Aion 2 · Guides
Aion 2 alts: do you need them, and how to level them
NCSOFT / AION 2 official Steam screenshots
TL;DR
- You do not need alts to keep up. TheWhelps clears new content on release with a main and two alts, and says one main is enough. He still recommends at least one alt.
- An alt's main value is Kina. Odyle Energy is per character, so each alt runs its own dungeons and can pass tradeable Kina to your main through server storage.
- Run Conquest dungeons on alts, not Exploration. Exploration pays Kina (Bound), which cannot leave the character.
- Duties, the Daily Dungeon and Shugo Festival tickets are shared across your server, so alts do not add more of those.
- Keep every alt on your main's server and faction. Get it to level 22 early so its energy starts refilling.
Do you need alts?
No one we checked says alts are required. Their question is how much they help.
TheWhelps played the Korean servers paying only for the monthly subscription, with two alts he puts real effort into. He reports clearing each new dungeon and raid tier on release. His conclusion is that one main is enough to keep up, with at least one alt recommended because it is cheap in time. Anders compares alts with Lost Ark and finds them far less necessary.
Creator tip
If you're someone who has PTSD from alts in Lost Ark, well, don't worry, alts are nowhere near as necessary to casually play Aion 2.
Grobs adds the other side. Players with several alts move ahead faster, and in PvP, where most content does not equalise gear, the gap is easier to feel. He still advises against alts in your first weeks if you are new to the game.
Creator tip
Now of course, alts are very good, but they also consume quite a bit of time, especially early on. So I would not suggest to go for multiple alts if you play the game for the first time.
What an alt adds, and what it does not
Some limits belong to each character and some to the whole server. The game data records which is which:
| Limit | Refill | Belongs to |
|---|---|---|
| Odyle Energy | 15 every 3 hours, up to 560 (840 with a subscription) | Each character |
| Nightmare | 2 a day, up to 14 | Each character |
| Ascension Trial | 3 a week | Each character |
| Duties | 5 a day | The server |
| Daily Dungeon | 14 a week | The server |
| Shugo Festival | 3 a day, up to 12 (21 with a subscription) | The server |
So an alt gives you more dungeon runs, Nightmare attempts and Ascension Trials, but no extra Duties, Daily Dungeon runs or Shugo Festival tickets. TheWhelps says many of these were per character on the Korean launch, which is why alts are less demanding now.
TheWhelps names a few smaller benefits. Season coins are per character, by his account, so an alt can buy skins or materials from the season shop while your main buys the items it needs. The same applies to the Nightmare shop.
Alts and Kina
Kina pays for almost all of your progression, and dungeons are the main source. TheWhelps runs dungeons on alts because energy is per character, so every alt adds runs.
Which dungeon matters. Anders reports that Exploration dungeons pay bound Kina and Conquest dungeons pay tradeable Kina, and the game data agrees:
| Krao Cave mode | Boss cube pays | Leaves the character? |
|---|---|---|
| Exploration | 25,000 Kina (Bound) each | No |
| Conquest | 70,000, 65,000 and 65,000 Kina, about 200,000 per full clear | Yes, through server storage |
Anders's plan is two Conquest runs of Krao Cave a day on each alt, then moving the Kina to the main. With three alts he estimates 1.2 million Kina a day, which matches those cube values. He expects the developers may make older dungeons pay bound Kina later, so treat the exact route as a launch-period plan.
Creator tip
In this version, exploration dungeons give bound Kina, and conquest all give unbound Kina. This means alts are actually useful for launch.
Moving Kina and items to your main
TheWhelps puts tradeable Kina into server storage on the alt and takes it out on the main. Bound Kina cannot go into storage, but TheWhelps and Aragon both use it with the same trick:
- Put your main's gear in server storage.
- Take it out on the alt and enhance it with the alt's bound Kina.
- Send it back to your main.
The alt cannot equip gear soul bound to your main, but it can enhance it.
The two kinds of Kina
Energy you store
The Odyle Energy items you collect are separate from the refill. In the data you can hold up to 2,000 energy from items on top of your normal cap. TheWhelps says to use the seasonal energy items before the season ends, because they do not carry over.
How much time an alt takes
TheWhelps estimates under two hours of play a week for an alt at level 45, plus queue and group-finding time:
| Weekly task | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ascension Trial | Three runs of about three minutes each |
| Abyss Corridor | Up to six runs when your side wins the Artifact Sieges |
| Dungeons | About ten runs from the energy that refills each week |
Leveling an alt quickly
Leveling an alt follows the same route as your main. These tips save time:
| Tip | How | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Same server and faction | Server storage, the subscription and the other shared progress only work within one server. See Elyos or Asmodian? | Grobs, Aragon |
| Reach level 22 early | Park alts at 22, where the story sends you to Krao Cave, so they build up Odyle Energy while you play your main | Kanon, Aragon |
| Skip the Empyrean Traces | The Monolith's Sync Empyrean Traces button gives the alt the traces your first character already collected | SywoGG, Aragon |
| Fly instead of auto-walking | Open your wings, dash, close them, and repeat. It covers ground with very little flight time | Aragon, SywoGG |
Creator tip
If you are trying to play alts, I'd recommend leveling your alts to level 22 where you hit the Krao Cave quest after hitting max and doing your dailies on your main. Parking alts here will allow you to accumulate Odyle Energy on them.
Which class to pick for an alt
TheWhelps says there is no best alt; play what you enjoy. Two points from him help the decision:
| Alt type | Advantage |
|---|---|
| Support or tank (Cleric, Chanter, Templar, Gladiator) | A group short on one often accepts a lower combat power than it would from a damage dealer |
| Same class as your main | You already know it, and combining duplicate Closet skins only gives your class's weapon skins, so your weapon collection grows faster. See the Closet chapter |
If you cannot choose between two classes, TheWhelps suggests leveling both as your main. Early progression is the same for both, so play them side by side and commit to the one you enjoy once you reach the hardest Conquest dungeons.
Creator tip
If you torn between two classes, easy. Make both. Just level both. Get them to 45.
Next steps
- Beginner guide: the route from level 1 to 45.
- Beginner mistakes: including how to avoid wasting Odyle Energy.
- Which class should you play?: all eight classes compared.
- Kinah guide: other ways to make Kina.
Explore the encyclopedia
Sources
- TheWhelps: Alts explained, is it needed? Important?
- Anders: AION 2 global build, no heroics at launch, alts earn unbound Kina
- Grobs: AION 2 beginner guide, monetization, servers, classes and progression
- Kanon: Here's your Aion 2 starter launch guide in 8 minutes
- Aragon: Aion 2, 10 essential beginner tips
- Aragon: Aion 2, 14 game-changing tips
- SywoGG: AION 2, everything I wish I knew when I started
- Corpus: Krao Cave (Conquest)
Related articles
- Aion 2 Expeditions: Exploration, Conquest and rewards
How Aion 2 Expeditions work: the six dungeons by tier, Exploration versus Conquest, Odyle Energy costs, the guaranteed cube reward and which one to farm first.
- How to make Kina in Aion 2: dungeons, alts, gathering and the Market
Where Aion 2 Kina comes from on global servers, how bound and unbound Kina differ, how much each Expedition pays, and how creators use alts, gathering and the Market to earn more.
- Aion 2 Krao Cave: entry, bosses and rewards
Aion 2 Krao Cave Expedition guide: the level 22 story entry, Ultimate Berk and the mini-bosses, Odyle Energy costs, Rupture and Berk gear and alt farming.