Reaching Level 45 in Aion 2 marks the beginning of the endgame, where gear upgrades, Gear Score (GS), and Combat Power (CP) become essential for unlocking harder content. Progression involves more than farming dungeons. Completing quests, enhancing equipment, collecting Arcana cards, and eventually crafting high-level gear all contribute to character growth.
SywoGG's video guide breaks down the major Gear Score milestones, from approximately 700 GS at Level 45 to 2,800 and beyond, with practical tips to help make the most of every upgrade.
1. Starting at Level 45: Build Toward 1,000 Gear Score
Fresh Level 45 characters typically have around 700 Gear Score. The first goal is to reach 1,000 GS, which allows progression through the main story quest (MSQ) and unlocks further endgame content.
Complete Daeva Board Objectives
Start by clearing all available green quests on the map, including sealed dungeons and strongholds. These activities reward Daeva Crystals, which can be used on the Daeva Boards to unlock bonuses that improve both Gear Score and Combat Power.
Completing these objectives early provides a useful boost without relying entirely on dungeon drops.
Enhance Your Starting Equipment
The yellow Spiritforged Guard and Spiritforged Weapon obtained during leveling can both be enhanced to +10. Mana Stones can also be added through the enhancement menu, while Theo Stones provide additional Gear Score when applied to eligible equipment.
The starting belt and amulet are usually green. Enhance them as needed, then use Substance Morph to upgrade them to blue.
Obtain Clash Runes
Clash Runes are another efficient way to increase Gear Score. Each rune provides 60 GS, so equipping two adds 120 GS. This can raise a character from approximately 700 to 820 GS.
These runes are available through certain green quests. Alternatively, Nightmare content can provide first-clear tokens that can be exchanged for rewards through the Growth section of the Trade Shop.
Farm Draupnir for Your First Yellow Gear
Once the easier upgrades are complete, run the Draupnir Expedition in Exploration mode. Focus on looting three times rather than necessarily completing the dungeon three times. Three successful loots grant a pity box, allowing a selection of yellow equipment.
If dungeon drops do not provide the desired upgrades, players can also consider using Kina at Aion 2’s Marketplace to buy suitable equipment or materials, depending on availability and budget.
Additional drops can provide further upgrades. Yellow gear around item level 54 can be enhanced to +5, with lesser or intermediate Mana Stones used to fill available slots.
At this stage, prioritize Gear Score over perfect Mana Stone combinations. Reaching the next milestone matters more than optimizing every individual stat.
2. Reach 1,000 GS and Complete the Main Story
Once Gear Score reaches approximately 1,000, continue the yellow MSQ until the story leads into the Abyss.
Completing this progression rewards an important bracelet that can remain useful for months. Enhance it to +10 or +11, as appropriate for available resources. Upgrading the bracelet improves its item level and can increase Attack and Defense, benefiting both Gear Score and Combat Power.
Use the best available Mana Stone or Soul Stone on this bracelet if resources permit. Yellow-quality rolls can offer more Gear Score than blue or green alternatives.
The second bracelet comes from a faction quest. Look for the item-level 43 version and use it as part of the early endgame setup.
3. From 1,000 to 1,400 Gear Score
The next major milestone is 1,400 GS, which unlocks two-star dungeons.
Choose Dungeon Runs Carefully
One-star Conquest dungeons are useful for filling equipment gaps, but dungeon entries and loot opportunities should be spent strategically. Before consuming Odile Energy on another run, check whether uncompleted quests, equipment enhancements, or other activities can provide easier Gear Score gains.
When a useful yellow item drops, enhance it to +5 or +10 as resources allow, add Mana Stones, and equip it before deciding which dungeon to farm next.
Around three pieces of yellow equipment from this progression bracket, combined with other available upgrades, can help reach 1,400 GS.
Participate in the Shugo Festival
The Shugo Festival provides another way to earn rewards and Daeva Board Crystals. Participate in the event activities and check the festival shop for additional crystals that can be spent on the Daeva Boards.
Nightmare content is also worth considering. Early versions of its white bosses have an item level of around 1,000, making them another possible source of progression rewards.
Upgrade the Belt and Amulet to Yellow
Once the belt and amulet have reached blue quality, upgrading them to yellow can provide a substantial Gear Score increase. However, these upgrades can consume considerable Enhancement Stones.
Rifts offer an alternative source of resources. Approximately every three hours, a rift allows players to enter the opposing faction's territory. There, sealed dungeons and strongholds can provide Enhancement Stones that help improve equipment.
After upgrading the belt and amulet, check the character's Gear Score again before spending more resources.
4. From 1,400 to 1,600 Gear Score
Farm Vakron Sky Island
At 1,400 GS, the next target is 1,600. In Exploration mode, loot Vakron Sky Island three times to obtain its pity box. Select the most useful equipment upgrade available, then continue farming if additional drops can improve the current setup. Afterward, return to Conquest mode to pursue further upgrades.
Consider Urugu Canyon
Urugu Canyon is another option in this Gear Score bracket. Its rewards include accessories and weapons, although obtaining a weapon suitable for a particular class may depend on luck.
The general strategy remains the same: collect equipment upgrades, enhance them to +5 or +10 where appropriate, and add basic Mana Stones. A weapon may benefit from further enhancement if it offers a meaningful improvement.
By combining yellow equipment from the earlier progression bracket, new dungeon drops, an upgraded guard, the MSQ bracelet, and a yellow belt and amulet, reaching 1,600 GS becomes more manageable.
5. From 1,600 to 1,800 Gear Score: Start Transcendence
At 1,600 GS, Transcendence becomes a key progression system. Unlike equipment farming, this system introduces Arcana cards, which provide additional Gear Score when equipped in the Arcana menu.
