Navigate the intricate path of gear and progression in Destiny 2 to increase your Guardian's power. how to acquire better gear, understand Light Level, and master the systems that drive your character's growth. From basic drops to endgame pursuits, learn how to become a stronger Guardian.
Understanding Light Level
Your Guardian's overall power is measured by their Light Level, which is the average of your equipped gear's Power Level. Higher Light Level is required to access and effectively participate in more challenging activities.
- Soft Cap: The point at which most world drops and vendor engrams will stop increasing your Light Level significantly.
- Powerful Cap: A higher threshold where "Powerful Gear" rewards are needed to continue increasing your Light Level.
- Pinnacle Cap: The absolute highest Light Level, achievable only through "Pinnacle Gear" drops from the most challenging endgame activities.
Acquiring Gear
Gear drops from a multitude of sources:
- World Drops: Random drops from defeating enemies or opening chests in patrol zones.
- Vendor Engrams: Engrams earned from vendors like Zavala, Shaxx, Drifter, and Banshee-44, which can be decrypted for gear.
- Activity Rewards: Specific gear drops from completing Strikes, Crucible matches, Gambit matches, Dungeons, and Raids.
- Exotic Engrams: Engrams that guarantee an Exotic weapon or armor piece.
- Seasonal Engrams: Engrams tied to the current season, often containing seasonal weapons and armor.
Gear Rarity & Stats
Gear comes in different rarities:
- Common (White) & Uncommon (Green): Basic gear, useful only for infusion early on.
- Rare (Blue): Better than green/white, can drop with decent stats.
- Legendary (Purple): The workhorse of Destiny 2. These pieces have fixed or random perks and are essential for endgame builds.
- Exotic (Gold): Unique items with powerful, often build-defining perks. Only one Exotic weapon and one Exotic armor piece can be equipped at a time.
Armor also has six core stats (Mobility, Resilience, Recovery, Discipline, Intellect, Strength) that influence your Guardian's performance. The total stat value on a piece of armor is crucial for buildcrafting.
Infusion & Masterworking
As you acquire better gear, you'll want to maintain your favorite pieces:
- Infusion: Use the Infusion system to transfer the Light Level from a higher-Light Level item to a lower-Light Level item. This allows you to keep using your favorite weapons and armor while increasing their power.
- Masterworking: Legendary and Exotic armor can be Masterworked using Enhancement Cores, Enhancement Prisms, and Ascendant Alloys. Masterworked armor provides a small stat boost and generates Orbs of Power when you get final blows with that weapon. Masterworked weapons gain a stat boost and generate Orbs of Power on multi-kills.
Exotic Armor & Weapons
Exotic items are the pinnacle of gear. They possess unique perks that can drastically alter your playstyle or provide significant advantages.
- Exotic Armor: Each piece of Exotic armor has a unique perk that often synergizes with specific subclasses or playstyles (e.g., Starfire Protocol for Warlocks, Celestial Nighthawk for Hunters, Synthoceps for Titans).
- Exotic Weapons: These weapons have powerful intrinsic perks that make them stand out (e.g., Gjallarhorn for rocket damage, Witherhoard for area denial, Osteo Striga for poison).
Exotic Engrams and specific Exotic Quests are the primary ways to acquire these coveted items.
Seasonal Progression
Each season introduces new weapons and armor sets, often tied to a seasonal artifact that grants unique mods. Engaging with seasonal activities and focusing engrams is key to acquiring the latest gear and maximizing your power for the current content.