Ascendant shards are the rarest materials in Destiny 2. Find out where to find these game-changing items to Masterwork your exotics!

Players may have had the fortune to come across Ascendant Shards in the wild, the most coveted material in Destiny 2. Players will need to stock up on these shards if they want to purchase Exotics from the tower or Masterwork their armor. Regardless of the player's current objective, it's never too early to start hoarding Ascendant Shards.

There's a handful of methods for gathering shards. Players can purchase them from the beloved, but oh-so-forgetful Banshee-44 at the tower, or, if the player is more prone to enjoy fighting other Guardians, completing a flawless run in The Trials of Osiris will award shards and high-end loot. Regardless of the player's proclivities, there's a method for acquiring shards suitable for all playstyles in the Season of the Chosen.

How to Aquire Ascendant Shards in Destiny 2

Simply put, there are six surefire ways for consistently acquiring Ascendant Shards. Shards are certainly some of the most challenging materials to come by, given their drastic benefits. Their rarity is reiterated through the types of missions that award these elusive gems. Ascendant Shards can be obtained through any of these methods:

Flawless Completion in the Trials of Osiris 

This will likely provide any player with the most significant challenge, requiring seven consecutive wins against other Guardians competing for the same prizes. A single loss will void the player's current Trials Passage. Only the first flawless completion will awards Ascendant Shards, with any subsequent victories awarding Enhancement Prisms until the weekly reset.

Banshee-44

Though buying shards from Banshee-44 is incredibly expensive, it's by far the easiest method (without owning the season pass) for acquiring shards. The player will need to bring 10 Enhancement Prisms, 100 Planetary Materials, and 50,000 Glimmer to purchase an Ascendant Shard. The planetary material needed will change daily, so stay stocked up on all of them!

The Season Pass

If the player owns the season pass, they can acquire shards by leveling the pass to rank 80, 85, and 94. Each rank will only provide one Ascendant Shard, so this isn't the most lucrative method, but for players regularly logging on, this is a great way to gain three shards passively.

Completing the Nightfall Strike in Destiny 2

This is by far the most sure-fire method to farm shards without dismantling Masterwork'd armor or weapons. Queue in for the Nightfall on Master or Grandmaster difficulty, complete the Nightfall, collect the goodies from the final boss chest and repeat until the desired number of shards is met. Again, these shards are rare, and it's possible to go several strikes without having them rewarded. The Destiny community has found that there's around a 33% chance for a drop with a platinum completion of the strike. Raids provide a better chance for the beloved "Golf Balls."

The Augmented Obsession Triumph

This is by far the most tedious method, rewarding only one Ascendant Shard taking eight weeks minimum from start to finish. This is a suitable method for players looking for a weekly challenge and something to do. The player will need to complete all eight of the Augment Triumphs connected to the Braytech Transponders provided by Variks. Only one of these transponders can be collected a week, so the player will have to be patient in completing this challenge. Once all eight Triumphs are complete, the player will have completed the Augmented Obsession Triumph.

More: How to Get Mask of Bakris in Destiny 2

Destiny 2 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC