Introduction

Want to level up your characters fast and maximize your legendary gear in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends? This guide will break down the most efficient XP farming strategies, the best ways to obtain legendary items, and critical tips to optimize your grind. Whether you’re new to Legends or looking to fine-tune your farming efficiency, this guide has you covered.

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Best XP Farming Methods

1. Manual Missions vs. Quick Play

• Quick Play does NOT affect XP rates but grants extra resources (75 Essence and 15 Honor).
• If playing solo, Quick Play is fine for fast matchmaking.
• If playing with friends, manual mission selection is the best way to maximize efficiency.

2. Best Story Missions for XP

• The first two missions in each story chain are the best XP sources due to their short map layouts and quick completion times.
• Missions on Gold difficulty provide the best balance of XP and rewards.
• XP breakdown:
  • First two missions (Gold & Nightmare) → 100 XP each.
  • Third mission (Gold) → 200 XP.
  • Third mission (Nightmare) → 300 XP.
• Nightmare mode only adds +100 XP to the third mission, making Gold the better choice for efficiency.

3. Story Missions vs. Survival Mode

• Survival mode is not worth the XP investment.
• A Gold Survival match (50 mins) provides only slightly more XP than a Gold story mission.
• In the time it takes to complete one Survival match, you could run four story missions, gaining significantly more XP.
• Verdict: Stick with Gold Story Missions for maximum efficiency.

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Maximizing XP Gains (Avoid Common Mistakes)

4. Always Complete Side Objectives

One of the biggest mistakes players make is skipping side objectives. Completing these can double your XP gain per mission.

Each of these grants 125 XP:

• Lost Scrolls
• Treasure Chest
• Curse of Gyozen

5. Completing Curse of Gyozen (Most Skipped Side Objective)

• Found before the final gate in each mission.
• You’ll see Gyozen standing by two pillars.
• Types of Curses:
  • Two Hearts: Links two teammates together; moving too far apart causes damage.
  • Torches: Halves the health of two players, making the fight harder.
• Completing these challenges provides extra XP, appearance unlocks, and achievements.

6. Finding Lost Scrolls & Treasure Chests

• Check the top-left notification on your screen for available side objectives.
• Lost Scrolls:
  • Spawn in predefined locations but vary per mission.
  • Look for a white-blue glow inside buildings, rooftops, or near walls.
  • Sometimes visible through walls due to the glow effect.
• Treasure Chests:
  • Can be marked with Focused Hearing.
  • Consider setting up barrel traps near chests for quick enemy clears.
  • Rewards guaranteed gear, potentially even legendary items.

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Best Methods for Farming Legendary Gear

7. Where to Get Legendary Drops

• Legendaries can drop at any difficulty, including Bronze, but higher levels offer better rewards.
• Gold Story Missions offer five gear drops per run, making them the most time-efficient way to farm.
• Gold vs. Nightmare Gear Drops:
  • Gold difficulty: Reliable for legendaries.
  • Nightmare difficulty: Higher drop rate + potential for multiple legendaries per run.
  • If you can efficiently clear Nightmare mode, it’s the best place to farm legendaries.

8. Class-Specific Legendary & Unique Gear

Certain weapons and gear only drop for specific classes:

• Samurai → Higher chance of Katana drops.
• Hunter → Bows (especially Longbows) primarily drop while playing Hunter.
• Ronin → Bomb Packs (best AOE weapon in the game).
• Assassin → Blowguns.

If you’re targeting specific gear, play as the corresponding class until you get what you need.

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Efficient Gear Upgrading Strategy

9. When to Upgrade Gear (Avoid Wasting Resources)

• DO NOT upgrade gear before reaching 100 Ki.
• Once at 100 Ki, avoid rushing to 110 Ki unless necessary.
• The difference between 105 and 110 Ki is minimal but costs thousands of resources.

10. Smart Reforging & Rerolling

• Reforging is expensive and should be used strategically.
• If an item rolls two desirable perks, DO NOT REFORGE it.
• Instead, focus on rerolling the third perk, which does not cost Honor (the rarest resource in the game).
• Honor is the biggest cap in endgame upgrading, so spend it wisely.

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Final Takeaways

• Gold Story Missions are the best for XP & Legendary drops.
• Always complete side objectives to maximize XP gains.
• Nightmare Mode offers the highest legendary drop rates but only attempt if you can clear it efficiently.
• Play specific classes to farm specific gear types.
• Upgrade gear wisely—don’t waste Honor on unnecessary reforging.

Following these methods will make leveling and farming faster, easier, and more rewarding. Let me know in the comments what your preferred farming method is or if you have additional tips!

Happy hunting, Samurai!