Arc — Subclass Field Guide

00 · Read This First

What Arc actually is

Arc is momentum: chain-damage that disorients the room and keeps you moving fast — get Amplified, apply Jolt so lightning chains between targets, and harvest Ionic Traces to never stop throwing abilities.

What wins fights

Three jobs, run in a loop:

Apply Jolt — abilities and Arc weapons jolt targets; jolted enemies who take damage release chain lightning.
Stay fast — Amplified boosts movement and weapon handling/reload; Blind strips an enemy's HUD and stops them shooting.
Feed the engine — Ionic Traces streak to you and refund ability energy so the cycle restarts; Bolt Charge builds and discharges as lightning.

What old guides get wrong

Several pre-9.7.0 assumptions are dead. Treat anything older as suspect:

Bolt Charge is a newer Arc verb that didn't exist in the original Arc 3.0 — a stacking charge that discharges as lightning.
Arc kits gained aspects after Arc 3.0 — Ascension (Hunter), Storm's Keep (Titan), Ionic Sentry (Warlock).
Ability cooldown cap moved 190 → 125, and bosses now give -60% super energy from damage dealt.

Chain

Jolt is a chaining damage debuff. You don't kill targets one at a time — you Jolt a cluster and let bolts arc between bodies. Abilities and Voltshot/jolt weapons all apply it.

Speed

Arc is the tempo element. Amplified makes you faster and slicker; Blind buys space by shutting an enemy down. You play forward — close distance and overwhelm before they react.

Sustain

Ionic Traces are the fuel. Pickups streak in and dump ability energy, so the neutral game funds itself — and Bolt Charge adds a second, newer reservoir that pays out as lightning.

Monument baseline: last gameplay patch Update 9.7.0.3 (2026-07-07). Update 9.7.0.4 (2026-07-28) shipped without notes; Update 9.7.0.5 (2026-10-07) is an anti-cheat back-end fix only. Checked 2026-10-08. Only claims on Bungie's active Known Issues list are flagged inline. Full per-class builds live in the Warlock, Titan and Hunter class guides; the Light+Dark blend is in Prismatic; stats live in Armor 3.0; the build loop is wired up in Buildcrafting.

01 · Verb Glossary

The Arc keywords

Every Arc build is a sentence built from these words. Learn the verbs and the fragment/aspect text reads itself.

JoltChaining DoT · debuff

A debuff: a jolted target that takes any damage releases chain lightning to nearby enemies, dealing extra damage over time. The core Arc damage verb — applied by abilities and jolt weapons.

BlindDisorient · strip HUD

An AoE crowd-control: blinded enemies have their HUD stripped, can't fire, and stumble disoriented. Buys you space and stuns Unstoppable Champions. The Arc "stop shooting me" button.

AmplifiedSpeed buff

A timed movement and weapon-handling buff — faster sprint, slide, reload and ready speed. Earned by rapid Arc kills. Your "go faster" state; many fragments key off being Amplified.

Ionic TracePickup → ability energy

A streak of energy spawned by Arc kills/ability hits. It travels to you automatically and dumps ability energy across your grenade, melee and class slots. The fuel that closes the loop.

Bolt ChargeNewer Arc charge

Newer verb. A stacking charge (max 10) built by specific aspects, exotics and rapid Arc play; at full stacks your next hit discharges as a lightning strike on that target. A second damage reservoir layered over the classic kit. Newer than original Arc 3.0.

Arc Soul / SparkLoop utility

Not a buff per se but worth flagging: aspects spawn a turret-like Arc Soul or roaming spark that adds free DPS and uptime. The clearest example that Arc rewards aggression — extra damage just for being in the fight.

02 · The Three Classes

Arc, per class

Same element, three identities. Each leans on a different verb. The names below are the shape; your two Aspects decide how many fragment slots you get.

Arc · Warlock

StormcallerClass ability · Rift

Supers: Stormtrance · Chaos Reach
Leans on: Jolt / Ionic Traces

The chain-lightning controller. Stormtrance is the roaming lightning channel; Chaos Reach is a cancellable beam for boss DPS. Signature aspects: Arc Soul (spawn a turret that auto-shocks) and Lightning Surge (slide-melee blink that jolts everything around you).

Identity is the Rift — Stormcaller builds spend and refund class-ability energy, dropping Rifts that buff Arc Souls and keep Ionic Traces flowing. The reliable add-control pick.

Arc · Titan

StrikerClass ability · Barricade

Supers: Fists of Havoc · Thundercrash
Leans on: Bolt Charge / melee

The shoulder-charge bruiser. Fists of Havoc is a roaming ground-pound super; Thundercrash is a one-shot flying body-slam for burst DPS. Signature aspects: Touch of Thunder (supercharged Arc grenades, incl. Storm grenade) and Knockout (wounding or shield-breaking empowers your melee; melee kills heal and Amplify you).

