Destiny 2: Character - how to level up quickly and gain power? Destiny 2 Guide
Last update: 28 March 2021
In this chapter of our game guide to Destiny 2 you can find out what Gear Score is and how to count it. Also, we explain how to quickly increase the Gear Score (also known as power level) of the character in order to enjoy high level gameplay and participate in all possible server activities and multiplayer interactions, such as Heroic Public Events, high level Raids - The Leviathan or Nightfall: The Ordeal.
The Gear Score in Destiny 2 determines your character's overall power level and you can increase it be equipping better gear and items over time. This means that doing normal activities such as completing all story campaigns, playing additional story missions, taking part in public events will give you items that can gradually increase your character's overall Gear Score. Power leveling a character in order to reach the 1000 Gear Score (the so-called soft cap) is essential to be able to start receiving top-class loot with the best stats (Powerfull Gear, Pinnacle Gear) and achieve a Gear Score even higher than 1000 points. Here are some tips that explain how to quickly level up your character in Destiny 2 and begin participating in the end-game content of the game.
Gear Score in Destiny 2 - how to count it?
Gear Score in Destiny 2, which is your character's overall power level consists of two parts (factors):
- Average score of all currently equipped items - in our case 1012 (white number shown in the screen below);
- Bonus gear score from the seasonal artifact - in our case +8 points (blue number in the screen below).
By combining these two components, you get an overall Gear Score that is responsible for both your character's offense and defense. If you switch an item for another your Gear Score may go up or down depending on the stats of the item you have just equipped.
Due to Artifacts, the character's actual Gear Score can be higher than the default maximum which was set for the particular season. For example, at the time of writing this guide there is a season of the Arrivals where the maximum Gear Score is 1060. Due to the Artifact bonus points you can exceed this limit.
Gear Score 750 - 1000
If you are a new player and you are just starting your adventure with Destiny 2 you will start with a Gear Score of 750. You will find items in your inventory that allow you to instantly jump into the gameplay and perform various activities, such as completing older story campaigns, exploring available planets and completing minor tasks such as patrols or adventures. Throughout the gameplay, you will progressively receive better items. The latter will increase your character's overall Gear Score. To level up the hero/heroine above the soft cap, always equip the item with the highest Gear Score factor, so that the next items assigned to a specific slot will have a higher Gear Score factor.
From the very beginning until you reach Gear Score 1000 you can really do anything you want. You will gradually increase your character's Gear Score as each drop you find should be 1 or 3 points better than your current Gear Score. However, the best results may come from taking part in Strikes and Nightfall: The Ordeal in the Vanguard gameplay mode. In these type of activities there are literally dozens of opponents to eliminate, so there is a good chance to get many items and Engrams. Also, you will receive a loot chest with extra rewards.
1000+ Gear Score
When you reach a Gear Score of 1000, you will exceed the so-called soft cap and you have to perform certain activities to further increase your character's power level. Only certain missions and activities from which you can get a Powerful Gear or Pinnacle Gear can raise your character's Gear Score above 1000.
After crossing the soft cap, challenges will appear on the map of the solar system. These activities include various challenges, such as performing a certain amount of tasks on a particular planet, playing a specific number of Strikes, PvP games, etc. You will receive a Powerful Gear or Pinnacle Gear for completing the challenge and this is how you can level up your character from 1000 to 1050 Gear Score.
If one or two of your items decrease your overall Gear Score and it's hard for you to get higher above a specific limit then there are several solutions in such a case! The first option is to visit the Vendor Engrams website where you will see which NPCs in a specific week can offer equipment with the highest possible Power Level & Gear Score, which is adapted to your character's level. For example, our Gear Score is 1017, but armor only has a 1011 Power Level, so we can try to get a better item for this slot. In the image above you can notice that Commander Zavala is marked as "dropping high" which means that you can try to invest the tokens from the Vanguard mode into items from this NPC and get an armor upgrade at the level of 1017 Gear Score.
Powerful Gear - what is it, how to get it?
