Alright, Guardian, buckle up! Are you ready to dive deep into the world of Vanguard ranks in Destiny 2 and discover the secrets to resetting them? Whether you're chasing that elusive ritual weapon, those precious Masterwork materials, or simply want to optimize your grind, understanding how Vanguard rank resets work is crucial. Let's get you set up for success!
Understanding Vanguard Ranks in Destiny 2: Your Path to Power
Before we talk about resetting, let's quickly understand what Vanguard ranks are all about. In Destiny 2, Vanguard ranks represent your reputation with Commander Zavala, the stoic leader of the Vanguard, located in the Tower. As you participate in Vanguard activities, such as Strikes, Nightfalls, and the more recent Onslaught activity, you earn Vanguard reputation.
Increasing your Vanguard rank unlocks a plethora of rewards, including:
- Legendary Engrams: Guaranteed gear drops that can contain weapons and armor.
- Enhancement Cores and Prisms: Essential materials for upgrading your gear to higher masterwork tiers.
- Unique Cosmetics: Shaders, Ghost projections, and sometimes even emblems that showcase your dedication.
- The Seasonal Ritual Weapon: A powerful, unique weapon available each season, often with a special ornament for those who reset their rank multiple times.
- Ascendant Shards: The rarest and most valuable Masterwork material, crucial for masterworking Exotic armor and certain Legendary gear.
The higher your rank, the better the rewards become, culminating in highly sought-after materials like Ascendant Shards.
Step 1: Identify Your Current Vanguard Rank and Goals
Before we talk about resetting, let's take a quick look at your current progress. Are you close to hitting the maximum rank? What rewards are you aiming for? Knowing this will help you determine if resetting is the right move for you right now.
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To check your Vanguard Rank: Simply open your Director (the map), navigate to the Tower, and hover over Commander Zavala. You'll see your current Vanguard rank progress. The maximum rank for Vanguard is generally Rank 16, which requires 10,000 Vanguard points. Once you hit this, you're ready for the reset!
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Consider your goals:
- Need more Masterwork materials? Resetting consistently is a great way to farm Ascendant Shards and Prisms.
- Want the seasonal ritual weapon ornament? This often requires multiple resets within a season.
- Just want to keep earning rewards? Resetting allows you to continue the loop and earn more engrams and materials.
Step 2: Grinding for Vanguard Rank: The Path to Max Level
To reset your Vanguard rank, you first need to reach the maximum rank (Rank 16, 10,000 points). Here's how you can efficiently gain Vanguard reputation:
Sub-heading: Preferred Activities for Reputation Gain
- Vanguard Ops Playlist: This is your bread and butter. Consistently running strikes and Battlegrounds within this playlist will net you a steady stream of reputation.
- Nightfalls: These offer significantly more reputation, especially at higher difficulties.
- Hero, Legend, Master, and Grandmaster Nightfalls all provide increasing amounts of Vanguard reputation.
- Focus on killing Champions: Taking down Champions in Nightfalls awards bonus points, which contributes to a higher overall score and, consequently, more reputation.
- Onslaught: The new wave-based defense activity is also a fantastic source of Vanguard reputation, especially the longer 50-wave runs.
Sub-heading: Maximizing Your Reputation Gains
- Activity Streaks: This is critical for efficient grinding! When you complete Vanguard activities consecutively without going to orbit (except the Tower or HELM) or playing other activities, you build an "Activity Streak." This streak significantly increases the Vanguard reputation you earn.
- The streak caps at 5 consecutive activities, providing a substantial bonus. Do your best to maintain this streak!
- High Scores in Nightfalls: In Nightfalls, achieving a high score directly correlates to more Vanguard reputation.
- Aim for 30,000 points for your first multiplier, and continue to push for higher scores (up to 250,000) for maximum gains. Precision kills, defeating Champions, and generating Orbs of Power all contribute to your score.
- Double Vanguard Rank Weeks: Keep an eye on the weekly reset! Bungie often features Double Vanguard Rank weeks, where all Vanguard activity reputation gains are doubled. This is the absolute best time to grind out resets.
- Vanguard Bounties: Commander Zavala offers daily and weekly bounties. Always pick these up before heading into Vanguard activities, as they provide a good chunk of bonus reputation upon completion.
Step 3: Reaching Max Rank and Claiming Your Final Reward
Once you've consistently ground out Vanguard activities and reached Rank 16 (10,000 points), you're at the cusp of resetting.
