I agree, there should be more than one way to skin a cat, and it shouldn't all be PVE Raids or PVP Iron Banner. However, it is a real pain in the ass to get via the raid, which makes it special to hit that level.... I mean (not saying CE is tough, just the concept) doing the hardest portions of the game should reward players with something greater than people who don't do the most difficult portions of the game. That's how it should work... you do the tough stuff, you get the good stuff. You don't do the tough stuff, you don't get the good stuff. Plain and simple. That said, I think you should be able to buy a voucher from the Vanguard Handler for ~200 Vanguard Marks, and take it to Xur or something, and get something like an Exotic Bounty (though, not Exotic per se... let's say a 'Light Bounty') that once you complete the tasks involved in the bounty, you gain a piece of Light +36 Armor. I think they should be tough too... Maybe harder than the Thorn Bounty. Because then you are basically doing the same thing as Raiders are doing, just alone.