How to Get Ascendant Shards in Destiny 2

December 9, 2020 Off By jess

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Ascendant Shards are a rare and valuable resource in Destiny 2: Beyond Light. They are used to purchase Exotic gear from the Monument to Lost Lights and to upgrade your gear to Masterwork status. This guide will show you how to get Ascendant Shards so you can grab that Exotic weapon from the Archive you’ve been eyeing.

Ascendant Shards are obtained from three different sources:

Banshee-44 at the Tower
Season of the Hunt Season Pass
Nightfall: The Ordeal at Master difficulty (or higher)

Purchase Ascendant Shards from Banshee-44

Banshee-44, the Tower’s Gunsmith, offers this resource in exchange for:

10 Enhancement Prisms
100 Planetary Materials (which rotate daily)
50,000 Glimmer

At this price, you will have to grind a bit. But it’s Destiny 2, so you know the drill.

Season Pass Rank Rewards

Season 12 Season Pass holders can obtain an Ascendant Shard when they reach rank 80, then again when they hit rank 85, and again at rank 94. Since they show up late in the Season Pass ranks, it will take some time and effort to obtain these as well. Players who do not own the Season Pass will not be able to earn these rewards during Season of the Hunt.

Nightfall: The Ordeal, Master Difficulty

Guardians have a chance to earn Ascendant Shards in rare drops from Nightfall: The Ordeal when beaten on Master difficulty or higher. To play these Nightfalls, you must be at least 1280 Power. You will also want to put together a fireteam to help you fight through to the end.

Ascendant Shards are not guaranteed to drop at each successful completion. However, while you grind for them, you will earn Glimmer and gear that you can put towards your next purchase with Banshee-44.

For Season Pass owners, playing Nightfall: The Ordeal on Master difficulty will also help you to power through the Season Pass rankings. You will then be able to snag the three Ascendant Shards waiting for you there.