Complete the available Transcendence activities and work toward obtaining green Arcana cards.
A full set of five green cards provides 200 Gear Score when each card contributes 40 GS. This makes Arcana an efficient way to move from 1,600 to 1,800 without depending entirely on better dungeon equipment.
Continue farming Transcendence to replace lower-quality cards with green ones. Improving the remaining cards can push Gear Score closer to 1,900.
6. From 1,800 to 2,000 Gear Score
Once the character approaches 1,900 GS, the next objective is to unlock the second stage of Transcendence.
Enhance suitable equipment to +10 where necessary, then focus on replacing green Arcana cards with blue cards.
Each blue card provides 20 more Gear Score than its green counterpart in this progression setup. Replacing all five green cards with blue cards therefore adds another 100 GS.
This creates a relatively straightforward route from approximately 1,900 to 2,000 GS. Rather than repeatedly farming the same dungeon for small equipment upgrades, make full use of the Arcana system before moving to the next stage.
7. From 2,000 to 2,100 Gear Score
At 2,000 GS, equipment upgrades become increasingly important again.
Return to Expedition dungeons and examine their loot tables for yellow equipment that can replace existing blue items. Vakron Sky Island is one option to consider.
For example, replacing a blue cloak with a suitable yellow cloak may provide around 20–30 additional Gear Score, depending on the items and their enhancement levels. The replacement may also offer an extra Mana Stone slot, creating another opportunity to improve stats.
When comparing equipment, consider the total benefit rather than item quality alone. Enhancement levels, available Mana Stone slots, and useful stat combinations can all affect the value of an upgrade.
The goal is to reach 2,100 GS through a combination of better equipment and optimized existing gear.
8. From 2,100 to 2,800+ Gear Score
Beyond 2,100 GS, endgame progression becomes a longer-term process involving higher-level dungeons, stronger Arcana cards, and increasingly valuable crafted equipment.
Farm Higher-Level Expeditions
Continue using Exploration mode to obtain pity boxes from higher-level content, including Ferocious Horn. Three successful loots can provide a pity box, while additional drops may offer more upgrades.
After collecting suitable equipment, return to Conquest mode and work toward replacing older armor pieces and, where possible, the guard.
Fire Temple is another activity to consider because its rewards can improve weapons and accessories.
Upgrade Arcana to Yellow
The third stage of Transcendence introduces the next Arcana upgrade target: yellow cards.
At this stage, enhancing equipment beyond +10 or +11 becomes increasingly relevant. Amplification Stones can help push suitable pieces toward +15 to +20, depending on the equipment and available resources.
However, taking every dungeon item to +20 is not necessarily the most efficient use of materials. Consider the item's long-term usefulness before investing heavily in temporary equipment.
Start Crafting High-Level Equipment
Crafting becomes increasingly important as Gear Score rises beyond 2,100.
Crafted equipment can reach higher item levels than ordinary Expedition drops, with progression examples extending from the mid-80s to 94 and eventually 102. These upgrades can provide a more reliable long-term path toward higher Gear Score than depending entirely on dungeon drops.
Save crafting materials throughout the earlier stages so they are available when crafting becomes worthwhile. A gradual approach can begin with a necklace, followed by a ring and eventually a weapon, depending on class needs and available resources.
Crafted equipment is a strong candidate for +20 enhancement and more careful Mana Stone and Soul Stone optimization. However, crafting takes time, so dungeon gear will likely remain part of the build while better crafted pieces are being prepared.
9. How to Increase Combat Power
Gear Score determines access to higher-level content, but Combat Power also plays an important role in character progression. The two systems are connected, yet improving one does not always produce the same results as improving the other.
Several activities can help increase Combat Power:
Enhance Weapons and Other Equipment
Enhancing weapons increases Attack, while defensive equipment can improve defensive attributes. These stat gains contribute to Combat Power, making equipment upgrades valuable beyond their Gear Score increases.
Prioritize items that provide meaningful offensive or defensive improvements rather than upgrading every piece automatically.
Improve Skills and Unlock Stigmas
Skill upgrades can contribute to Combat Power, while Stigmas provide particularly significant bonuses.
Stigmas are unlocked using Stigma Shards. Make sure to work on this system alongside equipment progression rather than leaving it until the endgame is already well advanced.
Optimize Soul Binding
Soul Binding allows equipment perks to be adjusted, making it an important part of fine-tuning a character.
Review the perks on accessories, weapons, and the guard. Depending on the class and build, a perk such as Attack Speed may provide more practical value than Critical Hit or another alternative.
Choose attributes that complement the character's combat style rather than focusing exclusively on the numerical Combat Power rating.
Unlock Additional Weapon Options
Unlocking additional weapons used by the main character can also improve offensive potential.
One method involves dismantling eligible weapon skins and using the resulting materials with the combining feature. Additional weapon unlocks can provide more damage potential for the corresponding weapon type.
This system is worth developing alongside equipment, skills, and Soul Binding for a more complete endgame build.
Final Tips for Aion 2 Endgame Progression
Aion 2 endgame progression becomes easier to manage when each Gear Score milestone has a clear objective. Early on, prioritize quests, Daeva Boards, Clash Runes, and basic equipment enhancement. Between 1,000 and 1,600 GS, focus on efficient dungeon farming and filling equipment gaps. From 1,600 onward, use Transcendence and Arcana to gain Gear Score before returning to higher-level equipment farming.
Once Gear Score passes 2,100, crafting, advanced enhancements, and careful stat optimization become increasingly important.
The key is to avoid wasting resources on upgrades that will soon be replaced. Complete the most accessible progression activities first, save valuable crafting materials, and balance Gear Score improvements with Combat Power optimization. With a clear plan, the journey from Level 45 to 2,800+ GS becomes much more manageable.
