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7 quick tips to making the best gear in The Division 2
The Division 2 is full of equipment, but it takes skill to create the best. So, here are some quick tips to get ahead with crafting.
The Division 2 is about rebuilding, restructuring and recreating the world after a devastating event, but some would argue it’s all about the loot. Regardless of what state the world is in and who you’re fighting, it’s what you’re wearing while you fight that’s important, whether that’s a nice thick kevlar vest or an unscuffable set of kneepads.
So, how do you get the flashiest gear? Well, that’s what we’re here to help with. There’s a lot going on in The Division 2 when it comes to crafting and we want to make sure you get off to a flying start, so check out these tips.
1. Hang fire until level 30
While it might be tempting to spend all your crafting materials as soon as you get them, it’s better to hold out as much as possible. With every level up in The Division 2, you are granted a cache with two items to boost your current equipment up a notch and what little items you do craft fall out of favour fast on the way up to level 30. Then once you hit level 30 and complete the final strongholds, your world will evolve and you’ll gain access to new activities that require you to craft and create the perfect weapons with ever increasing Gear Score.
2. Buy the right perks
With so many options to choose from, you might get a little lost in what to buy with the SHD caches that you find throughout The Division 2’s world and campaign. Well, if you are an avid collector, you’ll want to make sure you pick up Inventory 1-3 and Crafting Materials 1-3 as soon as possible. These perks will allow you to carry more materials and more equipment too. You can even purchase some extra space in your stash on the off-chance you find a large swathe of interesting items you’d like to keep
Additionally, Detection 1 works really well for finding a lot of resources if you’re regularly supporting local Supply Points with additional resources. For 10 minutes you’ll notice that the area around you will be aglow with all the highlighted collectibles, making your scavenger hunt that bit easier. Who knows, it might even alert you to a few stashes in areas you’d never have thought to check before.
3. Upgrade your workbench
As soon as you unlock the ability to craft during the campaign, you’ll want to start saving resources to upgrade your workbench. Every couple of levels, all the way up to level 30, you’ll be able to upgrade the workbench and subsequently create better equipment in doing so. When an upgrade is available, you’ll be able to see it when crafting equipment (appearing at the bottom left of the crafting menu). The final upgrade will net you the ability to make high-end gear at level 30 and open your eyes to the world of pursuing an even higher Gear Score. It’s worth noting that you’ll need the final upgrade on the bench to be able to create branded gear, which awards additional bonuses based on the number of pieces you’re currently wearing.
4. Scavenge everywhere and everything
Scavenging is a big part of The Division 2, probably the biggest part when it comes to crafting. So you’ll want to make sure you keep an eye out for abandoned bags, stowed away lockers, and forgotten toolboxes. Based on your location you’ll find various items, as well as different item drops based on the enemies (Outcasts, True Sons, or Hyenas) you vanquish. So be vigilant and take note of what certain enemies drop, as you’ll never know when you’ll need to come back and farm them.
Areas with rarer materials and extra equipment are often hidden away behind locked fences or protected doors, but there’s a way around them. There’ll be a yellow fusebox on a wall or a yellow padlock on a gate, shooting either will often lead to new and interesting gear. The key is to remember that the colour yellow often indicates that there is extra gear hidden behind those locked doors/fences.
Make the White House a home
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5. Descontruct as much as possible
It won’t be long until you start to amass a load of old gear and the urge to sell it will be overwhelming. If you can resist, you’ll want to deconstruct these items instead. The materials you’ll receive are often far more valuable than the credits you receive and will aid you much further than the credits. You’ll also need to deconstruct specific branded gear to get the accompanying crafting materials too, so keep an eye out for specific items to melt down when you have your eye on new gear.
That’s not to say that this rule cannot be broken as you’ll eventually reach your carry limit for resources, but that will take some time – especially if you bought all the increased carry load perks. Plus, you’ll occasionally need to donate some of your equipment to complete projects at settlements.
6. Keep equipment with key/interesting weapon perks
Before you do deconstruct/sell your unwanted cargo, always be wary of interesting perks. Thanks to recalibration, you’ll be able to fold in stats from forgotten weapons into your new favourites to make them that bit better. It’s only possible with similar weapons, so you won’t be able to move attributes from a pistol to an assault rifle, but you can move from pistol to pistol etc. So if you see some really strong weapon attributes, be sure to store them away in your stash until you need them at the end game.
7. Amass a collection of blueprints
Having all the resources in the world is pointless if you don’t have anything to build. That’s where blueprints come in. Blueprints can be acquired from nearly every activity in The Division 2, from side missions to projects. You can even buy them from vendors, so it’s best to check with vendors daily and always ensure that you complete your projects. All you need to do is check the mission rewards and dive right in whenever you see a blueprint is available as a reward. Plus, when you hit the end game, you’ll be able to go forth and start to hunt high and low for elusive special blueprints that only appear when you enter higher world tiers.
While these tips are quick and sharp, it’s a long road to the top and many players are just starting to scratch the potential of their builds. It’ll be a while yet before players are able to tap in to the most powerful gear and prepare their builds ahead of the release of Operation Dark Hours, The Division 2’s raid equivalent event.