- Visit Commander Zavala: Head to the Tower Courtyard and interact with Commander Zavala.
- Claim Your Final Reward: At Rank 16, you'll see a final reward available. This is typically an Ascendant Shard for your first reset of the season.
- Automatic Reset: The good news is, unlike some past systems, your Vanguard rank will automatically reset once you pick up this final rank reward. There's no separate "reset button" to hold down like with Valor (Crucible) or Infamy (Gambit).
That's it! Your Vanguard rank will now be reset to Rank 1, and the reward track will refresh.
Step 4: Post-Reset Benefits and Continued Grinding
After your rank is reset, you can immediately begin earning Vanguard reputation again.
- Refreshed Reward Track: The entire reward track for Commander Zavala will be available once more, allowing you to earn more Legendary Engrams, Enhancement Cores, Prisms, and another Ascendant Shard at Rank 16.
- Seasonal Ritual Weapon Ornament: If you're going for the seasonal ritual weapon ornament, you'll likely need to complete a second (or even third) reset within the same season. The requirements for these ornaments are usually tied to achieving a certain number of resets.
- Varying Post-Reset Rewards: While the first reset often grants an Ascendant Shard, subsequent resets within the same season might offer different high-tier rewards, such as an Exotic Engram. Always check Zavala's inventory to see what's available for each reset.
- Maintain Your Streak! Remember that activity streak from Step 2? It will reset when your Vanguard rank resets. So, after claiming your rewards from Zavala, you'll need to start building that streak again from scratch by playing consecutive Vanguard activities.
Important Considerations for Vanguard Rank Resets
- Seasonal Reset: At the end of each Destiny 2 season, all vendor ranks, including Vanguard, Crucible, and Gambit, are automatically reset for everyone. This means any progress you made will be gone, and a new seasonal reward track will begin. This is why it's important to complete your desired resets and claim all rewards before a season ends.
- Time Commitment: While effective, grinding Vanguard ranks can be a time-consuming process. Make sure you're enjoying the activities you're playing to avoid burnout.
- Team Play: Running Vanguard activities, especially Nightfalls, with a coordinated fireteam can significantly speed up your progress due to faster clears and better score potential.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to Check My Current Vanguard Rank?
To check your current Vanguard rank, open your Director (map), navigate to the Tower, and hover over Commander Zavala. Your progress bar and current rank will be displayed.
How to Get More Vanguard Reputation Faster?
To get more Vanguard reputation faster, focus on completing Vanguard activities consecutively to maintain an Activity Streak (up to 5x bonus), aim for high scores in Nightfalls, and play during Double Vanguard Rank weeks.
How to Find Commander Zavala in Destiny 2?
Commander Zavala is located in the Tower Courtyard, near the large table with the holographic displays.
How to Know When Double Vanguard Rank is Active?
Double Vanguard Rank weeks are announced by Bungie and are usually visible as a modifier when you hover over the Vanguard Ops or Nightfall playlists in the Director.
How to Reset My Vanguard Rank Manually?
You cannot manually reset your Vanguard rank. It automatically resets once you claim the final Rank 16 reward from Commander Zavala at the Tower.
How to Get Ascendant Shards from Vanguard Resets?
You typically receive an Ascendant Shard as the final reward (Rank 16) for your first Vanguard rank reset each season. Subsequent resets might offer an Exotic Engram or other valuable materials.
How to Get the Seasonal Ritual Weapon Ornament?
The seasonal ritual weapon ornament often requires you to reset your Vanguard rank (and sometimes Crucible and Gambit ranks) a specific number of times within a given season. Check the specific requirements for the current season's ornament.
How to Avoid Losing My Vanguard Activity Streak?
To avoid losing your Vanguard Activity Streak, ensure you only return to the Tower or HELM between activities. Going to any other destination or playing a different activity (Crucible, Gambit, etc.) will break your streak.
How to Maximize Score in Nightfalls for More Reputation?
Maximize your score in Nightfalls by defeating all Champions, getting precision final blows, and generating Orbs of Power. Aim for a score of 30,000 or higher for reputation multipliers.
How to Prepare for the Seasonal Vanguard Rank Reset?
Prepare for the seasonal Vanguard rank reset by making sure you've claimed all the rewards you desire from Commander Zavala before the new season begins, as all ranks automatically reset at that time.
