Destiny 2 Ultimate Upgrade Materials Guide

Welcome to the most comprehensive guide to obtaining all the important upgrade materials in Destiny 2. Very often, newcomers and returning players face the problem of where to get them. In the game, it’s hard to find info about this, so we decided to put together an ultimate upgrade Destiny 2 guide with all the available information. Of course, we’ll update it as soon as more news from Bungie are available, which means you can keep this article in your bookmarks forever. Sit back, and let’s get right onto this topic!
List of All Resources and How to Get Them
How to Get Exotic Cipher in Destiny 2
Exotic Ciphers is an incredibly useful material for purchasing Exotic guns from Monument to the Lost Light, random Exotic gear from Xur, and focusing any Exotic armor. Many players are faced with the problem of not understanding where they could obtain Ciphers, and right now, we’ll help you figure it out!

Xurs Xenology Quest
If you fly to Xur for the first time, you’ll find a Xenology quest, for completing which you’ll receive a Cipher. The condition itself is also simple: complete Vanguard, PvP, or Gambit playlists. Xenology quest is one of the easiest ways to get your desired Exotic Cipher every week. Moreover, you can use our tool to keep track of Xur’s location every friday, as we always find him first.
Season Pass
Every Season Pass has at least one Exotic Cipher. In Season of Defiance, it’s placed at level 55. All you have to do is just play calmly because the levels increase very quickly, especially with Ghost Mod, which boosts XP. In fact, you are able to pick up one rare Exotic gun every three months, thanks to Season Pass, which is very convenient!
Forsaken Pack DLC
If you haven’t bought the Forsaken DLC before, now is the time to get it. This DLC package allows you to obtain weapons from Forsaken and three additional Ciphers to unlock some of them instantly. This way, you have the ability to unlock the best guns from Forsaken, but remember that you cannot obtain Dungeon and Raid Exotics.
What Weapons You Should Get from Exotic Cipher
Here are the ciphers before you, but what could they be spent on? We’ll get off topic a bit in our Destiny 2 Upgrade Materials guide, but here are eight weapons that you must obtain from Exotic Ciphers:
- Witherhoard
- Ace of Spades
- Izanagi’s Burden
- Ager’s Scepter
- Le Monarque
- Leviathan’s Breath
- Sleeper Simulant
- Outbreak Perfected
How to Get Ascendant Shards in Destiny 2
Ascendant Shards (AS) are one of the rarest materials in the game that players spend quickly. But alas, getting them is not so easy. For full legendary armor Masterwork you’re required one Ascendant Shard, while the Exotic will require three pieces. Moreover, you need them to buy guns from Monument to the Lost Light, as well as Exotic Cipher. In general, a very useful Masterwork material in Destiny 2 that you should always have.

Master and Grandmaster Nightfalls
The easiest way AS is by completing Master and Grandmaster Nightfalls. Regardless, you must have two teammates determined to withstand several hours of grinding. Yes, these activities are challenging for unprepared Guardians, but you’re guaranteed to collect Ascendant Shards there. In addition, once every couple of weeks, Bungie hosts a double rewards week, which means more materials for you.
Make the best build for a Hunter, Warlock, or Titan with the desired guns, such as Auto Rifles, Scout Rifles, or Snipers, and destroy Nightfalls! That’s how to get Ascendant Shards easily!
Master Rahool
Suppose you don’t want to farm any activity but desire to immediately obtain AS by buying it from someone. In that case, you have the opportunity to do that from Master Rahool. Its price is very reasonable because you only need a 50k glimmer and 10 Enhancement Prisms. That’s the quickest way to acquire AS, although it requires spending your resources.
Flawless Trials, Master Raids and Dungeons
Also a fine opportunity for acquiring or farming Ascendant Shards, but these activities are much longer, and the materials are far from the most important rewards. People come here for Adept guns, not farming materials. Keep in mind that you are able to obtain them here by completing encounters or by winning 7 matches, but previous activity is more suitable for farming.
Other Material Sources
As you might guess, this subsection lists all additional ways to get Ascendant Shards. You cannot call them the main ones, but deleting them from the list is clearly not worth it. Here’s what else we recommend:
- Starting at level 85 in Season Pass, you have the opportunity to get three AS, thanks to which you are able to immediately Masterwork your Exotic armor
- You can also get them by resetting the first time Vendor Rank from characters such as Zavala, Shaxx, Xur, Saint-14, Banshee-44, and The Drifter
- Recently, Bungie has introduced unique Event Cards where players earn a bunch of prizes, including materials. For example, in the Guardian Games, you get one Ascendant Shard after completing all the challenges!
How to Get Ascendant Alloy in Destiny 2
Ascendant Alloy (AA) is the rarest material in Destiny 2. You need it to enhance traits while crafting weapons. Crafting weapons has already become a common thing in the whole game, but because of this, they are quickly spent. This guide teaches you how to farm Ascendant Alloy quickly and what you must go through.

