Item customization and crafting. It’s a thing… right? Well…
As Guardians buy or salvage new equipment, they learn to tinker and improve. This work requires Glimmer and other material.
Some can be recycled from unneeded gear. Titans favor plasteel, which can be found by disassembling old equipment. Hunters unspool discarded armor into sapphire wire. Warlocks extract hadronic essence from dismantled fieldweave robes.
In the early game, for at least what’s been shown off so far, it doesn’t look like we’ll need to do too much besides gain experience to upgrade our equipment. However as the game progresses, and especially once we reach level 20, for some of the rare+ gear we’ll need to gain materials to increase its power.
The current form of item crafting that’s in the game is somewhat is limited, but may be expanded upon in future expansions. As far as creating completely custom gear with custom ability options, this is not available in Destiny.
Destiny has a system that allows you to use materials to upgrade your items. Take for example the Iron Regalia Vestments. As shown in the picture, at least one of its unlocks requires not only Glimmer, but Hadronic Essence and Spinmetal. This means we’ll need to earn these materials and use them to, for lack of a better word, craft our item into an even better item. Usually you’ll need to unlock and use the previous upgrade option before using the next one.
| Material Name | Use |
From |
|---|---|---|
| Relic Iron | Used primarily to upgrade high-level gear. | Gathered and looted from chests on Mars. |
| Spinmetal | Used primarily to upgrade high-level gear. | Gathered and looted from chests in the Cosmodrome. |
| Helium Filaments | Used primarily to upgrade high-level gear. | Gathered and looted from chests on the Moon. |
| Spirit Bloom | Used primarily to upgrade high-level gear. | Gathered and looted from chests on Venus. |
| Ascendant Energy | Used to upgrade weapons to the highest levels of Attack. | Obtained as a reward from high-level activities and from dismantling high-level gear. |
| Ascendant Shard | Used to upgrade armor to the highest levels of Defense. | Obtained as a reward from high-level activities and from dismantling high-level gear. |
| Mote of Light | A currency used to purchase special gear in the Tower. | Obtained by earning XP beyond the level cap and completing high-level activities. |
| Armor Parts (Plasteel Plating, Hadronic Essence, Sapphire Wire) | Used to upgrade armor. | Obtained by dismantling uncommon and higher-level armor. |
| Weapon Parts, Weapon Kit | Used to upgrade weapons. | Obtained by dismantling uncommon and higher-level weapons. |
The most powerful Guardian equipment transcends ordinary science, entering the realm of Golden Age secrets and the Traveler’s power itself. This wargear demands Ascendant Energy and Ascendant Shards – burning fragments of the universal fundament, earned through mighty acts of heroism. Look for them in daily Story challenges and Raids, and when dismantling high-level equipment.
Ascendant Materials is the catchall name for powerful Materials necessary to upgrade powerful weapons and armor. Ascendant Energy is necessary to upgrade high-level weapons, while Ascendant Shards are needed for high-level armor.
Remember to dismantle what you don’t need, so you can save inventory space and also get the necessary items you might need in the future!