Hello there, Guardian! Ever felt like Commander Zavala is judging your low Vanguard rank? Do you dream of those sweet, sweet Nightfall weapons, or simply want to flex your commitment to the Last City? Well, you've come to the right place! Leveling up your Vanguard rank in Destiny 2 might seem like a straightforward grind, but there are definitely smart ways to do it and fast ways to do it. Let's dive in and get you from a fresh recruit to a Vanguard legend!
The Path to Vanguard Glory: A Step-by-Step Guide
This guide will break down the most efficient strategies to boost your Vanguard reputation, ensuring you're always making the most of your playtime.
Step 1: Embrace the Vanguard Ethos – What Even Is Vanguard Rank?
First things first, let's understand what we're aiming for. Vanguard Rank is your reputation level with Commander Zavala, located in the Tower. As you increase your rank, you unlock various rewards, including:
- Engrams from Zavala, which can contain ritual weapons, armor, and sometimes even a highly sought-after Nightfall weapon.
- Upgrade materials like Enhancement Cores and Prisms.
- Access to specific items in Zavala's inventory.
- A sense of pride knowing you're a true champion of the Light!
The system is similar to Crucible Valor and Gambit Infamy. The more you play Vanguard activities, the higher your rank climbs.
Step 2: The Core Grind: Vanguard Ops and Nightfalls
The bread and butter of Vanguard leveling comes from playing the Vanguard playlists.
Sub-heading 2.1: Vanguard Ops Playlist – Your Daily Dose of Rep
The Vanguard Ops playlist is your standard strike and Battleground rotation. These are relatively quick, matchmade activities, perfect for casual play or for building up your Activity Streak.
- How much rep? Each completion grants a base amount of Vanguard Rank.
- Efficiency: While not the fastest per run, their accessibility and ease make them a consistent source of reputation.
- Activity Streaks: This is crucial! Completing Vanguard Ops (or Nightfalls) consecutively without going to Orbit for other activities builds an "Activity Streak." This streak grants a significant bonus to your Vanguard Rank earnings.
- Streak One: +3 Vanguard Rank
- Streak Two: +6 Vanguard Rank
- Streak Three: +9 Vanguard Rank
- Streak Four: +12 Vanguard Rank
- Streak Five: +15 Vanguard Rank
- Always try to maintain a streak! This means queuing up for the next activity immediately after one finishes.
Sub-heading 2.2: Nightfalls – High Risk, High Reward (and Rep!)
Nightfalls are harder versions of strikes with increased difficulty, modifiers, and better rewards. They also offer a much higher base reputation gain and score multipliers.
- Difficulty Matters: The higher the difficulty, the more reputation you earn.
- Nightfall (Hero): x1
- Nightfall (Legend): x1.2
- Nightfall (Master): x1.4
- Nightfall (Grandmaster): x1.5
- Strike Scoring: This is where you can really maximize your gains. Vanguard Ops and Nightfalls use a scoring system. Landing precision final blows, defeating Champions, and collecting Orbs of Power all contribute to your score.
- Once you hit 30,000 points, you get a reputation multiplier for every additional 5,000 points. For example, 35,000 points equals a 1.2x multiplier.
- Aim for high scores! Coordinate with your fireteam to defeat all champions and generate Orbs of Power.
Sub-heading 2.3: Onslaught – The New Kid on the Block
With recent updates, Onslaught, the wave-based defense activity, has also been integrated into the Vanguard system.
- Variety: Offers a different gameplay loop for earning Vanguard rep.
- Efficiency: The longer 50-wave runs can be quite lucrative for reputation, especially if you're efficient at clearing waves and objectives.
Step 3: Bounty Bonanza – Your Weekly Rep Boost
Bounties are your best friend for consistent and significant reputation gains across all activities in Destiny 2, and Vanguard is no exception.
Sub-heading 3.1: Daily Bounties from Zavala
Visit Commander Zavala in the Tower every day to pick up his daily Vanguard bounties. These are usually straightforward objectives like "get Arc final blows in strikes" or "complete a certain number of strikes."
- Why daily? Each completed bounty provides a good chunk of reputation, and they reset every day.
- Stack 'em up! You can hold a limited number of bounties, so grab all you can and complete them as you play through strikes or Nightfalls.
Sub-heading 3.2: Weekly Bounties and Challenges
Beyond daily bounties, there are often weekly challenges tied to Vanguard activities that grant substantial reputation upon completion. These might involve completing a certain number of Nightfalls on a specific difficulty or achieving a high score.
- Always check your Director! Look for the yellow challenges under the Vanguard section.
Step 4: Optimize Your Gameplay for Maximum Rep
Now, let's talk about strategies to make your Vanguard grind as efficient as possible.
Sub-heading 4.1: The "Speedrun" Mentality (for certain Nightfalls)
While high scores are great, for sheer volume of reputation, sometimes speed-running a short and easy Nightfall on Hero difficulty (or even Legend if you're comfortable) is the way to go.
- Example: Strikes like Lake of Shadows, The Arms Dealer, and the Cosmodrome strikes (Devil's Lair, The Disgraced, Fallen Saber) are often favorites for rapid completion due to their straightforward objectives and easy bosses.
