All hail the Iron Lords!
Level advantages are enabled in Iron Banner, so your Light should be as strong as possible.
New Matchmaking: Live Now!
Iron Banner Ends: Tuesday, February 2nd, 12 AM PST
Available from post-game:
- Rank 2: Boots
- Rank 3: Chest Piece, PlayStation Helmet, Scout Rifle
- Rank 4: Fusion Rifle
Available from Lord Saladin:
- Rank 3: Class Item, PlayStation Class Item
- Rank 4: Chest Piece, Scout Rifle
- Rank 5: Fusion Rifle
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Bounties
Wear the IB emblem, shader, and class item to get the most reputation!
Avoid the loss of Reputation Package rewards by claiming Rank 3 packages before reaching Rank 5.
| Bounty |
|---|
| Heavy Iron |
| Iron Domination |
| Iron Gauntlet |
| Iron Journeyman |
| Iron Marathon |
| Iron Versatility |
Learn how to rank up fast with this guide!
The Runner possesses full use of his or her weapons, in addition to a small increase to Damage Resistance. Of course, it comes at the cost of having a target painted on the Runner’s back that tells the enemy exactly where he or she is at all times.
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Weapons
Iron Banner weapons cost 90 Legendary marks and are 280 Attack.
Colovance’s Duty (Rank 4)
- Zen Moment – Causing damage with this weapon increases its stability.
- Field Scout, Braced Frame, Smallbore
- Hidden Hand – This weapon gains better target acquisition.
Ashraven’s Flight (Rank 5)
- Hidden Hand
- Enhanced Battery, Rifled Barrel, Feather Mag
- Hot Swap – Readying this weapon grants a brief period of bonus accuracy.
| Name | Type | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Finnala’s Peril | Hand Cannon | Impact |
| Haakon’s Hatchet | Auto Rifle | Reload, AA |
| Nirwen’s Mercy | Pulse Rifle | Stability |
| Colovance’s Duty | Scout Rifle | Impact, Range |
| Weyloran’s March | Sniper Rifle | RoF, AA |
| Ashraven’s Flight | Fusion Rifle | Impact, Range |
| Ironwreath-D | Sidearm | Stability, Reload |
| Deidris’s Retort | Shotgun | RoF, Reload |
| Tormod’s Bellows | Rocket Launcher | Velocity, Reload |
| Bretomart’s Stand | Machine Gun | Impact, Stability |
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Tempered
The tempered buff, which increases reputation, is automatically applied and continues to grow in effectiveness each day of the event.
| Day | Bonus |
| Tuesday | 0%? |
| Wednesday | 15% |
| Thursday | 25% |
| Friday | 40% |
| Saturday | 60% |
| Sunday | 100% |
| Monday | 150% |
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Scoring
Now, how does one go about accumulating points in Rift? Here’s how:
- Regular kills will net you 100 points. Variations such as +10 for headshots will still be in play.
- Kills as the Spark Runner will net you 150 points
- Kills on the Spark Runner will net you 300 points
- Picking up the Spark will net you 300 points
- Passing each checkpoint (there are 5) will net you 100 points per checkpoint
- Igniting the Rift with the Spark will net you 1500+ points!
- Igniting the Rift backwards will net you 1650+ points and a sick backflip animation
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Strategy
Although slaying is an important aspect of the Crucible, in terms of points acquired in Rift, it is overshadowed by the main objective of igniting a Spark in the enemies’ Rift. Always consider how to best take advantage of the mechanics surrounding the objective.
For example, a solid tactic would be to always pick up the Spark, granted you have a safe opportunity to do so. Even if you only make it to the first checkpoint, you will have earned your team 300 points for picking it up and 100 for running a part of the way. Furthermore, by denying the enemy team the opportunity to pick up the Spark, you are also denying them the chance to score major points until the Spark is charged once again.
It may seem totally within reason to take the Spark every single time and try to make it as far as you can with it; one of these runs may eventually pay off. However, it would not be wise to simply rush blindly into enemy territory. Careful positioning and radar-reading are crucial aspects of being a proficient Spark runner; a runner who is prone to dying quickly may eventually become a detriment to the team.
Mobility perks such as Blink will be invaluable to use as a Spark Runner, especially since the runner does not have access to his Super. A proper succession of Blinks will grant the runner enough mobility to reach at least a checkpoint or two, if not the Rift itself. Titan skating is a little less versatile, as Blink allows for a greater chance of evasion, but it should prove to be invaluable for covering long distances over a short period of time. Warlocks can also skate to an extent with their Focused Burst double jump perk, or, alternatively, pop Radiance and draw a good amount of fire away from the runner and other teammates.
As far as Supers go, the Defender Titan bubble will prove to be a concrete defense for the runner and his team. It will allow for the team to regenerate their health and ready themselves for the coming rush, as well as provide them with buffs such as Weapons of Light or Blessing of Light to carry them through the fray. The other support Super, the Nightstalker’s Shadowshot, will also help to render enemies immobile or at least zone off certain regions of the map, ultimately providing ample breathing room for the Spark runner to make it that much more safely to the Rift.
Of course, there may be situations in which the enemy team takes the Spark before yours, forcing you and your team to switch to a more defensive stance. Defense can take on two main paths in this scenario: pressure the runner or guard the Rift.
