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Anthem Masterwork and Legendary gear explained - Masterwork and Legendaries list and how to farm the best weapons and gear

Anthem's endgame gear grind for Masterworks and Legendaries explained.

Masterwork gear and Legendary gear in Anthem are the two top tiers of gear rarity in the game, making them the only go-to option for the best weapons and gear when you reach Anthem's endgame.

Actually getting Masterwork and Legendary-tier weapons and gear however is... not easy. In most cases you'll need to grind your way to the endgame and then, once you get there, you'll need to grind some more.

It's worth it though, with Legendaries and Masterworks being the best weapons and gear in Anthem, and so with that in mind on this page we detail all you need to know about them, from a Masterwork and Legendary weapons list and a Masterwork and Legendary gear list for each specific class, to an explanation of the importance of Inscriptions and how they work, the difference between Masterworks and Legendaries, and of course how to get Masterwork and Legendary gear once you know what you're looking for, too.

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Anthem Masterwork and Legendary weapons and gear explained

Anthem, as you likely already know, has several tiers of loot rarity. Here's a quick reminder of them in order:

  • Common - White
  • Uncommon - Green
  • Rare - Blue
  • Epic - Purple
  • Masterwork - Orange
  • Legendary - Yellow

The four lower tiers - Common, Uncommon, Rare and Epic - will appear in stages as you progress through the Levels up to the cap of 30, and are essentially just the same weapons and gear but with a higher number attached (we explain this more in our Anthem gear and loot system explainer). Once you reach Masterwork-tier loot however, things become a little different.

Masterwork gear and weapons explained

Masterworks are like any other type of gear, but they come with a unique name, and a unique perk attached. The Deadye Sniper Rifle, for instance, is called Wyvern Blitz, and it has a unique perk whereby hovering while firing increases weapon weak point damage by 40%.

This perk is in addition to the four inscriptions that each weapon or piece of gear has, and as the perks are always benefitial, and fixed (no matter how many Wyvern Blitzes you find, they'll always increase weapon damage by 40% when hovering), it makes them extremely useful.

Masterworks also have a cap of 45 Power when you're at Level 30, and all weapons and gear have a Masterwork equivalent, barring Universal Components (the ones usable on all classes), and Support gear, which is inexplicably capped are Epic (purple) rarity.

Legendary gear and weapons explained - what's the difference between Masterworks and Legendaries?

Legendary gear is effectively just a slightly more powerful version of Masterwork gear. They still have the same names, for instance - so you can have a Masterwork, Wyern Blitz or a Legendary Wyvern Blitz - but the Legendary gear can go up to a cap of 47 Power when you're at level 30, instead of just 45.

That means that the base stats of the item that are affected by level - damage per round fired on weapons, for instance - are two levels higher than on their Masterwork equivalent.

The unique perks, however, stay at the same value - so a Masterwork Cariff's Talon restores 35% health after defeating an enemy, and a Legendary Cariff's Talon restores 35% health too.

There's also no guarantee that the four randomly-decided Inscriptions are better than those you got on a Masterwork. Inscriptions are 'rolled' - or randomly generated - from a set list when you find a piece of gear. The upside to that is that the possible Inscriptions have a higher level of quality attached to them, so a Masterwork Inscription might cap out at 100% damage increased from a weapon, but a Legendary might cap at 200% damage increased.

We explain that systems in further detail down at the bottom of this page but essentially that means that a huge amount of chance comes into deciding whether a piece of Masterwork or Legendary gear is actually useful, and likewise it means a Masterwork could actually be more useful than a Legendary: you might get a masterwork that deals 300 damage per round fired but has a load of damage-boosting Inscriptions on it, and a Legendary version that does some more damage per round but a load of ineffective Inscriptions instead, making it less viable overall.

Masterwork and Legendary Weapons list and all perks

There's one Masterwork or Legendary version of each weapon - and there are three weapons for each weapon type, so three Snipers, three Assault Rifles, and so on. Here's the full lit of Masterwork and Legendary weapons and their perks, broken down by weapon type, as assembled in a fantastic reddit post with images for verification, by user KrystallAnn.

