Leveling alternate characters in most video games is a slog, Destiny 2 being no exception. If unlocking Stasis on multiple characters wasn't bad enough, having to increase the Power Level of three characters each season would make even the most diehard Destiny fan burnout.
Unlocking Stasis sucks; there's no way around it. But you can make the Power Level grind much easier on yourself with a few tips and strategies. Thanks to the Season Pass and reduced Power Level jumps every season, maintaining three characters is much less time-intensive than you would think. Let's go over some tips on how you can level your alternate characters or "alts" quickly in Destiny 2.
Finish Your Weeklies On Your Main First
Before you start leveling your second and third characters, be sure you've completed every weekly activity on your main character first. Powerful and Pinnacle upgrades all grant increases to your Power Level up to that season's Power cap.
Why do this? Your weapons can be transferred to your alts. Excluding some sunset swords, every weapon in Destiny 2 is class agnostic, meaning your alternate characters can get a massive Power Level increase without completing a single weekly activity. If the Power Level difference is high enough, Rare and Legendary gear will drop at higher Power Levels on your alts, making every world drop increase your Power Level.
Note: You don't have to be using your main character's weapons to gain higher Power Level gear on your alts. Destiny will calculate your maximum Power Level whenever an item drops, even if you aren't actively wearing those items. As long as your highest level items aren't encrypted in an Engram, you'll be gaining higher level gear.
"Even Out" Your Power Level
Every weapon and armor piece has a Power Level associated with it. Alternate characters typically get items with massive level jumps, raising your total level by a point or two. In these situations, the optimal strategy is to "even out" your gear instead of obtaining Powerful Gear.
"Even out" refers to raising the Power Level of every weapon and armor piece to match your Power Level maximum. For example, if your character's maximum Power Level is 1,295 but your items range from 1,290-1,300, you'll want to raise the lower level items on your character by farming Rares and Legendaries since they'll drop near your current Power Level maximum.
That sounds confusing on paper, so let's give an example.
- Your character is 1,295. Your boots and gloves are 1,290.
- Farm strikes, Crucible, or Battlegrounds to receive Rare boots and gloves. They'll drop at around 1,295 Power Level.
- Your character is now 1,296. All world drops are now 1 level higher than before.
If you have a few items well under your current character Power Level, use this strategy to squeeze a few more levels out of your character before you complete any Powerful Gear weeklies.
Wrathborn Hunts
Those that own Season of the Hunt can complete Wrathborn Hunts to target farm certain items that need an upgrade. These items will drop at your current level, similar to world drops, making them excellent for evening out your items. If you need boots, check your lure to see if you can complete a Wrathborn Hunt that grants boots. If you need a Heavy weapon, complete a hunt that grants Corsair's Wrath. Wrathborn Hunts are a quick and efficient way to level your alternate characters if you own Season of the Hunt.
Rumble And Mayhem
Crucible players can also farm tons of Rare and Legendary gear by playing PvP matches. Every Crucible game will grant multiple Rares with a chance of a Legendary. If you need to even out your gear quickly, play Rumble or Mayhem. These games go by much quicker than 6v6 Control or more competitive offerings.
What NOT To Do
Some guides will mention that turning in tokens to vendors is a good way of leveling your character. This strategy was nerfed in Season of the Hunt, now providing you with gear 20 under your Power Level maximum. There is virtually no situation where this is useful, so focus on farming world drops or claiming Powerful Gear instead.
Second, avoid completing activities that drop Pinnacle Gear until you're finished with most of your weeklies, as these are the only drops that can raise you to the pinnacle cap. If you need a Power Level increase that badly, complete T2 or T3 Powerful Gear activities such as Battlegrounds.
Claim Season Pass Gear
Claim your Season Pass rewards! Every reward drops at your current maximum Power Level. If you have weapons or other pieces of gear from your alts that are vastly overleveled, these rewards can give you upwards of ten levels on their own. Claim seasonal armor, weapons, Exotics, and Engrams on your alternate characters to bypass a large chunk of the grind.
Purchase Exotics From Xur
Your main character can purchase Exotic armor for your alternate characters. These Exotics will be at a much higher Power Level than if you purchased them on your alt, giving you a nice Power Level boost for practically free.
