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AION 2 Hard mode expeditions: item level, loot and Ariel

Since 21 October 2026, AION 2 Global expeditions have a Hard mode: Krao Cave and Draupnir at item level 2,600, then Urugugu Canyon and Vakron Sky Island at 2,700 since 28 October. The boss goes into Frenzy after 4 minutes and each player only has 3 revives. In return: Philosopher's Stone: Revelation, Ariel Fragments for the new Daevanion board, every Unique crafting material of the dungeon and more Kinah. Fire Temple and Ferocious Horn Den come next, announced for the week of 11 November.

Updated 5 November 2026 · Sources: 9

Contents
  1. The three Hard mode tiers
  2. Hard mode rules
  3. Hard mode loot
  4. Ariel Fragments and the Ariel board
  5. Exploration, Normal or Hard: what to run?
  6. Tips to clear
  7. Global and Korea

The three Hard mode tiers

TierDungeonsRequired item levelGlobal release
1Krao Cave, Draupnir2,60021 Oct 2026
2Urugugu Canyon, Vakron Sky Island2,70028 Oct 2026
3Fire Temple, Ferocious Horn DenNot publishedAnnounced for the week of 11 Nov (exact date to be confirmed)

On 4 November, Hard mode for Fire Temple and Ferocious Horn Den appeared by mistake, with a level 99 requirement. NC hid it with a hotfix the same day and announced its official opening for the following week, with no item level published yet.

Hard mode comes on top of the two modes you know: Exploration and Conquest, which the official notes also call Normal difficulty. Same dungeons, harsher rules and separate loot.

Hard mode rules

  • Frenzy at 4 minutes: the boss goes into Frenzy after 4 minutes of combat. It is a damage check first.
  • 3 revives per player: past that, you stay down for the run. On 28 Oct, NC fixed a bug where this counter did not reset on a new attempt.
  • Bosses toned down on 28 Oct: boss Attack and Damage Boost dropped by 10% in Hard Expeditions (and Transcendence stages 2 to 4). In Normal Expeditions and Transcendence stage 1, boss Attack dropped by 15%.
  • Base HP raised on 28 Oct: at level 45, +1,500 HP for Gladiator and Templar (6,202), +1,000 for the six other classes (5,702). NC mainly aims at melee survival against bosses.

Hard mode loot

RewardHow to get itWhat it is for
Philosopher's Stone: Revelation (Bound)Drop chance, or pick it as the guaranteed rewardNew Hard mode item; its use is not detailed in the notes
Ariel Fragment (Bound)Specific to each dungeon; guaranteed in Urugugu and Vakron (Ariel Fragment: Urugugu, Ariel Fragment: Vakron)Ariel Daevanion board points, or Enhance Stones
Expedition Hero ArtworkDrop chanceCollection, with new achievements
Unique crafting materialsAll of the dungeon's drop on HardCrafting
Wrathful Mind, Wrathful Will, Wrathful EgoHard mode lootNew items; use not detailed in the notes
KinahMore than on NormalAll your spending
Unique skinsBy completing the new Expedition (Hard) achievementsCosmetic

Ariel Fragments and the Ariel board

On the same day as Hard mode, 21 Oct, NC added the Ariel Daevanion board to Global. Its points only come from Hard mode Ariel Fragments, converted with Substance Morph:

Substance MorphResultLimit
100 Ariel Fragments1 Daevanion Crystal: Ariel (Bound)30 times per character, and a points cap per dungeon
1 Ariel Fragment5 Enhance StonesUnlimited

The crystal is under Substance Morph > Special > Daevanion, the stones under Substance Morph > Special > Consumables. Crystals are capped, stones are not: keep your fragments for crystals until you reach the cap, then morph the surplus into stones. The number of Ariel nodes on Global and their value are not known yet: more in our Daevanion boards guide.

Exploration, Normal or Hard: what to run?

ModeFor whomWhat you get
ExplorationSolo players or those without a groupSince 4 Nov, Draupnir, Vakron and Ferocious Horn Den give Normal difficulty rewards there, bound, plus an Amplify Stone Fragment (Unique); pity and run counts match Conquest
Normal (Conquest)Item level 700 to 2,100 depending on the tierThe tier's Unique gear and its pity
HardFrom 2,600Ariel Fragments, Philosopher's Stone: Revelation, Unique materials, more Kinah

Watch Exploration Kinah since 4 November: it drops with your cumulative number of runs. You get 100% up to run 40, then 80% for runs 41 to 50, 60% for 51 to 60, 40% for 61 to 70 and 20% beyond.

Tips to clear

  1. Do not aim for the exact gate

    Frenzy at 4 minutes leaves little margin: a group sitting right at the gate risks lacking damage. Upgrade the pieces you keep and your Arcana first (see our gear guide).

  2. Review the Normal mechanics

    The notes describe no new mechanic for Hard: start from Berk, Bakarma, Auldor and Vakron's, detailed in our dungeon guide.

  3. Save your revives

    Three per player: avoidable early deaths cost the run. A Templar and a Cleric remain the safest base, as for any hard content (PvE tier list).

  4. Use the events

    The Odyle Energy Boost (4 per day per account until 11 Nov) helps you chain runs, and Daeva Bootcamp counts your Normal and Hard Conquests of Krao, Draupnir, Urugugu and Vakron, and your Transcendence, until 18 Nov (current events).

  5. Then aim for Ludra

    Hard mode leads to Abyssal Forge: Ludra, open at 2,800 on Normal and 3,000 on Hard: see our Ludra guide.

Global and Korea

  • Global gates (2,600 and 2,700) are specific to this version: do not reuse Korean guide values, written for a level 50 game.
  • In Korea, Ariel is a level 45 PvE board; on Global, according to the notes, its points come from Hard mode Ariel Fragments, capped per character and per dungeon.

Frequently asked questions

What item level do Hard expeditions need?

2,600 for Krao Cave and Draupnir (since 21 Oct), 2,700 for Urugugu Canyon and Vakron Sky Island (since 28 Oct). The tier 3 item level, Fire Temple and Ferocious Horn Den, is not published yet.

What are the Hard mode rules?

The boss goes into Frenzy after 4 minutes and each player has 3 revives per run. Since 28 Oct, boss Attack and Damage Boost are reduced by 10%.

How do you earn Ariel board points?

By morphing Hard mode Ariel Fragments: 100 fragments make a Daevanion Crystal: Ariel, up to 30 times per character, with a cap per dungeon.

When does Hard mode open for Fire Temple and Ferocious Horn Den?

NC announced it for the week of 11 November 2026, with no item level published. The mode appeared by mistake on 4 November and was hidden by a hotfix.

Is Exploration still worth it?

Yes for solo players: since 4 November, Draupnir, Vakron and Ferocious Horn Den give Normal difficulty rewards there, bound. Kinah, however, drops after 40 cumulative runs.

Sources

Every fact is cross-checked; reliability ranges from 1 (rumor) to 5 (official).

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