Here's my kit (I'll probably be adding and editing this post as I refine it and to describe it in more detail): I just got a Strongholds that was good enough for me earlier tonight. [u]Stats:[/u] [b]21 Health[/b] [b]21 Melee[/b] [b]90 (110) Grenade[/b] [Ultimately... I want to trade -10 here w +10 Super - whether I run Drengr or Unbreakable 100 is enough so 80]. [b]44 Super[/b] [ I want this at 54 then in cases where I run a sword with lead from light, I can drop special finder on my helmet and add a Font of Super - then I'll be at 74 super effectively and that's really quick when you're running a roaming super i.e. Solar, Strand, Stasis]. [b]149 Class[/b] [19.4 hp overshield 70% DR per class activation... I LOVE thruster w swords, but you might prefer rally barricade and to post for a variation in utility benefits - less mobile, but more splash dmg DR, taunt... and a directional pathing IF using Drengr's] Note: If you combine Void Axes on Prismatic with Facet of Purpose... this is essentially a full overshield every time you dodge/thruster and pick up 1 orb. If on Void... now you have Devour (I'm just realizing 🤓 I need to make void subclass variant). [b]163 (183) Weapons[/b] [w/ my font active that's an 83% chance at a large ammo brick, and better than split surges... in fact it covers all elemental affinities - I'd love to have 200 weapons, but I'm going to have to wait for Strongholds to get the tier upgrades for that]. Prismatic, Hammer of Sol (or ANY except maybe arc), Thruster, Frenzied Blade, Shackle Nade [b]Drengr's Lash, Knockout[/b] (The void aspect works well in place of Drengr's too, I just prefer playing in the pocket and Denger's vibes better with that type of sword play, imo). Note: If you choose Unbreakable... you can't use it while wielding your sword (having your sword out). You can hold and swap to it while holding though... I'm not super practiced w it, so you may find this to be inconsistent... I'm not sure, need to spend more time with it. [u]Facets of:[/u] [b]Protection -[/b] [i]Grants 15% Damage Resistance while within 15 meters of 3 enemies. The Damage Resistance is NOT increased while Transcendent, it simply stacks with Transcendence's 20% Damage Resistance for a total of 32%.[/i] [b]Hope -[/b] [i]Having an active elemental buff grants an additional 40% Base Class Ability Regeneration Rate. Having 2+ active elemental buffs grants an additional 60% instead.[/i] [b]Ruin -[/b] [i]Ignitions have a 25% increased blast radius. Shattering enemies or destroying Crystals creates an additional damage instance, dealing up to 25 damage in a 10 meter radius. Damage falls off to 17 damage at the edge of the radius.[/i] [b]Purpose -[/b] [i]Collecting Orbs of Power grants Elemental buffs based on your equipped Super's element: • Arc: 1 Bolt Charge Stack • Solar: Restoration x1 for 5 seconds • Void: 22.5 HP Overshield for 5 seconds • Stasis: 2 Frost Armor Stacks for 9 seconds • Strand: Woven Mail for 5 seconds[/i] (Note: Restoration with Hammer of Sol... if you're running a healing weapon; a Void, Strand, or Stasis Super for better DPS). [b]Dawn -[/b] [i]Elemental Melee Hits grant you Radiant for 5 seconds. Elemental Melee Kills grant you and allies within ? meters Radiant for 5 seconds.[/i] [u]Set Bonuses:[/u] [b]Iron Bichromate (IB) -[/b] [i]2 Piece | Vigilant Watch As your health gets lower, your weapons gain increased stability and handling (these values aren't known... yet). Weapon final blows while your shields are depleted heal you (30 hp per proc/kill; there's 5 sec cooldown between activations, however multikills [I'm guessing w/in .5 sec heal you more]).[/i] [b]Smoke Jumper -[/b] [i]2 Piece | Ride Together, Die Together When you pick up an Orb of Power, gain a brief period of rapidly decaying damage reduction (45/30/15%). Seems longer than 3 secs to me... or maybe Tier 5 Smoke Jumper gives an extra second or two.[/i] Note: Both of these set bonuses synergize beautifully with Strongholds and sword combat... [u]Let's do some DR math:[/u] 1 - ((1 - .34) * (1 - .7) * (1 - .15) * (1 - .525 [.65]) * (1 - .15 [.45]) * (1 - .15 [.32]) * (1 - .15) * (1 - .15)) = 95.8% - 97.8 % DR Order of operations qualified: Base DR * Overshield * Amplify * Sword Guard resist [Min .525 to Max .65) * Smoke Jumper [Min .15 to Max .45] * Facet of Protection [Min .15 to Max while transcendent .32] * Resist 1 * Resist 2. There could also be a Resist 3... but let's say w/ 1 Lucent blade so 2 max. If you ran 3 resists that could stack; say Concussive, Melee, and Solar... it only raises the ceiling by .3% to a maximum potential of 98.1% total DR. Let's talk about healing: [u]Orbs + Facet of Purpose (Restoration x1)[/u] - 21 Health = 14.7 per orb + 15 Recuperation + 35 Restoration for the first tic = 64.7 hp with every orb uninterruptable + a 19.4 hp overshield IF Powerful Attraction picks it up... then another 140 hp over the next 4 secs 35x4. 