Destiny 2 Episode Echoes Iron Banner guide: New rewards, game modes, best EXP farm, and more

Lord Saladin in the Tower (Image via Bungie)

Destiny 2 Iron Banner is one of the oldest PvP events that has been happening each season. It is one of the primary sources for Pinnacle gear pieces and allows a fireteam of six to compete against six other players for reputation EXP, armor pieces, weapons, and more. There is a seal attached to the Iron Banner called 'Iron Lord,' which can be gilded every season.

With The Final Shape's first Iron Banner, players will find things a bit different in the event's runtime, alongside the associated game modes. This article will guide you through everything new with the latest expansion's Iron Banner, alongside the best ways to farm for reputation EXPs.

It is important to note that Iron Banner will be active for two weeks, starting with The Final Shape expansion, instead of the usual one-week runtime. Additionally, each game mode will arrive once in a rotation per instance. For example, if the first instance of Iron Banner gets Control for two weeks, the next run will get Tribute, and so on.

Iron Banner guide in Destiny 2 Episode Echoes (2024)

1) New rewards

Two new weapons have been added to the Episode Echoes Iron Banner loot pool in 2024. These two weapons join the rank of others, where they can either drop from Iron Banner matches, can be focused from Saladin's inventory, or a curated version can be picked up by leveling up Saladin's reputation. These weapons are Crimil's Dagger and Claws of the Wolf.

Crimil's Dagger in Destiny 2 (Image via Bungie)

Here is a list of all the new perks that can be found on Crimil's Dagger Hand Cannon:

Third column: Enlightened Action, Slideways, Air Trigger, Strategist, Moving Target, and Outlaw
Fourth column: Kill Clip, Explosive Payload, Zen Moment, Opening Shot, Adagio, and Precision Instrument

Claws of the Wolf in Destiny 2 (Image via Bungie)

The following is a list of new perks on the returning Claws of the Wolf Pulse Rifle:

Third column: Headseeker, Repulsor Brace, To the Pain, Elemental Capacitor, Snapshot Sights, Perpetual Motion
Fourth column: Rampage, Kill Clip, Destabilizing Rounds, Disruption Break, Attrition Orbs, and Zen Moment

2) Game modes

Bungie has confirmed that the associated game modes this season for Iron Banner will start with Control in the first two weeks. This will be followed by Tribute in the next run.

Control rules in Destiny 2 (Image via Bungie)

Control is a very traditional 6v6 game mode where players capture three flags to gain increased points. Having more flags captured at any given time will allow that team to score more points with kills. Capturing all three flags at the same time will lock all players away, giving the team that captured the flags a bonus to score significantly higher with kills. This is called the "Hunt" mechanic in an Iron Banner match.

After a few seconds, all flags will become available again.

Tribute, on the other hand, works very much like Supremacy, where players will see collectibles drop after defeating an enemy Guardian. Picking these collectibles up and depositing them in a station will grant players a point.

3) Best EXP farm

If you are looking to get Saladin's rewards or gild your Iron Lord seal, you must know the tricks to quickly reset ranks. This requires a fast collection of EXP from each Iron Banner match. Start by equipping five Iron Banner gears, which are mixed between armor pieces or weapons. Then equip an Iron Banner emblem and complete weekly challenges.

EXP bonus in Destiny 2 Crucible screen (Image via Bungie)

This will increase your rank gain by 11x. The amount of bonus you receive can be viewed in the Crucible section, by selecting the Iron Banner node. Place your cursor on the bottom-left circle, as shown in the image above, to see the bonus percentage.

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Edited by Siddharth Satish