You don't have to play Tom Clancy's The Division very long to recognize the Dark Zone is seriously treacherous, especially if you're lone-wolfing (Our guide to battling Manhattan by yourself) it while your friends are waiting to pick it up later in the weekend. There's little you can do if you're met with a person at a higher level. That said, acquiring some High-End gear is a good way to stay alive.
See Also: The Division Beginner's Guide
If you're very lucky, then the easiest way to acquire high end weapons is from loot crates. This simply comes down to whether you come across loot crates when you’re exploring Manhattan or while you’re completing missions. There’s no need to try and sprint through the missions in The Division. While there’s always a sense of urgency to save lives, you don’t want to miss valuable crates that may be hiding behind a pile of boxes or deep within an alleyway. Similarly, take your time when you kill AI enemies and be sure to pick up all the drops in the Dark Zone. You never know when you might pick up a High-End weapons.
Encountering a Named Enemy usually means that things are going to get ugly. They’re named for a reason and their large health bars and powerful weapons guarantee that it will be extremely difficult to take them down. However, if you’re desperate enough for a good firearm, you can kill them and claim their weapon. However, even if you don’t end up with a High-End weapon, a specialized weapon or piece of armor could still make the face-off worth it.
When you’ve made enough money, then you can use your hard-earned cash to simply pick up High-End gear from the Dark Zone vendors. Keep in mind, High-End gear that you find from loot crates, drops and named enemies will vary and feature unique abilities and specs. On the other hand, weapons that you purchase on the vendors will be identical for every agent that visits the stand. That isn’t to say there is anything wrong with High-End gear from vendors, it’s just less special.
Two notable high-end weapons that are available at vendors are the Caduceus Rifle and Cassidy Shotgun. Check out the video below to find out where you have to go to find the vendor that sells it:
Finally, an easy way to own a high-end weapon without dumpster-diving for loot crates, killing people for drops or spending cash is by simply crafting your own with specialized materials. However, it can be very time consuming. What’s more, as long as you have enough basic material, which you can gain by deconstructing old items, you can still build your weapon to your preferred spec. Five normal weapon parts are the equivalent to one Specialized part. Keep your High-End materials handy and hunt for blueprints to expand your crafting abilities.
