September 5, 2017

Destiny 2: How To Get Legendary Shards | Exotic Currency Guide

Kevin Thielenhaus / Features / Bungie, Destiny 2, Guides, PC, PS4, Xbox One /

Legendary Shards are the currency du jour of Destiny 2. You’re going to want lots of these precious things. Essentially, Legendary Shards replace the Strange Coins — Xur, the Exotic Vendor’s currency of choice. Strange Coins are no more, but Xur is back, and he appears in random spots across the four major zones. Finding him won’t be so easy, but getting your hands on those Legendary Shards is more predictable. There are some good places to farm these trinkets, and we’re going to share everything we know.

There’s a trade-off when it comes to Legendary Shards versus Strange Coins. Strange Coins were pretty hard to find, but you didn’t need too many to buy cool stuff from Xur. The opposite is true of Legendary Shards — Legendary Shards are far more plentiful and easier to acquire, but you’re going to need lots more to get the best stuff Xur has to offer. Hence, farming (and grinding) may be required to buy those weekly exotics.

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Legendary Shards | Farming Guide

There are multiple ways to collect Legendary Shards, the currency Xur uses to trade Exotic Weapons and Armor. Let’s break down all the ways you can get Legendary Shards.

Break Down Legendary Weapons / Armor: 2 Shards
Break Down Exotic Weapons / Armor: 10 Shards
Nightfall Strikes, Flashpoints, Lost Sector Chests, Raid Chests, Raid Encounters, Strike Bosses, Planetary Chests: Random

There are lots and lots of opportunities to earn Legendary Shards, but the most common (and consistent) way to get them is by breaking down Legendary Weapons / Armor — or by completing weekly activities.

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To earn the most Legendary Shards per week, complete weekly activities that guarantee Legendary Shard drops.

Farming Tip: Complete the weekly Nightfall, Raid and Flashpoint with all three of your character slots. Characters can share their inventory, so this is the best way to earn guaranteed Legendary Shards.

Lost Sectors are found on all four planets and can also be completed for more Legendary Shards. These can’t be farmed — the loot won’t refresh after completing them — but you’ll want to complete all the Lost Sectors in every area with all three of your characters to grab some extra one-time-only Shards.

If you’re really desperate, you can also grind Strike Bosses and Planetary Chests for a rare chance at more Legendary Shards. That’s really a last resort option.

The best method is really to just keep earning Legendary stuff. Exotics are too rare, and breaking them down might not be worthwhile, so it’s better to focus on Legendary gear you’ll actually earn all the time through Crucible matches, Legendary Engrams, and basically every other end-game activity. Legendary Weapons and Armor always give 2 Legendary Shards, so you can stock up and earn just by playing just about any activity.

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