Masterwork and Legendary Sniper Rifles list and perks

Masterwork / Legendary NameWeaponUnique PerkAvailability
Wyvern BlitzDeadeyeHovering while firing increases weapon weak point damage by 40%.All
Siege BreakerWhirlwindOn a hit-streak (3), shots freeze the target.GM1, GM2, GM3
Truth of TarsisDevastatorHitting weak points on enemies under a status effect will set off a chain combo.GM1, GM2, GM3

Masterwork and Legendary Marksman Rifles list and perks

Masterwork / Legenday NameWeaponUnique PerkAvailability
Thunderbolt of YveniaScoutHas a 33% chance to deal large electric damage.All
Death From AboveGuardianWhile hovering, increases weak point damage by 65%.GM1, GM2, GM3
Soothing TouchAnvilHits reduce recoil by -50%. Stacks to 3 for 5 seconds.GM1, GM2, GM3

Masterwork and Legendary Assault Rifles list and perks

Masterwork / Legenday NameWeaponUnique PerkAvailability
Elemental RageDefenderHitting Elite enemies increases all elemental damage by 5% for 10 seconds. Stacks to 20.All
Divine VengeanceWardenEvery third weak point hit causes large fire explosions.GM1, GM2, GM3
Ralner's BlazeHammerheadIgnites that target while on a hit-streak (5).GM1, GM2, GM3

Masterwork and Legendary LMGs list and perks

Masterwork / Legenday NameWeaponUnique PerkAvailability
Artinia's GambitRelentlessWhen reloading, detonates a Combo explosion in the immediate area.All
Cycle of PainSledgehammerWeak point hits increase weapon rate of fire by 10% for 10 seconds. Stacks to 10.GM1, GM2, GM3
Renewed CourageHavocLast shot reduces recoil by -50% for the next 20 seconds. Stacks to 2.GM1, GM2, GM3

Masterwork and Legendary Shotguns list and perks

Masterwork / Legenday NameWeaponUnique PerkAvailability
Papa PumpScattershotReloading increases force and delivers bonus damage of 100% for 15 seconds. Stacks to 2.All
Radiant FortressConstrictorHitting 8 shots in a single burst recharges shields by 35%.GM1, GM2, GM3
Rolling CarnageVengeanceDashing increases this weapon's damage by 50% for 20 seconds. Stacks to 3.GM1, GM2, GM3

Masterwork and Legendary Machine Pistols list and perks

Masterwork / Legenday NameWeaponUnique PerkAvailability
Unending BattleFulcrumHitting an enemy at point-blank range increases weapon and melee damage by 110% for 5 seconds.All
Vassa's SurpriseHailstormOn a melee hit, gain 25% ammo in the magazine.GM1, GM2, GM3
Retaliation of GarretusTrajectorWhen suit health declines, weapon damage increases by 125% for 10 seconds.GM1, GM2, GM3

Masterwork and Legendary Heavy Pistols list and perks

Masterwork / Legenday NameWeaponUnique PerkAvailability
Avenging HeraldBlastbackHovering increases weapon damage by 200%.All
Close EncounterBarrageDashing increases weapon damage by 75% for 10 seconds.GM1, GM2, GM3
Glorious ResultResolutionHitting 2 enemy weak points quickly increases all weapon damage by 150% for 5 seconds.GM1, GM2, GM3

Masterwork and Legendary Autocannons list and perks

Masterwork / Legenday NameWeaponUnique PerkAvailability
Fist of StralCloudburstHitting enemies increases weapon damage by 10% for 5 seconds. Stacks to 10.All
Endless SiegeTorrentBase magazine size is increased by 100% and base damage is increase by 100%.GM1, GM2, GM3
The Last StandMaulerWhen suit health declines, all weapon damage increases by 75% for 10 seconds.GM1, GM2, GM3

Masterwork and Legendary Grenade Launchers list and perks

Masterwork / Legenday NameWeaponUnique PerkAvailability
Insult and InjuryBombardierDefeating an enemy clears harmful status effects and boosts effect resistance by 75% for 10 seconds.All
Balm of GavinicusLurkerHitting 2 enemies restores 25% armor.GM1, GM2, GM3
Sentinel's VengeanceAftershockDetonates an area acid effect on a small hit-streak.GM1, GM2, GM3

