In Iron Banner matches, your gear is incredibly important, and a player that’s using Legendary and Exotic items (fully upgraded) will be extremely deadly.
The next Iron Banner event is coming Tuesday, 11/18
[divider]Overview
Here’s a rundown on a few important things to keep in mind:
- You don’t earn Iron Banner rep when you lose, but you will earn an IB Medallion that’ll convert into reputation once you win your next match.
- Wearing IB Emblems/Shaders each give you a stacking +10% reputation boost.
- Wearing an Iron Banner class item (Rank 2) grants an additional +10%
- The new Iron Banner gear will allow you to reach level 30, with the help of 1 Exotic & 1 Raid piece.
- There’s now 5 ranks, which will reset after this Iron Banner event concludes.
- Only players Level 20 and above can lead a Fireteam, but lower level players may join the 20+ Fireteam leader.
- Players within 3 Levels can be competitive with each other.
There are many links in this article, which lead to other guides and useful information. As with any article where we link to other guides, it’s recommended you visit these!
[divider]Gear Up!
Vanguard and Crucible Vendors
You need to have a Vanguard/Crucible reputation level of 2+ to purchase armor, and level 3 to purchase weapons. If you’re not quite there yet, finishing bounties is the quickest way to get there. Use these vendors to pick up the remaining pieces of Legendary equipment you need.
Faction Vendors
New Monarchy, Future War Cult & Dead Orbit are the main PvP factions in Destiny. Even though they promote Crucible gametypes, gaining reputation with them can be done just as easily in PvE. By choosing a Faction by equipping the class item they sell, completing both Vanguard and Crucible activities will add towards your Faction’s reputation. Faction vendors’ inventories never change, so be sure to check out each of their inventories to see which is best for your playstyle.
[divider]Playstyle
Making sure you aren’t carrying any uncommon or rare items is your priority, and pick the one that fits your PvP play style the best. 
Do you like grenades? Some armor lets you carry two! Do you rely on your shotgun or fusion rifle? Consider finding equipment that lets you carry more ammo. Large clip size? High rate of fire? Explosive rounds? Melee bonuses? There are a lot of options out there, look at the entire upgrade path of an item before buying it, and make sure it fits what you’re best at and enjoy.
[divider]Level Up
Between Xûr & Faction vendors, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem getting all of your equipment slots filled with Legendary and Exotic gear. Obtaining the items is just the beginning though; to make them truly effective, you’ll have to level them up and upgrade them. In this Iron Banner, there’s a huge difference between an item that you just acquired and one that you’ve maxed out, especially considering that your Light level is increased when you upgrade an item’s defense rating. 
Planet-specific crafting materials are pretty easy to find when you’re out on a patrol. The high-end materials that you’ll have a harder time finding are Ascendant Energy & Shards. You’ll need to get these to upgrade your items to their fullest potential. Dismantling Legendary or Exotic items is the easiest way to acquire these Legendary materials (energy from weapons, shards from armor). For more about end-game materials and the best ways to ‘farm’ them, click here.
[divider]Xûr
Check out this article to learn more about your friendly Exotic vendor. Save up your Strange Coins so you can buy that missing piece of equipment before you return to the Crucible. We’ve got an in-depth text/video review for nearly every Exotic weapon!
Video: Who is Xûr?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i32fOkFNIBM After you’ve bought an Exotic weapon, check out this video guide to learn how to level it up quickly!
[divider]Know Your Build
Once you have all of the items you need, spend some time tweaking the skill loadout you’ll be going into the Iron Banner with. Not only should you choose the subclass that matches your PvP style, but you’re going to want to take the time to really examine what skills you’ve chosen, and how they work together. Some options are geared more towards PvE, so make sure you’re only bringing in skills that will benefit you in the Crucible. Understanding how your movement, melee, and super abilities work will let you better evaluate situations, and know when you have the advantage. 
There’s no cost to toggling skills on and off, so experiment as much as you can to really refine your build! Click here to learn more about the weapons and gear you can earn from this event.