Masterwork gear adds a lot to Destiny 2'south endgame, allowing you to boost the stats of a weapon by its power level with enough resources. In improver to a cool gold border and a impale tracker, Masterwork gear offers a range of goodies: Extra orbs, specific stat increases, and more.

Similar almost every system inDestiny 2,Bungie doesn't explain Masterworks very well. In this guide, we're going to cover what Masterwork gear is (and isn't), the perks Masterwork gear offers, and how to level upward the gear you have to its maximum level.

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What Masterwork Gear does, and what it doesn't do

Earlier we dive into what Masterwork Gear offers players, it's important to sympathize the nature of the upgrades. Masterwork items do not offer whatsoever damage or ability level heave compared to standard Legendary or Exotic gear. The gear volition still be around the same level every bit your electric current gear, and it could be lower in some cases. If you aren't sure whether or not you're going to use the weapon at all, it'due south best to store it in your vault, as it can always be infused or broken downward subsequently on.

The proficient news: Legendary Masterwork items are technically considered modified versions of Legendary weapons and armor. Every bit such, they do not count against the "one Exotic weapon" and "one Exotic piece of armor" rules. We coupled a Masterwork fusion rifle with an Exotic scout rifle, allowing the states to cause serious carnage against enemies.

What enhancements practise Masterwork Weapons offer?

Legendary Masterwork Weapons offering several bonuses on top of the attributes you find in standard Legendary Weapons. Perhaps well-nigh important is a Masterwork Weapon's orb-generating power: Earning a multi-kill with a Masterwork Weapon — killing two or more than enemies in a few seconds — will automatically generate an orb of light that's used for charging upwardly your super ability. During solo play, this is a handy way to take down targets more quickly, simply it's more powerful during cooperative strikes. If you focus on smaller targets that can be multi-killed while your teammates assault a larger boss, you can generate a abiding supply of orbs for them to use.

Each Masterwork Weapon also comes with one statistical bonus, offering anything from increased reloading speed to better weapon range, or even blast radius. According to players on Reddit, these are the stats that Masterwork Weapons can enhance:

• Impact (sniper rifles, fusion rifles, and swords only)
• Range (not available on rocket and grenade launchers)
• Stability (not available on swords)
• Treatment
• Reload Speed (not bachelor on swords)
• Magazine
• Boom Radius (rocket and grenade launchers just)
• Velocity (rocket and grenade launchers simply)

Since the launch of Forsaken, Masterwork weapons also come with tiered levels that are unlocked past continued apply. The statistics you have on your weapon will proceed to increment as you reach higher tears, but reaching the highest tier requires more Legendary shards and Enhancement Cores.

You tin can pick up Enhancement Cores a few different means. Ane is past breaking downward Masterwork Weapons. Breaking downwardly a Masterwork Weapon generally yields one to three Enhancement Cores. Since the launch of Forsaken, y'all can no longer "re-curl" Masterwork gear to get the statistics you want.

You can also purchase them past talking to the grapheme Spider in the Tangled Shores, which is located in The Reef. These aren't cheap, still, so you might want to avoid it unless y'all accept your eye set on getting a Masterwork weapon immediately.

Like some emblems, Masterwork Weapons besides track the kills yous earn. These can exist either total kills with the Masterwork weapon, or just those you earned in the Crucible multiplayer mode. On the "details" folio for your weapon, this tally will exist visible directly under the weapon's ability level.

Exotic Masterwork Weapons add the same orb- and kill-tracking abilities found in Legendary Masterworks to an Exotic Weapon, likewise equally unique perks and stat upgrades. Unlike Legendary Masterworks, the upgrades are not random and cannot be re-rolled. On the other hand, the benefits are also more substantial. According to a PlayStation Access explainer video, for example, Vigilance Wing — a pop exotic pulse rifle — gains a full-machine option when fully upgraded

How do I get Masterwork Gear?

Legendary Masterworks

At that place is a small chance that any Legendary weapon you selection up volition already be a Masterwork. Certain Legendary drops are automatically a Masterwork, also, such as the Salvager'due south Salvo ritual grenade launcher from Season of the Chosen. For the most part, however, you'll need to upgrade your weapons manually.

Each weapon has 10 ranks, and information technology's considered a Masterwork at rank x. You can upgrade your weapon at whatever time using your inventory screen, and as long as you have enough resources, you tin can go from level one to level 10 right away. If you don't have enough resource, don't worry; each level rewards you with slightly increased stats.

Hither'southward what you need for each level:

• Level one — Base weapon
• Level two — 2,500 Glimmer
• Level three — 2,500 Blink, one Legendary Shard
• Level 4 — 2,500 Glimmer, one Legendary Shard, ane Enhancement Core
• Level five — 2,500 Glimmer, two Legendary Shards, Ane Enhancement Core
• Level vi — Ii Legendary shards, two Enhancement Cores
• Level vii — Three Legendary Shards, 2 Enhancement Cores
• Level 8 — Iii Legendary Shards, three Enhancement Cores
• Level nine — 5 Legendary Shards, three Enhancement Cores
• Level 10 — 10 Legendary Shards, five Enhancement Cores

Exotic Masterwork Weapons

In season 3 of Destiny 2, Bungie added Exotic Masterwork Weapons. Rather than dropping randomly, each Exotic weapon yous learn has or volition take the chapters to become a Masterwork Weapon (not all Exotics will have a Masterwork version available at the bound).

To upgrade an Exotic weapon, you must find its corresponding Exotic Masterwork Catalyst, an item that will trigger a mission or otherwise grant yous instructions telling you what you need to do. Like the upgrades, both the catalyst and the instructions are different for each weapon. Some catalysts are in specific places — Bungie said some weapons will take clues on them if y'all audit them closely — while others drop at random. After acquiring and applying the Masterwork Catalyst to your weapon, there is a gear up number of more direct steps to complete in order to grind the Masterwork to its final, well-nigh masterful state.

I more thing yous should know: Unlike Legendary Masterwork gear, you lot cannot customize the upgrades on Exotic Masterworks. Each piece of Masterwork Gear has one custom-tailored Masterwork.

What about Masterwork Armor?

Legendary Masterwork Armor offers a similar, admitting less variable bonus to standard Legendary gear. Masterwork Armor pieces grant a 3% harm reduction while using a super motion. As a result, a consummate Masterwork Armor set grants a xv% damage reduction. Additionally, each rank gives your armor more than elemental energy, allowing you to equip more mods.

Like Legendary weapons, you can upgrade Legendary armor to its Masterwork level. Here's what you need for each level:

• Level one — Base armor
• Level 2 — 500 Glimmer, ane Legendary Shard
• Level three — 500 Glimmer, 1 Legendary Shard
• Level four — 500 Blink, two Legendary Shards
• Level five — 1,000 Glimmer, two Legendary Shards
• Level six — 1,000 Blink, three Legendary Shards, one Enhancement Core
• Level seven — two,500 Blink, iii Legendary Shards, two Enhancement Cores
• Level 8 — three,000 Blink, 4 Legendary Shards, i Enhancement Prism
• Level 9 — 3,000 Blink, 4 Legendary Shards, 2 Enhancement Prisms
• Level x — four,000 Blink, five Legendary Shards, one Ascendant Shard

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