In the MMO shooter Destiny, the Guardian’s power increases through equipment starting at level 20. What tricks are there to increase the Light Level with Marks, Coins, and Materials ?
Those who rely on luck in Destiny are left behind
In Destiny, many players become frustrated with the Light Level. Progress can only be made with better gear. Those relying on Engrams and hoping that a legendary Engram yields a legendary item are often disappointed.
The tiny chance for useful random rewards after Strikes or rounds in the Crucible leads to frustration. Even if something great comes out, it may not fit the player’s class or has poor stat distribution. Is it therefore impossible to level up in Light? And does it all depend on luck? No, it doesn’t. That’s what the pros say in the English-speaking forum on reddit.
Marks, Coins, and Materials – the three Ms of Destiny
Instead of hoping that the Cryptarch or the RNG God takes pity on the poor Guardian, they should take matters into their own hands and rely on the three Ms: Marks, Coins, and Materials.
Engrams and RNG, the pro advises, should only be seen as a “nice bonus” and players shouldn’t invest too much hope in them. Players can earn guaranteed legendary items every week if they just know how. That’s the real opportunity to get a higher Light Level. According to a current guide, players should do the following each week:
- collect the weekly maximum of Crucible or Vanguard Marks. This is easier than it seems by trading materials for the marks and participating in public events or patrol missions.
- increase their reputation with factions. This is also facilitated by trading in materials. Those who reach rank 3 with a faction are guaranteed to receive a legendary weapon from the faction’s arsenal as a bonus.
- earn Strange Coins. These become easier to obtain as you grow stronger. Either through the grind with blue Engrams and as mission rewards or when completing the heroic weekly quests at levels 24, 26, and 28 – then you get three coins each time.
With the Marks, players can stock up on guaranteed legendary items from the faction traders and can even get an exotic weapon or armor piece from the vendor Xur every weekend with the coins. Sounds much better than relying on chance.
It’s important for frustration-free achievement of the weekly caps on these Marks to actively pursue those activities that yield these Marks.
Materials as a key resource in Destiny
According to the guide creator, it is not widely known that the yields from planetary resources double after a Guardian achieves a certain amount of kills on a planet. With this bonus, 50 Materials per run can be obtained solely from chests and farming natural resources.
There are further bonuses of this kind that reward diligent work permanently. Those who complete 25 VIP patrol missions receive higher rewards for city tasks. By effectively utilizing these bonuses, players can save themselves a Strike or a round in the Crucible.
The heavy stuff is really worth it
Lucrative opportunities to use time effectively in Destiny also include patrol missions or public events. The materials can be exchanged for Marks at various merchants, and the Marks can ultimately be exchanged for items.
The stronger a Guardian becomes and the more the challenging missions and tasks open up for them, the less they have to rely on luck or grinding. Particularly the missions on the Nightfall difficulty in Destiny, designed for Light Level 28 and above, are repeatedly mentioned in every guide on reddit as an essential component to obtain excellent drops and unlock XP bonuses for the week. Destiny gives players the choice, as is common in MMOs, between doing an overwhelming amount of simple tasks or tackling fewer but harder challenges.
For missions of this caliber, a full team of well-equipped and coordinated Guardians is recommended.
The point is: There are systems in place that significantly ease and shorten the path to increasing the Light Level.
500-800 Reputation gathering per hour
Also on reddit, there is an unusual method for quickly accumulating reputation. Here, three Guardians team up and divide the Cosmodrome among themselves. Each of the three takes a third of the area and clears it out as quickly as possible, keeping an eye on VIP missions.
Learn more about the endgame in Destiny and how to accumulate reputation and marks in this article. Do you have any tips on how to effectively increase the Light Level?