Looking for more Anthem explainers like this? Our Anthem tips page is a great place to start, or our Anthem guide and walkthrough mission list hub, which has all our Anthem pages in one place, including in-depth looks at Anthem Javelin classes, how to unlock Javelins and some Colossus, Storm, Interceptor and Ranger builds, another in-depth look at Combos, Primers and Detonators and Elemental Effects and debuffs explained, or specific advice on how to Deactivate the Barrier for the Triple Threat puzzle solution. Here's where to find Anthem Collectibles, Anthem Ember Pieces and Anthem Treasure Chests, and how to get your Anthem Legion of Dawn armour and other pre-order bonuses, how the Anthem Alliance system works too. Finally, for levelling and grinding, here's an explainer of Anthem Pilot Level, XP and how to level fast, Anthem loot, gear, and the loot system explained and finally a deep-dive on Anthem Masterwork and Legendary gear explained, a Masterwork list and how to farm them.


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Masterwork and Legendary Gear and Components list and all perks

Much the same as with weapons, there's a Masterwork or Legendary variant of each unique ability, piece of gear or component - there are no Universal Component Masterworks in the game for now, and no Support Gear Masterworks either, the maximum they can go to is Epic rarity. Here's list of all the Masterwork or Legendary gear and components perks, broken down by Javelin class. Again, this comes from KrystallAnn's fantastic post on reddit.

Storm Masterwork and Legendary Gear and Components list

Masterwork / Legendary NameTypeGearUnique Perk
Binary StarBlast SealLiving FlameLaunches two living flame projectiles that burn enemies.
Hailstorm's RenewalBlast SealIce BlastDefeating an enemy from above instantly restores 75% shield energy.
Ponder InfinityBlast SealLightning StrikeWhile hovering, electric damage is increased by 60%.
Venomous BlazeBlast SealFlame BurstAcid Damage is applied to enemies after 3 consecutive hits.
Winter's WrathBlast SealIce StormDefeating an enemy from above refills charges. Can occur once every 10 seconds.
Black IceFocus SealGlacial SpearDefeating an enemy freezes others nearby.
Chaotic RimeFocus SealFrost ShardsAfter freezing an enemy, increases [Q] slot damage by 125% for 20 seconds.
Seal of the Open MindFocus SealShock BurstHitting an enemy from above refills a charge. Can occur once every 5 seconds.
Stasis ChainFocus SealArc BurstHitting enemies detonates electric explosions.
Ten Thousand SunsFocus SealBurning OrbAfter hitting an enemy, gain 5% increased damage for 5 seconds. Stacks to 20.
Amulet of WinterComponentIce InscriptionApplying ice effects increases weapon damage by 40% for 20 seconds.
Gunslinger's MarkComponentElemental EmpowermentHovering increases all weak point damage by 60%.
Mark of ClarityComponentElemental AttunementClearing a status restores 20% armor. Can occur once every 10 seconds.
Mark of RuinComponentFire InscriptionWhile [Q] recharges, [E] damage increases by 20% for 20 seconds.
Mark of WrathComponentElemental SynergyWhile [E] recharges, [Q] damage increases by 50% for 5 seconds.
Token of DaringComponentElemental ConduitA shield break increases seal damage by 20% for 20 seconds.
Token of the MasterComponentChaos CoreHitting an enemy with a [E] increases [Q] damage by 60% for 5 seconds.
Token of the PupilComponentStorm Combo AugmentHitting an enemy with a [Q] increases [E] damage by 60% for 5 seconds.
Tome of PrecisionComponentLightning InscriptionSniper rifle weak point kills increase electric damage by 60% for 5 seconds.
Vanguard's TokenComponentIntegrity AugmentA shield break increases damage resistance by 10% for 20 seconds.