Melees define the loop: Thunderclap (charge-up ranged punch) and Seismic Strike (a Seismic shoulder-charge that blinds). Touch of Thunder supercharges Arc grenades — its Lightning Grenade builds Bolt Charge, while the Storm grenade becomes a roaming thundercloud that chases targets.

Arc · Hunter

ArcstriderClass ability · Dodge

Supers: Arc Staff · Gathering Storm
Leans on: Amplified / melee

The melee duelist. Arc Staff is the spinning roaming super; Gathering Storm throws a staff that stakes the ground and jolts everything around it — strong burst/DPS. Signature aspects: Lethal Current (dodge empowers your melee to blind & jolt) and Flow State (jolt kills make you Amplified with faster everything).

The neutral hook is Combination Blow — chain melee kills to stack damage and refund dodge, looping melee-dodge-melee. Pair with Liar's Handshake (huge counter-punch) or Assassin's Cowl (melee/finisher kills grant invis + heal).

03 · Fragments

The "Spark of …" pool

Arc fragments are all Sparks. Your two equipped Aspects set how many fragment slots you get, and many Sparks carry a stat bonus or penalty — so picking fragments is also picking stats. Below are the staples.

Spark of Resistance

Take less incoming damage while surrounded by multiple enemies — the survivability staple.

Spark of Shock

Your Arc grenades Jolt targets — the easiest on-demand way to start chain lightning.

Spark of Ions

Defeating jolted targets spawns an Ionic Trace — the core fuel-generation fragment.

Spark of Magnitude

Your lingering Arc grenades last longer (e.g. Storm, Pulse) — more uptime per throw.

Spark of Discharge

Arc weapon final blows have a chance to spawn an Ionic Trace — feeds the loop off gunplay.

Spark of Beacons

While Amplified, Arc special-weapon kills create a blinding explosion — adds CC to your DPS.

Spark of Feedback

Taking melee damage briefly boosts your outgoing melee damage — punishes anything that swings at you.

Spark of Frequency

Melee hits dramatically speed up your reload — rewards getting in close and Amplified.

How to read slots: Arc gives a fixed fragment pool, but how many you can slot is decided by your two Aspects — some Aspects grant more fragment sockets than others. Stack the stat riders deliberately (e.g. a Spark that adds a defensive stat if you want survivability). Prismatic does not use Sparks — it has its own Facet pool, covered in the Prismatic guide.

03b · Wiring It Up

Stats, mods & the loop

An Arc build is never carried by the exotic alone — the loop only closes when stats, mods and fragments push the same way. The full stat math lives in Armor 3.0 and the wiring walkthrough in Buildcrafting; here's the Arc-specific shape.

The mod layer

Set armor mods before tuning stats — a lot of the loop lives here:

Siphon (helmet) — Arc weapon kills make Orbs of Power; pairs with your Ionic-Trace fuel.
Firepower / Heavy Handed (arms) — Orbs on grenade / melee kills, which your jolt loop produces constantly.
Bomber / Outreach / Distribution (class item) — ability energy on class-ability use, for Rift / Dodge / Barricade cadence.
Arc Surge (legs) — bonus Arc weapon damage while you hold Armor Charge; biggest on Arc-surge weeks.

Stats by build shape

Translate the loop into the 9.7.0 stat system:

Melee / Amplified builds (Combination Blow, Knockout) → melee-leaning archetype for faster punch uptime.
Grenade / jolt builds (Touch of Thunder, Stormcaller) → grenade-leaning so Lightning/Storm grenades and Bolt Charge keep flowing.
Boss DPS (Thundercrash, Gathering Storm, Chaos Reach) → push Super / Weapons before the damage phase, swap back after.
Don't dump Class — every Arc class spends class-ability energy to keep the loop fed.

Cooldown reality check: with the cap moved 190 → 125 and bosses giving -60% super energy from damage, you can no longer brute-force a single mega-stat — layered ability regen (Ionic Traces, Bomber mods, Spark of Ions/Discharge) beats one tall spike.

04 · Builds

One build per class

A starter Arc build for each class — super → aspects → fragments → exotic → armor archetype → weapons. Full versions live in each class guide.

