Lost Ark endgame progression gets confusing fast once you hit the 1640+ range: multiple honing routes, advanced honing breakpoints, accessory quality expectations, gem upgrades, and new power systems that heavily affect combat power. This roadmap breaks the climb into clear milestones so you can decide what to hone first, what gear to buy or replace, and what “good enough” looks like at each item level bracket.

You’ll learn how to pick between basic honing vs advanced honing routes, when to swap to Ancient accessories, how to budget gem upgrades, and how Arc Grid progression changes your combat power expectations. Along the way, you’ll also see where smart economy planning matters most, since upgrade materials, accessories, and books are some of the biggest gold sinks in the game.

Before You Start: Key Terms Used in This Roadmap

Item level (ilvl) is the number you reach from honing your gear. Combat power is a broader power readout influenced by gear, stats, gems, engravings, and later systems like Arc Grid.

Advanced honing is a separate upgrade track that can be paired with standard honing to reach the same ilvl through different cost profiles. Some routes are cheaper short-term, but if you plan to push higher, you’ll eventually need deeper advanced honing anyway.

Accessory “rolls” in this guide refer to the strength of the relevant damage/support lines you’re chasing. For DPS, that usually means lines like additional damage/crit damage/attack power/weapon power depending on your build. For supports, think in terms of party contribution lines such as brand-related power and supportive stat lines.

1640: Baseline Setup (Get Functional, Don’t Overspend)

At 1640, the goal is to become “raid-ready” without wasting resources on upgrades you’ll replace quickly.

• Gear: Aim for a full set around +10 as your baseline. If you used an event/express path, that gear is absolutely fine and often better than what you’d self-farm.
• Ability stone: A functional 7/7 is enough to start. Don’t spiral into expensive rerolls at this stage.
• Bracelet: Use any bracelet with your main stat; event/express bracelets are perfectly acceptable. Even a Tier 3 bracelet can be fine temporarily.
• Gems: Full level 6 damage and cooldown gems are a solid baseline. These are often obtainable through solo-mode related shops and weekly sources.
• Books: Full Legendary engraving books for your core setup is the clean target here.

Economy note: this is where many players accidentally burn their in-game currency on “perfect” accessories or stone rerolls that provide minimal power compared to the cost. Keep spending tight until you reach the brackets where upgrades actually stick.

1660: Upgrade to Ancient Gear Set (Weapon Last)

At 1660, you’re mainly upgrading your gear set tier and stabilizing your path toward higher brackets.

• Gear: Move into an Ancient-tier gear set and push to around +12 with roughly +10 advanced honing as a common, efficient route.
• Weapon priority: Upgrade the weapon last if you’re choosing between pieces, since early gains often matter less for certain progression systems compared to armor/overall thresholds.
• Alternative route: You can skip advanced honing and push higher basic honing (for example, aiming around +14) depending on your material situation. This bracket is flexible.
• Everything else: Stone, accessories, bracelet, gems, and books can remain the same as 1640 if they’re functional.

Weekly savings tip: buy advanced honing materials and honing books from solo-mode weekly shops when available. This is one of the most consistent ways to reduce your gold budget pressure over time.

1670: Choose Your Route and Start Long-Term Systems

At 1670, you’re entering the “real” endgame flow where preparation starts to matter more in party finder.

Honing routes (pick based on your plan)

• Route A: Higher basic honing (for example, around +14) with moderate advanced honing (around +10).
• Route B: Lower basic honing (around +12) with deeper advanced honing (around +20).

Route B often costs more now, but if you’re going beyond 1670 anyway, you’ll need deeper advanced honing later. In other words: Route A can feel cheaper short-term; Route B can reduce “rework” if you’re committed to pushing.

Bracelet upgrade goal

Try to replace your early bracelet through daily content and raid drops. A practical target is two main stat lines plus one extra relevant line. If you don’t get a good drop by the time you’re approaching later brackets, you can plan to buy an upgrade rather than endlessly gambling.

• Gems: Full level 6 remains the minimum expectation. Level 7s are welcome if you naturally acquire them, but don’t force it yet.
• Books: Keep your Legendary books completed for your core engravings.