Interceptor Masterwork and Legendary Gear and Components list

Masterwork / Legendary NameTypeGearUnique Perk
Absolute ZeroAssault SystemCryo GlaiveHitting an enemy from above detonates an ice explosion.
Bitter HarvestAssault SystemCluster MineCluster Mine permanently gains an extra charge.
Raneri's ChargeAssault SystemSpark DashDefeating an enemy recharges Spark Dash. Can occur once every 5 seconds.
Ruthless StalkerAssault SystemSearching GlaiveHitting an enemy increases weapon damage by 60% for 20 seconds.
Sanadeen's RespiteStrike SystemPlasma StarHitting enemy weak points instantly restores 35% shields.
Serpent's VeilAssault SystemVenom BombMelee weapon defeats increase all acid damage by 100% for 10 seconds.
Sudden DeathStrike SystemTempest StrikeHitting an enemy detonates a fire explosion.
Viper's BiteStrike SystemVenom SprayHitting an enemy adds 700% Ultimate charge.
Shadow ClawStrike SystemWraith StrikeInstantly regain charges on a small kill-streak.
Cariff's TalonStrike SystemDetonating StrikeInstantly restores 35% health after defeating an enemy.
Conductive LatticeComponentConductivity AugmentPerforming a small melee hit-streak (3) detonates an electric explosion.
Elusive TalismanComponentBattle InscriptionDashing (3) times refills the equipped weapon magazine.
Survival AlgorithmComponentDiverted Energy CircuitClearing a negative status recharges shields by 20%. Can occur once every 10 seconds.
Talisman of PowerComponentStrike System AugmentAny [E] hit increases [Q] damage by 50% for 5 seconds.
Vengeance MatrixComponentDouble-Edged InscriptionOn low health, all damage is increased by 25% for 5 seconds.
Way of the BoldComponentInterceptor Combo AugmentDefeating an enemy with a melee restores 20% armor.
Way of IntegrationComponentAmphibious AugmentGear hit-streaks (2) increase all damage by 30% for 5 seconds.
Way of ResolveComponentBlade InscriptionDashing increases melee damage by 40% for 10 seconds.
Way of SalvageComponentGunner's InscriptionCollecting ammo increases weapon damage by 40% for 5 seconds.
Way of the SwiftComponentAssault System AugmentAny [Q] hit increases [E] damage by 50% for 5 seconds.

Colossus Masterwork and Legendary Gear and Components list

Masterwork / Legendary NameTypeGearUnique Perk
Best DefenseHeavy Assault LauncherSiege ArtilleryHitting an enemy with a rocket restores 35% armor.
Black PowderHeavy Assault LauncherFlak CannonRegain a charge after defeating an enemy. Can occur once every 4 seconds.
Fist of the CrucibleHeavy Assault LauncherFlamethrowerDefeating an enemy increases Flamethrower damage by 30% for 10 seconds. Stacks to 5.
Garred's HammerHeavy Assault LauncherRailgunRailgun permanently gains an extra charge.
Solvent GreenHeavy Assault LauncherVenom SpitterWhile equipped, combos do 200% more damage.
Final JudgementOrdinance LauncherHE MortarHitting 2 enemies increases all damage by 35% for 20 seconds.
Rubidium FurnaceOrdinance LauncherFirewall MortarApplying fire effect to 2 enemies refills a charge. Can occur once every 20 seconds.
Titan's HailOrdinance LauncherBurst MortarBurst Mortar can now trigger explosive combos.
Vassa's ArcOrdinance LauncherLightning CoilMultiple hits (3) cause a large electrical explosion.
Voltaic DomeOrdinance LauncherShock CoilEnemies are frozen once hit.
Ablative ShieldingComponentStructural ReinforcementA shield break increases damage resistance by 25% for 5 seconds.
Catalytic OverdriveComponentColossus Combo AugmentDetonating a combo increases ability damage by 40% for 20 seconds.
Demolition TributeComponentHeavy Shield ReinforcementDefeating an enemy with melee instantly grants 20% armor.
Emblem of DestructionComponentExplosives ExpertPerforming a multi-kill (5) with your Ultimate will increase Ultimate charge by 3,300%.
Grand EntranceComponentGuardian InsigniaUpon hard-landing, creates an explosion at the point of impact.
Reinforced HullComponentColossal Stock AugmentWhen effect is cleared, damage is increased by 20%. Can occur once every 20 seconds.
Shock TreatmentComponentOrdnance AugmentHitting enemies with [Q] abilities increases heat dissipation by 30% for 5 seconds.
Stalwart BadgeComponentColossal Storage AugmentA shield break increases all ability damage by 40% for 5 seconds.
Synchronized FrameComponentHeavy Assault AugmentDefeating an enemy increases [E] damage by 60% for 5 seconds.
Vanguard EmblemComponentOverclocked RegulatorA shield break creates an explosion around you.

