What is item level and where does it come from?
Item level (also called Gear Score or Gear Power in game and in guides) is one number for your character's power. You see it in the character window. It comes from four sources:
- gear: each piece has its own item level, and every enhancement level adds +1 (Game8, Marcus);
- the Daevanion board: every crystal spent is +1 (Game8, Aragon, Marcus);
- Arcana cards (from 45): +20 for a grey card, +40 for green and so on (MetaBot, Aragon);
- the amulet and belt after Substance Morph: gold ones are 65 (EPIC PLK, space4games).
Item level decides which dungeons let you in. The dungeon entry window always shows the required number, so when sources disagree, that is where you check.
The "steps" idea comes from Korean guides (Inven: "up to 1400 do this, from 1400 do that…"). Korean and Taiwanese numbers are higher, though, because items there have higher item level (the same sword is 70 in KR and 62 on global, couga54). Every threshold below is from the global version.
Step 0: you just hit 45 (~800)
Most players reach 45 at around 800 item level (EPIC PLK). That is normal. You are not farming anything yet, just collecting what is free.
Step 1: 800 to ~1,000 (no energy needed)
- Finish the main story. You get your class's gold weapon, the Ascension Bracelet and Ultimate Daeva Wings (couga54).
- Regional quests (Journal → Regional): 2 rings, 2 earrings, a necklace, 2 Clash Runes, titles. Takes 2–3 hours (couga54, EPIC PLK).
- Every "?" on your own map. Each Sealed Dungeon gives 2 Daevanion crystals (= +2 item level), and each Stronghold gives 2 belt scrolls (couga54, EPIC PLK, Marcus). Spend the crystals right away: Daevanion board guide.
- Amulet and belt: +10 (always 100%), unequip, Substance Morph to the next color. Twice: green → blue → gold (EPIC PLK, Marcus).
At 1,000 the Forgotten Commander quest opens, and after it the Abyss, which is a PvP zone (Game8). Krao and Draupnir Conquest (Tier 1) already let you in at 700 (MetaBot).
Step 2: 1,000 to 1,400
- Shugo Festival every hour. Spend the currency on Daevanion crystals (couga54, Marcus).
- Nightmare (solo bosses): an attempt is only used when you kill the boss, so you can leave and come back stronger. Order: grey → green → last boss (couga54).
- Conquest: Draupnir to the guarantee: 14 cube openings at 40 energy (7 with membership). Goal: 2 gold pieces from drops plus a third from the guarantee (couga54).
- Enhancing for 1,400 (couga54): gold weapon and bracelets +10, gold Draupnir armor +10, blue pieces +5. Details: Aion 2 gear progression.
- Set up your macro and level your stigmas: boss fights get longer from here.
You can do it without energy too. Marcus and Aragon reached 1,400 without spending Odyle: every "?" (also on the enemy map through rifts, where they give enhancement stones), Strongholds, quests, and enhancing only gold pieces.
1,400 opens Conquest Tier 2 (MetaBot). It is the goal for your first days according to couga54, Grobs and Aragon.
Step 3: 1,400 to ~1,900
Conquest: Vakron Sky Island (2–5 players, 40 energy per cube) until you have almost the full armor set, then +10. The Vakron Guard for shield classes: every 21st cube gives a voucher, and 2 vouchers + 1.5M Kinah make the guard in Substance Morph (couga54).
Sources give different entry thresholds for Vakron: 1,400 (Grobs, Marcus, couga54 "After 45"), 1,600 (couga54 "Week 1"), 1,800 (Sen, Korean servers). Check the dungeon window.
Urugugu Canyon (weapons, accessories) can wait (couga54).
Step 4: ~1,900 to 2,100
Transcendence ★2 until you have 2 green Arcana cards: Bell of Vigor and Mirror of Magic. Fill the other slots with grey cards. At this stage only item level matters (couga54). Transcendence opens at 1,600 (Game8, MetaBot). A cube costs 40 energy, so run it with what is left after Conquest: Odyle Energy guide.
Step 5: 2,100 to 2,500
Ferocious Horn Den (Conquest Tier 3, from 2,100 per MetaBot): most of the armor set. Move your enhancement from the Vakron pieces to the new ones with Gear Transfer, so you do not start from zero (couga54).
Step 6: 2,500 to 2,800 and up
Transcendence ★4 for gold Arcana cards (MetaBot puts the top Transcendence tier at 2,500). At 2,800 the Sanctuary opens, the 10-player dragon raid. It is the hardest PvE of season 1, with the best gear. Game8 and couga54 both give 2,800.
| Step | Item level | Main activity | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 800 → 1,000 | story, regional quests, "?", amulet and belt | no |
| 2 | 1,000 → 1,400 | Shugo, Nightmare, Draupnir to the guarantee | 40 per cube |
| 3 | 1,400 → ~1,900 | Vakron Sky Island | 40 |
| 4 | ~1,900 → 2,100 | Transcendence ★2 (green Arcana) | 40 |
| 5 | 2,100 → 2,500 | Ferocious Horn Den + Gear Transfer | 40 |
| 6 | 2,500 → 2,800+ | Transcendence ★4, Sanctuary raid from 2,800 | 40+ |
What to do every day, on every step
- 5 Duty Missions (once per server). Only the first reward is guaranteed. Pick the ones with a gold key in slots 1–4 (couga54).
- Nightmare: 2 new attempts a day, do not let them cap.
- Shugo Festival and boss rifts: do not sit on a full stack of keys.
- Odyle Energy: never sit at the 560 cap (840 with membership).
Once a week (reset on Wednesday 07:00 UTC, see reset times): do Ascension Trial and the Daily Dungeon at the end of the week, when you are strongest, because rewards scale with your result (couga54, Grobs).
The Abyss and AP
From 1,000 you can enter the Abyss. It is a PvP zone, so farm it with your legion or at least a partner (couga54). Spend Abyss Points (AP) on Stigma Shards first, then Daevanion crystals (Game8, couga54). A Korean guide by Sen says to buy accessories with AP, but global sources agree: stigmas first.
What not to do
- Do not enhance pieces past +10 if you are about to replace them. Above +10 there is no more 100% (couga54).
- Do not put good Manastones into Draupnir or Vakron gear you will replace anyway.
- Do not spend energy on dungeons whose gear you already have.
- Do not use numbers from Korean and Taiwanese videos (2025, spring 2026). They have level 50, 6 stigmas and different thresholds.
Every class guide also has its own version of this plan in the After 45 tab, e.g. Templar or Cleric.