In the MMO shooter Destiny the Iron Banner is active. We take a look at what to consider in the PvP event.
What is the Iron Banner?
The Iron Banner is a monthly one-week PvP event in Destiny. Players compete against each other as in the regular Crucible, and are assigned to teams. However, the “level advantage” is active.
Players with a lower light level than their opponent deal slightly less damage (though this is hardly noticeable). As you can see, the current red curve is almost flat like the very flat one at launch again. Only at 150 points light level difference does the real drop occur. A player with 260 light level in the Iron Banner only loses about 10% of their damage when firing at a 310 player.
How long does the Iron Banner last in Destiny?
The Iron Banner started on Tuesday, October 13th, at 8:00 PM. It will last until Tuesday, October 20th, at 11:00 AM.
At rank 3, there are three new class items:
What is the goal of the Iron Banner?
The goal of the Iron Banner is to reach a high reputation level with Lord Saladin, the head honcho of the event. Then more items can be purchased from him. There is also a chance to receive items right after a match.
However, things are not going so well at the moment, and many complain about weak rewards and poor drop rates.
How to gain reputation with Lord Saladin?
There are 3 main ways to gain reputation:
- Play Iron Banner Crucible and win, then you gain reputation
- Play Iron Banner Crucible and lose, then you gain medals, of which you can collect up to 5. After the next win in Crucible, they automatically convert into reputation
- Complete bounties for Lord Saladin – there are some new ones. He has 3 “daily” bounties every day and 3 “weekly” bounties per week. There are a total of 9 daily bounties to choose from.
There is still the Twink bonus – you earn double reputation with your “lower level Guardians” if you have a Guardian with a higher reputation rank than them.
At rank 4, you can acquire these boots with a defense value of 280.
What has changed?
The following has changed:
- The “Hardened” bonus is now permanently active, so there is no need to worry about it. This means: Players earn more reputation throughout the Destiny week (which runs from Tuesday to Tuesday) as the week approaches its end.
- The reward structure is now a bit different: Players are expected to earn their items in combat. Items at Lord Saladin now cost the coveted “legendary marks” and have weaker stats compared to when they drop. So, one should only buy in case of emergency.
- There are new emblems and class items. The shaders remain the same. It’s still the case that the 3 items grant a reputation bonus.
- The reforge is no longer available. That has been completely removed. (Just like Etheric Light.)
What does Lord Saladin sell?
These items are sold by Lord Saladin in Destiny:
- At rank 1 the emblem Iron Pride – for 1000 Glimmer.
- At rank 2 the shader Millions of Millions for 1000 Glimmer.
- At rank 3 there is the new class item for 40 legendary marks. It has a defense value of 280.
- At rank 4 there are boots for every class with a defense value of 280 for 40 marks. Also the new pistol Iron Crown-D for 90 legendary marks. It deals Solar damage, damage increases stability, and preparing the weapon grants bonus damage.
- At rank 5 the emblem The Ironwood Tree for 1000 Glimmer and the shader Gold Spiral for 1000 Glimmer. Also the new pulse rifle Nirwens Grace for 90 legendary marks. It has quite decent stats but low impact. Additionally, the radar remains active while aiming, and precision hits improve the reload time. This thing is quite nice!
Are there other rewards?
A ship can still be obtained. Other than that, we do not know of anything. We know that the weapons and armor pieces that Saladin sells can also drop in the Iron Banner. And that starting from rank 2. Then, however, with higher stats (up to 300 defense values) and the possibility of other traits.
Currently, there are no reports of any other special armor pieces or weapons from Lord Saladin’s Iron Banner loot table. Players who have reached rank 5 are also quite disillusioned with the drops.
Is the Iron Banner worth it in October?
This time it looks quite poor. In the past, the Iron Banner was the only way to get high-end gear without matchmaking. That has now completely fallen away.
The weapons are also not super interesting without the possibility to reforge, although the pulse rifle is enticing. Sure, if you enjoy PvP and like playing, you should enjoy it. However, the rewards that once made the Iron Banner unique are currently not visible.
What do you think about the Iron Banner in October?
