AION 2 gear progression: item level tiers and upgrades

What item level really measures

Item level is the number that opens dungeons: every worn piece adds its own item level, and every enhancement level adds +1. According to the client's own tooltip, equipping Arcana raises it too. Combat Power (CP) is a second, broader number: Daevanion boards, the Pantheon, titles and wings count there according to Mein-MMO, while Game8 files Daevanion points under 'Gear Score'. So compare your character sheet before and after spending something to see what actually moves on your end.

Keep in mind: on Global, item level thresholds open content. NC has published no CP formula, so be wary of the ones going around.

Item level tiers and the gear that comes with each

In parallel, crafting produces the Dragon Lord sets: item level 62, 78 then 94, and 70, 86 and 102 in their Splendent version (25% chance at each step). They beat the Conquest loot of the same tier, and item level 102 armor and jewelry can only be crafted. There is no Heroic gear in Season 1, crafted or otherwise: Unique item level 102 is the current ceiling.

Conquest thresholds are not settled. The Global client (as read by Expcarry and MetaBot, and a Reddit player mentioning a 700 dungeon) gives 700, 1,400 and 2,100. Game8 lists 1,000, 1,600 and 2,200, which are Korean values. Read the number on the dungeon's entry screen.

Grades and enhancement caps

• Common (grey) and Rare (green): +5 at most, 1 and 2 manastone slots.
• Legendary (blue): +10, 3 slots, plus a godstone slot on the weapon and guard.
• Unique (gold): +15, 4 slots, soul binding and Breakthrough.
• Heroic (orange): no pieces in Season 1.

Don't copy Korean guides: in Korea, green goes up to +10 and blue to +15. Here, a green piece capped at +5 is not worth your stones.

Enhancement: guaranteed to +10, then a measured gamble

1. 1

   +1 to +10, no risk

   Every attempt succeeds and each level adds +1 item level. For an item level 54 Unique weapon, budget about 19,440 stones and 488,000 Kinah from +0 to +10.

2. 2

   +11 to +15: 65, 50, 35, 25 then 20%

   A failure destroys nothing and never drops the piece: you lose the materials, and the next attempt at the same level gets +5 points of chance. For the same weapon, budget about 31,800 stones and 2.6M Kinah, failures excluded. On an item level 102 piece, the +14 to +15 step alone costs 1.86M Kinah and 14,820 stones per attempt.

3. 3

   Extraction: stones come back, Kinah doesn't

   Dismantling a piece returns every stone invested and unlocks its appearance. The Kinah is gone for good: it is the real price of a piece you replace.

4. 4

   Inheritance: keep your +N

   Transfer moves enhancement, Breakthrough and soul binding to a piece in the same slot. Season 1 rules are not confirmed (in Korea: 100% since July 2026), and manastones or soulstones already socketed are lost.

Breakthrough: ★ levels beyond +15

A Unique piece at +15 can still progress with Amplify Stones, also called amplification. The number of levels depends on the piece: 1 on 1★ Conquest loot, 3 on 2★, 5 on 3★, on Ludra and on item level 86+ crafting. Observed rates are 66, 50, 33, 25 then 20%, for 0.6 to 3M Kinah and 6 to 20 stones per attempt. On a weapon, each level adds 100 Damage Boost and some Attack. Breakthrough transfers, but the Kinah spent never comes back. In Korea each level also adds +5 item level (Inven); that figure is unconfirmed on Global.

The recommended investment order

1. 1

   Belt and amulet to +10

   Guaranteed success, and you never replace them: they grow through Substance Morph (Rare, Legendary, then Unique). Scrolls come from garrisons and the Monolith.

2. 2

   Two Clash Runes

   Equip both slots as soon as you can. Don't go past +1 without a spare rune: a failure drops a level from +2 on (rates 100, 80, 66, 50, 33%...).

3. 3

   Daevanion crystals

   Spend them: they add stats and skill levels, and, depending on the source, item level.

4. 4

   Weapon and guard

   Take the Unique piece you will keep for a long time to +10, then to +15.

5. 5

   Armor and jewelry to +10

   Several pieces at +10 before pushing a single one to +15: each level is worth +1 item level, but those past +10 cost far more.

6. 6

   Transcendence Arcana

   Fill the five slots, then swap the cards for better grades.

7. 7

   Breakthrough last

   On the weapon only, once everything else is at +10 or higher.

The mistakes that cost the most

• Upgrading a transitional piece: on something you replace within the week, the Kinah is gone for nothing.
• Selling Enhance Stones: extraction returns them, and you will burn tens of thousands.
• Pushing a single piece to +15 while the rest sits at +5: about 22 attempts per piece, for an item level gain that spread-out +10s deliver much more cheaply.
• Raising a Clash Rune without a spare: a failure sets it back, which can drop your item level by 40+ points according to a Reddit player.
• Socketing good stones on a transitional piece: the stat is random and the stone is lost on transfer.
• Opening a Conquest whose pieces you don't need: each cube costs 40 Odyle Energy and a weekly counter, even if you leave without opening it.
• Copying Korean numbers: caps, thresholds, rates and prices differ there.
• Extracting a Unique piece before trying Inheritance, if the rule applies on Global.

To check in game: exact Conquest and Transcendence thresholds, Season 1 Inheritance rules and how much Daevanion points add to item level.

• Global enhancementWork out the cost of each piece, from +1 to +15 and Breakthrough.
• Recommended buildThe pieces and stones to aim for with your class.
• Item level ladderEndgame thresholds, step by step.
• Dungeons and lootWhere each piece drops, and what it costs in Odyle Energy.