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Aion 2 — Gearing Guide

Level 45 to the 2,800 raid gate — every Item Level milestone and exactly what to farm to clear it.

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What this guide is

This is the gearing half of Aion 2's endgame: not what to do next, but how to raise your Item Level to clear the next content gate. Aion 2's dungeons gate on Item Level, and the path from the level 45 cap to the launch raid runs through a series of IL walls — 1,000, 1,400, 1,600, 1,900, 2,100, 2,700+ and finally 2,800 — each of which unlocks the content that drops the gear for the next.

The single habit that saves the most materials: BREADTH BEFORE PERFECTION. An empty gear or Arcana slot is zero Item Level, and spending a Daevanion Point is a guaranteed +1 — so fill every slot and spend every Point before you force a single piece from +10 to +15. And every time you clear a gate, farm the new content's higher-base-IL gear before over-enhancing the gear you are about to replace.

Don't confuse Combat Power with Item Level. Wings, pets, titles, Pantheon bonuses and skill or Stigma levels make you stronger but do not move the Item Level number the dungeon gates actually read.

Each milestone below is a gate; its steps are the efficient order to clear it. If you stall 10–100 short, work the 'Stuck at a gate' order in the tips rather than brute-forcing expensive enhancement.

Wording used in the steps

Shorthand in the step text, not tags.

What raises Item LevelEquipped gear's base IL; +1 per enhancement level; +1 per Daevanion Point actually spent (owning the Crystal does nothing); Manastone/Soulstone lines (Gray +1, Green +2, Blue +3, Yellow +4); Amplified Enhancement ~+5 per stage (Unique at +15); and Arcana (Common 20, Rare 40, Epic 60, Unique 80 base, plus Arcana levels).
Combat Power is not Item LevelWings, pets, titles, many Pantheon bonuses, and skill/Stigma levels raise Combat Power but NOT Item Level. Dungeon gates check Item Level, so fix the right number.
Breadth before perfectionAn empty slot — gear OR Arcana — is 0 Item Level. Fill every slot and spend every Daevanion Point before forcing any one piece from +10 to +15.
Farm new content before over-enhancingEach gate you clear drops higher base-IL gear. A 70 → 86 swap is +16 base IL before enhancement — far cheaper than grinding +10 → +15 on gear you're about to replace. Preserve some Odyle Energy for the upgrade tier.
Where each slot comes fromARMOR + GUARD: Draupnir (IL 54) → Vakron Sky Island (70) → Ferocious Horn Den (86). WEAPON + ACCESSORIES: Krao Cave (54) → Urugugu Canyon (70) → Fire Temple (86). CRAFTED (any slot, esp. weapon/accessories): Dragon Lord 62 → 70 → 78 → 86 → 94 → 102. ARCANA: Transcendence T1 (fill) → T2 → T3 → T4 (optimise).
Stuck at a gate? Check in orderUnused Daevanion Crystals → empty equipment slots → empty Arcana slots (after 1,600) → obsolete lower-tier pieces → cheap enhancement (+0 to +10) → better stones → and only then +10→+15, Amplified Enhancement, or market buys.

Walkthrough

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Sections
01 — Reach 1,000 Item Level · unlocks the Abyss13
To 1,000 Item Level0 / 13

The goal here is breadth, not perfection — fill every slot, spend every Daevanion Point, and enhance cheaply. Reaching 1,000 unlocks THE ABYSS and the real level-45 endgame. Many players overshoot naturally.

