Aion 2 · Guides
Aion 2 gear score guide: every item level threshold and how to reach it
NCSOFT / AION 2 game art
TL;DR
- Gear score is your total item level, the number under your character level. It unlocks content. Combat power is a separate number that measures how strong you are.
- The thresholds in the game data: 1000 for the Abyss, 1400 for tier 2 Conquest, 1600 and 1900 for Transcendence stages 1 and 2, 2100 for tier 3 Conquest, 2500 for Transcendence stage 4 and 2800 for the Ludra raid.
- To 1400: finish every side quest and sealed dungeon for Daevanion points, upgrade your belt and amulet to Unique and equip both Clash Runes.
- To 2100: farm Vakron Sky Island, fill your Arcana slots in Transcendence and craft your accessories.
- Past 2100, FRESHY stops chasing gear score and builds combat power. The number follows.
Gear score, item level and combat power
Creators use "gear score", "GS", "item level" and "iLvl" for the same number: the sum of item levels on your equipment plus everything else that adds item level. The game uses it as the entry requirement for Expeditions, Transcendence and the raid, and the data calls it "Item Level".
Combat power is the other number on your character panel. Wakayashi shows both: gear score sits under your level, and combat power is the blue number beside it.
Creator tip
Your gear score isn't your actual power. It mainly exists to unlock content, which then gives you access to better gear, better materials, and more progression systems. Your actual character strength comes from combat power.
Some things raise one and not the other:
| Source | Adds | Who says |
|---|---|---|
| Soul Binding lines, pets, Genus Insight | Combat power only | Madsin |
| Skill points | Combat power only | Wakayashi |
| The Abyss's Asphel board | Item level, mostly PvP stats |
Every threshold
Item levels below are the entry requirements in the game data for the global client. Exploration and Conquest are the two modes of each Expedition.
| Item level | What it opens |
|---|---|
| 700 | Krao Cave Conquest, Draupnir Exploration and Draupnir Conquest |
| 1000 | The Abyss (Chaotic Lower Reshanta), Ascension Trial on Easy |
| 1400 | Vakron Sky Island Exploration and Conquest, Urugugu Canyon Conquest |
| 1500 | Ascension Trial on Normal |
| 1600 | Transcendence stage 1 |
| 1900 | Transcendence stage 2 |
| 2000 | Ascension Trial on Hard |
| 2100 | Ferocious Horn Den Exploration and Conquest, Fire Temple Conquest |
| 2200 | Transcendence stage 3 |
| 2500 | Transcendence stage 4, Ascension Trial on its highest difficulty |
| 2800 | Abyssal Forge: Ludra, the 10-player raid |
Creators recorded some of these before launch, and a few of their numbers differ from the data:
| Step | Creator figure | Game data |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 2 Conquest | 1500 (FRESHY) | 1400 |
| Tier 3 Conquest | 2200 (FRESHY) | 2100 |
| Transcendence stage 4 | 2700 (FRESHY) | 2500 |
| Ludra raid | 2700 (Aragon) | 2800, which matches FRESHY |
TheWhelps saw the Conquest requirements lowered to 1400 and 2100 in the global test.
Where item level comes from
| Source | Item level |
|---|---|
| Equipment | Each piece's item level: quest jewelry such as the Liberator Bracelet is 43, Vakron armor 70, Nuakum armor 86 |
| Enhancement | +1 per enhancement level, from the data's enhancement effects |
| Manastones | 1 per grey line, 2 per green, 3 per blue (Wakayashi and TheWhelps) |
| Daevanion points | 1 per point spent, by creators' count |
| Clash Runes | 40 each, two slots |
| Arcana | 20 Common, 40 Rare, 60 Epic, 80 Unique per card, five slots from Transcendence |
| Pantheon statues | Better statues add gear score; FRESHY checks now and then |
NoBS's point is that one more side quest gives the same +1 as one more enhancement, without the Kina. Board nodes cost 1 to 4 points, so Wakayashi notes the bigger nodes are not a better deal for gear score. "In the end, it's all linear."
The roadmap at a glance
| Stage | Main moves |
|---|---|
| 45 to 1000 | Clash Rune chest quests, accessory side quests, finish the main story |
| 1000 to 1400 | Side quests and sealed dungeons, Unique belt and amulet, runes at +1, quest gear to +10 |
| 1400 to 2100 | Odyle Energy into Vakron armor or crafted accessories, Transcendence stages 1 and 2 |
| 2100 to 2800 | Horn Den armor, Fire Temple accessories, then combat power over gear score |
From 45 to 1000
FRESHY reached 45 at 850 to 950 gear score, depending on how many side quests he did on the way. His first jump is two quests that reward a Clash Rune chest: two runes at 40 each put him at 1000. If not, he adds side quests that give accessories.
Then finish the main story. It gives you a Unique weapon, and the last Ascension and Abyss quests give a guard and bracelet.
