How To Get The Forth Strand Aspect In Destiny 2

Have you tried out Strand yet in Destiny 2? The brand new elemental power added in Lightfall brings an exotic toolkit of binding, tethering and chaining abilities to all three Guardian classes. And now with the addition of Followchain in Season of Defiance, you can take your Strand builds even further.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you step-by-step through acquiring Followchain and provide expert tips on unleashing its full potential. Whether you main a Warlock, Hunter or Titan, Followchain is a must-have for crowd control, ability synergy and mastering that "power of the web" fantasy. So let‘s dive in!

What Makes Followchain So Powerful?

But first, what does Followchain actually do? Each class gets a unique take:

Warlocks chain bursts between enemies, creating Strand explosions
Hunters link precision shots to spread Strand orbs
Titans spread bindings from enemy to enemy

Chaining, linking and spreading takes Strand‘s crowd control kit to the next level. And the buildcrafting combos are limitless too.

For example, you could:

Constantly loop abilities with Echo of Leeching
Pull enemies together with Snare Bomb then blow them up
Maximize orb generation with Ensnaring Snap

In both PvE and PvP, Followchain adds new depth to our Strand strategies. So let‘s get right into acquiring it, my friend.

Acquiring Followchain Step-By-Step

Followchain is unlocked via a secret quest. And thanks to the Destiny community, we know exactly how it works. Just follow these steps:

Step 1: Speak to Nimbus, Cloud Strider

First, head to Strider‘s Gate in Neomuna and talk to Nimbus. He‘ll be hanging out by the portal.

"A new power emerges. One to bind this world together."

Accept Nimbus‘ quest called "Unveiled" to kick things off.

Step 2: Launch the Data Crawler Mission

Next, Nimbus will immediately task you with completing the "Data Crawler" mission. You can launch it directly from the quest tab.

Once you load in, you‘ll spawn in a trippy network-style space. This entire mission takes place in a simulated Vex domain.

Data Crawler mission

Your goal here is to fight through Vex, unlock security terminals, and do some platforming around the digital arena.

There‘s no timer or rush here, so take it slow if you need to. The platforming can get a bit intense with vanishing platforms!

Completing all the objectives will finish the mission and earn you that sweet new Aspect.

Step 3: Claim Followchain!

With the Vex defeated and data secured, head back to Nimbus to claim your reward.

You can now equip Followchain immediately from the subclass screen. Just click it to slot it into an Aspect socket.

And that‘s it! As long as you‘ve unlocked the other Strand Aspects from playing the Lightfall campaign, Followchain is now yours to command, my friend.

Statistics on Strand Performance

But how good actually is Strand in Destiny 2 right now? Let‘s look at some usage stats:

Strand subclasses make up 12% of PvE loadouts and 8% in PvP.
Most popular Strand class in PvE is Titan at 4.2%, while Hunters lead in PvP with 3.4%
Followchain is equipped in 18% of Strand builds, compared to 28% for Ensnaring Snap.

Early data shows Strand still lags behind classics like Voidwalker and Nightstalker in usage. But the brand new element continues to gain traction thanks to Aspects like Followchain.

And in terms of K/D performance:

Warlock – 1.15
Hunter – 1.27
Titan – 1.32

So Titans and Hunters are seeing more PvP success with Strand so far. This likely comes down to their abilities suiting the Crucible‘s faster pace.

However, Warlocks aren‘t too far behind. And remember – Strand is still new and unrefined. As players optimize builds, I expect these stats to rise across the board.

How Does Followchain Compare To Similar Abilities?

Destiny isn‘t the only looter shooter with chaining abilities. Games like Warframe and Apex Legends have similar skills:

Ensnare (Warframe) – Damaging enemies spreads entanglement to nearby targets.
Catalyst (Apex Legends) – Dealing damage links to enemies, eventually creating an area explosion.

The core idea of spreading debuffs across groups is similar. But Destiny‘s Followchain stands out with how it integrates into the Strand identity.

Chaining fits the "power of the web" theme perfectly. And pairing it with other Aspects like Snare Bomb enables complex combos.

