x). Resolute Conjunction – Reduces damage from enemies within 15m by –12.25%. Chiaroscuro – Reduces incoming damage by –8.75% but lowers healing received by –17.5% when above 50% health. BLOG20
2. Slot 2: Binging Planetesimal – Grants sustain during frequent ability casts. Healing Conjunction – Restores health after casting abilities near enemies. Inverted Tenacity – Improves survival when health reaches critical levels.
3. Slot 3: Courageous Planetesimal – Restores 0.86% health every second for 5s (stacks 3x) after ability usage. Jolted Transit – Boosts offensive bursts in melee chains. Upright Vengeance – Restores +32.2% health when shield falls below 17.5%.
4. Slot 4: Rampaging Planetesimal – Increases damage scaling while under pressure. Resonating Transit – Extends combat presence through chained ability effects. Inverted Survival – Improves durability when health is low.

Gwynn’s build rewards aggressive melee play, diving into close combat to gather Void Spirits while relying on artifacts to either keep her alive or push her damage further. Players can adapt her loadout for safer, sustained fighting or high-risk, high-reward burst setups.

Conclusion

Artifacts may not play such a big role when you’re working on your handbook progress and you don’t get that many weapons either, but the closer to the endgame you get, the more prominent those little bonuses will become. You do have a solid amount of choices in the artifact department, but you have to grind a very specific activity to get those. You’d have to grind the rogue-like Realm of the IX Singularity activity, which can be done solo.

So, it’s not like these artifacts drop from various activities, but at least you can attune to getting specific ones in the completion rewards. As for the weapons, things are a bit stingy here, too. When you level up, you don’t get to choose between different weapons within the same weapon type. You just get the same one or two weapons, just with different perk rolls. That’s why it’s best to refer to working and effective builds.

F.A.Q.