As Destiny 2’s legendary currency, Legendary Shards, face permanent removal with the upcoming Final Shape expansion, Guardians everywhere are racing against the clock to spend their hoarded purple gems wisely. From stocking up on Raid Banners to converting shards into Glimmer and essential upgrade materials, knowing where to invest your shards could mean the difference between a smooth transition and wasted resources. Here’s your essential guide to making every Legendary Shard count before they vanish forever.
In this Destiny 2 guide, I’ll help you figure out what to spend your Legendary Shards on before Bungie deletes them from your inventory.
What to spend Legendary Shards on in Destiny 2 before they go away
Before Legendary Shards disappear from Destiny 2 with the launch of The Final Shape, players should prioritize spending them wisely to maximize their value. The most recommended uses include purchasing Raid Banners from Suraya Hawthorne to ensure you never run out during raids, buying key weapons like snipers and fusions from vendors such as Zavala and Shaxx, and acquiring enhancement materials like Enhancement Cores and Ascendant Alloys from Master Rahool. Additionally, converting shards into Glimmer via Phantasmal Fragments is a practical option for maintaining currency after shards are gone. For those focused on PvE, Raid Banners and weapon upgrades offer solid benefits, while PvP players may prefer stocking up on Glimmer or specific vendor weapons. Time is limited, so spending shards on these valuable resources before June 3 is essential to avoid losing them without gain.
If you’re like me, you have a lot of Legendary Shards to get rid of after seven years of hoarding. If you just wait until June 4, Bungie will delete them all for you, which is convenient. But if you want something more useful after all your time grinding, you can exchange them for a few different items in-game.
Most players are taking their excess Legendary Shards and using them to purchase Phantasmal Fragments at the Lectern of Enchantment on the Moon for 10 Legendary Shards a piece. Rahool, the Cryptarch in the Tower, will allow you to exchange 10 Phantasmal Fragments for 10,000 Glimmer. While Bungie could take this exchange away, it’s better than nothing, and a solid way to turn your Legendary Shards into potential Glimmer.
If you’re a raider, another option is to buy Raid Banners from Hawthorn in the Tower. You can buy 10 Raid Banners for 30 Legendary Shards.
The best Legendary Shard exchange is, unfortunately, completely dependent on RNG. Rarely, Banshee-44 will sell a weapon with a Masterwork level of five (you have to buy each weapon to find its masterwork level). If you purchase a Masterwork five weapon over and over again, you’ll get an Enhancement Core out of each one that you dismantle. You can also do this if the Masterwork level is four, but the Enhancement Core won’t be guaranteed.
Enhancement Cores are very useful for upgrading gear, and getting them is a lot more difficult than restocking your Glimmer. Keep an eye on Banshee’s inventory over the weekend and see if you get lucky.
What is replacing Legendary Shards in Destiny 2’s economy?
Bungie is removing Legendary Shards from Destiny 2’s economy entirely, with no direct replacement currency introduced. Instead, the game will rely more heavily on Glimmer as the primary general currency, alongside specialty currencies like Ascendant Shards for specific purchases. Starting in Season 23, Legendary Shard costs are being phased out from key vendors and activities, such as the Monument to Lost Lights and ritual gear focusing, which will now require only Glimmer and engrams. This change aims to simplify the economy and reduce currency bloat, though it also introduces new challenges like Glimmer’s existing cap and increased engram costs for focusing items. By the time The Final Shape expansion launches, all Legendary Shard sources and costs will be removed, marking a significant shift in how players manage their resources in Destiny 2.
Legendary Shards have been the catch-all currency in Destiny 2, alongside Glimmer. With Shards going away, Glimmer is going to be the only general currency, and you’re just going to need to pair specialty currencies – like Ascendant Shards – with it to purchase the things you want.
What’s the best way to maximize my Legendary Shards before they vanish in Destiny 2
To maximize your Legendary Shards before they vanish in Destiny 2, focus on these key strategies:
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Buy Raid Banners: Purchase Raid Banners from Suraya Hawthorne in the Tower, ideally in bundles of 10 for 30 Legendary Shards. These are useful for PvE activities and stack well in inventory, making them a practical investment.
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Convert to Phantasmal Fragments: At the Lectern of Enchantment on the Moon, exchange Legendary Shards for Phantasmal Fragments (10 shards each), which can later be traded for Glimmer at Master Rahool. This ensures you retain value through Glimmer after shards are gone.
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Purchase Tier 5 Masterwork Weapons from Banshee-44: When available, buy weapons with a Tier 5 Masterwork for 7,000 Glimmer and 30 Legendary Shards. Dismantling these guarantees Enhancement Cores, a valuable upgrade resource.
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Restock Glimmer: Use shards to buy items that can be dismantled for Glimmer or Enhancement Cores, then use the Glimmer to buy more items, effectively cycling shards into valuable materials.
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Stockpile Sparrows and Other Items: Some sparrows and side items cost Legendary Shards and Glimmer and can be dismantled later for Glimmer, helping manage your inventory and resources.
Avoid hoarding shards without spending them, as the currency will be removed with the Final Shape expansion on June 4, 2024. Prioritize Raid Banners and Masterwork weapons for the best long-term benefit, supplementing with Phantasmal Fragments for Glimmer conversion.
What’s the most efficient way to convert shards into enhancement cores now
The most efficient way to convert Legendary Shards into Enhancement Cores in Destiny 2 currently is to purchase Tier 5 Masterwork weapons from Banshee-44 using Legendary Shards and Glimmer, then dismantle those weapons to get guaranteed Enhancement Cores. This method is favored because it directly turns shards into a valuable upgrade resource without relying on random drops.
Additionally, you can buy Enhancement Cores directly from the Gunsmith (Master Rahool) by exchanging Legendary Shards at a rate of 30 shards per core, with a daily limit of 5 cores per account. This provides a steady but limited supply of cores.
For farming Enhancement Cores more broadly, upgrading blue items from the collection three times and dismantling them can convert prisms and cores into more cores, effectively multiplying your resources. This method is especially effective if you have a surplus of Enhancement Prisms and Ascendant Cores from activities like Grandmaster Nightfalls.
In summary:
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Buy and dismantle Tier 5 Masterwork weapons from Banshee-44 for cores.
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Purchase cores directly from the Gunsmith with shards (limited daily).
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Use the upgrade-and-dismantle cycle on blue items to multiply cores if you have prisms and ascendant cores.
Combining these approaches will maximize your Enhancement Core gain from Legendary Shards efficiently.