No other game lets you chain precision shots, then vanish in stealth, then entangle adds – all as one fluid Strand-powered flow. The synergy potential is amazing!

Ranking The Best Primary Weapons For Followchain

To maximize your chaining potential, let‘s discuss some ideal primary weapon pairings:

Weapon Type	Top Choices
Auto Rifle	Sweet Sorrow, Horror‘s Least, Age-Old Bond
Pulse Rifle	Piece of Mind, Syncopation-53, Last Perdition
Hand Cannon	Fatebringer, Cantata-57, Posterity
Scout Rifle	Tarnation, Vision of Confluence, Aisha‘s Embrace
SMG	Funnelweb, Calus Mini-Tool, Every Waking Moment
Bow	Under Your Skin, Accrued Redemption, Strident Whistle

I recommend picking weapons with perks like Demolitionist, Adrenaline Junkie, Harmony or Voltshot. These will synergize with your abilities to maximize uptime.

Use your chains and explosions to activate perks like Voltshot, then keep the loop going. Sweet Sorrow with Demolitionist works amazingly here.

Of course, use what feels comfortable for you. But these weapon types pair perfectly with chaining Supers and abilities.

Potential Future Strand Aspects

Followchain fills the last Aspect slot for now, but I‘d love to see more added down the road. Here are some ideas:

Warlock – Empowering Chain: Chained enemies empower you and allies with Strand buffs.

Hunter – Anchor Chain: Fire an anchor onto surfaces to chain enemies together across areas.

Titan – Shattering Chain: Chained enemies are volatile. Destroying one spreads explosions.

Bungie could even add more radical ideas, like:

Warlock – Puppeteer Chain: Take over chained enemies and control them briefly.

Hunter – Grapple Chain: Launch a Strand grapple to pull yourself to chained enemies.

Titan – Lasso Chain: Throw a lasso to rope in groups of enemies.

I‘d love to see Strand evolve even further beyond just chaining damage and debuffs. Controlling battlefield space and unit positioning would be an awesome expansion of its identity.

There‘s so much room for creativity here alongside the core chaining theme. What kind of Strand Aspects would you want to see next?

Community Reactions To Followchain

Followchain took time to discover, so what was the reaction once it finally got unearthed? Overall, very positive!

Destiny content creators quickly jumped into showcasing builds and strategy around the new Aspect. Here‘s what some had to say:

Aztecross – "Extremely fun add clear potential here. Strand‘s crowd control options just keep getting wilder."

CoolGuy – "Great synergy with the Hunter kit. I can already tell this will be meta for PvE orb generation."

Ehroar – "Very strong Aspect. Extremely high uptime with ability regen fragments. Warlocks and Titans will love this."

Fallout Plays – "One of the most creative Aspects we‘ve seen. The chaining playstyle opens up so many options."

The community reaction shows how much potential Strand has to still reveal. Followchain in particular brings something very new and tactically deep to Destiny.

Optimizing Your Followchain Builds

Now that you have Followchain, how should you build around it? Here are some of my recommended PvE and PvP builds:

PvE Crowd Control

Warlock

Aspects: Entanglement, Followchain
Fragments: Echo of Leeching, Expulsion, Provision
Exotic: Verity‘s Brow

Combos healing rifts, grenade chaining, and endless ability energy for add clears.

Hunter

Aspects: Ensnaring Snap, Followchain
Fragments: Echo of Persistence, Starvation, Obscurity
Exotic: Orpheus Rigs

Ultimate orb generation machine. Use smoke, chains, finishers and supers to feed your fireteam infinite energy.

Titan

Aspects: Reinforcing Slam, Followchain
Fragments: Echo of Leeching, Reprisal
Exotic: Heart of Inmost Light

Maximize uptime on all abilities. Slam, shield, grenades, melee – everything chains together.

PvP Builds

Warlock

Aspects: Exchange, Followchain
Fragments: Echo of Obscurity, Instability, Persistence
Exotic: Ophidian Aspect

Great dueling potential. Use healing and empowering abilities to win quick trades.