Weekly Campaign Mission
You have the ability to obtain Alloys by completing Campaign Missions, but we recommend beating them on Master difficulty. You could try on Hero too, but the chance is much lower there, and this process will be very time-consuming. Therefore, call true friends, and there will be no problems.
Master Wellspring
Also a good method to acquire Ascendant Alloy in Destiny 2, but its problem is that you need five more people, like in a Raid. We could say, “You can go with randoms on a low difficulty,” but sadly, Ascendant Alloy won’t drop there.
Banshee-44
The only vendor from whom you could obtain AA material is Banshee-44. So, try to complete his bounties as often as possible and dismantle unnecessary items. Cleaning inventory is beneficial, at least because of the legendary shards!
Master Rahool
Probably the worst way to acquire Ascendant Alloy is to buy them from Master Rahool. Why? Their price is incredibly high, and we mean 400 legendary fragments, which are easy to get but still not so much. Moreover, you can buy it only once a week, which will keep you waiting. If you really need AA, farm it in other places, such as the Weekly Campaign Mission.
Other Material Sources
There aren’t many sources to obtain Ascendant Alloy, but there are two additional ways to keep in mind:
- At the end of the Season Pass, you have the chance to acquire two Ascendant Alloys. Not much, but that’s more than a pleasant reward, for which it’s worth going through the Season Pass
- During in-game events, you are able to acquire one Ascendant Alloy. To do this, you’ll have to complete all the challenges of the Event Card, and AA is here just as a nice reward for all your efforts
How to Get Enhancement Cores and Prisms in Destiny 2
Enhancement Cores (EC) and Prisms (EP) are some of the most important materials in Destiny 2 that assist you with all sorts of things. For example, you could ask, “Where to use Enhancement Cores?” and we would answer that they are required in leveling armor to use mods, upgrade weapons to Masterwork, and craft weapons. On the other hand, you need Prisms only to further improve armor up to level 9. The community is often faced with running out of those resources very quickly, but up next, you’ll learn how to return them in stock quickly!