- Coordinate with your fireteam: If you're with a pre-made group, agree on a strategy to push through quickly.
Sub-heading 4.2: Double Vanguard Rank Weeks – The Golden Opportunity
Keep an eye on the weekly reset! Similar to Valor and Infamy, Bungie often schedules Double Vanguard Rank weeks. This is your absolute best time to grind out ranks. The reputation gains are doubled, making the process significantly faster.
- Check the modifiers: When launching the Vanguard Ops or Nightfall playlist, look for "Double Vanguard Rank" listed in the modifiers.
- Prioritize during these weeks! If you want to hit max rank quickly, dedicate as much time as you can during these events.
Sub-heading 4.3: Equip a Vanguard Mod (Legacy Item)
If you have one from previous seasons, equipping a Vanguard Champion Class Item or a similar mod on your Ghost that boosts Vanguard reputation can provide a small but consistent bonus. While these might be less common now, if you have one, use it!
Step 5: Leverage the Seasonal Artifact and Guardian Ranks
These systems can indirectly contribute to your Vanguard leveling.
Sub-heading 5.1: Seasonal Challenges
The Seasonal Challenges often include objectives related to completing Vanguard activities or earning Vanguard reputation. Completing these not only gives you XP for your Season Pass but also often rewards large chunks of Bright Dust and sometimes even direct reputation.
- Keep an eye out: Many challenges require you to complete a certain number of ritual activities (Vanguard, Crucible, Gambit), so you'll naturally progress your Vanguard rank while working on these.
Sub-heading 5.2: Guardian Ranks
While not a direct rep boost, progressing through Guardian Ranks often requires you to complete various activities, including Vanguard ones. By fulfilling these requirements, you'll naturally be earning Vanguard reputation along the way.
Bringing It All Together: Your Optimal Vanguard Leveling Plan
Here’s how to put it all into action for the fastest results:
- Daily Routine:
- Log in and grab all Vanguard daily bounties from Zavala.
- Start farming the Vanguard Ops playlist to build and maintain a x5 Activity Streak.
- As you play, actively complete your bounties.
- If you have a Fireteam, consider running a few Hero or Legend Nightfalls, focusing on high scores on easy Nightfalls (like Lake of Shadows) for even bigger rep spikes.
- Weekly Focus:
- Complete the weekly Vanguard challenges listed in your Director.
- If it's a Double Vanguard Rank week, prioritize Vanguard activities above all else! This is when you can reset your rank multiple times in a single session.
- Coordinate with a reliable Fireteam for Master or Grandmaster Nightfalls. These offer the highest base reputation and the best score multipliers, but require more coordination and power level.
- Passive Gains:
- Always have a Ghost mod equipped that boosts XP gain if you're also leveling your Season Pass.
- Work on any Seasonal Challenges that involve Vanguard activities.
By consistently applying these strategies, you'll be earning Vanguard Engrams and impressing Commander Zavala in no time!
10 Related FAQ Questions (How to...)
How to check my current Vanguard Rank?
You can check your current Vanguard Rank by opening your Director, navigating to the Tower, and interacting with Commander Zavala. His vendor screen will display your current rank and progress.
How to get bonus Vanguard reputation?
You get bonus Vanguard reputation by maintaining an Activity Streak in Vanguard activities (playing consecutively without going to Orbit), achieving high scores in Nightfalls, and playing during Double Vanguard Rank weeks.
How to find out if it's a Double Vanguard Rank week?
Check the modifiers section when launching the Vanguard Ops or Nightfall playlist from the Director. It will explicitly state "Double Vanguard Rank" if the bonus is active.
How to reset my Vanguard Rank?
Once you reach max rank (usually Rank 16), you'll have the option to reset your Vanguard Rank with Commander Zavala at the Tower. This allows you to earn more rewards and a special emblem for reaching resets.
How to efficiently complete Vanguard bounties?
Pick up all daily bounties, then focus on activities that allow you to complete multiple bounties simultaneously. For example, a strike that has both a "kill X enemy type" and "get X elemental final blows" bounty.
How to get Nightfall weapons?
Nightfall weapons drop from completing Nightfalls. The higher the difficulty, the better the drop chances. You can also focus Vanguard Engrams with Zavala to acquire specific Nightfall weapons from his rotation.
How to increase my chances of getting a good score in Nightfalls?
Focus on defeating all Champions, getting precision final blows, and generating Orbs of Power. Using Supers and abilities effectively will help with orb generation. Coordinate with your fireteam for efficient enemy clear.
How to find a fireteam for Nightfalls?
You can use the in-game LFG (Looking for Group) feature, the official Destiny 2 Companion App, or various community Discords and websites dedicated to LFG for Destiny 2.
How to prepare for higher difficulty Nightfalls?
Ensure your Power Level is at or above the recommended level, build a synergistic loadout with appropriate elemental damage and Anti-Champion mods, and communicate with your fireteam about roles and strategies.
How to use my Vanguard Engrams efficiently?
Prioritize focusing your Vanguard Engrams at Zavala if you're hunting for specific Nightfall weapons or armor with good rolls. Otherwise, open them for general gear and potential upgrade materials.
