Destiny 2 is shaping up to be one of the biggest games of the year thanks to the fleshed out story, varied activities, and a competitive multiplayer component. Designed for players both new and old, Destiny 2’s FPS/MMO fused gameplay can offer hours upon hours of enjoyment. There’s a lot of different content in this title and it can be daunting to jump in without any idea of how a lot of the mechanics work.
Here are 10 tips and tricks for Destiny 2:
1. Save Exotic Quests for Later
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Exotics are the rarest and most powerful gear in all of Destiny 2, as they each possess special, unique skills that drastically improve your Guardian. While many of these items can be earned by simply decrypting engrams, some exotics like the Sturm are earned by completing a specific quest line.
It might be tempting to finish these quests right out of the gate, but we urge players to wait until they are at least Light level 265. This is because exotics can drop at very high Light, which can make it easier for those trying to level up. Completing these quests early will only force you to waste valuable resources like Legendary Shards to raise their Light.
2. Don’t Ignore Heroic Public Events
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We cannot state this enough, players should not ignore turning their Public Events into the Heroic version. Each one has their own modifier so you will need to memorize how to trigger each Heroic Public Event. However, when they activate you will have a better chance for higher loot drops like Legendary and even Exotic engrams. There’s rarely ever a reason not to make them Heroic and the rewards are usually worth it. For a more detailed guide on how to trigger the Heroic Public Events go here.
3. Save Your Shaders
Unlike the last Destiny, Shaders are a one-use consumable in Destiny 2 and can be applied to each piece of armor. This makes them very valuable (especially if you’re not spending real-world money), so don’t waste them right away. You will be swapping gear around a lot in the early stages, so don’t worry about how your Guardian looks for now. Until you start getting into the 260-270 Light level range, there is little need to add Shaders to any of your gear.
4. Legendary Mods Can Increase Your Light Level
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If you are struggling to increase your Light level, consider adding a Legendary weapon or armor mods to your gear. Despite normal Rare (blue) mods only adding a small enhancement to your character, Legendary mods will actually give you +5 Light. This is critical for leveling up your Guardian, especially in the later stages where high-end loot drops are rare. Don’t waste your Legendary mods until you reach at least 270, as they can more than make the difference when it comes to being raid ready. Also, once you hit 280 you can visit the Gunsmith to convert lesser rare mods into Legendary ones.
5. Do Cayde-6’s Treasure Hunt
There are a lot of side missions in Destiny 2, but one we urge players not to pass on is Cayde-6’s Treasure Hunt. After you meet the game, go and speak with the Exo who will be selling 5 different treasure maps. Purchase them all and then head to the planet marked down for that week. Once you land, pull up your map and look for the white spade symbols, as these will be the treasure chest locations.
It shouldn’t take you long to find all five and the reward is more than worth it since you can get both Legendary and Exotic engrams from them. It’s easy loot and shouldn’t be passed up by anyone looking to quickly improve their hero.
6. Balance Your Weapons
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Destiny 2’s new weapon slot system may throw some players for a loop as you can now have weapons like hand cannons, scout rifles, auto rifles, and pulse rifles in both your Kinetic and Energy slot. This makes it vital that you strike a good balance, especially if you plan to play Crucible. Having nothing but close range weapons or just hand cannons can leave you open to any kind of ranged combat.
Striking a good balance between your gear will be critical since it will open up more opportunities for you to engage other players. My preferred loadout is a scout rifle, auto Rifle (However a sub machine Gun works too), and a sniper rifle or shotgun. This allows me to participate and exploit any fight without having to put myself in risk situations.
7. Make an Alternate Character
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This may seem like an odd tip for new Destiny 2 players, but it will drastically increase your chances at getting good loot in the game. The way Destiny 2’s loot system is structured, Powerful Engrams are what you want to obtain, however, you are only relegated to obtaining a small handful at a time. By adding an additional character, players have double the chances to get more loot which can be infused.
Your alternate character(s) will also serve as a nice way to obtain additional exotics and farm precious materials like Legendary Shards. Finally, this will make you a more flexible player, as not ever activity will need 6 Warlocks or 6 Titans.
8. Buy Fireteam Medallions
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I cannot stress this enough, all players should purchase a bunch of Fireteam Medallions if they want to grind for loot. When applied, the Fireteam Medallion will give you a boost your XP and loot drops earned in Strikes, Public Events, and the Crucible for four hours. It only costs 50 Bright Dust, which makes it quite affordable for those looking to hunt for Exotic of Legendary Engrams.
Since the effects are applied to the entire Fireteam, players can constantly swap who activates theirs after the requisite four hours. There aren’t a lot of ways to increase loot drops, so this makes them incredibly valuable for both new and old players.
9. Join a Clan
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While it can be tempting to just play alone in Destiny 2, we highly recommend you join a clan. Not only will this let you meet like-minded players, but open up new opportunities for easy loot. Every week clans are tasked with completing specific challenges like the Nightfall or Raid. Upon completion, users can then earn Legendary Engrams and in some cases (specifically Milestones) Powerful Engrams.
There is also an XP meter that when filled increases your clan’s rank. There are five ranks and each one will grant a powerful passive ability that lasts until that specific clan season is over. These can range from simple Glimmer increases to obtaining additional Reputation tokens or engrams.
10. Synergize Your Exotics
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There are a healthy amount of exotics in Destiny 2 so it will become critical that you know how to synergize their abilities. Even though some exotics are subclass specific, it’s still important that you make the most of them with your selected skill tree. For example, if I am wearing the Lunafaction Boots (Which automatically reload ammo for allies in my Warlock’s rift) then I will want to run the Stormcaller’s Attunement of the Elements skill tree.
This will help me maximize my team’s damage output in a way that neither the Voidwalker or Dawnbreaker skill trees could. Always take the time to examine an Exotic and figure out how you can maximize its effects in both PvE and PvP.
For more guides, tips, and tricks make sure to visit our Destiny 2 page.