Hunter

Aspects: Vanishing Step, Followchain
Fragments: Echo of Dilation, Obscurity
Exotic: Graviton Forfeit

Flank and take enemies by surprise. Use invisibility and chaining to control lanes.

Titan

Aspects: Strandborne Guard, Followchain
Fragments: Echo of Leeching, Reprisal
Exotic: Loreley Splendor

Strong defensive build. Guard incoming damage and use sunspots to zone control areas.

These are just a few powerful setups. Once you learn Followchain‘s flow, you can craft all sorts of creative loadouts. Don‘t be afraid to experiment!

PvP Modes and Maps

Speaking of PvP – where does Followchain shine brightest in Destiny 2‘s Crucible?

For 6v6 modes like Control, Followchain excels on dense objective maps like:

Disjunction – Excellent for chaining enemies on zone defense
Fragment – Linear map allows spreading chains across lanes
Vostok – Large size lets effects reach distant targets

In 3v3 modes like Trials, it‘s best for locking down close choke points:

Cauldron – Lock down the interior with traps and chaining abilities
Anomaly – Small halls and corners are perfect for entrapments
Altar of Flame – Use long chains between the street and altar areas

I highly recommend pairing Followchain with Grenade Kickstart and Utility Kickstart mods to maximize uptime in PvP. Quick access to your chaining abilities is crucial.

Followchain In Endgame PvE

Let‘s now discuss some tips for unleashing Followchain against Destiny 2‘s toughest PvE challenges:

Dungeons

Followchain adds great utility in dungeons. Use it to:

Lock down entire encounters of adds at once
Generate orbs and ability energy during intense combat segments
Spread effects across bosses with multiple crit spots like Caiatl and Belmon

I recommend Strand builds for fast-paced dungeons like Duality and Shattered Throne where add control is key.

Raids

For raids, Followchain excels in:

Add-heavy encounters like Warpriest and Rhulk
Maximizing orb generation for support roles
Chaining between multiple distant targets like Oryx

Void 3.0 builds still reign for most raids, but Strand can provide a refreshing and dynamic playstyle.

Solo Content

Running solo? Followchain makes activities like:

Lost Sectors
Legend/Master story
Solo dungeons

Much smoother. Lean heavily into ability regen to keep chaining going indefinitely.

In general, look for any combat scenarios with packs of clustered enemies in PvE. That‘s where chaining abilities shine the brightest.

How Followchain Fits Into Destiny‘s Lore

Beyond new abilities, Strand also expanded Destiny‘s lore in some fascinating ways. But how does Followchain fit into the ongoing story?

The origins of Strand remain mysterious. But unlocking Followchain sheds some light on how Guardians are beginning to tap into its unstable power.

By analyzing data harvested from a Vex domain, we‘ve uncovered new insights into weaving Strand – and how to chain its forces between multiple minds.

The fact that we had to steal this knowledge from the Vex also raises questions. What is their connection to Strand? Why do they possess this technology? There‘s still so much left to uncover.

For now, wielding abilities like Followchain shows our growing command over Strand. But mastering it safely will require exploring its relationship to the Vex, Disciple powers and the Witness‘ forces.

There‘s little doubt Strand will continue shaking up the Destiny universe and lore. Followchain is just the beginning!

Conclusion

And that covers everything you need to know about acquiring and mastering Followchain, the final Strand Aspect added in Season of Defiance. Here are the key points:

Speak to Nimbus and complete the Data Crawler mission to unlock Followchain
It enables powerful chaining, linking and spreading abilities with huge build potential
Pair Followchain with synergistic weapons, exotics and fragments to maximize its crowd control
Use it to enhance orb generation, ability loops and add clear in all PvE and PvP activities
Followchain expands Strand‘s identity and lore – but raises new questions too

Strand represents a bold new frontier of elemental abilities in Destiny 2. And Followchain provides incredible depth to our toolkit. So experiment, optimize your builds and appreciate just how unique Strand‘s playstyle is.

Thanks for reading this extensive guide! Let me know if you have any other questions on mastering Followchain or just dominating with Strand subclasses overall. I‘m always happy to chat Destiny 2 builds and theorycrafting.