Mastering Exotic Armor in Destiny 2: A Comprehensive Guide
So, you’re aiming to masterwork your exotic armor in Destiny 2? Excellent choice, Guardian! This elevates your build to another level, providing crucial stat boosts, damage reduction, and increased mod capacity. But what exactly does it take to reach that pinnacle of power?
Simply put, masterworking exotic armor requires a significant investment of resources. You’ll need Glimmer, Enhancement Cores, Enhancement Prisms, and Ascendant Shards. Specifically, upgrading exotic armor from its base form to a fully masterworked state requires 24,000 Glimmer, 5 Enhancement Cores, 5 Enhancement Prisms, and 3 Ascendant Shards. Beyond the cost, masterworking armor increases each stat by +2, for a total of +12 across all stats. Additionally, a fully masterworked set of armor grants a 15% damage reduction while using your super. The process also increases the armor’s energy capacity, allowing you to equip more powerful mods.
Let’s delve into the details and address some frequently asked questions to ensure you’re well-equipped for this endeavor.
The Masterwork Grind: Breaking Down the Requirements
Understanding the specific resource requirements is crucial for planning your masterworking strategy. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
- Glimmer: The most common resource, Glimmer is needed at every stage of the upgrade process. Make sure to keep your reserves high by completing activities, using Glimmer boosting consumables, and leveraging the Glimmer Extraction mod on your Ghost shell.
- Enhancement Cores: These are essential for upgrading armor pieces, and you’ll need a steady supply. Good sources include dismantling legendary armor with masterwork, completing daily bounties from vendors like the Gunsmith, and tackling challenging activities.
- Enhancement Prisms: More challenging to acquire than Enhancement Cores, Enhancement Prisms are vital for the later stages of masterworking. Nightfall: The Ordeal strikes on higher difficulties are a reliable source, as are some vendor packages.
- Ascendant Shards: The rarest resource of the bunch, Ascendant Shards are primarily obtained by completing Grandmaster Nightfalls, purchasing them from the Tower vendors (at a steep price), or by dismantling masterworked exotics.
The Benefits of Masterworking
Investing the resources to masterwork exotic armor provides significant advantages:
- Increased Stats: Each piece of masterworked armor grants a +2 bonus to every stat (Mobility, Resilience, Recovery, Discipline, Intellect, and Strength). A full set nets you +12 to all stats, substantially improving your character’s performance.
- Enhanced Super Survivability: A complete masterwork armor set provides a 15% damage reduction while using your super. This can be the difference between a successful super and a premature demise, particularly in challenging content.
- Higher Energy Capacity: Masterworking increases the energy capacity of each armor piece to 10, allowing you to equip a wider array of mods. This enables you to fine-tune your build for specific activities and playstyles.
Farming Strategies: Maximizing Resource Acquisition
Efficient resource farming is key to minimizing the grind. Consider these strategies:
- Nightfall: The Ordeal: Running Nightfalls, especially on higher difficulties, is an excellent way to farm Enhancement Prisms and Ascendant Shards. Coordinate with a fireteam and optimize your build for speed and efficiency.
- Grandmaster Nightfalls: For the ultimate Ascendant Shard farm, tackle Grandmaster Nightfalls. These are incredibly challenging but offer the highest reward potential.
- Dismantling Masterworked Gear: Dismantling masterworked legendary or exotic gear grants Enhancement Cores, Enhancement Prisms, and Ascendant Shards. Only do this if the gear isn’t useful to you, and you have no other options.
- Vendor Purchases: Visit vendors like Master Rahool in the Tower to exchange materials. He often offers Enhancement Cores, Enhancement Prisms, and Ascendant Shards for other resources, providing a convenient, albeit expensive, alternative.
