Bombardiers Solar Hunter: My Favorite Explosive Dodge Build in Destiny 2

This Destiny 2 Bombardiers Solar Hunter build turns every dodge into explosive scorch and endless Solar Wells.

I have a confession: I love leaving presents on the floor. Not the thoughtful, wrapped-with-a-bow kind—the kind that explodes. The Bombardiers let me do exactly that in Destiny 2, and even in 2026, my Solar Hunter still cackles every time a dodge turns a crowd into a very confused campfire. Is it the most mathematically perfect build in the game? Probably not. Is it hilarious, effective, and deeply committed to the noble art of never standing still? Absolutely.

Why I Still Love The Bombardiers

The Bombardiers are Hunter Exotic leg armor with the Parting Gift trait. When I dodge, I leave behind an explosive that detonates after a short delay, damaging targets around it and creating a secondary effect based on my subclass energy type. On Solar, that bomb scorches targets. Why would I ever stand still when my legs can throw a tantrum?

Here is the important bit: the explosive deals Kinetic damage even though it applies scorch. That means it can proc Explosive Wellmaker, but it will not count as a Solar final blow for Ember of Empyrean. Is that a dealbreaker? No. The well economy in this build is the point, and the sheer number of Solar Elemental Wells I can make more than covers for that one missing piece.

The Build at a Glance

Slot	My Pick	Why I Bother
Aspect	Knock 'Em Down	Solar Supers are enhanced, and final blows with any equipped Throwing Knife fully refund melee energy. It is a staple for Solar Hunters.
Aspect	On Your Mark	Precision final blows grant me and nearby teammates better handling and reload speed. Activating my class ability immediately gives max stacks.
Fragment	Ember of Singeing	My class ability recharges faster when targets are scorched. Since my dodge bomb scorches, this is free real estate.
Fragment	Ember of Solace	Radiant and restoration effects last longer. More uptime, more smiling.
Fragment	Ember of Torches	Powered melee attacks against combatants make me and nearby allies radiant.
Fragment	Ember of Char	Solar ignitions spread scorch to affected targets, plus 10 Discipline.
Fragment	Ember of Eruption	Solar ignitions have a bigger area, plus 10 Strength.
Class Ability	Gambler's Dodge	Dodging near enemies fully recharges my melee. I do not need to invest in Strength armor mods.
Grenade	Tripmine	Area denial, big damage, and a delightful little laser trap.
Melee	Proximity Explosive Knife	This is the spicy bit: it can trigger both Melee Wellmaker and Explosive Wellmaker.

The Mod Engine

My armor mods are Hands-On, Focusing Strike, Bolstering Detonation, Melee Wellmaker, Bountiful Wells, Well of Life, Classy Restoration, Explosive Wellmaker, Resilience mods first, and Mobility mods after Resilience is maxed out. The idea is simple: dodge, stab, explode, make wells, heal, repeat. Bountiful Wells multiplies the Solar Wells I create, and Well of Life turns those wells into healing. My Proximity Explosive Knife can trigger both Wellmaker mods because it has melee and explosive properties. Is that not just the tastiest little loop?

A quick 2026 reality check: if Classy Restoration is not on your current artifact menu—because, let us be honest, 2026 is not 2022—do not panic. Slot a current healing, damage-resist, or survivability option that actually exists in your sandbox. The core engine still works: make wells, heal, recharge abilities, and keep dodging like a caffeinated squirrel.

How I Actually Play It

1. Dodge near a crowd. The Bombardiers drop a bomb, and that bomb scorches everything nearby.

2. Throw Proximity Explosive Knife into the same crowd. The melee and the explosion trigger Melee Wellmaker and Explosive Wellmaker.

3. Let Bountiful Wells do its thing. More wells means more healing from Well of Life and more ability energy.

4. Use Tripmine when I want to deny an area or just make enemies regret their life choices.

5. Repeat until the room is quiet, the floor is glowing, and my Hunter is somehow still alive.

What About Ignitions?

Yes, yes, I know: Ember of Char and Ember of Eruption want ignitions, and the dodge bomb is Kinetic. But my knife, Tripmine, and Solar weapons can still ignite targets. The bomb is not the whole show; it is the opening act that sets the crowd on fire. And since Ember of Singeing recharges my class ability when targets are scorched, the bomb keeps the dodge train rolling. Why would I not want my escape button to also be my opening attack?

Is This Build Still Worth It in 2026?

I think so, with one caveat: check your current sandbox. Destiny 2 changes like my laundry pile, and mods, artifacts, and subclass tuning move around. But the soul of this build—Bombardiers, Solar scorch, Gambler's Dodge, Proximity Explosive Knife, and a well-based healing loop—is still a wonderfully chaotic PvE setup for large groups of enemies. It is not a Trials build. Please do not bring it to Trials and expect opponents to politely stand in your bomb. They will not. They are rude like that.

So yes, I still run Bombardiers on my Solar Hunter in 2026. It is loud, it is silly, and it turns every dodge into a tiny fireworks show. If you see a Hunter dodging into a crowd and cackling, that is probably me. Please do not stand next to me. Or do—just bring a helmet.