64.7 + 140 = 204.7 hp. We only have 200 below 100 health... 70 Health 130 Shields. So, every orb I pick up fully heals me and it can't be interrupted. [u]Healing from kills[/u] - Knockout is 50/75/100 hp depending on the enemy type. Add the IB set bonus whenever I'm below 70 + 30 hp so 80/105/130 hp. [u]Healing from Strongholds from hits with Perfect Guard x1/x2[/u] - fully heals my teammates and I instantly. [b]That's ALOT of healing and dmg resist. [/b] [u]Armor Mods:[/u] [b]Class[/b] - Reaper, Tim Dilation, Powerful Attraction [b]Boots[/b] - Stacks on Stacks, Harmonic Scavenger or (Recuperation), 1x Weapon Font (183) [b]Chest[/b] - 3 resists applicable or 2 resists & Lucent Blade if weilding a sword withOUT infinite guard. [b]Arms[/b] - Bolstering Detonation, Harmonic Loader, Grenade Font (110) [b]Helmet[/b] - Special Ammo Finder, Powerful Friends, Dual Siphon (Solar/Strand or Solar/Stasis). [u]Required Artifact Mods:[/u] [i](Note: Alot of flexibility here depending on what weapons you use).[/i] [b]Iron Lord's Vigor -[/b] [i]While wielding a Sword, you take decreased damage; rapid final blows grant ammo to the wielder.[/i] [url=https://www.destiny2.science/]Credit: D2 Science[/url] - that I use to theory/game craft when building my kits (I start on my own, then use these resources to help me refine & min-max). [u]Weapons I like using with it so far:[/u] If you don't need Avante' Guard the best sword for Strongholds is any with [b][Infinite Guard][/b]. [b]1. Eternity's Edge w/ Flash Counter & Energy Transfer[/b] I took it through Creation on Ultimate with Extinction & Pressure Cooker, did matchmade for Cabal's Watch on Ultimate. There's a little more thought involved but you're basically... still invincible. Your sword [energy] won't deplete with Infinite Guard... which allows you to build Perfect Guard stacks infinitely. There are 2 stacks. At x1 an attack will Heal you & teammates within 18 meters (59.05 feet which is a huge radius). At x2 it heals and totally replenishes your sword energy. This can be Heavy or Light. The cadence with an infinite guard sword is: [b]x1 Light Attacks x2 Light or Heavy[/b] If you follow this cadence, you're virtually invincible... have infinite sword energy and can hold block infinitely as long as you have at least 1 ammo. I like to run Eternity's Edge with: Returned Memory, Ahab.. or the solstice smg. Mint, the Strand Exotic Bow with Hatchling (Both great with Artifact strand mods), Wicked Implement (using applicable artifact mods) [u]Heavy if you need Avante' Guard:[/u] I've used both of the new swords, have not ran the arc exotic... but that has Infinite Guard. For the last 2 GM conquests I needed to gild I ran: Wishkeeper, Returned Memory, Solar wave frame (Fallen Saber) then, Mint, Ahab, Aurora (Glassway) I died once in Fallen Saber because I got tagged by the arc field during boss, I was jumping laterally behind the pylons, but I still got too close to one somehow. I did clutch after though; when both my teammates died. Glassway... WE owned it, but I matched w a 548 Wishful Titan... and no doubt that kit is great. I did need to rez both of them at different points, I never died... my other teammate was a Warlock that mostly shadowed behind me and the other Titan. I'm cool with that. If someone else plays anchor... No mic... in FTF, both of them. Both were easy. [u]Feedback for Strongholds:[/u] [b]@Bungie 1. Make Perfect Guard 3 stacks on the meter. Whereby x2 & x3 fully refresh your sword energy. 2. Have Strongholds grant [Infinite Guard] for every sword. 3. Increase Perfect Guard gains from taking dmg or have it scale with the amount of dmg received. I'd prefer the latter IF possible.[/b] [i]This is my preliminary experience and feedback for Strongholds on Titan. I think they're far better this way. More mindful, not totally free... a much more ACTIVE playstyle. And they can handle curated or matchmade ultimate at - 40. They dominated in my final two GM Conquests to gild Conqueror.[/i] @Bungie... for your consideration, please [b]KEEP STRONGHOLDS AS THEY ARE[/b], thank you 😇👍💠.