In the former, by surrounding the enemy runner with a large amount of players, your team can force the runner into a corner or into a blind rush, especially if he is distanced from his teammates. The high traffic in the runner’s radar may also cause him to panic and make rash decisions, which may end up proving beneficial for your team. Furthermore, by encircling the Spark runner, you leave him with fewer available routes, allowing your team to more easily predict his course of actio
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Power Matters
Light level is very important, just like in Trials, because you’ll do more damage than your lower Light opponent. Consider yourself on a relative power level with another player if you’re within 10 light levels of one another. Beyond that, you could find yourself with an edge over your competition or be in a bit of trouble.
Usually the difference isn’t significant enough to cause a David vs Goliath situation, but it can throw off a player’s muscle memory due to the usual time to kill being skewed. This is usually no more than the difference of a few bullets. That may not sound like much, but practiced crucible players may find themselves misjudging engagements by ceasing fire when they would normally have killed an enemy, only to find them living with the barest shred of health. Be sure to bring your highest light level gear, or you may find yourself waiting to respawn from a fight you would win any day in the standard crucible.
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Don’t Go Alone
More often than not, if you go into Iron Banner alone, you’re going to have a bad time. You should always try to play with at least two other reliable teammates to help maintain some semblance of control on the battlefield through coordination. If you need a fireteam, the mobile app for DestinyLFG.net has you covered!
Take Breaks
Iron Banner allows players to flaunt their high-level gear, while simultaneously proving their skills at PvP. Those who are bored with lackluster matches in standard Crucible and want some more challenge are invited to the test of the Iron Banner. Iron Banner demands teamwork, consistency, and dominance on the battlefield; where chivalry is an afterthought and savage multikills are as rewarding as ever.
Iron Banner can get frustrating though… from losing streaks to laggy lobbies, you’ll probably go on “tilt” at least once. If you do, take a break; cashing in your stack of medallions will have a larger benefit as the week goes on.
Iron Banner may only last a week, but that doesn’t mean you need to commit every waking hour to playing in order to get to Rank 5. It’s got daily and weekly bounties committed to helping you through your rep grind. More importantly, every day you will gain an increasing passive buff to your rep gains within Iron Banner.
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Weapons
Pulse Rifle
While having seen a slight nerf, pulse rifles are still a viable weapon type. The Hawksaw in particular is still a very reliable weapon, even if you will more often than not find yourself requiring three bursts to down an opponent in Iron Banner. On the exotic front, Red Death maintains its lethality and excellent utility by allowing you to quickly move from enemy to enemy thanks to the health regen granted on a kill. Bad Juju has also been seeing some use, with guardians coming from the recent pulse rifle dominated meta finding its continuous fire more predictable than an auto rifle with reliable damage.
Hand Cannon
The recent range increase has gone a decent way toward the revival of hand cannon usage in the crucible. This is seen most easily with the Last Word. Once a powerhouse, it was relegated to a mid-tier weapon and is now seeing a revival thanks to the increase in its effective engagement range. Hawkmoon might not be as the beast it once was thanks to its range reduction, but during Iron Banner, the two shot kill is still very much alive and well. If you were a fan, give it a go should you find yourself facing lower light level guardians. Outside of that, the gunsmith has offered several hand cannons these past weeks that might be worth giving a go, especially last week’s Omolon Ufferen.
Scout Rifle
Scouts are currently in a healthy place within the crucible. Their long to medium engagement range allows for relatively safe fights against guardians using other primary weapon types, and can even allow you to face off against an enemy sniper. Currently, MIDA Multi-Tool is seeing extensive use in Iron Banner. Between Third Eye, increased movement speed while aiming down sights, and the substantial stagger on hit, it’s proving to be as useful now as it was in Year 1.
Auto Rifle
Stronger than they once were, these are still in a bit of an odd place. Typically scouts and high impact pulse rifles will be preferable to using an auto rifle. However, some guardians may find Monte Carlo a useful weapon with its reliable accuracy and ability to enable melee oriented class builds.
Shotgun
Thankfully there seems to be a semblance of balance in the majority of shotguns currently available. The recent nerfs are especially noticeable in Iron Banner. Damage drop-off combined with level difference sometimes leads to a shotgun only tickling. Mobile guardians will still find them extremely good – just stay in the air when you’re moving! This means your team may find having at least one player with a shotgun useful for securing more confined control points.
Sniper Rifles
If you haven’t been practicing your sniping, it’s time to start. They’re becoming more prevalent than ever, with only scouts being able to challenge at long ranges. 1000-Yard Stare is currently the go to weapon for snipers thanks to a compliment of well-rounded stats and easy acquisition.
Sidearm
Thanks shotgun nerfs, sidearms are decent. Guardians can now use them to engage from a relatively safe range, outside the kill range of a shotgun but close enough to cause your target to panic. Be mindful that if you plan to use a sidearm, don’t treat it as a primary. It will optimally be used to finish off damaged targets and can’t reliably challenge a primary weapon directly. Remember to stay fast on your feet and squeeze off shots like your life depends on it.
Fusion Rifle
Few are powerful, but the vendor roll on the IB Fusion is great. Also, there’s Plan C, which is incredible. The reason this weapon qualifies for use is thanks to its exotic perk that can give you a near instant burst when swapping to it. Learning to get the timing down will be key, but if you’re willing to practice then Plan-C can be a perfect tool for quickly zapping someone out of existence.