  • Finish your faction's launch story
    Elyos: "Diverging Paths". Asmodian: "Farewells". Rewards your class's Spiritforged Weapon (Unique, Item Level 45) — equip it immediately
  • Start the Spiritforged Guard quest
    Elyos: "Draupnir". Asmodian: "Forgotten Commander". You finish it once you can enter the Abyss at 1,000 IL; its reward is the Spiritforged Guard, so don't forget it
  • Complete your home-region Regional Quests
    Elyos: Verteron. Asmodian: Altgard. The green Regional Quests in the log — prioritise ones giving Daevanion Crystals, Wisdom Stones, equipment and progression materials
  • Use every Daevanion Crystal and spend every Daevanion Point
    Each Point actually spent on the board is +1 Item Level; a Crystal sitting in your Cube does nothing
  • Equip 2 Clash Runes
    From Clash Rune Chests on progression objectives. A big early IL jump; enhance them only conservatively until you know the failure rules
  • Clear your home-region Sealed Dungeons
    Permanent rewards: Daevanion progression, Wisdom Stones, growth materials — more efficient than Kina into temporary gear
  • Clear your home-region Strongholds
    Permanent and equipment rewards including belt progression and enhancement materials
  • Collect Empyrean Traces and turn them in at your regional Monolith
    Provides materials for permanent equipment systems
  • Take your Amulet to +10, then Substance Morph (Rare +10 → Epic)
    Amulet and Belt stay relevant far longer than random leveling pieces
  • Take your Belt to +10, then Substance Morph (Rare → Epic)
  • Fill EVERY equipment slot
    An empty slot is 0 Item Level. Check duplicate accessory slots especially — rings, earrings, bracelets
  • breadth, not perfectionEnhance for breadth — weapon ~+10, most gear ~+5
    Early levels are cheap; don't force temporary gear toward +15
  • Add cheap Manastones/Soulstones to fill open lines
02 — Reach 1,400 Item Level · Draupnir + Krao Cave (IL 54)8
To 1,400 Item Level0 / 8

You can now enter the Abyss. This tier drops Item Level 54 gear — Bakarma from Draupnir, weapon/accessories from Krao Cave. Preserve some Odyle Energy: the next tier drops IL 70.

  • Enter the Abyss via Lower Reshanta and finish the Spiritforged Guard quest
    Claim the Spiritforged Guard (Unique, IL 45) and take it to about +10
  • Complete newly available Regional Quests
    More Daevanion Crystals and growth materials — use Crystals immediately unless you have a reason to hold them
  • Complete your level-45 Ascension progression
    Permanent power — don't leave it incomplete and try to compensate with temporary gear
  • Complete available Abyss permanent progression
    Empyrean Traces, Monolith, Daevanion rewards, Regional completion — Item Level without enhancement gambling
  • Upgrade Belt and Amulet again (Epic → +10 → Unique)
  • Run Draupnir (Exploration, then Conquest) for Bakarma armor + Guard (IL 54)
    Prioritise hard-to-replace slots like Breastplate and Greaves. Conquest also gives Gear Change Vouchers
  • Run Krao Cave Conquest for weapon and accessories (IL 54)
  • craftingBegin Dragon Lord crafting (True Dragon Lord, IL 62)
    Especially rings, earrings, necklace and weapon — crafted gear upcrafts through later tiers
03 — Reach 1,600 Item Level · Vakron + Urugugu (IL 70)5
To 1,600 Item Level0 / 5

The Item Level 70 Unique tier and your primary gearing tier. Vakron Sky Island = armor/Guard; Urugugu Canyon = weapon/accessories. Once a clear IL 70 replacement exists, stop pouring enhancement into IL 54 gear.

  • Run Vakron Sky Island Exploration
    Use guaranteed/deterministic rewards on your weakest armor slot (Breastplate, Greaves, Gloves, Boots)
  • Farm Vakron Sky Island Conquest for Vakron armor + Guard (IL 70)
    Accumulate Gear Change Vouchers for deterministic progression
  • Farm Urugugu Canyon Conquest for IL 70 weapon + accessories
    Once efficient here, stop heavily investing in Krao Cave weapon drops
  • Continue Dragon Lord crafting — Splendent True Dragon Lord (IL 70), then White/Dark Dragon Lord (IL 78)
  • Enhance IL 70 gear you intend to keep toward +10
04 — Reach 1,900 Item Level · Transcendence Tier 1 (Arcana)4
To 1,900 Item Level0 / 4

1,600 unlocks Transcendence Tier 1 (Deus Research Base, Shattered Arkanis) — your primary Arcana source. Arcana becomes one of your largest Item Level sources after 1,600, so don't brute-force this band with enhancement.

  • Run Transcendence Tier 1 to obtain Arcana
  • fill slots firstFill EVERY Arcana slot — breadth before quality
    A full set of mediocre Arcana usually beats a few great ones with empty slots (Common 20 / Rare 40 / Epic 60 / Unique 80 base IL). Optimise rarity and effects afterward
  • Finish replacing your remaining IL 54 gear with Vakron/Urugugu (IL 70)
  • Continue Dragon Lord upcrafting (62 → 70 → 78)
05 — Reach 2,100 Item Level · Transcendence Tier 24
To 2,100 Item Level0 / 4

1,900 unlocks Transcendence Tier 2 — now REPLACE weak Arcana (Common → Rare and up) rather than just filling slots. Finish your IL 70 core set. 2,100 unlocks the IL 86 tier: Fire Temple and Ferocious Horn Den.

