Lord Saladin, a word – In its current form, the Iron Banner does not excite me in Destiny 2. Read how love came about and what has happened since.
This week, there will be another Iron Banner in Destiny 2. However, the arrival of Lord Saladin has not made my Guardian leap for joy in quite some time.
In the past, the PvP event was one of my absolute highlights in the Destiny universe. I want to indulge in nostalgic memories and share my problems with the current Iron Banner.
This is why the Iron Banner was special for me: I first encountered the Iron Banner in 2015. That’s right, I only played PvP during the Taken King era. That’s when the topic hit me full force.
The entire theme fascinated me. While we are in a far-off future in Destiny, a so-called Iron Lord in knight armor comes along and tells me stories like from an Arthurian tale. I wanted to be, no, I had to be one of those knights of the (Space) Round Table.
A strong reward awaited: There was a compelling reason to love the Iron Banner: the loot. Because the equipment of the Iron Lords was something special.
The weapons and armor pieces dropped at a very high power level. In my early days, I was neither a raider nor an endgame player. Therefore, I always carried the powerful Iron Banner gear in my inventory. With the proper power boost, my knight’s armor felt twice as strong.
Especially the weapons from the Iron Banner pool could be extremely powerful:
- Felwinter’s Lie was a sniper disguised as a shotgun
- Weyloran’s March was a sniper that almost magically hit its target
- The Clever Dragon was not a sniper – But the pulse rifle established a whole meta
The armors were not to be underestimated either. They came with unusually high stat values. The hunt for the mythical Tier 12 was possible in the Iron Banner. This is how PvP should be: rewarding and cool to package.
I got to become an Iron Lord: My Iron Banner hype peaked in the third year of Destiny 1. The focus of the Rise of Iron expansion was precisely on the Iron Lords.
Finally, I didn’t have to wait a month for the next Iron Banner and the arrival of the Lords. Now, my Guardian finally marched to the Iron Lords at Felwinter Peak.
In the story of the DLC, I finally got to be part of the sworn round table that so many legends surround. In the end, I was even elevated to knighthood myself.
While the battles were not as epic as I imagined them in my mind or how my nostalgia now colors them, it was still something truly special for me.
The Iron Banner of today is a shadow of its former self
What is the current state of the Iron Banner? Lord Saladin still appears monthly in the Tower, inviting Guardians to the rustic brawling in the Crucible. Unfortunately, I am no longer the torchbearer of the Wolf Pack.
The equipment I can currently earn no longer has the wow factor. Only the high level of the equipment remains. But in Destiny 2, thankfully, there are many ways to earn high-level items.
The variety is lacking: A major problem with the Iron Banner is stagnation, at least for me. For over a year, there seems to be nothing new.
Control is always being played. I have already received the rewards all too many times. The armors look nice, but they have been repeating for 2 years. I find myself perceiving the Iron Banner no longer as fun but as a routine to be completed.
The current event frustrates me: For the sake of nostalgia and to raise my gear to 970, I have ventured into the Iron Banner again. I encountered problems that are symptomatic of the entire PvP:
- The matchmaking lets me down – In six consecutive games, I faced a full squad of coordinated Guardians.
- My own team was almost never full. With such a disadvantage, games ended quickly, and the same went for my good mood.
- For too long, there has been nothing changing in the meta – I can count on one hand how many different weapons have taken me down. 80% of the time, the culprits were shotguns and fusion rifles. Occasionally, a bullet from a hand cannon would stray in my direction.
- There were no duels. Players mostly avoid direct combat. If you don’t get a quick kill with a one-shot weapon, a tactical retreat follows.
The artifact does not belong in PvP: Level differences have significant impacts in the Iron Banner. The artifact allows for absurdly high disparities in Guardian levels.
In Destiny 1, it was an incentive to equip your best gear and possibly enjoy minimal advantages. But with some Guardians, I feel like I’m shooting with cotton balls instead of bullets.
I do not want to undermine the hard-earned level advantage of players. But the system originates from a time when Guardians could not be over-leveled by the artifact.
Is the Iron Banner salvageable?
This is why I have hope: The current season of Dawn is slowly coming to an end, but Season 10 is already on the horizon. A new season hopefully means change and reform.
A glimmer of hope lies in the persistent rumor that the Trials will return. Since Forsaken, PvP in Destiny has largely stagnated. If anyone can bring new momentum, it would be the once-legendary class.
Currently, Bungie is announcing many changes for the coming months. A new Iron Banner weapon has already been revealed. However, that’s not enough. For me, it requires:
- New armors and no reskins
- Unique perks and rolls on weapons
- More than just one mode
- Finally, improved matchmaking
Whether the announced focus on the Crucible will address and solve all problems remains to be seen. I at least hope that my beloved Iron Banner can return to its former glory. A little dreaming is surely still allowed. After all, we all want our favorite loot shooter to succeed.
What do you think about the situation regarding the Iron Banner and the Crucible? Do I see the past through rose-colored glasses and am simply fatigued, or do you feel similarly?
