The Iron Banner returns this week! If you missed the last one then head over to our last article where we handed out some tips about competing. Of course we’re going to cover the same ground here, and it’ll be that much more relevant because the game mode has changed, as it does every Iron Banner. This week until April 17th, the next weekly reset, you’ll be able to compete in Iron Banner Control matches, which are no different to normal Control matches other than the fact that you’ll get wrecked if you’re a lower level player.
How do you play Control?
Control is a pretty simple game mode where there are certain points all over the map that can be claimed and controlled by one team. Guardians will be split into two teams and they must gain control of as many points for as long as possible in order to boost the points they get from kills and assists to help them win. In short, the more control points your team has, the faster you’ll win. Many Guardians forget that the point of Control is to claim these points, and you’ll se the rookies running around killing the enemy and ignoring every point around them. Be a team player and claim these control points, because they’ll lead to more success for you and your team than running and gunning will. There is honestly nothing worse than being in a team who just run and kill even when Lord Shaxx is screaming at you about all the control zones being controlled by the enemy.
What’s the loot like?
Iron Banner is brilliant, in that the loot drops seem to be from pretty much everything that has ever happened in Destiny, excluding the promotional content. This means you can claim items like the Crimson and Sugary Shell, from Crimson Days, as rewards from matches. Anyone looking to collect all of these items should definitely consider hunting in the Iron Banner for a while.
With that said, you’re probably concerned about the Light level drop of the loot. I’m very pleased to say that loot drops at and above your Light level, meaning you can easily use the Iron Banner to increase your Light level over the next week. For anyone trying to get to that elusive 390 Light for the challenge mode Raids, this is the place to be. The armour and weapon drops tend to lead towards the Iron Banner loot, but there is every chance that you could even get an exotic drop out of a match.
Will it help with Age of Triumph?
If you’re concerned about spending a week levelling up when you should be completing that Age of Triumph record book, then don’t be. One of the tasks in the book is to reach Rank 5 with the Iron Banner once, and that’s after the update for Age of Triumph so everyone has to do it. You’ll also need to be reaching Rank 25 with all three factions before you finish the book, so this is an opportunity to earn additional reputation with those factions that need some love in order to meet the record book requirement.
