Before you start (15 minutes)
- Pick a class and a server. Not sure which? Take the class quiz. Class guides with roles: Templar (tank), Cleric (healer), Sorcerer (ranged magic), Ranger (bow). Server transfers become free on 14 October, but only within your faction (NCSOFT notice of 30 Sep, Game8 patch notes) — you can't switch faction later. Details: server transfer.
- Redeem
TAKEFLIGHTAION2(Menu → Miscellaneous → Account → Enter Coupon): 4× Odyle Energy, 5× Resurrection Spiritstone, 10× Battle Enhance Scroll. Valid until 13 Oct 2026, 23:00 PDT (14 Oct, 06:00 UTC). It works once per account and lands on the character you're logged into, so redeem it on the one you'll play (Game8, r/Aion2). New codes go on our codes list. - Settings: loot filter by rarity (Settings → Combat → Looting) and camera shake off. You'll set up your macro key later.
Week, part 1: level 1 to 45 (3–4 days)
Assuming 2–3 hours a day. Route details: leveling guide 1–45.
Day 1: level 1 → about 20
- Gold quests only. Alt+1 auto-runs to the quest.
- First wings around level 5 — equip them in the wings window (Alt+C).
- Daevanion board from 12: spend crystals immediately, take the route from your class guide.
- Kill mobs on your path (their "souls" feed the pet collection) and pick up ore and herbs you pass.
Day 2: about 20 → 32
- Krao Cave (Exploration) at 20: clear it with the story, don't open the chest.
- Level 22 is the first story gate: fill the Ascension gauge with green quests, easiest first. Then the Ascension quest → better wings, your first stigma slot, Pantheon.
- Odyle Energy starts charging at 22. Don't spend it yet.
- Quest amulet and belt: +10, then Substance Morph (unequip them from every gear preset first).
Days 3–4: 32 → 45 and the end of the story
- Level 32 is the second gate — same as 22.
- Clear Urugugu Canyon (28) and Fire Temple (35) with the story, leave the chests.
- At 45, keep going until the story ends. The final quests give your gold class weapon, the Ascension Bracelet and the best wings (Ultimate Daeva Wings). couga54, Skycoach and Sanya Jacuzzi agree.
Don't open the Duty tab in your Journal before 45. It's a known early access bug: your Duty missions then only show up the day after you hit 45. NCSOFT listed a fix in the 5 Oct maintenance, but there's no confirmation it works.
Week, part 2: your first days at 45
Target: about 1400 item level without spending real money. couga54 estimates the steps on day A get you to roughly 1280, and Shugo, Nightmare and Draupnir close the gap. Grobs and Aragon give the same target.
Day A (first day at 45): free item level
- Finish the story if you haven't. Game8: the post-45 quest "Forgotten Commander" needs 1000 item level and opens the Abyss.
- Regional quests (Journal → Regional): two rings, two earrings, a necklace, two PvE runes, titles. aLuckyRO puts this at 2–3 hours.
- Every question mark on your own map: a Sealed Dungeon is 2 Daevanion crystals + 2 skill points, a Stronghold is 2 belt scrolls (the only source). Question marks on the enemy faction's map no longer give crystals on global — leave those for later.
- Upgrades: weapon, bracelet and accessories to +10 and stop. Amulet and belt to +10 → Morph. Daevanion crystals straight onto the board.
- Macro — set it up from your class guide (the "Rotation and macro" tab), e.g. Gladiator; macros in general: macro guide.
Day B: start the routine
- From now on, every day: 5 Duty missions, Nightmare (attempts only start charging at 45, 2 a day), the Shugo Festival with full rewards. Everything is on the daily and weekly checklist.
- Spend Shugo festival currency on Daevanion crystals first (couga54).
- First real Odyle spending: Conquest opens at 700 item level (Krao Cave, Draupnir — ExpCarry). couga54 suggests running Draupnir until you get the guaranteed gold armour piece.
Days C–D: the Abyss and dungeons
- At 1000 item level the Abyss opens. It's a PvP zone — couga54 recommends joining a legion rather than farming solo.
- Abyss Points (AP) go to Stigma Shards first (Game8, couga54), then Daevanion crystals.
- Pick up feathers (Empyrean Trace) now while flying around. They're nerfed on global, but you only collect them once per account.
Days E–F: the next threshold
- Around 1400 the next dungeon opens: Vakron Sky Island. Sources disagree on the gate: 1400 (Grobs, ExpCarry), 1600 (couga54 Week 1). The entry window shows the real number.
- Energy: don't hit the cap of 560 (840 with membership). At 120 a day an empty bar fills in just under 5 days.
The evening before the reset (Tuesday)
The weekly reset is Wednesday 07:00 UTC (09:00 CEST, 08:00 CET from 25 Oct; 03:00 EDT, 00:00 PDT). On Tuesday evening:
- Ascension Trial ×3 — rewards scale with difficulty, and your item level is at its weekly high.
- Daily Dungeon — the limit is weekly (14 entries per MetaBot and Game8, 7 per couga54); use what's left.
- Odyle craft in the Substance Morph window (4 per character + 16 per server according to Game8 and Grobs).
- Daeva Pass and season missions.
Anything you don't use before the reset is gone. The later item level steps (Vakron, Transcendence, the raid) are in the after 45 plan.
What not to do in week one
- Don't salvage gold items (aLuckyRO: "the biggest early access mistake") — they're your stat reroll fuel later.
- Don't push gear you'll soon replace past +10, and don't enhance a quest rune past +1 — it can break.
- Don't buy from the season shop blindly, and never buy Kinah from third-party sellers (NCSOFT has warned about account bans).
- Leave alts for later: a second character only adds Odyle Energy once it reaches 22, and it mostly pays off for people who play a lot.
The full list of traps: 20 things the game doesn't tell you. Game terms are in the glossary.