Currently, there’s a lot happening in the Iron Banner of Destiny 2. However, it’s not because of the new Season 19 mode “Fortress”, but rather due to a special reward that almost everyone is after right now. However, you also need a good 12 hours to get it. Therefore, we will tell you how to make the grind for the prestige shader “Iron Countershade” more bearable.
What reward are we talking about? Last week, the new Iron Banner mode “Fortress” started in Destiny 2. After Rift and Eruption, this is already the third new mode that comes into play through the PvP event.
But Lord Saladin always brings weapons and armor, as well as a few cosmetic rewards that can be earned through rank progression, alongside the actual activity.
There, the Guardians quickly identified the new Iron Banner shader “Iron Countershade” as particularly rewarding loot. It gives each piece of gear a cool, rusty chainmail look with a moss insert. However, those who want to become knights in Destiny 2 must invest a lot of time as well.
Krypz shows you in the video how the chains of the shader look on various armors:
How do you get the prestige shader? To unlock the new top shader “Iron Countershade”, you need to reset your reputation rank with Lord Saladin not just once, but almost twice. This goes well beyond completing the normal Iron Banner challenges and is actually only for ambitious players.
- For the normal Season 19 Iron Banner challenges, to receive 4x premium loot, it’s enough to complete 18 matches with Void or Stasis. It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose.
- You can also get the full Iron Banner armor from Season 19 quite easily by redeeming the Iron Banner engrams you have received so far with Master Rahool. Here, too, usually no more than 2 resets are needed.
The shader “Iron Countershade” is, however, a so-called “prestige item”. For this, you need to have almost reset yourself twice and have therefore earned over 19,000 reputation points in the Iron Banner. Here, victories and defeats will again become important.
- A victory in the Iron Banner gives you 300 XP
- If you lose, you get 220 XP
The “Fortress” mode usually lasts about 10 minutes with player search and approach. Therefore, anyone who possesses the shader “Iron Countershade” has spent about 12 hours in the Iron Banner, for example, with 34 wins and 40 losses.
It is therefore not surprising that players have eventually recognized and chosen the easiest way. Intentionally coordinating to lose brings only 220 XP but is much faster.
This is how you get the prestige shader faster
If you want the shader, keep in mind: It will likely not be obtainable through other means for a long time. So if you don’t get it through the Iron Banner in Season 19 now, you will probably only be able to admire it on the Guardians who have made the effort.
As the Iron Banner ends today, there will only be one more chance for the shader in Season 19 if Lord Saladin returns to the Tower.
However, the Iron Banner offers a special advantage that other playlists in Destiny 2 do not have – the reputation rank multiplier. If you use all boost modifiers there, you can at least guarantee to rise in reputation rank with Lord Saladin 640% faster. And that also makes the arduous path to the shader easier for you.
This is how you maximize your reputation rank:
- Complete the daily challenges with Lord Saladin. They not only grant you Iron Banner equipment but also give +100% reputation per challenge. With 4 challenges, that’s already 400%.
- Equip Iron Banner armor or ornaments. Each piece of worn Iron Banner armor or an ornament gives you a 40% boost to your reputation rank. So if you wear 5 pieces of armor, that’s an increase of 200%. If you don’t have Iron Banner armor, it’s worth taking a look in your collection. The “Iron Tribute” armor is often restorable there, so you can use this.
- Select an Iron Banner emblem. In addition to armor, you should also equip an Iron Banner emblem. It also grants you a 40% boost to your reputation rank.
You can also rely on victories. However, this can only be influenced in the PvP mode “Fortress” with a well-coordinated team. By coordinating and using some tactics, you can usually hold the preferred zone better, which almost always ensures victory.
Is the grind worth it? Absolutely. The shader “Iron Countershade” is indeed something special and deserves the prestige status. Its chainmail look makes every character a fearless knight. And because it has this special effect, even armors that were otherwise dull look good. Like the Warlock Exotic “Starfire Protocol”.
What do you think about the shader? Do you like it and is a cosmetic worth the 12 hours of grind for you? Or do you save yourself the effort because you don’t consider it worthwhile loot? Feel free to leave us a comment.
