If you've been playing Destiny for awhile, or if you're just returning to the game from a long hiatus, you might have noticed that all of your older items are obsolete in The Taken King, including your Exotic weapons and armor.
In the two previous expansions, it was possible to upgrade your Exotic gear to raise their level directly from your inventory. Due to the newly introduced Exotic Blueprint system introduced in the game's 2.0 patch, upgrading has changed.
The Exotic Blueprint system allows you to remake any Exotic items you have previously found. You can safely disassemble Exotic gear without losing them forever.
Just approach the Exotic Blueprint panel (there's one for weapons, and one for armor) located in the central chamber in the tower where the three class commanders are.
Year One Exotic weapons and armor can be crafted for 2500 glimmer and a single exotic shard.
The Exotic Blueprint is more than just an inventory of your previously found Exotic items. It also allows you to upgrade your previously discovered Exotics in Year One to Year Two versions.
Crafting Year Two Exotic weapons and armor requires you to discover them first. Some of your previously discovered Year One Exotic items have Year Two variants that you can craft for Legendary Marks. It costs 125 Legendary Marks for armor and 150 for weapons.
Not every Exotic from Year One is eligible for an upgrade.
Be sure to check out our Destiny: The Taken King guides Infusing gear, the fastest way to earn Legendary Marks, and the best way to raise your light levels.