You can just pull it from collections as you level.

Shaders in inventory don’t cost anything to apply, now

I don’t understand why something that should be used explicitly for MASTERWORKS (hence the name) is used to level up non-masterwork things, like gear level. I understand using them for raising the masterwork, but it’s use to infuse gear is hot fucking garbage.

I mean, I’m pretty sure it still takes 10 to Masterwork a weapon, but this way you don’t have to spend all 10 at once.

But you CAN re-purchase Better Devils from the collections tab and infuse it up! (Just like D1 exotics!) (But sadly without the Exotic Shard/Mote of Light grind)

I feel ya. I went from a sun-slinging badass warlock with hyper health regeneration and the use of two grenades, wielding nothing but the Sunshot... to some idiot with shabby blue clothes and rando guns because nothing drops MW cores frequently. I actually just repurchased Sunshot over the weekend from Xur just so…

And then theres the cost of the shaders to consider...

It’s very much geared toward hardcore players now, and it feels like the more casual crowd (me) is being left behind. When Destiny 2 launched, it catered too heavily to the casual crowd, and now it’s swung to the exact opposite.

Shocking that Bungie would make an ill-considered decision in an atmosphere of total opacity in a way that renders the bad choice irrevocable.

As for year one weapons and armor, you can pull out a fresh copy from your collections and it will be 20 Power below your current average for something like 5 legendary shards, 5 gunsmith materials and 5000 glimmer or whatever.
It’s not great but it will be usable at least.