Okay, so the first thing most everyone does when they get to the tower is run to the Cryptarch, and spam X until all of their engrams are decrypted. Don't do this! Engrams decrypt into a light level based on your CURRENT Light Level. This means, before you decrypt, make sure you equip all of your strongest gear. Then, only decrypt one engram at a time and check to see if its higher light. If it is, equip that one and then decrypt another. You can gain 10 light levels with just a couple blues if you do it this way. One thing I noticed is, do not decrypt two of the same armor pieces in a row, especially if you just equipped a higher version. For example, I found that if your current gloves are at 250, you decrypt a blue and it is 265, equip that one and you go to immediately do another glove it will be 250~.. move on to another armor slot first and then come back to the gloves. (FYI) I jumped into the Heroic Vanguard at 259 and after 7 games I was 280 Edit 2: now I'm light level 292 with this method Good luck out there guardians!