---POWER LEVELING TO 400--- (How to get to a 400 light level as quickly as possible) - Play through the story missions until you hit lvl 40. - Then? You KEEP playing through the storyline content. - To power level you want to always run stuff with higher level friends to speed it up. - Run through the story of The Taken King (TTK). Focus on ONLY the missions that have the red/burgundy colored "Taken King" bar at the top of the mission "box" when your hovered over it on the orbit screen. - Keep running through TTK until you see that you are able to run the first storyline mission of The Rise of Iron (ROI). - This is located by clicking on earth, and checking the upper right hand corner of the map within earth which is the Plaguelands area. - So, run TTK missions only, check to see if you have unlocked (level restriction) the first ROI mission before running each successive TTK mission. - FYI: You will not be able to run the first ROI mission until you are around level 40/light level 260-270. The recommended light level is 280 but it unlocks around 260-270. - Burn through all of the ROI story missions after this. - Once done with ROI go through the quest from Tyra Karn that will give you a high level Artifact which will boost your light level. - Don't forget about XUR!!!! You can go to XUR, buy an exotic weapon, and armor piece and all of a sudden be rocking two lvl 350 pieces off the bat! Shoot, you can do this and equip them right away when you are level 40! - While power leveling ALWAYS have equipped your highest light level weapons and armor even if you hate them. Because ALL drops/loot you get are based off of your current light level. Using a weapon you liked that your better with for the last mission that is a little lower in light level? Going to the cryptarch? SWITCH OUT to your highest level weaps/armor ALWAYS before getting anything decrypted. - Here is where there are differing opinions. - Technically once you finish the ROI storyline you can hop into Crucible and go all the way to level 400. I prefer the following though. - Hop into strikes! - Go to the bounty tracker robot in the Tower. There is one in the Reef and Iron Temple as well. But go to the bounty tracker in the tower! (Why Yoda?!? Glad you asked...) - Pick up all bounties that are strike related (light blue in color). - Because you are at the tower, run down to Zavala! He has 3 elite bounties. 2 are strike related and 1 is nightfall related. Pick up the 2 strike related ones. - When you complete these two bounties from Zavala you are guaranteed a substantially higher armor/weap item. - Buy "Three of Coins" from Xur which increase your chance of getting exotic drops from bosses. Not sub bosses/yellow bar, MAIN bosses. End of strike bosses for example. - Start rocking strikes endlessly. - ALWAYS wear a faction or vanguard bond/mark/cloak to help you level your faction/vanguard level quick. - If you have 'em use Vanguard Reputation Boosters - Rock level 320 strikes until you are around light level 380-385. - Then run Heroic Strikes all the way to 400. - Know what skeleton keys are and USE them! - Skeleton Keys unlock the chests at the end of lvl 320 and heroic strikes. - Skeleton Key Chests guarantee you a higher level weap/gear. - Also, once you get near level 390 start to SAVE all your exotic chest, and leg engrams. Do not decrypt them. Keep them in your vault. Reasoning: you can go to certain strikes to get specific gear! The two things that you can NOT get from skeleton key chests are legs, and chest pieces. SO! You use your saved up exotic chest and leg pieces to decrypt them when ALL of your other gear is the same level (don't have a weap/armor piece that is lower then another except for chest/legs.) Decrypt the chest/leg engrams when you are say...light level 398 and the ONLY pieces of armor that are holding you back are your legs and chest piece. - Archons Forge in the Plaguelands - This has been patched to drop items all the way up to light level 400! I have personally gotten every single available piece of armor and also primary, secondary, AND heavy weapons from here. - If your ghost and/or artifact is a lower light level and is holding you back? This is your place to go for sure! - If you are a high level and are sick of strikes? The Archon's Forge is actually a GREAT place! it will help you get any of the last things weap OR gear that you may be missing, but not having luck with strikes/skeleton key chests. - "But Yoda, people say run crucible instead." If they love Crucible then GO for it! It works and will level you all the way to 400. But here is why I say strikes instead... - Exotic drops from the bosses - Skeleton Key chests - Completion of Elite strike bounties - Faction and Vanguard level reward packages. - You will be earning strange coins which you can use to buy exotics from Xur. - You'll be earning skeleton keys from the strikes while running them which will feed your leveling.