Legendary Gear

Legendary Gear
Attributes
Type	Rarity Tier
Rarity	Legendary
Description	High-tier equipment with customizable perks

Legendary Gear refers to purple-rarity equipment in Destiny 2, representing the second-highest tier of regular equipment available to Guardians. This category includes weapons, armor, and other equipment that can be customized and upgraded through the Masterwork system.

Overview

Legendary items are more difficult to acquire than lower-tier equipment and form the backbone of most Guardian loadouts. All Legendary items can be used at Level 20, with their maximum level typically close to the current level cap. They are distinguished by their purple background color and extensive customization options.

Characteristics

Visual Identification

• Color: Purple background on item icons
• Icon Border: Ornate purple border
• Name Color: Purple text
• Masterwork Variant: Gold trim when upgraded to Masterwork

Item Properties

• Multiple Perks: More perks than lower rarities
• Random Rolls: Drops with randomized perk combinations
• Infusion Compatible: Can be infused to increase Power Level
• Mod Slots: Multiple mod slots for customization
• Masterwork Potential: Can be upgraded to Masterwork status

Types of Legendary Gear

Weapons

• Kinetic Weapons: Auto Rifles, Pulse Rifles, Scout Rifles, Hand Cannons, SMGs, Sidearms, Bows
• Energy Weapons: Similar types with elemental damage
• Power Weapons: Rocket Launchers, Grenade Launchers, Swords, Machine Guns, Linear Fusion Rifles

Armor

• Helmets: Class-specific designs
• Gauntlets: Arm protection with various perks
• Chest Armor: Core protection pieces
• Leg Armor: Boots with mobility perks
• Class Items: Titan Marks, Hunter Cloaks, Warlock Bonds

Acquisition Methods

Legendary gear can be obtained through:

• Engram decryption (Legendary and Prime Engrams)
• Activity completions (Strikes, Crucible, Gambit)
• Raid encounters
• Nightfall rewards
• Vendor rank-up packages
• Seasonal activities
• World drops
• Quest rewards

Perks and Customization

Perk System

• Each Legendary item has multiple perk columns
• Random rolls provide variety in drops
• Curated rolls exist for specific activities
• Enhanced perks available on some items

Mod System

• Armor accepts various mod types
• Weapons have specific mod slots
• Armor 2.0 system allows extensive customization
• Energy capacity determines mod limitations

Masterwork System

Upgrading to Masterwork

Legendary items can be upgraded to Masterwork status using:

• Enhancement Cores
• Enhancement Prisms
• Ascendant Shards
• Glimmer

Masterwork Benefits

Weapons:

• Generate Orbs of Power on multikills
• Stat bonus to one characteristic
• Kill tracker (PvE or PvP)
• 10 upgrade tiers

Armor:

• +2 to all stats when fully Masterworked
• Increased energy capacity (up to 10)
• 3% damage reduction per piece during Super (15% full set)

Infusion

• Can receive Power Level from higher items
• Requires Upgrade Modules or identical items
• Maintains perks and Masterwork progress
• Cross-infusion within weapon/armor types

Rarity Hierarchy

Legendary gear occupies the fourth tier in Destiny 2's rarity system:

1. Basic/Common (White)
2. Uncommon (Green)
3. Rare (Blue)
4. Legendary (Purple) - Current tier
5. Exotic (Gold/Yellow)

Notable Legendary Sets

• Raid Sets: Unique armor from each raid
• Trials Sets: PvP pinnacle armor
• Seasonal Sets: Activity-specific designs
• Destination Sets: Planet/location themed

Comparison to Other Rarities

• More perks than Rare items
• Can be Masterworked unlike lower tiers
• Doesn't count against Exotic limits
• Primary endgame equipment tier
• More common than Exotic gear

Notes

• Power Level can vary independent of rarity
• Some Legendary items have fixed rolls
• Collections only store fixed-roll Legendaries
• Random-roll items must be reacquired
• Sunset items (deprecated) still exist but have power caps

References

• Bungie Help - Legendary Masterworks Guide
• Destinypedia - Rarity
• Destiny 2 Wiki - Rarity
• GamesRadar - Masterworks Guide
• Kyber's Corner - Legendary Masterworks Guide