Call Me Crazy, but My Favorite Destiny Activity is IRON BANANA

I tried it once as a kinderguardian - a Level 25 hunter in a level 34 world.  I dropped in at the end of a match on burning shrine.  Racked up one kill, five assists, twelve deaths and a defeat.  I think that might have been the last pre-TK Iron Banner.  July 2015, my second month of playing.

FFWD to October 2015.  I was sole associate on a pretty killer deal at work (in terms of time commitment).  In my line, that means getting up at 6 and working straight through to 2, 3, 4 a.m. for a week, week-and-a-half at a time.  Don't feel bad.  That is the exception, and I'm compensated.  Anyway, I wasn't exactly hitting the week's Iron Banner . . . like yer pa hits the sauce.

But I wanted to.

Then, emergency.  Wifey Prime needed to travel on moment's notice from our southern state 1 (well, I call it "our" because we live there now; I'm a New Yorker, please and thank you) to southern state 2 in order to be with Wifey Prime's mother in her time or emergent medical need.  Wife Prime booked a flight and left the next morning, Friday.  She took Baby Prime with her, but that left me to care for Daughter Prime and Viking Terrorist Prime Things 1 and 2 all while managing the killer work deal.  I moved my work accouterments from my third floor office down to the kitchen table so I could keep an eye on the Primelets.  That worked out alright, far as it goes, although the distraction of trying to keep children from harming themselves and each other seriously enough to require hospital services likely had me saying "yeah.  Huh?  Wait, sorry, repeat that if you would" the few times I dared unmute my phone headset against the unyielding backdrop of screams and shouted potty talk.

But! It also meant that once the three Primelets were asleep for the night, I could concentrate fully on the deal.  And then once the deal was asleep for the night (11pm or so, making it an early Friday), I could concentrate fully on the ole' Iron Banana until I couldn't stay awake.  And it was good.  I kept much the same schedule on Saturday, playing my Hunter main to rank 5 and then switching to my Titan alt.  And hoo-boy, what a difference.  To wit: I never did clear the 2500 score bounty on the Hunter.  On that pre-nerf hammer Titan, though?  I never scored below that.  Usually came out top of the boards, even in losses.  I don't know why the stats tracker sites (even Bungie.net) have somehow lost my October 2015 Titan Iron Banner stats, but hoo-boy I wish I could, like, check my medal count from that Iron Banner or something.  Cuz it was noice.

Also noice, the weapon loot from my first Iron Banner:

The Finnala's will sub in for my First Curse when I need to use an exotic special or heavy.  Doesn't hit quite as hard or have as much aim assist, but has good range (plus range finder and reinforced barrel for even more) and a good magazine size.  And as seen above, with hidden hand the aim assist isn't bad.  This is dropping / rank 4 weapon for the current IB.  Recommended if the roll is right.

This Bretomart's dropped for me in October, and I understand this exact roll is popping up in the current week's Saladin vendor rank 5 slot (credit: Byf).  Pick it up.  It's a-nice.  Only weakness I see is ammo capacity (both mag and carried - you'll always need to have machine ammo boots).

Oh, Bretomart's Stand, how I adore you:

But more than the loot, I dig Iron Banner for the nebulous sense of togetherness.  As in, we're all in this together.  Together, to deprive each other of wins.

I find there are more folks on mic during Iron Banner than in regular crucible, and at least at the start, I got a kick out of that.  But yeah, the chat is largely poisonous.  I remember coming out at the bottom of a losing effort during which I'd remained silent but listened to one enthusiastic fellow attempt to make call-outs to his less-committed chat partner.  Come the rewards screen, I was awarded a legendary legs engram.  The enthusiastic fellow exploded.  "See that, right there?"  I paraphrase.  "Dude gets a legendary.  Just like life, my man.  Blam!-ing welfare, know what I mean?"  Yep, just like it.

So . . . Iron Banner.  It's the best.  I'm coming back from vacation tomorrow night and I'll be hitting it.  Like yer pa hits the sauce.  Hey-o.  Join up if you see me on the x-bone.