Ranger Masterwork and Legendary Gear and Components list

Masterwork / Legendary NameTypeGearUnique Perk
Argo's MaceAssault LauncherBlast MissileDetonates an electric explosion when defeating an enemy.
Avenger's BoonAssault LauncherPulse BlastHitting an enemy increases melee damage by 110% for 20 seconds.
Ember's LanceAssault LauncherSpark BeamDetonate a fire explosion on a small hit-streak (3).
Fist of the MountainAssault LauncherPulse BlastHitting an enemy has a 25% chance to detonate a large force explosion.
Recurring VengeanceAssault LauncherSeeking MissileAfter defeating an enemy, regain 100% charge. Can occur once every 7.5 seconds.
Tactical OnslaughtAssault LauncherVenom DartsVenom Darts permanently gain an extra charge.
Cold BloodedGrenadeFrost GrenadeApplying the ice effect to an enemy increases melee damage by 135% for 10 seconds.
Explosive BlazeGrenadeInferno GrenadeDetonates a fire explosion after applying fire effect to [2] enemies.
Grand OpeningGrenadeSeeker GrenadeAmbusher's Fury: Defeating enemies from above grants 75% increased weapon damage for 20 seconds.
Last ArgumentGrenadeFrag GrenadeHitting enemies adds 700% Ultimate charge.
The GambitGrenadeSticky GrenadeHitting an enemy with this grenade detonates an ice explosion.
Airborne AdvantageComponentConvergence CoreHovering increases all resistances by 10%.
Badge of DevastationComponentAssault AugmentPerforming a large hit-streak (10) will instantly add 25% Ultimate charge.
Combined ArmsComponentGrenade AugmentDefeating an enemy with [E] gear increases [Q] gear damage by 60% for 5 seconds.
Defensive BulwarkComponentFirearm Calibration CoreOn low health, increases gun damage by 25% for 10 seconds.
Elemental OpsComponentThermal RegulatorIncreases elemental effects applied to enemies by 20%.
General's FavorComponentGrenadier InscriptionDefeating an enemy with melee increases [Q] damage by 50% for 10 seconds.
Tactical AdvantageComponentVented ThrustersWeak point hits lower thruster heat buildup by 10% for 5 seconds.
Tip of the SpearComponentRanger Combo AugmentPerforming a combo restores 40% armor to nearby allies.
Vanguard's BadgeComponentAdvanced CircuitryPerforming a melee kill restores 20% shields.
Victor's ResolveComponentCrossed ArmsPerforming a small multi-kill [3] instantly restores 25% of maximum armor.

How to get Masterwork and Legendary gear in Anthem explained

Getting Masterwork and Legendary gear and weapons is, broadly speaking, the same case as it was for standard Common to Epic tier loot. It drops in all the same places, but there are a few caveats to bear in mind when you're on the hunt - both in terms of specific things to look out for and specific ways to grind out that top-level gear an awful lot faster.

The importance of Inscriptions

One of the things that sets Masterwork and Legendary gear aside from the rest is their access to the very best quality Inscriptions. In brief, when you're looking for Masterwork and Legendary gear you should actually be looking for more than just that lovely orange or yellow hue: you want them with the best 'rolls' - the best randomly-generated outcomes - on that item's Inscriptions.

Inscriptions also have 'tiers' of quality themselves, which BioWare refers to as Major, Minor or Epic, from the lowest quality of Inscription (say, +1% weapon damage) to the highest (say, +200% weapon damage). Andrew Johnson, the studio's community lead, shared the following infographic on reddit to help visualise the differences in what's available on what rarity of loot:

You can read up on Inscriptions in far more detail - and view a full list of all of them and what they do - on Johnson's reddit post, but the key takeaway here is this: the more rare the tier of loot, the better the possible Inscriptions. Legendaries in particular stand out; they can't have the bottom tier of Inscription quality, but Masterworks can - and that Masterworks can't have the very top tiers, but Legendaries can.

With that in mind, you need to think about two things when hunting this kind of loot down: how to get it in the first place, and then how to get those items multiple times as quickly as possible, to grind out the best possible Inscription rolls on them.

