Completing Gear Tiers in Destiny 2: A Guide to Solving the System

Select Language:

Since both armor and weapons are affected by this update, it’s crucial to grasp how gear tiers operate before starting your hunt for new equipment. This guide details how gear tiers function, how to obtain higher-rarity items, and addresses some frequently asked questions about the new system.

Understanding Gear Tiers

Gear tiers serve as a rarity classification that indicates an item’s strength. Every piece of equipment you earn from The Edge of Fate onward will have a gear tier rating displayed by teal markers on its inventory icon. The top tier is Tier 5, which is obtained from the game’s most challenging activities.

Higher gear tiers affect items in various ways:

• Weapons gain improved perks, barrels, magazines, and even unique traits.
• Armor features higher overall stats and increased mod capacity.

As you complete tougher tasks, you’ll gather better-quality gear. Any items you acquired prior to The Edge of Fate will not be classified under this new system. Items from the Rite of the Nine’s adept weapons compare to Tier 3 gear with this update, and high-tier armor rolls also align with Tier 3 standards.

How Gear Tiers Operate

Every non-Exotic weapon and piece of armor you acquire will include a gear tier displayed on the item card, marked by teal indicators on the item’s icon. The gear tier is influenced by the activity you engage in, with more difficult tasks yielding higher-tier items. Weapons and armor enhance differently with tiers, as outlined below.

Weapons benefit from additional perk options and improved features at higher tiers. Tier 3 allows two perks per column, while Tier 5 provides three perks. This makes it easier to chase desirable perk combinations. Higher tiers also enhance properties like perks, barrels, magazine options, mods, and even origin traits at Tier 5. Such perks generally perform better or activate more easily, while enhanced stat modifications typically offer a 10-15 percent improvement.

Armor provides stronger stat totals at higher tiers. Tier 3 armor matches the best from previous expansions. Tier 4 armor offers an extra point for installing mods, reaching up to 11 energy. Securing Tier 5 armor grants a fifth mod socket dedicated to stat tuning, allowing you to adjust five points from any stat to reallocate elsewhere.

It’s essential to note that Exotics do not follow this new tier system. Exotic weapons remain untiered, while armor rolls around the Tier 2 range. However, armor still gains advantages from the changes brought by Armor 3.0, allowing fully-mastered armor pieces to reach up to 78 stats at the high end. Exotic class items, however, are treated as Tier 5 armor drops in this new setup.

How to Acquire Higher-Tier Items

The difficulty of content is your key method for accessing gear tiers. More challenging activities will yield higher-quality items. Before starting an activity, you can adjust the difficulty modifiers for your character, which can vary from helpful boosts to significant penalties that require perfect execution.

Choosing modifiers that ramp up the challenge boosts the maximum score you can achieve for that activity, rated from C- to A+. Your base difficulty and your final score factor into an item’s gear tier. The best loot drops from Grandmaster difficulties or harder, especially with an A+ score.

Gear Tier Thresholds

Frequently Asked Questions about Gear Tiers

Gear tiers represent a major evolution in itemization within Destiny 2, and it’s normal to have questions about such a significant change. Below, we address some common queries regarding the gear tier system as it pertains to Exotics, PvP, and more.

Are Low-Tier Items Useful?

Weapons definitely can be, but armor usually isn’t. Gear tiers don’t heavily impact weapon damage output or perk effectiveness; therefore, a T1 weapon with a solid perk combination can outperform a Tier 5 weapon with poor options. This means strong weapons from your collection still retain their value. For instance, just because a rocket launcher has enhanced barrels and mods doesn’t make Hezen Vengeance obsolete; the stat differences are minimal.

Armor, on the other hand, is significantly affected by this new system. T5 armor boasts the highest possible stat totals, more mod points, and a tuning socket for adjusting stats. Considering the advantages from Armor 3.0’s new bonus system, it’s clear that these new armor pieces will likely take the place of everything in your Vault.

Will Older Items Get Gear Tiers?

No, there is no retroactive application of gear tiers to older items. Pieces obtained prior to The Edge of Fate will remain unchanged, although armor stats will be converted to the new Armor 3.0 metrics. Weapons will continue to operate as they previously did.

Exotic class items have a unique case; all such items will drop with stat archetypes and feature Tier 5 armor capabilities, but they won’t be classified as tiered like Legendary armor. No other items will be included in this way.

How Are Exotics Assessed in the Gear Tier System?

Exotic armor is categorized as Tier 2 with Armor 3.0 functions. All Exotic armor received will have 11 mod energy, a stat total ranging between 58-63, and gain +15 points when fully masterworked. Exotic class items stand out—they’re treated as Tier 5 armor drops with specific stat traits based on the perks included in your roll.

Exotic weapons are not being integrated into the gear tier system. Their functionality will remain consistent with previous seasons.

Are Crafted Weapons Tiered?

No, crafted weapons do not fall under the gear tier system. These weapons will keep their crafting functionalities within The Edge of Fate, but they won’t be recognized as tiered gear—they remain functionally like Tier 2 weapons.

What Will Happen to Adept Weapons?

The adept weapons concept is being phased out. While all adept weapons you possess remain usable and come with adept mods, there will be no new adept weapons created; Tier 5 weapons have replaced this system.

Add us on ChatGPT Add us on Perplexity