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Every Destiny player should hit PvP tournament Iron Banner this week: here's why

Extreme, unique gear and increased rewards. Don't miss out.

destiny_nirwens_mercy

Look, this is really simple: you'll get amazing, unique guns; increased rewards; armour and items you can't get anywhere else; good times. Don't make the same mistake twice. Hit the Iron Banner hard when it launches today.

Destiny's second Iron Banner tournament since the release of The Taken King goes live today, and everyone should play it.

Many players made the mistake of staying away last time and missed the chance to grab what has since proven to be one of the best primaries in the game, the unique pulse rifle Nirwen's Mercy. While the vanilla version was bought at a piffling 280 damage, infused beyond 300 this thing's a monster. It can be tweaked to max stability and comes with Third Eye and Outlaw, meaning the radar remains active when aiming down sights and you're gifted the same reload speed as Fatebringer in return for precision kills. It's a headshot machine, in PvP or otherwise, and is one of few highly-prized main weapons in the current Destiny.

And if you shunned the last Iron Banner, you missed the gun. Don't make the same mistake again.

Bungie has now shown the weapon rewards for this next round of the tournament, revealing what look to be Year-Two versions of hand cannon Timur's Lash and heavy machine gun Jolder's Hammer.

These guns are well-known to Destiny PvP players, as earlier versions came with perks that made them viable both inside and out of the Crucible. Timur's Lash was an exceptional weapon, having the highest impact and range in class. Jolder's Hammer, too, was unique, with many players putting it over Vault staple Corrective Measure as an Atheon-killer. It had the third highest base-range in the game, only bested by Thunderlord and Against All Odds, and delivered incredible damage compared to its peers.

These were top-tier legendary weapons pre-Taken King. Considering just how brilliant Nirwen's Mercy turned out to be, you would be foolish to pass up the chance to grab them this time round. Remember, you can only buy these guns from Lord Saladin by hitting Iron Banner Rank 5 (although they may drop for you as post-match rewards). That means maxing out your Iron Banner reputation between today and the reset next week.

The weapons aren't the only reason to get involved with Iron Banner this time. Bungie's making some key changes to the tournament, dropping the domination mode Control for Clash's straight-up team deathmatch, an exceptional move seemingly designed to stop over-use of supers on grouped Guardians defending specific areas. Reaching Rank 5 has also been made considerably easier: reputation gains from winning matches have been increased by 20%.

Activity completion rewards have been increased at all ranks - with "even more significant increases at Rank 2 and above," Bungie's promised - and you'll get purple packages from Lord Saladin on hitting Rank 3 and Rank 5. These packs will contain unique items. An Iron Banner Artifact will be included in the Rank 3 lot, and Rank 5 will net you a Ghost. While we don't know the level at which these items will drop, you can bet your bottom dollar the perks will be worth looking at.

And, of course, there'll be a unique armour item. Last time it was boots, so, again, if you missed the first round you're going to have to wait months to complete the set.

Look, this is really simple: you'll get amazing, unique guns; increased rewards; armour and items you can't get anywhere else; good times. Don't make the same mistake twice. Hit the Iron Banner hard when it launches later today. The Iron Lords demand it, Guardian.

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Destiny

PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PC

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Patrick Garratt

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Patrick Garratt is a games media legend - and not just by reputation. He was named as such in the UK's 'Games Media Awards', the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award. After garnering experience on countless gaming magazines, he joined Eurogamer and later split from that brand to create VG247, putting the site on the map with fast, 24-hour a day coverage, and assembling the site's earliest editorial teams. He retired from VG247, and the games industry, in 2017.

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