Lightfall has brought a lot of changes to Destiny 2, not least of which is the Armor Charge system. This system has radically overhauled how mods, armor, and abilities work in the game. Unfortunately, Destiny 2 doesn’t do a great job of explaining this stuff to new and returning players. If you’re confused about the changes, here’s a guide to help get you up to speed.
What is Armor Charge in Destiny 2?
Armor Charge replaces the Charged With Light and Elemental Well mods that were previously in Destiny 2. You obtain Armor Charge while collecting an Orb of Power while you have an Armor Charge mod equipped. By default, you can hold up to three Armor Charges, and they remain on you indefinitely.
There are three kinds of Armor Charge mods in Destiny 2:
- Green mods (with three upwards pointing arrows beneath their icons) modify how you get and hold Armor Charge. For instance, Charged Up increases the maximum number of Armor Charge stacks you can carry by one. Stacks on Stacks grants you 1 additional stack of Armor Charge upon picking up an Orb of Power.
- Yellow mods (with three downwards pointing arrows beneath their icons) allow you to consume Armor Charge to obtain a certain effect. For instance, the Healthy Finisher mod consumes one Armor Charge when you perform a finisher to heal you. Some of these mods consume more than one Armor Charge at a time.
- Blue mods (with three dots beneath their icons) grant a buff while you have Armor Charge while also starting a “decay” timer on your Armor Charge. Font of Vigor, for example, gives you a boost to the strength stat, while Arc Weapon Surge gives you a bonus to Arc weapon damage.
Armor Charge mods do not use specific sockets on armor pieces. The old “Combat Mod” slot that was used by Charged With Light and Elemental Well mods has been replaced with another generic slot. Armor Charge mods are piece specific, meaning that some can only be slotted on legs, helmets, and so on.
You can slot Armor Charge mods as you previously could in Destiny 2 on individual pieces of armor. You can also go into the Mod Customization screen to view and change all of your equipped mods at once. (On PC, press the right arrow key on the inventory screen.)
How Do Armor Charge Buffs Work?
The Destiny 2 Armor Charge mods that change how you get charged and consume them are easy enough to understand. Blue mods are a little trickier, so here’s some clarification.
Equipping a blue (three dots) Armor Charge mod will grant you a buff for as long as you have charge. While you have Armor Charge with one of these mods equipped, you’ll have a timer counting down. When this hits zero, you’ll lose 1 Armor Charge. If you have any more, the timer will start back at the top.
Having multiple blue Armor Charge mods equipped doesn’t change the rate at which charge decays. That means that you can reap the benefits of multiple blue Armor Charge mods at once without any penalty. It’s unclear whether the mods that buff your stats like Strength and Intellect can effectively push these stats over 100 at the moment.
That’s about it for the new Armor Charge system! It’s a lot to get used to, but it seems like it has some fun potential. While you’re here, don’t forget to check out the rest of our guides for Destiny 2 Lightfall! We have resources on unlocking Strand, completing Exotic quests, builds, and more.