Warlock · Stormcaller

Arc Soul Jolt Engine · Geomag / Crown of Tempests

Best add controlPvE

SuperChaos Reach (or Stormtrance)

ExoticGeomag Stabilizers / Crown of Tempests

AspectsArc Soul · Lightning Surge

ClassHealing / Empowering Rift

FragmentsShock · Ions · Discharge · Resistance

WeaponsArc primary w/ Voltshot

How it plays: Drop a Rift to spawn an Arc Soul turret, Jolt the pack with Shock grenades and a Voltshot weapon, then let chain lightning and the Soul clear while Ions/Discharge rain Ionic Traces back. Chaos Reach (with Geomag) covers the damage phase; Crown extends Stormtrance off Arc ability kills — run it with the Stormtrance option. Armor: grenade/Class-leaning archetype · push Class for Rift cadence.

Titan · Striker

Thundercrash Burst · Cuirass of the Falling Star

Best burst DPSPvE

SuperThundercrash

ExoticCuirass of the Falling Star

AspectsTouch of Thunder · Knockout

ClassRally / Towering Barricade

FragmentsShock · Magnitude · Ions · Resistance

WeaponsArc weapon w/ Voltshot for jolt

How it plays: Spark of Shock makes your Storm grenade Jolt and Magnitude keeps it lingering for add-control, while a Voltshot weapon supplies more Jolt; want Bolt Charge instead, run Touch of Thunder's Lightning Grenade (Heresy Arc update). Knockout empowers your punch when you wound or shield-break a target, and melee kills heal + Amplify you — the neutral game. Bank super, then Thundercrash with Cuirass for a single massive flying slam — premier one-and-done burst. Armor: Super/melee-leaning archetype · push Super before a damage phase.

Hunter · Arcstrider

Combination Blow Loop · Liar's Handshake / Assassin's Cowl

Add clear / soloPvE

SuperGathering Storm (or Arc Staff)

ExoticLiar's Handshake / Assassin's Cowl

AspectsLethal Current · Flow State

ClassGambler's / Marksman's Dodge

FragmentsShock · Ions · Frequency · Resistance

WeaponsArc special + add-clear primary

How it plays: Combination Blow + a melee exotic loops punch → kill → dodge → punch, stacking melee damage; Lethal Current makes the post-dodge melee blind & jolt, Flow State keeps you Amplified with faster everything. Assassin's Cowl heals + cloaks on kills (solo), Liar's hits like a truck (DPS). Armor: melee-leaning archetype · build for melee/dodge uptime.

PvE vs PvP: In PvE the verdicts above hold — Arc is a top tempo/add-control element and the Combination Blow and Thundercrash builds are reference-tier. In PvP Arc's job is speed, blind, and close-range tempo: Amplified movement wins neutral position, Blind shuts a defender down long enough to push, and melee exotics (Liar's Handshake, Assassin's Cowl) turn a brush into a one-tap. Grenades are pressure and area denial, not chain clears. The "best" tags above are PvE-first; with the sandbox settled on the Monument baseline, those values are stable. → PvP: Crucible hub · PvP builds

Other Arc exotics worth knowing

The builds above are starters, not the only answers. A few class exotics define their own Arc loops — pick by what the activity needs.

Warlock options

Crown of Tempests — Arc ability kills stack escalating ability regen and extend Stormtrance; the classic chain-lightning engine. Geomag Stabilizers tops off and extends Chaos Reach. Crown for neutral spam, Geomag for the beam.

Titan options

Cuirass of the Falling Star — supercharges Thundercrash for top-tier burst DPS. Heart of Inmost Light / HoIL for relentless ability uptime; An Insurmountable Skullfort for melee-kill healing loops. Cuirass leans burst, HoIL leans neutral.

Hunter options

Liar's Handshake — a counter-punch melee that hits massively and heals. Assassin's Cowl — melee/finisher kills grant invisibility + heal, a near-unkillable solo loop. Liar's for damage, Cowl for survival.

Take it to a full build → these are starters; the complete Monument-era builds live on the class pages — Warlock Arc (Arc Soul jolt engine · Geomag / Crown of Tempests) · Titan Arc (Thundercrash burst · Cuirass of the Falling Star) · Hunter Arc (Combination Blow loop · Liar's Handshake / Assassin's Cowl).

05 · The Loop

How the engine cycles

Every Arc build, stripped to its skeleton, is the same chained cycle. Get fast, jolt, harvest fuel, build the charge, discharge, repeat. The diagram is the whole element on one page.

Arc ability loopAmplified → Jolt → Traces → Bolt Charge

Speed / damage step Fuel / charge step Jolt / discharge

Where it breaks: if the loop stalls, you're usually missing fuel (no Ionic Trace source — slot Spark of Ions) or jolt application (no Shock grenade / jolt weapon). Bolt Charge, Ionic Sentry and the Lightning Grenade synergy arrived with the Heresy Arc update — newer than original Arc 3.0 — wire the full version in the Buildcrafting guide.