Ionic Trace is a status effect in Destiny 2 that you can trigger with your Arc subclass. It’s an ability you will want to take advantage of when battling your opponents, and it will significantly help you determine how you want to build your Guardian. There are a few things to learn about Ionic Trace and how it works alongside Amplified. Here’s what you need to know about how Ionic Trace works in Destiny 2.

What Ionic Trace does in Destiny 2

Trigging Ionic Trace with your abilities in Destiny 2 creates a bolt of pure Arc energy. This energy will not seek out an enemy but will go straight towards you, its creator. When it reaches you during battle, your Guardian will receive a burst of ability energy that you can use in combat against your foes.

You will Ionic Trace on a handful of Fragments, notably the Spark of Ions and Spark of Discharge. If you’re looking to increase your Guardian’s ability damage as an Arc subclass, these are good ways to go about it, but you will want to make sure to go out of your way for these bolts of Arc when they appear. The first Fragment, Spark of Ions, requires you frequently defeat Jolted foes. In contrast, the Spark of Discharge gives you an Ionic Trace by defeating any foe using an Arc weapon with a final blow, likely giving you more flexibility for your Guardian’s build.

How you use Ionic Trace is up to you. We cannot recommend this choice if you frequently use your Guardian’s abilities while playing as the Arc subclass. The one caveat is to make sure you’re going out of your way to find the Arc bolt when it appears or sticking close to your foes after defeating them.