  • Run Transcendence Tier 2 and replace weak Arcana (Common → Rare and up)
    Once comfortably above the next gate, prioritise useful class effects over raw rarity
  • Finish your IL 70 core set
    Mostly Vakron armor/Guard; Urugugu + Dragon Lord for weapon/accessories
  • Push Dragon Lord toward White/Dark Dragon Lord (IL 78)
    Prioritise weapon, rings, necklace, earrings over crafting every armor slot for IL alone
  • Improve stone quality — replace Gray/weak Green with useful Green/Blue
06 — Reach 2,700+ Item Level · Fire Temple + Horn Den (IL 86), T3/T410
2,100 → 2,200 · the Item Level 86 tier + Transcendence T30 / 4

The IL 86 tier. Simple rule: Ferocious Horn Den for ARMOR + GUARD (Nuakum), Fire Temple for WEAPON + ACCESSORIES (Enraged Kromede). 2,200 unlocks Transcendence Tier 3.

  • Run Ferocious Horn Den Exploration for Nuakum armor (IL 86)
    Use guaranteed rewards on your weakest armor slot (Breastplate, Greaves)
  • Farm Ferocious Horn Den Conquest for Nuakum armor + Guard + Vouchers
  • Farm Fire Temple Conquest for Enraged Kromede weapon + accessories (IL 86) + Vouchers
  • Reach 2,200 and run Transcendence Tier 3
    Begin replacing earlier Arcana — rarity, class effects and synergies now matter, not just gate padding
2,200 → 2,500 · IL 86 core + Transcendence T40 / 3

Systematically replace IL 70 with IL 86 — every 70 → 86 swap is +16 base Item Level before enhancement, which across several slots is a large jump. 2,500 unlocks Transcendence Tier 4, your highest launch Arcana tier.

  • Replace remaining IL 70 gear with IL 86 (Nuakum/Kromede) or stronger crafts
  • Advance Dragon Lord toward Splendent White/Dark (IL 86) and Wise/Ebony (IL 94)
    Weapon and accessories especially; IL 94 crafted weapons/accessories are valuable for the pre-raid climb
  • Reach 2,500 and run Transcendence Tier 4
    Optimise endgame Arcana — rarity, Arcana levels and proper class-oriented setups
2,500 → 2,700+ · pre-raid set + Amplified Enhancement0 / 3

Build your pre-raid set and begin Amplified Enhancement. 2,700 is raid-PREP, not the final gate.

  • Assemble your pre-raid set
    Nuakum (IL 86) armor/Guard, a strong Fire Temple or Dragon Lord weapon, Fire Temple/Dragon Lord accessories, upgraded T3–T4 Arcana, most Daevanion done, and useful higher-quality stones
  • Enhance endgame pieces beyond +10
    Prioritise Weapon → Guard → important permanent accessories → high-value armor, before enhancing gear you still expect to replace
  • Unique at +15Begin Amplified Enhancement on Unique gear at +15
    Weapon first, then Guard (~+5 IL per stage). Prioritise these over low-impact pieces
07 — 2,800 Item Level · Abyssal Forge: Ludra (raid gate)2
2,700 → 2,800 · the launch raid gate0 / 2

The launch raid Abyssal Forge: Ludra (10 players) requires 2,800 Item Level. 2,800 clears the GATE — you still need the right build, Stigmas, Accuracy/Critical, consumables and encounter knowledge to actually perform.

  • Close the final ~100 Item Level
    Optimise Arcana via Transcendence T4, remove any remaining IL 70 gear, upcraft key Dragon Lord slots toward IL 94, spend remaining Daevanion Crystals, improve stones, and Amplify Weapon/Guard — more efficient than forcing every armor piece to +15
  • raid gateReach 2,800 Item Level and enter Abyssal Forge: Ludra
    The 10-player launch raid. Bring the build, Stigmas, consumables and encounter knowledge — raw Item Level alone does not guarantee performance