In Destiny 2 it is actually worth completing the loyalty quest. But I, Tom, would rather have made a different decision now.
This is the decision: Since March 12th, the loyalty quest is live for all Season Pass owners. You can now choose between the Vanguard and the Drifter and decide who your loyalty will be with from now on.
This decision has impacts on the quest line, the rewards, and according to Bungie, possibly also on future events in Destiny 2.
Since I, as a noble Titan, roam the Destiny universe justly, I had to choose the Vanguard, because … loyalty, duty, and that kind of stuff.
Why do I – and many others – regret the decision for the Vanguard? In the latest “This Week at Bungie,” the developers revealed that you will receive weekly bonus rewards when you complete the loyalty quest.
And I find the rewards of the Drifter significantly cooler than those of the Vanguard!
The Vanguard only has old stuff for you
This is what Bungie says about the rewards: According to Bungie, you will receive weekly rewards that are tailored to your loyalty. Each week, you will get a small package as a token of gratitude for your loyalty.
You will receive the rewards during Season 6 right after the weekly reset either from Ikora Rey (Vanguard) or from the Drifter.
These are the weekly rewards from the Vanguard:
- A Powerful Vanguard Reward (which gave me an item 5 Power Level above my total Power Level, thus providing a decent boost)
- Upgrade Materials
- Vanguard Favor – This item can be used in a strike, then all players receive a Vanguard gift at the end
- 10 Vanguard Tokens of the Tactician – These are the normal tokens that you can turn in to Zavala to increase your reputation and get Vanguard rewards
These are the weekly rewards from the Drifter:
- A Powerful Gambit Gear
- Collector’s Synth
- Intruder Synth
- Guardian Synth
- Reaper Synth
- 100 Infamy Points
That’s why the Vanguard reward sucks: In the comments to the “TWAB” on Reddit, this weekly loyalty reward is the top topic. Some are happy about the news that they will receive rewards each week, while others regret their choice. I join the latter group.
Because: The rewards from the Vanguard are simply terrible. With the Powerful Gear, the tokens, and the Vanguard favor, you only get old stuff, because the Vanguard gear has not been updated in a long time.
The only good thing is the upgrade materials – but even they aren’t particularly abundant.
The Drifter, on the other hand, brings synths that you can use for the new activities Gambit Prime and Reckoning. Moreover, Infamy points are always useful for ranking up, and for the Powerful Gambit Gear, many players hope for the new Gambit loot. However, even with the relatively rare standard Gambit gear, one would be more satisfied than with the dull Vanguard stuff.
In short: The Vanguard has old stuff for you, the Drifter has rewards that are relevant for Season 6.
But this weekly loot is not the only reason why I regret my decision.
Warning, slight spoiler alert!
For these reasons, the decision for the Vanguard is even less worthwhile:
- During the Vanguard quest, you carry out investigations against the Drifter. I found the result of the investigation quite disappointing. I would have preferred to go to the Drifter.
- The Drifter now calls me “spy” when I play Gambit Prime. And in such an accusatory tone that it annoys me after just a few games.
In the previous season, I enjoyed playing Gambit often, I even reset my Infamy rank. I had the same plan in Season 6 – although now I will probably have to turn off the volume.
The decision for the Vanguard is worthwhile for these reasons:
- You have a clear conscience when you stand with the Vanguard, which has supported you for the last years. The “clear conscience” is at least mentioned when completing the quest. However, I would have preferred cooler loot.
- You can complete all lore entries – and thus triumph points – from Aunor. This is not possible if you choose the Drifter. Since I like to complete these – and have read them out of curiosity – I am not completely unhappy with my decision.
By the way: If you play with multiple characters, you can pledge loyalty to both sides (one side per character). This way, you will receive both rewards weekly. But I will remain loyal to my Titan forever!
