40 Things to do in Destiny: 10-1

After counting down 30 epic things you can do in Activision’s Destiny, we finally reached the top 10. Naturally we saved the best for last.

Missed previous Destiny articles? Read 40-31, 30-21 and 20-11 while leveling up your Guardian and earning new pieces of equipment, including exotic and legendary weapons.

10. Finding all of the Gold Chests

There are plenty of collectibles to locate in Destiny, between the exotic weapons, the Legendary weapons and the Dead Ghosts. However, there’s nothing like finding a gold chest and pocketing all of the loot. There are 20 of these scattered throughout the universe, including the Earth, Moon, Venus and Mars, and it’ll take quite a while to track them down. Fortunately, we have a guide that reveals their locations, in case you’re having trouble.

9. Defeat the Blades of Crota

Initially introduced alongside the Dark Below expansion (though players don’t need to download it in order to encounter them), the Blades of Crota can be a real pain to the uninitiated Guardians of the world. Fortunately, experienced players should be able to work together and defeat them when they appear in either Old Russia or the Ocean of Storms. They carry an Arc shield and use spawning blades to try and defeat you, although our guide will assist you in bringing them down. Once defeated, you’ll be able to use a Cleaver they leave behind, as well as an occasional Husk of the Pit, an auto rifle that packs a mean punch.

8. Going After all the Engrams

Engrams are encoded physical objects that drop randomly throughout various missions, be it Strikes, Crucible matches or bought through Master Rahool in the Tower. There are five different types available – Encoded, Encrypted, Decoherent, Legendary and Exotic (each with different shades of color), and each represent special armor and/or weapons that can be added to your collection once decrypted. There are quite a few types of Engrams found throughout each world, but obviously the purple (Legendary) and gold (Exotic) ones are the best to go after. Have you found them all yet? Use this guide for further assistance in farming rarer and more Legendary engrams.

7. Take on the Vanguard Missions

A player will truly earn his or her rank by taking on Vanguard Missions, which can be found through elite Vanguards, who coordinate City defenses. By taking on these missions (and surviving, of course), you’ll be able to reap additional funds, as well as Vanguard Marks. These in turn can be used to purchase special level-20 Vanguard armor, which can only be purchased through them. If you see Commander Zavala or Ikora Rey offer you the chance to become a glorious Vanguard, we humbly suggest you take it.

6. Complete Bounties

Want to earn some extra reputation and experience in a hurry? Check out the list of Bounties available throughout each of Destiny’s worlds. No matter where you go – the Crucible, Vanguard, the Iron Banner or even hunting down Wanted bounties – you’ll find ample rewards. Some of them start out pretty simply in the Crucible – ranging from completing five skirmish matches to earning five Enforcer medals – but as you go along they become more challenging, like defeating ten Guardians with machine gun headshots while competing in the Iron Banner tournament. The more Bounties you complete, the more ultimate you’ll become in your overall Guardian ranking – and it never hurts to score extra loot and weapons as well.

5. Complete a Raid 

The Raid is easily one of the better events you’ll participate in, as you team up with five fellow players on a difficult cooperative mission. They’re a good way to coordinate with others, as you’ll all need to stay alive to survive. Doing so will reward you with exclusive loot, including a complete set of armor and a class item for each class, as well as one legendary weapon of each type, depending on difficulty. In addition, you’ll occasionally run into Exotic weaponry. Speaking of Raids, one in particular stands out.

4. Defeat the Vault of Glass

The Vault of Glass is located in Ishtar Sink, Venus. Here, you’ll need to work your way through various areas – the Spire, the Templar, the Gorgon’s Labyrinth, the Disappearing Platforms, the Gate and Atheon, Time’s Conflux – and if you can survive it all, you’ve truly arrived. What’s more, once you achieve level 30, it becomes even more difficult, as you won’t be able to revive at all, and you’ll need to take on Oracles alongside the Templar. Oh, and good luck surviving the extra Gorgons in the Labyrinth. If you can withstand all this pressure and eventually win, you’ll score a number of reward points, as well as Chests containing a variety of Ascendant Materials and other loot. Just prepare for a fight, and use this guide to prepare for it.

3. Take on the Prison of Elders

One huge component that players won’t want to miss when they download House of Wolves is the Prison of Elders, a prison facility located in The Reef. As part of the game’s Arena, you’ll need to team up with two fellow players and take on a variety of missions – with four available each week. You’ll be able to use a number of modifiers when it comes to taking on enemies (Brawler and Trickle are recommended, but feel free to experiment), but you’ll also want to pay attention to critical objectives as well, like destroying splinter mines before they explode and eliminating key targets. Doing so will give you a Treasure Key, in which you can use to cash in on loot from a variety of chests. That is, if you can survive the likes of Skolas and Urrox, who will put up a hell of a fight. Destiny players, your time has come. You can learn more about the Prison of Elders here.

2. Return to the Iron Banner

Although it’s normally a timed Crucible event, it appears we’ll see more from Destiny’s Iron Banner, since new content is being introduced with the House of Wolves expansion. You’ll be able to use leveled-up gear to your advantage, as higher-grade weapons deliver mode damage and armor can resist more damage than usual, depending on its ranking. Lord Saladin should also make a reappearance, allowing your Guardian to purchase new goods from him, including high-end weapons and armor – although you’ll need Glimmer to get them. What makes Iron Banner stand out so much is that it’s a true testament to devoted Destiny players, especially those ranked at level 32 or higher (well, 34 with House of Wolves). The meek shouldn’t bother, as they’re likely to get wiped out quickly. For the truly devoted, however, it’s a great place to test your combat skills and walk away with new Emblems, honor and reputation. You can learn more about Iron Banner’s lore here.

1. Welcome to the Crucible

One thing Destiny is well known for is its variety of missions across the galaxy – Patrols, Vanguard, Raids, it’s all there. However, if you feel like getting into competition and giving your player the chance to earn some extra items, there’s only one place to go – the Crucible. In it, you’ll be able to step into multiplayer-based battles, proving your worth against other Guardians while earning Crucible Marks that provide additional reputation whether you win or lose. On top of that, you can use these marks to purchase extra goods, like weapons, armor, sparrows and other materials from vendors within the Tower. It never hurts to get some practice while at the same time having a friendly jaunt with your buddies. The Crucible never gets old, and is sure to entertain players of all skill levels – even those who aren’t quite in range of what the Iron Banner has to offer. You can learn more about Crucible survival skills with these awesome tips, as well as these helpful tips and tricks.

Relive the top 40 things to do in Destiny with 40-31, 30-21 and 20-11!