From 1000 to 1400
The full checklist is in what to do at level 45. In short:
- Every green side quest and sealed dungeon on your faction's map, for Daevanion points.
- Strongholds for belt scrolls and feathers for amulet scrolls. Take the Noble Belt and Revelation Amulet to Unique, which is 65 item level each.
- Both Clash Runes at +1. In the data, +1 always succeeds and +2 has an 80% chance. Aragon notes the game warns that a failed attempt can destroy the rune.
- Weapon, guard and bracelet to +10. One grey or green Manastone line on each piece.
The 1400 accessories
TheWhelps reached about 1337 before Manastones and Abyss feathers, and says 1400 is reachable in quest gear alone. Aragon got there with barely any Odyle Energy spent.
Creator tip
I've seen so many people enhancing all their trash gear, which they're instantly going to replace as soon as they unlock the next dungeon.
From 1400 to 2100
This is the energy phase. Two routes come up.
| Route | FRESHY: farm armor | Aragon and Madsin: alts and crafting |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | All Odyle Energy into Vakron Sky Island | Save it on your main; run lower Expeditions on alts |
| Gear | Unique armor at item level 70 from Vakron chests | Crafted necklace, two earrings, two rings, then weapon |
| Upgrades | Each new piece to +5, all to +7 once the set is done; Manastones, a Theostone on weapon and guard | Manastones, aiming for one blue and one green line per piece |
| Extra | Highest Nightmare you can clear | Kina and materials move to your main through server storage |
On FRESHY's route, run Exploration three times for its guaranteed chest, then spam Conquest. The data sets Vakron's Conquest pity at 21 cube openings, and both chests let you pick a Unique piece at item level 70. He puts 2200 at 7 to 10 days with good luck.
On the crafting route, the first crafted tier is the True Dragon Lord line for Elyos and Star Dragon Lord for Asmodians, at item level 62. You upgrade it in place, and the data steps it 62 → 70 → 78 → 86 → 94 → 102. Aragon estimates the Manastone lines at 6 to 7 item level per piece.
Creator tip
You need to play alternate characters. You need to farm materials on those alternate characters and feed them into your main.
Both routes use Transcendence. At 1600, Aragon fills all five Arcana slots in stage 1. At 1900 he moves to stage 2, where Madsin expects Rare cards and a chance at Epic. Madsin just fills the slots and skips set effects, because you will replace them.
From 2100 to the raid
At 2100 tier 3 opens. Ferocious Horn Den drops Nuakum armor at item level 86, which FRESHY calls the best non-crafted gear on global in Season 1. Fire Temple Conquest drops accessories. Madsin plans 28 Conquest cube openings in Horn Den, the pity count in the data, and uses the pity rewards toward a guard.
From here, FRESHY's advice is to switch focus to combat power: Soul Binding, Manastones on final pieces and crafting your weapon. Gear score rises with it. Madsin farms Transcendence stage 4 at 2500 for gold Unique Arcana cards, and Ludra at 2800 is the Season 1 raid.
Energy rules every creator agrees on
- Do not open cubes in the story Expeditions. See the leveling guide.
- Open an Exploration cube exactly three times when you want its guaranteed piece. The data's pity for Draupnir, Vakron and Horn Den Exploration is three openings.
- Spend energy on the highest tier you can enter.
Creator tip
Spend energy on stuff that is either the latest end game as possible or stuff that is guaranteeing gains.
Madsin also reminds you that this is not a race. Entering the raid in week two instead of week five matters less than it seems.
Next steps
- What to do at level 45: the detailed checklist to 1400.
- Daily and weekly checklist: the routine that feeds every step.
- Ranger gear: Soul Binding and Manastones for final gear.
- Kanon's Handbook: upgrading gear and Arcana.
Explore the encyclopedia
Sources
- FRESHY: The fastest and most efficient way to reach 2200 gear score in AION 2
- Aragon: Ultimate progression guide, 12 steps to the endgame raid
- Aragon: Hit 1,400+ item level without wasting energy and materials
- TheWhelps: How to hit 1400 GS without wasting energy
- TheWhelps: Big changes for global Aion 2
- Madsin: My progression plans for global
- Wakayashi: AION 2 first steps at level 45
- NoBS Game Guides: How I reached 1400 iLvL on day 1 in Aion 2
- Corpus: Aion 2 dungeons
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.
- Aion 2 level 45: what to do first at the level cap
Just hit level 45 in Aion 2? The order creators follow from the cap to 1400 gear score and Vakron Sky Island: side content, belt and amulet, Clash Runes, the rift and where to spend Odyle Energy.
- Aion 2 Ferocious Horn Den: entry, bosses and rewards
Aion 2 Ferocious Horn Den Expedition guide: entry, Ferocious Horn Nuakum and the mini-bosses, Odyle Energy costs, Nuakum armor and the guaranteed reward.