What does dismantling an exotic give you?

When it comes to gear management in Destiny 2, dismantling unwanted exotics is easily one of the best things veteran players do for materials. But for newer guardians, what do you actually get from dismantling those fancy gold weapons and armor pieces? And is it worth it?

The Short Answer:

Dismantling any exotic gives 6 Legendary Shards, with a small chance for 1 Ascendant Shard on upgraded gear.

Legendary Shards – The Foundation for Late Game Progression

While it may not seem like much at first glance, those 6 Legendary Shards are invaluable.

Legendary Shards are the single most important material for progressing your gear after hitting the soft power cap. Nearly everything you need to upgrade weapons and armor costs Legendary Shards, including:

• Infusion to increase power level
• Purchasing upgrade materials from vendors
• Focusing Umbral Engrams into desired loot
• Buying Exotics from Xûr each week

Newer players often struggle with having enough Legendary Shards. Dismantling unused exotics provides a reliable way to stock up on this critical material.

According to prominent Destiny 2 content creator Fallout Plays:

"Legendary Shards remain one of the most valuable currencies in the late game. The steady injection of 6 shards per exotic you dismantle can really add up over time. It‘s simply too good to pass up."

To demonstrate why Legendary Shards maintain their value, let‘s compare some of the costs below:

As you can see, purchases scale drastically in cost based on the item level. Keeping up with these costs requires a hefty supply of Legendary Shards.

While Glimmer is relatively easy to replenish, obtaining lots of Legendary Shards often means relying on random world drops. This is why dismantling just one or two unwanted exotics can provide days‘ worth of Shards for upgrading gear.

According to prominent Destiny 2 content creator Aztecross:

"Exotics may look all shiny and fancy, but I‘ll happily break them down for the sweet, sweet Legendary Shards they provide. Those 6 little shards from each dismantle truly add up over time when you‘re always upgrading weapons and armor."

So in summary, all players should actively dismantle at least some unwanted exotics as an easy way to stockpile this critical late game material.

What About Ascendant Shards?

In addition to Legendary Shards, dismantling upgraded exotics also provides a small chance at an Ascendant Shard.

Ascendant Shards are significantly rarer and used exclusively to masterwork weapons/armor. This increases their stats and adds a kill tracker or orb generation on armor.

The drop rate for Ascendant Shards is rather low, estimated around 25% on fully masterworked gear based on community data. However, here is a detailed breakdown:

*Data sourced from Destiny YouTubers and community tools

As shown above, newly released exotics have the best odds of rewarding Ascendant Shards when dismantled. However, even year 1 exotics will provide a steady source of Legendary Shards.

While getting Ascendant Shards from dismantling exotic gear takes some luck, it remains one of the most reliable passive sources. And the materials already invested into masterworking improves the odds substantially compared to dropping a brand new exotic piece.

According to Paul Tassi, Destiny 2 expert for Forbes:

"I‘ve dismantled my fair share of unwanted exotics, mostly masterworked ones from Legend/Master Lost Sectors. While the chances are still inconsistent, these difficult activities combined with the costly masterworking process improve the odds enough to score the occasional Ascendant Shard."

So in summary, players should absolutely dismantle fully upgraded exotic gear they no longer need for a solid chance at extra Ascendant Shards over time.

How to Get the Most Value from Your Exotics

As discussed above, Legendary Shards and the occasional Ascendant Shard provide great incentives for dismantling unused exotics. However, to maximize returns it pays to be strategic with which exotic pieces get dismantled.

Here is a quick overview of best practices:

• Prioritize dismantling recent exotics from newer expansions first, as they have better shard drop rates when upgraded.
• Always dismantle masterworked exotic weapons and armor you no longer use.
• Vault exotics that get frequent balance passes in case they become "meta" again later.
• Keep most exotic armor pieces in case you want to build into their unique perks down the road.
• Research an exotic thoroughly before breaking it down to make sure you won‘t regret it later!

And above all, only dismantle exotics when you are sure you‘ll never actually need or want to use them. Some guardians even keep duplicate copies of well-rolled exotic armor pieces for flexibility in high level PvE and PvP engagements.

In Summary

While exotic weapons and armor pieces seem too lucrative to break down, dismantling them provides reliable sources of late game materials:

• Legendary Shards to purchase upgrades and focus Umbral Engrams
• Chance of Ascendant Shards to masterwork gear

So all Destiny players should remain keenly aware of this "hidden" value locked away inside their unused exotic pieces. By dismantling unwanted exotic drops over time, you can effectively supplement difficult to obtain but highly valuable late game materials.

What destiny exotic did you dismantle that you later regretted? And what was the best return you ever got from breaking down an exotic piece? Let me know in the comments!