Powerful Gear are legendary items that are divided into Tier 1 and Tier 2. The difference between them is as follows:
- Powerful Gear Tier 1 is a random item with a Power Level / Gear Score which is +2 points higher than the current Gear Score of the character;
- Powerful Gear Tier 2 is a random item with a Power Level / Gear Score which is +4 points higher than the current Gear Score of the character.
First of all, complete all activities offering Powerful Gear from Tier 1 and then move to Tier 2. It should also be noted here that once you have reached the 1050 Gear Score limit, Powerful Gear will not be able to level up your character any further.
Powerful Gear Tier 1 (+2 Gear Score Drop) - how to get it?
Below is a list of activities from which you can get Powerful Gear Tier 1 items. If you are a new player then some activities may be unavailable to you and you will need to unlock them first by performing story missions.
- Drifter (The Tower) - every week you will have to complete 8 Bounties in Gambit mode;
- Banshee-44 (The Tower) - you will have to perform 8 Bounties each week, usually related to using a specific weapon;
- Lord Shaxx (The Tower) - every week you will have to complete 8 Bounties in Crucible mode (PvP);
- Commander Zavala (The Tower) - every week you will have to complete 8 Bounties in Vanguard mode (Strike or Nightfall);
- Flashpoint - this task changes each week and is randomly assigned to a particular planet, so you have to find a location where the main NPC offers a drop reward for performing tasks on its planet;
- Vanguard - for completing 3 missions: Strike and Nightfall: The Ordeal - you can get 2 item drops in total;
- Moon - if you have purchased the Shadowkeep DLC you can complete a mission for Iris and defeat 30 Nightmares for Lectern, complete specific story mission once a week, as well as Nightmare Hunts - a total of 4 additional item drops.
Powerful Gear Tier 2 (+4 Gear Score Drop) - how to obtain it?
Below is a list of activities from which you can get Powerful Gear Tier 2 items. If you are a new player then some activities may be unavailable to you and you will need to unlock them first by performing story missions.
- Clan Rewards - if you have joined a clan, you can get 1 item drop for earning 5,000 XP;
- Seasonal Event - you can get 1 drop for performing a specific seasonal public event. At the time of writing this guide, Season of the Arrivals is in progress, and such an event is the Contact (it is available on the planet Io or Titan).
Pinnacle Gear - what is it, how to get it?
Pinnacle Gear are top-class Legendary items that offer +5 Gear Score bonus before reaching the 1050 Gear Score limit. If you've already reached the 1050 limit, then Pinnacle Gear will offer you an item that increases the Gear Score by 1 or 2 points. For this reason, Pinnacle Gear drops should be looted in the last order, if you had previously earned the Powerful Gear Tier 1 and Tier 2 in a particular week.
Pinnacle Gear (+5 Gear Score Drop) - how to obtain it?
Below is a list of activities from which you can get Pinnacle Gear drop. If you are a new player then some activities may be unavailable to you and you will need to unlock them first by performing story missions.
- Vanguard - for completing 3 Strikes with a subclass of a character corresponding to the active element in the challenge and completing Nightfall: The Ordeal with a result score of 100,000 points - 2 drops in total;
- Nightmare Hunts - if you have Shadowkeep DLC you can get one drop for completing this challenge on the Master difficulty level;
- Raids - if you have the Shadowkeep DLC you can get one drop for completing the Garden of Salvation raid;
- Gambit - complete 3 games in this mode (Regular or Prime);
- Crucible - complete 4 Core games (Rumble, Control, Eliminate or Survival);
- Season NPCs - in each season of Destiny 2, you can get access to various NPCs, who will offer you a reward in the form of Pinnacle Gear for completing certain tasks. At the time of writing this guide, that is, during the Season of the Arrivals, you can perform a 3-stage task which is ordered weekly by Prismatic Recaster (Drifter machine);
- Dungeons - in each season of Destiny 2, you will also gain access to Dungeons. You will receive one drop for completing this high-level instance. In the Season of the Arrivals you can find the Dungeons in The Tower (Prophecy) and on The Moon (Pit of Heresy) - 2 drops in total.