All three leaders of the Syndicates in Destiny 2 Renegades: The Totality Division, the Tharsis Reformation, and the Pikers.
Image via Bungie

The best Syndicate to side with in Destiny 2 Renegades

I was in when I saw the gambling Vex, and I'm happy with that choice.

Destiny 2‘s Lawless Frontier is marked by warring factions, and Renegades lets you side with one of them at a time. This choice isn’t final, but it may be tricky to choose one if you don’t know what it entails.

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Each Syndicate brings its own benefits, including an exclusive shader at rank five. If you’d like to compare each faction before picking one, we’ll list the major differences between them. And if you crunched the data and pledged your allegiance because Vex in trenchcoats are cool… well, same. Its unique mod is icing on the cake.

Here’s a breakdown of the Syndicate system in Destiny 2‘s Renegades expansion.

Which Syndicate should you side with in Destiny 2?

Reformancer Guzheng, a blue Vex in a trenchcoat and the quartermaster for the Tharsis Reformation in Destiny 2 Renegades.
Reformancer Guzheng represents the Tharsis Reformation in the Lawless Frontier. Screenshot by Destructoid

There’s no one right answer for this, since a lot of it relies on preference, and it’s somewhat balanced. We’ll list the differences between each faction so you can make your own decision. As a bit of a spoiler, the Tharsis Reformation has the best Praxic Blade mod, while the Totality Division has a great Renegade ability (Behemoth).

Whichever you choose, we encourage you to stick with a Syndicate until reaching max rank with them. Doing so unlocks the Fellow Friend triumph, which in turn lets you improve all your Renegades drops by one tier after talking to the Spider.

The differences between each Syndicate in Destiny 2 Renegades

Armorer Aghol, a gold-jawed Cabal who's the quartermaster for the Totality Division in Destiny 2 Renegades
Armorer Aghol is your point of contact for the Totality Division. Screenshot by Destructoid

Each Syndicate has its own dedicated mod for your Praxic blade, two Renegade abilities, and one focused weapon available for sale. These are the main gameplay differences between each faction, so take them into account when deciding.

  • Tharsis Reformation (Vex)
    • Praxic Blade mod: Forceful Blade (+ Impact)
    • Weapon: All or Nothing (Strand pulse rifle).
    • Abilities: Vex Deflector, Vex Stun Field
  • Totality Division (Cabal)
    • Raises Praxic Blade’s charge rate.
    • Abilities: Imperium Drop Pod, Imperium Behemoth (the AT-ST-esque vehicle).
    • Weapon: Modified B-7 Pistol (Stasis hand cannon, 180rpm).
  • Pikers (Eliksni)
    • Praxic Blade mod: Grip (+ Guard resistance, + guard endurance)
    • Abilities: Falcon, Piker Mortar.
    • Weapon: Refurbished A499 (heavy Kinetic sniper).

Despite their differences, their progression looks similar, based on your standing with them:

Syndicate rankRewards
OneLets you raise the max level of your respective Syndicate ability up to four.
TwoPraxic Blade mod rank I, Access Codes for that Syndicate
ThreeUnlocks second Syndicate Renegade ability (up to level four), allows Large Weekly Shipments, chance of better contracts appearing
FourPraxic Blade mod rank II, one additional discounted shop item per day, two additional purchases of matching weapon per day, maximum possible level for that Syndicate’s abilities is six.
FivePraxic Blade mod rank III, shader, Massive Weekly Shipments, allows you to max out that Syndicate’s Renegade Abilities, more available discounted purchases.

Can you change Syndicates in Destiny 2 Renegades?

Mechanic Deoriks, a green-haired Eliksni in Destiny 2's Renegades expansion.
Mechanic Deoriks represents the Pikers. Screenshot by Destructoid

You can change Syndicates in Renegades easily if you haven’t done your faction’s priority contract in a given day. Just go to their representative in the Tharsis Cantina and interact with their banner to change your allegiance for that day (or until you complete your priority contract).

You don’t really lose anything by choosing a different syndicate by itself, but the opportunity cost might get you if you switch too often. You can also use your Dark Metal Ingots to get some XP with any faction, even if you’re not allied to them.


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Author
Image of Pedro Peres
Pedro Peres
Destiny guy at Destructoid. He's been freelancing since 2019, and covering Destiny almost exclusively since 2021. These days, you can summon him by inviting him to do a raid in D2, fight a Nightlord in Elden Ring: Nightreign, or go vault hunting in Borderlands 4.