‘Destiny’ Iron Banner 5.0: What You Need To Know
Iron Banner 5.0 went live in Destiny on Tuesday. The structure of the Crucible PvP challenge has not changed from the previous event. Bungue did give the armor being sold a light level bump, however, and the two weapons have some nice stat rolls as well.
Update: If you are looking for the latest Iron Banner information, please click here for Iron Banner 8.0.
When Does It Run?
This Iron Banner event started Tuesday, February 17, at 4 a.m. ET and will last until Tuesday, February 24, at 4 a.m. ET.
What Modes and Maps Are Supported?
As before, the only game mode available in Iron Banner is Control. Bungie added “The Anomaly,” “Asylum,” and “The Burning Shrine” to the map playlist.
Does Gear and Level Still Matter?
Yes. You need to be at least level 20 to get into the Iron Banner or have a level 20 fireteam leader bring you along for the ride. Realistically, you can expect to see many level 30, 31, and 32 players since the changes brought with The Dark Below.
You need to be within three light levels of another player to do any real damage. The weapon level counts too, though, so bring your most powerful weapons and armor.
Is Dark Below required?
No, The Dark Below expansion is not required. No maps from the DLC will be included in this Iron Banner event.
Iron Banner is open to all players of Destiny. The Dark Below content is not a requirement to play.
— Bungie (@Bungie) December 16, 2014
Your Standing Has Been Reset?
Yes. All players start each Iron Banner event with their reputation at zero. You max out at level five.
Equip Your Iron Banner Items
If you still have the Iron Banner emblem, shader, and class item, go ahead and equip them. Each gives a 10 percent experience and reputation boost and they do stack with each other for the possibility of a 30 percent bonus. If you don’t have any Iron Banner items yet, purchase the Emblem from Lord Saladin as soon as you reach rank one so that you can get the bonus experience and reputation points.
| Name | Type | Cost | IB Rank |
| Sigil of the Iron Lords | Emblem | 2400 Glimmer | 1 |
| Million Million | Armor Shader | 7500 Glimmer | 2 |
| Scar of Radegast | Emblem | 2400 Glimmer | 3 |
| Jolder’s Iron Shash | Titan Class Item | 4500 Glimmer | 4 |
| Mantle of Ghelon | Hunter Class Item | 4500 Glimmer | 4 |
| Skorri’s Iron Bond | Warlock Class Item | 4500 Glimmer | 4 |
| Goldspiral | Armor Shader | 7500 Glimmer | 5 |
Purchase the Tempered Buff
Lord Saladin sells a Tempered Buff for one Mote of Lite. The buff lasts for 12 hours and gives an experience and reputation boost in Iron Banner. As the week progresses, the boost will increase. Additionally, a new buff can be purchased every 12 hours.
Here’s the progression that the Tempered Buff should follow based on the last Iron Banner
- Tuesday: +5 percent
- Wednesday: +12.5 percent
- Thursday: +25 percent
- Friday: +40 percent
- Saturday: +60 percent
- Sunday: +100 percent
- Monday: +150 percent
Tip: Complete the Weekly Nightfall first for an even greater experience boost. The Nightfall boost will not help Iron Banner reputation, though.
Iron Banner Weapons
Iron Banner features weapons at the 331 attack level introduced with The Dark Below. This time around, Lord Saladin is selling the Felwinter’s Lie Shotgun and Ghelon’s Demise Scout Rifle. The former comes with a random element attribute while the latter does kinetic damage only. Both come with perks that can be re-rolled using Motes of Light with Lord Saladin to something that you prefer. However, the perks being offered
| Name | Type | Max Attack | Cost | IB Rank |
| Felwinter’s Lie | Shotgun (Solar) | 331 | 11,500 G | 4 |
| Ghelon’s Demise | Scout Rifle | 331 | 11,500 G | 5 |
Note that you also have a chance to receive the Radeghast’s Fury Rocket Launcher and Timur’s Lance Hand Cannon as drops in Iron Banner after you reach the third rank.
Iron Banner Armor
Here is the armor that is being sold by Lord Saladin. Note that they are all at light level 36 in this edition of the Iron Banner. That means they will help you get to the current max light level of 32 in Destiny. Do not breakdown any of these armor items, as you will not receive Ascendant Shards.
| Name | Class | Max Light | IB Rank | Glimmer |
| Iron Reglia Gauntlets | Titan | 36 | 3 | 9,950 |
| Iron Reglia Sleeves | Hunter | 36 | 3 | 9,950 |
| Iron Regalia Gloves | Warlock | 36 | 3 | 9,950 |
| Iron Regalia Greaves | Titan | 36 | 4 | 9,950 |
| Iron Regalia Boots | Hunter | 36 | 4 | 9,950 |
| Iron Regalia Boots | Warlock | 36 | 4 | 9,950 |
Iron Banner Bounties
The daily bounties for Iron Banner remain unchanged from the previous event. They are given by Lord Saladin and returned to him as well. Be sure to have the Tempered Buff active when turning them in.
Remember that Crucible bounties can be completed in Iron Banner too. So, you’ll want to pick those up to advance your reputation with the different factions (as long as you equip their class item) and gain additional experience.
| Bounty Name | Description | IB Rep | Experience |
| Hard Forged | Earn 10,000 XP while competing in the Iron Banner tournament. | +100 | +5000 |
| Iron Embrace | Defeat 10 Guardians with a close quarters Melee attack while competing in the Iron Banner. | +100 | +5000 |
| Iron Wrath | Defeat 10 Guardians without dying while competing in the Iron Banner tournament. | +100 | +5000 |
| Focused Aggression | Defeat 20 Guardians with Auto Rifle headshots while competing in the Iron Banner. | +100 | +5000 |
| Exacting Measures | Earn 5 Headshot Sprees while competing in the Iron Banner. | +100 | +5000 |
| The Chaos and the Calm | Defeat 10 Guardians with Machine Gun headshots while competing in the Iron Banner. | +100 | +5000 |
Reforging
You can reforge your Iron Banner weapons with Lord Saladin to get better stats and perks in exchange for Motes of Light. Note, though, that this will not increase the item’s light level or attack level. It will also reset the progress of the weapon.
Iron Medallions
You will receive an Iron Medallion for each match you lose in Iron Banner. You can carry up to five at a time in your inventory. These will be redeemed automatically after your next win for Iron Banner reputation.
If you still have Medallions left over after the Iron Banner 2.0 event, hold on to them. They can still be redeemed. Also, don’t discard your medallions after this event.
Good Luck!
Do you have any Iron Banner tips you want to share? Please post them in the comments below!
[Images via Bungie]
