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Aion 2 Transcendence guide: levels, item level and Arcana drops
NCSOFT / AION 2 game art
TL;DR
- Transcendence is a five-player dungeon type and the main source of Arcana. Global has two: Deus Research Base and Shattered Arkanis.
- Each has four levels. The game data sets their item level at 1,600, 1,900, 2,200 and 2,500.
- Deus Research Base drops Bell, Compass and Chalice Arcana. Shattered Arkanis drops Parchment, Mirror and Chalice. Run both to fill all five slots.
- Higher levels drop better grades. Unique Arcana start at level 3, and a Unique Chalice only at level 4.
- Opening the cube costs 40 Odyle Energy. TheWhelps sums up the choice: Expedition for gear, Transcendence for Arcana.
How a run works
Anders describes Transcendence as a timed run. You fight two named bosses, kill enough monsters to unlock the final boss, and the clock never stops.
Creator tip
Transcendence are timed runs. You fight through two named bosses, kill enough monsters to hit the required count, and that unlocks the final boss. The clock is always running, so your group needs to keep moving.
Each level makes the run harder. Anders lists the extras: poison pools, damage over time when enemies hit you, more boss mechanics and a higher monster count before the final boss. TheWhelps says bosses gain extra mechanics as the level rises, and he rates Transcendence harder than Expedition dungeons.
The data recommends two to five players. The bosses are:
| Dungeon | Bosses |
|---|---|
| Deus Research Base | Atiel, Nazmun, Gelcos |
| Shattered Arkanis | Talisra of the Void, Siliator of Deceit, Ruthilis of Pain |
Item level for each level
| Level | Item level | Arcana grades that can drop |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,600 | Common, Rare |
| 2 | 1,900 | Common, Rare, Epic |
| 3 | 2,200 | Rare, Epic, Unique (no Unique Chalice) and Common Chalice |
| 4 | 2,500 | Rare, Epic, Unique and Common Chalice |
The Chalice always lags behind. It drops as Common on level 1, Rare from level 2, Epic from level 3 and Unique only on level 4. A Common Chalice still drops on every level.
Aragon's plan follows the first two thresholds. Anders notes that level 1 already drops Rare Arcana on global.
Which Arcana each dungeon drops
Arcana go into five slots. Each type adds levels to one kind of skill, and the number of levels rises with grade: 1 for Common, 2 for Rare, 3 for Epic and 4 for Unique. Each type also comes in two versions with different Empyrean Lord stats.
| Arcana | Skill levels | Dungeon |
|---|---|---|
| Bell | Passive | Deus Research Base |
| Compass | Active | Deus Research Base |
| Parchment | Active | Shattered Arkanis |
| Mirror | Passive | Shattered Arkanis |
| Chalice | Mastery | Both |
Unique Arcana from Transcendence
Arcana: Bell of Magic (Bound)Deus Research Base, from level 3. Destruction [Zikel] stats
Arcana: Compass of Vigor (Bound)Deus Research Base, from level 3. Freedom [Vaizel] stats
Arcana: Parchment of Magic (Bound)Shattered Arkanis, from level 3. Destiny [Marchutan] stats
Arcana: Mirror of Vigor (Bound)Shattered Arkanis, from level 3. Illusion [Kaisinel] stats
Arcana: Chalice of Magic (Bound)Both dungeons, level 4 only. Space [Israphel] stats
Madsin describes the same split. For how Arcana sets, enhancement and skill rolls work, see the Arcana chapter of Kanon's Handbook.
How creators plan their runs
- Enter level 1 at 1,600 and fill every Arcana slot.
- Move to level 2 at 1,900 as soon as you can.
- Push to levels 3 and 4 for Unique Arcana, then farm the right skills for your class.
Fill the slots first
Empty slots give you nothing, so the first goal is one Arcana in each. Madsin and Aragon both run the lowest level they can enter, fill every slot, and move up. Madsin warns against farming for perfect rolls this early.
Creator tip
Now, when you farm these, you will not specifically want to aim for like specific set effects or specific skills. You just want to fill the slot. Don't farm to optimize these because you will be replacing these.
Push to level 4 for Unique Arcana
Unique Arcana are where the endgame build starts. TheWhelps calls stage four the point where Arcana become relevant to his Ranger build, because that is where he expects to farm Unique Arcana. In the data, most Unique Arcana already drop from level 3 and only the Unique Chalice needs level 4. Unique Arcana carry the extra skill levels he needs to reach rank 20 on his main skills. Madsin's plan returns to Transcendence for level 4 once his gear is high enough, and then farms for the right skills and passives for his class.
Share energy with Expeditions
Transcendence and Expedition dungeons draw on the same Odyle Energy. Opening a Transcendence cube costs 40 Odyle Energy, the same as an Expedition cube.
Creator tip
So, you basically choose where you want to use your energy. Expedition for gear, transcendence for Arcana.
Madsin's rule for spending energy: if you cannot enter level 2 yet, at least run level 1 for the gains, then move to level 2 as soon as you can.
Other rewards
Besides Arcana, both dungeons list:
| Levels | Other rewards |
|---|---|
| All | Kina, Enhance Stones, Silentium, Soul Codex, Amplify Stone Fragment (Unique), Lesser Manastones and Soulstones |
| 3 and 4 | Intermediate Manastones and Soulstones as well |
Anders names Transcendence as a good source of Stigma Shards. The reward lists in our data for both dungeons do not include them, so we cannot confirm that.
Next steps
- Ludra raid guide: the 10-player raid that follows.
- Nightmare guide: solo boss challenges between runs.
- Ranger gear: Soul Binding and Manastones for the same item level push.
- Transcendence dungeons: every level with its full reward list.
Explore the encyclopedia
Sources
- Anders: AION 2 Global PvE, every dungeon, raid and daily at launch
- TheWhelps: All PvE and PvP contents in Aion 2, what to expect in end game
- TheWhelps: Complete Ranger PvE guide, skills, gear, board, Arcana, Genus
- Aragon: Aion 2 ultimate progression guide, 12 steps to the endgame raid
- Madsin: My AION 2 progression plans for global
- Corpus: Aion 2 Transcendence dungeons
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