Edit/disclaimer: [spoiler]This post is meant to be purely informative. I am not in any way posting this explanation as a means to express my opinion on whether or not I agree with the current system for receiving raid loot. Please keep the salt and off topic to a minimum.[/spoiler] I'm seeing lots of posts stating they didn't receive drops at certain points, only got shards, got low light gear, that you can't get drops from totems/sisters if you've done normal mode, etc. This is my understanding of raid drops based on the experience of my team members and myself after beating the full raid on hard mode six times: 3x last week after having done normal mode, and 3x this week without having done normal mode. These are the facts as stated by Bungie: [b]This is the most important part, if you are going to read anything, read this: You are not guaranteed raid gear*, you are only guaranteed a range of light for that gear if it drops, dictated by the mode you are playing in...[/b] *See important note at bottom of post. The RNG for normal mode: 300-310 gear and/or shards (shards are guaranteed). The RNG for hard mode: 310-320 gear OR nothing-- because shards do not effect HM* Here is my understanding of how these facts work when you complete hard mode with and without having first completed normal mode. [u]If you did the entirety of normal mode, then when you do hard mode you have a chance to get HM drops only...[/u] [spoiler][b]• You will get nothing from material chests or the exotic chest if you opened them in normal mode.[/b] (Material chests include: The first chest after going through the CoO portal, the second chest at the end of the ship jumping puzzle, the maze chest, and the exotic chest in the piston jumping puzzle.) [b]• You will not receive NM gear and/or shards. [/b]If you received NM gear and/or shards from a particular chest or boss that means you did not receive rewards for that part in NM. [b]• If RNG did not grant you raid gear then you get nothing.[/b] This is not a glitch, you are not guaranteed raid gear drops in NM or HM, the difference is in NM you would get shards, in HM you get nothing. [b]• Shards will not be consumed upon defeating Oryx.[/b] [b]• Having done NM first will not effect your HM drops.[/b][/spoiler] [u]If you DID NOT do normal mode, then when you do hard mode you will get shards and have a chance to get rewards from both modes...[/u] [spoiler][b]• You will get normal materials from all material chests and the exotic chest.[/b] [b]• You will always get shards, but sometimes you might only get shards.[/b] Yes this will seem exceptionally unfair, but raid gear is not guaranteed. If RNG did not grant you NM gear or HM gear then you will only get shards. This is not a glitch, this is unlucky RNG. [b]• You may receive NM gear and no HM gear.[/b] Again, raid drops are not guaranteed- this is not HM giving you incorrect gear, this is your NM reward. [b]• You might receive NM AND HM gear. [/b]This is the the lucky version of RNG. [b]*Shards will be consumed after killing Oryx on hard mode ONLY if you have not beaten Oryx on normal mode. These shards apply to normal mode loot only, you will not get extra hard mode loot. I tested this on three characters.[/b][/spoiler] Conclusion or tl;dr... [spoiler]King's Fall is different from the previous raids in that it does not have different drops (shards being the exception), instead they have the same drops with a different range of light depending on the mode you are playing. In this raid, HM entirely overlaps NM, and therefore doing HM gives you the [b]chance[/b] to get all rewards possible from the raid. The most important thing to remember is that [u]raid gear is not guaranteed.[/u] If you did normal mode and then didn't get rewards at [insert HM stage] it's unlucky RNG, if you didn't do normal mode and only got shards at [insert HM stage] it's really unlucky RNG. The most efficient way to run the raid now is to only do HM, and if you complete HM and look at your raid progression you will see both normal and hard mode are completed. [/spoiler] Important Note: [spoiler] [quote]I read through palmtops post and just thought i should add. You are 100% guaranteed a piece of hard mode gear from beating oryx on hard mode. It can be any harrowed weapon or harrowed armor or a 310+ ghost. Oryx is the only part in the entire hard raid that guarantees hard mode gear! Anyone who says they didnt get anything from beating oryx on hard is lying. SOURCE: https://www.bungie.net/en/News/News?aid=13775 Destiny Hot Fix - 10/20/2015 by Destiny Dev Team King's Fall King's Fall Hard Mode will be available at 10AM on 10/23 Recommended Light is 310 King's Fall Hard Mode has the following changes: King's Fall Hard Mode rewards will drop up to 320 Light [b]Oryx in Hard Mode will guarantee a Raid item drop each week, without requiring Moldering Shards[/b] Oryx in Normal mode will still require Moldering Shards Moldering Shards can drop in King's Fall Hard Mode, but only if a character hasn't cleared King's Fall Normal for the week Posted by: Zoom In[/quote] Note: This is per account per week, not per character.[/spoiler]