This week’s Iron Banner event is the best time to level up Destiny’s new gear and guns

If you’re looking to get your Destiny character to level 34, or ascend your favorite old weapons to the new maximum damage level, you’ll need Etheric Light, the new upgrade material introduced in the House of Wolves expansion. And if you’ve been playing House of Wolves up until now, you know that the only way to get Etheric Light is in the Prison of Elders, Nightfall Strike, or Trials of Osiris. Thankfully, those that have struggled with those modes now have another option, with the Iron Banner Crucible event running this week (up until June 9th, when the weekly reset occurs).

Guaranteed Etheric Light

Getting Etheric Light in Prison of Elders requires you to complete the level 34 and level 35 modes. Getting Etheric Light in a Nightfall requires good teammates, skill, high-level gear, and a dollop of luck. Lastly, getting Etheric Light in Trials of Osiris requires you to achieve a certain number of wins without getting three losses. In all cases the stakes are high, and getting Etheric Light isn’t a guarantee without a dedicated group of players. The rules for Iron Banner are a bit more friendly. By winning matches and completing bounties, players gain reputation. Hit a threshold and you’ll rank up. Get to ranks 3 and 5 and you’ll be able to buy Etheric Light from Lord Saladin at the Tower.

Depending on how much time you have on your hands, this process isn’t a strict guarantee. However, with a little dedication and grinding you can rank up whether or not you have friends to play with, which brings me to my next point…

Matchmaking!

Not everyone plays Destiny the same way, and some players have a hard time finding dedicated friends to play with. Some like to be a lone wolf, and others just don’t like talking to people. For those players, the quest for Etheric Light is almost certainly a struggle, as Prison of Elders, Nightfalls, and Trials of Osiris all lack traditional matchmaking. That’s where Iron Banner comes in. With 6v6 matchmaking in place, you can fight your way to Etheric Light in a way you couldn’t before.

More Teammates to Rely On

The three-Guardian fireteams of the Prison/Nightfall/Trials modes put a lot of pressure on each individual player to perform to the best of their ability. Iron Banner used to be Destiny’s hardcore PvP mode, but now it’s now much more relaxed compared to the new stuff. With six players per team, and the very chaotic Control gametype in place, the expectations per player are much looser.

With matchmaking you never know who your teammates will be, and this is something that can swing in your favor or against you. Get matched with some pros and you’ll get carried through a round. Get matched against a better team and you might lose, but at least losses give you Medallions that are worth some reputation. Even if you lose five times in a row, a single win will cash in all of your medallions and give you a pretty good payout.

How to Rank Up Fast

The obvious answer is to win, a lot. However, it isn’t necessary. Even if you’re only winning one in five matches in Iron Banner you’ll see your rank rise. Complete Iron Banner bounties to move the process along MUCH faster. For an even bigger gain, visit Lord Saladin and buy the “Tempered Buff” for one Mote of Light. This buff gives you a reputation boost that lasts for several hours and becomes more effective as the Iron Banner event goes on.

Lastly, Iron Banner participants who equip Iron Banner Class Armor, Emblems, and Shaders will gain an additional reputation buff. If you’ve done Iron Banner in the past you hopefully have these items, otherwise the climb through the ranks to purchase them may take a bit longer.

How to Play Control

While not a strict piece of advice for Iron Banner or the process of attaining Etheric Light, I find it worth noting that a lot of people playing Control in Iron Banner don’t understand the mode. There’s some subtle strategy to playing Control that goes beyond total domination of the control points and the killcount, and all it takes is one overzealous player to throw an easy victory.

My point is this — if you’ve captured two control zones, defend those zones and get kills. Don’t try to capture a third, even if it’s unoccupied. Not all zones are created equal, and a lot of maps have two zones which are easier to hold together than the other. By running off to your enemy’s only zone, you expose the two you already claimed. Often, even if the result is a trade of zones, the other team can use the better location to reverse their fortune and stage a quick comeback.

So…when in doubt, don’t cap the third zone! I can’t tell you how many times a solid win was turned around to a sudden loss because one player decided to get adventurous. Don’t be that guy!

And that’s it. With dedication you’re almost guaranteed at least one Etheric Light, and those who really go all-out across their alt characters can earn up to six. So get out there, Guardian, before it’s all over.