How to get Masterwork and Legendary gear - the best weapons and gear in Anthem

Here are the key things to bear in mind when Masterwork and Legendary hunting:

  • Most Masterwork and Legendary items are gated by difficulty - aside from those in the tables above marked as "All", Masterworks and Legendaries are only available on the Grandmaster difficulites (Grandmaster 1, 2 and 3). Those marked "All" can be found on the other lower difficulties, if you're very lucky, but only at level 30.
  • Masterwork and Legendary items are available in all the ususal places - random drops from all enemies, inside chests, rewards for killing Titans and Ursix or end-of-mission bosses on Contracts, and so on.
  • Legendary Contracts on Grandmaster 1 give a guaranteed Masterwork - these will always be Masterwork or Legendary Components, specific to your current Javelin. (Thanks DogfishHeadBeer on reddit).
  • Strongholds on Grandmaster 1 give a guaranteed masterwork - this will always be Masterworks or Legendaries for your abilities (the ones mapped to Q and E on PC or LB/RB and L1/R1 on Xbox and PS4 - again thanks to DogfishHeadBeer on reddit for confirming this).
  • Masterwork and Legendary weapons, specifically, will seemingly only drop from random enemies and Stronghold chests on Grandmaster 1 and above.
  • Masterworks can be crafted - once you have a Masterwork, you can begin your progress towards the challenges involved in unlocking its Blueprint. Once you have the Blueprint, you can craft it from Masterwork Embers (we explain how to get Embers specifically in our guide to those, but note that Masterwork Embers are also the rewards for your Weekly and Monthly Path to Glory Challenges, so those are worth doing!).
  • Remember that there aren't any Masterwork or Legendary tier Support Abilities - the best you can do for those right now is Epic!

How to farm Masterwork and Legendary gear and weapons

With those general principles explained, here's the best way to get the best Masterwork and Legendary stuff. In brief, you need to farm the right places for random drops, and then once you have a specific item you want, think about crafting it repeatedly until you get the best 'roll' possible on its inscriptions.

  • Stack 'Luck' Inscriptions - you'll notice some gear has the "Support Luck" Inscription on it. Keep an eye on everything you loot during the game for this, and save it for the endgame grind. Equip all the Luck-inscribed gear you can get away with whilst still surviving on Grandmaster difficulties, when you're specifically trying to farm good gear. Luck increases both the rarity of the gear that drops and the likelihood that it drops at random, too.
  • Complete your daily Legendary Contracts - it seems that you can only pick up three Legendary Contracts per day (one from each Contract-giver in Fort Tarsis). These give you three guaranteed Masterwork Components for your Javelin. Note that you can do far more than three per day if you play in a squad: if you've all already picked up the contract then completing it will remove it from all of your journals, but if one of you picks it up you can all do it, then the next in your squad can pick theirs up, you all do it, and so on.
  • Farm the Tyrant Mine Stronghold - the guaranteed Masterwork rewards are equal for all three, but this is seen as the fastest and easiest Stronghold to complete, although some enjoy the Temple of Scar one too. Avoid the Heart of Rage one as it's by far the longest and toughest to complete, for the same rewards.
  • Complete your Weekly and Monthly Path to Glory Challenges - you'll get the Masterwork Embers as soon as you complete a tier of those challenges, and you can then use those to craft Masterworks for those you've unlocked the Blueprints for so far, in order to 're-roll' them in the hope of getting better Inscriptions.
  • Harvest Plants, Minerals and Chests on Grandmaster 1 for Masterwork Embers - over time you'll find some routes that have a large amount of harvestable plants and minerals along the way. Head into freeplay, blast along those routes harvesting everyhthing in sight, then load out of freeplay and back in again to reset it. Remember to stack as much Luck as possible for this, even at the expense of offence and defence, as you won't be doing much if any combat along the way anyway. With enough luck, this is by far the fastest way to reroll Masterworks for the best stats.
  • If you're struggling for weapons, play Hard difficulty at Level 30 - You have a decent chance of one of those non-Grandmaster exlusive weapons, marked in the tables above as "All", dropping for you at random. Some of these are great options, with the Papa Pump shotgun for instance being a fan-favourite. You can always grind out Blueprints for them and craft more for re-rolls of the Inscriptions of course, too.

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