The Power of Mods: Synergizing with Masterworked Armor
A fully masterworked armor set unlocks the true potential of mods. With increased energy capacity, you can equip a wider range of mods to enhance your build. Experiment with different combinations to find the perfect synergy for your playstyle. Some essential mods to consider include:
- Reserves Mods: Increase the amount of ammunition you can carry for specific weapon types.
- Loader Mods: Speed up weapon reloads, improving your damage output.
- Armor Charge Mods: These mods allows to gain stacks of Armor Charge by picking up Orbs of Power, which you can then spend to activate different effects.
Final Thoughts
Masterworking exotic armor is a significant undertaking in Destiny 2, but the rewards are well worth the effort. By understanding the requirements, implementing efficient farming strategies, and leveraging the power of mods, you can elevate your Guardian to new heights of power. So, gear up, Guardians, and embark on your journey to masterwork perfection! Consider also that the field of game-based learning is constantly evolving, offering insights into how games engage and motivate players like you. Check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org for more on this topic.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about masterworking exotic armor in Destiny 2:
How many enhancement prisms are needed to masterwork exotic armor?
Five Enhancement Prisms are required to fully masterwork a single piece of exotic armor.
Does masterworking exotic armor increase stats?
Yes, masterworking exotic armor increases each stat (Mobility, Resilience, Recovery, Discipline, Intellect, and Strength) by +2.
What materials do I need to masterwork armor?
For exotic armor, you need Glimmer, Enhancement Cores, Enhancement Prisms, and Ascendant Shards. For legendary armor, you need Glimmer and Legendary Shards at the beginning levels of masterworking and upgrade to Enhancement Cores, and Enhancement Prisms as you move up the ranks.
Can you masterwork exotic armor?
Absolutely! Masterworking exotic armor is a core part of endgame progression.
What is the masterwork exotic armor bonus?
Masterwork armor grants a 3% damage reduction while using a super per piece. A full set provides a 15% damage reduction. It also increases the armor’s energy capacity for equipping more mods and increases each stat by +2.
What is the highest exotic armor stat?
Exotic armor pieces typically roll with a stat total between 48 and 68. Some older exotics can reach a total of 70.
What happens when you masterwork an exotic?
Masterworking an exotic armor piece increases all its stats by +2, increases its energy capacity to 10, and contributes to a set bonus that reduces damage taken while using your Super. For Exotic weapons, masterworking grants a stat increase or new perk.
What happens if I dismantle a masterwork exotic armor?
Dismantling Masterworked Exotic Armor awards one Ascendant Shard, but you do not get back the Enhancement Prisms or Enhancement Cores that you put into the armor.
What is the best ascendant alloy farm?
Ascendant Alloys are not needed to masterwork exotic armor. Good sources are Legend or Master difficulty Lost Sectors when chest armor is the reward. They can also be earned by completing activities in the Throne World, the location associated with the Witch Queen expansion. Completing the weekly campaign mission on Legend difficulty will also reward you with an ascendant alloy.
How do you get triple 100 stats in Destiny 2?
To achieve triple 100 stats (meaning three stats at 100) focus on high-stat armor rolls (60+ total stats), utilize armor focusing from vendors like the War Table, use stat-boosting mods on your Ghost shell, and synergize your armor mods to maximize your desired stats.
What do you get back for dismantling masterwork exotic armor?
You get one Ascendant Shard back.
Is masterwork better than legendary?
In terms of gear tiers, Exotic gear is typically more powerful than Legendary gear. However, both can be masterworked. Masterworking Legendary gear enhances its stats and energy capacity, while masterworking Exotic gear provides even more significant benefits.
How do I get better exotic armor stats?
Farm Master Lost Sectors on days when the daily reward is a piece of exotic armor. These activities have a higher chance of dropping high-stat exotic armor pieces.
Can you have full exotic armor?
No, you can only equip one exotic armor piece and one exotic weapon at a time.
How much does Xur exotic armor cost?
Xur’s exotic armor pieces cost 23 Legendary Shards each. He also sells one exotic weapon for 29 legendary shards.