Nightfalls
And one of those places is Nightfall, where earning Enhancement Cores and Prisms is very easy. Activate the Finest Matterweave and go ahead with the song because they fall in batches like you’re in the rain. Just try on higher difficulties so that the chance is more elevated and that will be your best way to get Enhancement Cores.
UPD. From Season 21, Finest Matterweave will become irrelevant, and Enhancement Core will drop instead. Moreover, you’ll be able to dismantle each Matterweave and be guaranteed to get an Enhancement Core. So start saving them now!
Lost Sectors
That’s also an excellent way to farm them for solo players. Here you could receive an Exotic armor, and if the Lost Sector is short this week, so, the desired materials will quickly fall into your hands.
Ghost Mods
There are Lesser and Greater Crucible, Vanguard, and Gambit mods in the last Ghost mod column. In Crucible, there is a chance to get them when making Precision takedowns. In Vanguard, you have an opportunity when terminating bosses. In Gambit, by defeating invaders. Using these mods is unnecessary, but it is worth putting them during many hours of farming these activities.
High Difficulty Activities
Any activity on high difficulty guarantees Enhancement Cores and Prisms. If you are going to Raids, Dungeons, Nightfalls, Dares of Eternity, etc., on greater difficulty, then you’ll definitely get them as a bonus.
Master Rahool
Master Rahool obviously sells them, but what about the prices? The cost for Enhancement Cores is 30 Legendary Shards, but you can only purchase 5 per day, and it’s easier to farm them elsewhere. Enhancement Prisms is much less of a priority as you should pay 400 Legendary Shards or 10 Cores and 10k Glimmer.
Other Material Sources
Extra sources of material are still more useful than none. After all, there may still be questions about how to get Enhancement Prisms or Cores. For this reason, keep a couple of ways in your pocket:
- By dismantling a weapon, you have a chance to get Enhancement Cores. It rarely drops out, but there is a chance. At the same time, if there are unnecessary copies of Masterwork weapons in the inventory or Vault, you are guaranteed to get back 7 Cores from them
- Another additional way to extract both resources is leveling up Vendors. You could head to your favorite modes and earn suitable materials along the way. Isn’t that great?
- Seasonal Events are a great time to grind any materials or ranks, like Enhancement Prism farm! You receive many rewards after finishing the Event Card, quests, and activities, equivalent to a massive amount of materials. Only in the first week of the Guardian Games, we farmed almost 100 Enhancement Cores and 20 Enhancement Prisms!
- Last but not least is the Season Pass method. It’s at the very end since most either took them from there or at least saw them a couple of times there. But that’s the easiest way to obtain both materials. The Cores can be found in five or ten pieces at levels 4, 15, 21, 33, 42, and 53. On the other hand, the Prisms will only be available at levels 63 and 73 in the amount of three pieces. In total, you acquire 35 EC and 6 EP, which is enough to get a couple of armor and weapon upgrades
How to Get Upgrade Modules in Destiny 2
Upgrade Modules are essential for infusing power between gear items. In Destiny 2, you must often stick to and constantly enhance one thing. And that’s why these Modules are often and quickly spent. Today we’ll guide you on how to get Upgrade Modules in Destiny 2 fast and where precisely you could do it.

Gunsmith-44 or Ada
Most often, players get them through Ada or Gunsmith-44. You can purchase Upgrade Modules from those vendors for 1 Enhancement Core + 10 Legendary Shards + 5K Glimmer. The price is low, specifically if you have an overabundance of resources above, so this will be the fastest way to obtain them.
Ghost Mods
Is another reasonable way because you don’t have to spend money on something. You could put Modularity Mod on your ghost, which works in either Crucible, Gambit, or Vanguard. Winning or completing these activities provides you a chance to drop them. If you ever farm in one of the three named locations, you won’t even notice the Upgrade Modules filling up your inventory.
Season Pass
Obviously, you can find these Upgrade Modules in the Destiny 2 Season Pass. Just play; while other rewards drop, you’ll meet the necessary Upgrade material up to Level 100. Nice bonus!
Other Material Sources
Next up, there are such methods that we can’t exclude, but only if you’re desperate and don’t know where else you could find Upgrade Modules:
- In Eververse, you could purchase Concentrated Mattergem for 200 Bright Dust, which gives a guaranteed drop of Upgrade Module from destroying bosses. You can farm them on the Moon near the rune chest by shooting the wrong rune and exterminating the spawned boss. The problem is the high cost of the consumable, but if that’s not a problem, then use it while you can
- We don’t exclude this method either because each event has many rewards, including Upgrade Modules. Find where Upgrade Modules is guaranteed to be given, pass these challenges, and rejoice in victory!
- Sometimes with Weapon Dismantle, you’ll get these modules. The chance isn’t great, but it occasionally occurs
Final Words
And that’s a wrap-up for our Destiny 2 upgrade materials farming guide. If you liked it and, with its help, you got everything you wanted, then share our article with your friends and leave a comment below. Please tell us if you know more ways to obtain specific material!
We also made a guide about Legendary Shards farming and how to be a better DPS player in Destiny 2. Check them out when time allows you to!
Thanks for reading! Owl is flying away.
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