Ugh, I just noticed that earlier tonight (thanks for making the post so I didn't have to), it's ****ing annoying. I wouldn't even mind if the gear dropped AT current LL rather than the "Powerful Reward" level...but with the current Infusion system and many players being stuck in the low 500s, dropping gear 20+ levels BELOW current LL is just an artificial blockade to progress. At least AT current LL, we could get a better/preferable piece of gear and equip it right away rather than having to go grind out 2-3 MW cores, 10-15 Shards, and 25 materials every single time - it would still take time to move UP, but wouldn't be a step backward. I have less than 10 or so guns above 510 (in the 530-535 range) and have just accepted that every time I run a Strike or a Crucible match my LL is going to drop to have good gear, so my rewards are going to be even lower LL - I've completely given up on bothering with Infusion for now, because the second I upgrade a gun a better one will drop and I'll have to wait a day to get more MW cores. My Iron Banner loadouts run from 518 to 528, and I'm getting quite a few decent weapons (especially some monster rolls on the Scout), but they're all 503-508 - so they're sitting in the Vault instead of being used. It only matters to me for two reasons - LL advantages are enabled in IB, and as a solo player I'm not getting Raid gear to boost my level, so I'm pretty much getting wrecked by 2-taps from every gun in the game; and I've been trying to grind the Blind Well, but my PvE loadout drops my LL low enough I can't contribute much, and I'm basically a liability to any group that's 540+ and trying to clear waves. (Cursed Thrall one-hit me even in a Well of Radiance...hell, even in Gambit a Chieftain, Abomination, or Taken Ogre drops me in 2-3 hits.) I'm fine with the Raid being the only path to 600 as long as that's the only LL 600 activity, but if the Blind Well, Nightfalls, and Iron Banner are going to be 540+, there needs to be a path to 540 that doesn't take a month or more playing 6+ hours on a single character every evening. I've cleared the campaign, and while I enjoy solo PvE play I've literally hit a roadblock that is preventing me from raising my LL enough to engage in activities that might raise my LL.