The Witch Queen - Power Level
With the launch of The Witch Queen, all Guardians will begin at the same Power Level of 1350 - whether you are a new or returning player. This means you can jump right into The Witch Queen Campaign without needing to grind levels or chase specific weapons or armor.
As with each expansion, the Power Level has been raised for the start of Year 5 and is as follows:
- Power Floor - 1350 (the lowest possible Power Level)
- Soft Cap - 1500 (the level at which normal gear drops stop increasing your Power Level)
- Power Cap - 1550 (the level at which Powerful gear drops stop increasing your Power Level)
- Hard Cap - 1560 (the current Power level cap for The Witch Queen/Season of the Risen)
In order to continue increasing your level, make sure to focus on activities that reward the correct type of loot (Powerful and Pinnacle activities, when applicable).
It's worth noting that your Gear Level is the average Power level of all of your current weapons and armor (including those in your Vault). You don't need to equip your highest Power level gear to continue receiving better drops. The Seasonal Artifact does not factor into your Gear Level, it simply adds bonus Power to your overall Power level for the given Season.
How to Reach Power Level 1500 (Soft Cap)
When you start The Witch Queen, all of your gear will be brought up to the new Power Floor of 1350. This means that any gear acquired from any source will be at least 1350, never lower. In order to increase your Power level to 1500, or the current Soft Cap, simply play the game. Seriously. Any activity will drop loot that will increase your Power level, so do whatever sounds most interesting to you.
If you want to reach the Soft Cap of 1500 quickly, the best option is to play The Witch Queen Campaign on Legend difficulty, as this will reward a full set of 1520 gear upon completion - putting you 20 Power levels above the Soft Cap and shortening your grind to the Power Cap of 1550. However, the Legend Campaign is not an easy task, so come prepared with a good loadout. The Witch Queen Campaign can be played with a Fireteam of three players, but enemy health scales with each additional player, so it isn't any easier.
Aside from The Witch Queen Campaign, any of the Ritual playlists (Vanguard Ops, Crucible, Gambit) are a great source of quick drops.
How to Reach Power Level 1550 (Power Cap)
After you reach the Soft Cap of 1500, you'll need to turn your attention to specific activities that reward Powerful Gear or Pinnacle Gear in order to continue increasing your Power level to the Power Cap of 1550. Once your Power level hits 1500, you'll notice some destinations have a small gold circle with a star icon underneath it when viewing the Director.
