Do Masterwork Weapons Still Drop Orbs in Destiny 2?
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The short answer is: no, not in the way they used to. The mechanics around Masterwork weapons and Orb of Power generation have been significantly overhauled in Destiny 2 over the years, particularly with the introduction of armor mods and the weapon crafting system. Masterwork weapons no longer inherently generate Orbs of Power simply by being Masterworked. Instead, Orb generation is now primarily tied to specific armor mods and fully upgraded Exotic weapons.
Gone are the days where simply upgrading your favorite Legendary weapon to Masterwork status automatically granted you and your teammates a constant stream of Orbs on multi-kills. This change was initially introduced in Season of the Risen (Season 16), marking a significant shift in build crafting and gameplay strategies. The purpose behind this change was to allow players to have more control in building crafting, while making Orbs of Power more obtainable. Let’s delve deeper into the current system and explore the nuances of Orb generation and weapon Masterworking in Destiny 2.
The Evolution of Orb Generation: From Masterworks to Mods
The shift away from Masterwork weapons generating Orbs of Power represents a fundamental change in Destiny 2’s design philosophy. Initially, Masterworking a weapon provided a straightforward benefit: enhanced stats, a kill tracker, and the ability to generate Orbs on multi-kills. This made Masterworking an almost essential step for any weapon you intended to use seriously.
However, this system had its limitations. It lacked customization and restricted build diversity. Every player using a Masterworked weapon was essentially contributing to Orb generation, whether they needed them or not. The new system allows for more specific building.
The introduction of armor mods like Harmonic Siphon, Kinetic Siphon, and others changed everything. These mods allow players to generate Orbs of Power based on specific criteria, such as rapid final blows with weapons that match your subclass element or with Kinetic weapons. This shift offers several key advantages:
- Targeted Orb Generation: Players can now strategically generate Orbs based on their subclass and weapon choices, optimizing their builds for specific activities and playstyles.
- Increased Build Diversity: The mod system encourages experimentation with different weapon archetypes and subclass synergies, leading to a wider variety of viable builds.
- Greater Customization: Players have more control over their builds, allowing them to fine-tune their characters to suit their preferred playstyle.
What Does Masterworking Do Now?
While Masterworking weapons no longer directly generates Orbs of Power, it still provides valuable benefits. Masterworking a Legendary weapon offers:
- Enhanced Weapon Stats: Masterworking significantly boosts a weapon’s stats, such as range, stability, handling, reload speed, or aim assist. These stat boosts can noticeably improve a weapon’s performance.
- Kill Tracker: Masterworking allows you to track the number of kills you’ve achieved with a weapon, with the option to display either the total kill count or the number of Crucible kills.
- Cosmetic Flair: Masterworked weapons receive a distinctive gold border in the inventory screen, signifying their enhanced status.
Masterworking Exotic armor is different. While it doesn’t relate to Orbs of Power directly, Masterworking Exotic armor drastically improves all stats, and allows for easier build crafting.
Orb of Power Farming
While Altars of Sorrow on the Moon is a great way to generate Orbs of Power, it’s not the end all be all. Public Events can spawn tons of enemies as well, and they’re a much better way to farm weapons and armor simultaneously.
Weapon Crafting and its Impact
The introduction of weapon crafting further changed the landscape of weapon acquisition and customization. Crafted weapons can be enhanced with specific perks and traits, allowing players to create highly personalized and powerful weapons. While crafted weapons don’t inherently generate Orbs, they can be paired with the appropriate armor mods to create powerful Orb-generating builds.
The Crafting Advantage
Weapon crafting is very different from simply grabbing a masterworked weapon. Weapon crafting allows players to target-farm for very specific rolls, making a good weapon amazing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can Masterwork Weapons still drop?
Yes, Masterwork weapons can still drop. They are primarily obtained through the Legendary gear route.
2. Do Exotic weapons generate Orbs of Power?
Yes, a fully upgraded Exotic weapon (one with its Catalyst completed) will generate Orbs of Power on multi-kills.
3. How do I generate Orbs of Power in the current system?
Equip armor mods like Harmonic Siphon (for subclass-matching weapon kills) or Kinetic Siphon (for Kinetic weapon kills) on your helmet.
4. What does Masterworking Exotic armor do?
Masterworking Exotic armor provides a significant stat boost to all stats, enhancing your character’s overall performance.
5. Where is the best place to farm Orbs of Power?
Altar’s of Sorrow is a great place to farm Orbs of Power.
6. How do I pick up Orbs of Power if my Super is full?
Certain mods like “Become Charged With Light” allow you to pick up Orbs of Power even when your Super is fully charged, granting you stacks of Charged with Light.
7. Is Masterwork gear better than Legendary gear?
Legendary gear can be upgraded to Masterwork gear, enhancing their stats and providing additional benefits like a kill tracker.
8. Can you Masterwork Legendary weapons?
Yes, Legendary gear can be upgraded to Masterworks using various upgrade materials. Raid and Trials weapons have a higher chance of dropping as Masterworks.
9. What does dismantling a Masterwork Exotic give you?
Dismantling Masterworked Exotic Armor awards you with an Ascendant Shard, but it costs more to masterwork.
10. Can you Masterwork Exotic armor?
Yes, Exotic armor can be Masterworked, requiring significant investment of Glimmer, Legendary Shards, and Ascendant Shards.
11. Do Masterwork weapons degrade?
In Destiny 2, weapons and armor do not degrade through use.
12. Do I need Ascendant Shards to Masterwork weapons?
Yes, Ascendant Shards are required to Masterwork Legendary and Exotic weapons and armor.
13. What are the best Exotic weapons to use in Grandmaster Nightfalls?
Some of the best Exotic weapons for Grandmaster Nightfalls include Gjallarhorn, Ager’s Scepter, Divinity, Wish-Ender, Leviathan’s Breath, Thunderlord, Le Monarque, and Arbalest.
14. What’s the difference between masterworking armor and weapons?
Masterworking armor grants a significant stat boost, while masterworking weapons enhances weapon stats and provides a kill tracker. Orb generation is now tied to armor mods, not weapon Masterworking.
15. How can I learn more about game design and mechanics?
Organizations like the Games Learning Society (https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/) provide resources and research on game-based learning and the impact of game mechanics on player behavior. GamesLearningSociety.org is a great resource.
Conclusion
While Masterwork weapons no longer directly generate Orbs of Power, the change has ultimately led to a more diverse and customizable build crafting system in Destiny 2. By utilizing armor mods and leveraging the benefits of weapon crafting, players can create powerful builds that are tailored to their individual playstyles and preferences. The key is to adapt to the new mechanics and embrace the possibilities that the current system offers. Masterworking weapons still increases weapon stats as well, so it is still an upgrade for weapon performance.