How to Get Enhancement Cores in Destiny 2 – Best Farming Methods

Table of contents

Intro

One of the standout features of Destiny 2 is its deep gear customization system. Whether you’re a casual player or a hardcore Guardian, optimizing your loadout with the right stats and mods is crucial for top-tier performance in PvE and PvP activities. To masterwork your gear and maximize your build potential, you need Enhancement Cores, one of the most sought-after materials in the game.

Why Do You Need Enhancement Cores?

Enhancement Cores serve multiple functions in Destiny 2:

  • Upgrading gear via Upgrade Modules
  • Crafting advanced materials like Enhancement Prisms
  • Purchasing Ascendant Shards for Masterworking armor
  • Enabling effective build crafting with mod swapping

Best Ways to Get Enhancement Cores in Destiny 2

The table below summarizes the most effective methods for farming Enhancement Cores, including difficulty levels and efficiency.

Method Core Drop Rate Difficulty Time Efficiency
Dismantling Legendary Gear Guaranteed (Tier-based) Easy ★★★★☆
Using Finest Matterweave High Chance (on Kill) Easy ★★★★☆
Completing Banshee-44’s Bounties Guaranteed (Daily) Easy ★★★★★
Buying from Spider (30:1) Limited Daily Medium ★★★☆☆
Weekly Clan Challenges (Hawthorne) Guaranteed Medium ★★★★☆
Ghost Shell Mods Passive Income Medium ★★★☆☆
Crucible & Gambit Reputation Random Drop Medium ★★★☆☆
Empire Hunts (Hero & Adept) Uncommon → Common Hard ★★★☆☆
Legend & Master Lost Sectors Uncommon Drop Very Hard ★★☆☆☆
Nightfall: The Ordeal (Hero) Best Drop Rate Hard ★★★★★

 

Now, let’s break down each method.

1. Dismantling Legendary Gear

One of the simplest ways to get Enhancement Cores is by dismantling Legendary weapons and armor. Higher-tier upgrades provide more cores, making this a consistent farming method.

Gear Tier Enhancement Core Reward
Tier 4+ Weapons 1 Core
Tier 7+ Armor 1 Core
Tier 7 Weapons 4 Cores
Tier 10 Armor 6 Cores + 6 Enhancement Prisms

 

💡 Pro Tip: If you have excess Legendary gear, don’t just delete it—upgrade and dismantle to maximize your Core gains!

2. Using Finest Matterweave

You might notice Finest Matterweave dropping while dismantling items. When consumed, it grants a buff that guarantees an Enhancement Core after defeating a powerful enemy.

  • Buff lasts until you get a Core
  • Can stack multiple Matterweaves
  • Best used in playlist activities (Strikes, Gambit, Crucible)

3. Banshee-44’s Daily Bounties

The Gunsmith, Banshee-44, offers 4 daily bounties that reward Enhancement Cores + Mod Components.

  • Easy to complete (weapon-specific challenges)
  • Guaranteed Cores daily – don’t miss them!
  • Also sells Upgrade Modules, Prisms, and Ascendant Shards

4. Buying Cores from Spider

Spider, found in the Tangled Shore, sells Enhancement Cores for Legendary Shards.

  • Cost: 30 Legendary Shards per Core
  • Limit: 5 per day (account-wide)

🛒 Worth it? If you have excess Legendary Shards, yes—but it’s not the most efficient method.

5. Weekly Clan Challenges (Hawthorne)

Once your Clan reaches Level 4, Hawthorne’s weekly challenge will reward Enhancement Cores + Pinnacle Gear.

  • Clan must be active for maximum benefit
  • No additional effort required if you play regularly

6. Ghost Shell Mods – Passive Core Farming

If you have a Masterworked Ghost Shell, you can equip Core Harvest Mods, which grant Enhancement Cores from activity completions.

Mod Name Activity Type Drop Rate
Lesser Core Harvest (Vanguard) Strikes Uncommon
Lesser Core Harvest (Gambit) Gambit Uncommon
Lesser Core Harvest (Crucible) Crucible Uncommon

 

🛠️ Investment Required: You’ll need to Masterwork a Ghost Shell first, but this method pays off over time.

7. Crucible & Gambit Rank Resets

With Destiny 2’s rank system rework, you can farm Enhancement Cores by progressing in Crucible and Gambit.

  • Earn various upgrade materials at rank milestones
  • Resetting Valor or Infamy ranks refreshes the rewards

 

🎯 Tip: Combine this method with Bounty Farming for double rewards.

8. Elective Difficulty Empire Hunts

Empire Hunts on Adept & Hero difficulty offer Enhancement Cores as random rewards.

Difficulty Core Drop Rate
Adept Uncommon
Hero Common

 

👀 Bonus: You might also get the Cloudstrike Exotic Sniper while farming!

9. Legend & Master Lost Sectors

These solo endgame activities can drop Enhancement Cores, but the chance is low.

Difficulty Core Drop Rate Recommended Power Level
Legend Uncommon 1830+
Master Uncommon 1850+

 

⚠️ Verdict: Not the best method unless farming for Exotics.

10. Nightfall: The Ordeal (Hero) – Best Method

Nightfalls remain the best and most consistent Enhancement Core farm.

  • Hero Difficulty recommended (Common drop rate)
  • More Champions = Better Rewards
  • Use Lesser Core Harvest Mod for extra gains

Final Thoughts

Farming Enhancement Cores in Destiny 2 requires strategy and consistency. If you want to masterwork gear faster, prioritize:

Dismantling High-Tier Gear
Completing Banshee-44’s Bounties
Farming Nightfalls (Hero Difficulty)
Using Finest Matterweave Efficiently

For Guardians who don’t want to grind, check out Onlyfarms.gg for professional boosting services!

🔫 Happy farming, Guardian! 🚀