Combat power expectation

A reasonable benchmark here is roughly 1100 combat power (varies by class/build), but treat it as a sanity check rather than a hard gate.

1680: Swap to Ancient Accessories and Push Toward Full Level 7 Gems

At 1680, your gearing starts to look “endgame standard,” especially for accessories and gems.

Honing routes

• Route A: Higher basic honing (around +16) with moderate advanced honing (around +10).
• Route B: Slightly lower basic honing (around +14) with deeper advanced honing (around +20).

Both routes work. If you’ll push higher, deeper advanced honing becomes unavoidable, so choose the route that matches your material stock and tolerance for short-term cost spikes.

Accessories: “single high” standard

This is the point where you should aim for Ancient accessories with at least one strong, relevant line per piece (“single high”). If you’re deciding between shop-fixed pricing and market pricing, consider your Feon situation: market shopping can be efficient if you already have a deep Feon reserve; otherwise, fixed-price options can be less painful.

Bracelet

Move into an Ancient bracelet. If you have a good Relic bracelet already, upgrading it can be more efficient than starting over.

Gems

Start filling toward full level 7 gems. Express/event characters often have several already; you’re usually just completing the set.

A practical target is 1300+ combat power if your build is coherent and you’ve started the Ancient accessory transition.

1700: Full Advanced Honing, One Key Gem Upgrade, and Arc Grid Begins

At 1700, you enter the Arc Grid era. This is a major inflection point: combat power can jump dramatically as you progress the system, and expectations in lobbies start to scale with it.

Gear and advanced honing

• Gear: Commonly around +18 with +20 advanced honing.
• Weapon note: Advanced honing on the weapon is often very efficient for damage gained. However, don’t over-invest in weapon and neglect armor; being under-ilvl on any piece can increase damage taken significantly in raids.

Gems: add one “carry” gem

Aim for at least one level 8 damage gem on your highest-impact skill. If your build has a single skill that contributes a very large portion of your damage, you can also consider the alternative approach of using a high-tier equivalent gem strategy for that one skill (only when it truly represents a large share of output).

Arc Grid progression and combat power

Arc Grid adds a lot of combat power, but it’s RNG and time-gated through regular play. Treat combat power at 1700 as a target over time, not an entry requirement. As your cores and upgrades come online, it’s normal to climb toward much higher numbers later.

Economy note: this is where players commonly feel the squeeze from honing materials, accessory upgrades, and gem purchases. Smart planning here is a big part of Lost Ark gold management tips without burning out.

1710: Advanced Honing +30 and Steady Arc Grid Growth

1710 is mostly a “power ramp” bracket.

• Gear: Stay around +18 gear but push advanced honing to about +30 across pieces for the ilvl gain.
• Accessories: Keep your Ancient “single high” setup.
• Gems: Maintain the same plan (level 7 baseline with a key level 8 on your main skill).
• Arc Grid: Continue unlocking and improving cores as you acquire them from your routine content.

1720: +20 Gear, Full Level 8 Damage Gems, and Better Accessories (If You’re Parking)

At 1720, you’re either preparing to push further or planning to “park” and farm efficiently. Your upgrade choices should reflect that.

• Gear: Commonly around +20 with +30 advanced honing.
• Weapon flexibility: Deep weapon advanced honing can be efficient damage per cost, but keep armor aligned with raid thresholds to avoid becoming too fragile.

Accessories: upgrade only if you’re staying here

This is the first bracket where it can make sense to move from “single high” to something like high/low or mid/mid quality combinations. However, if you’re pushing past 1720 soon, consider saving resources and upgrading later to avoid paying twice (especially if Feons are tight).

Gems

Aim for full level 8 damage gems as your standard. You can still keep lower gems on low-impact skills, but your main damage profile should look serious by now.

Books

Legendary books remain fine, but if you have very cheap Relic book options that benefit your build, maxing one can be efficient value.

1730: +40 Advanced Honing and Party Finder Expectations

1730 is a social and performance checkpoint: lobbies become stricter, and “good enough” becomes narrower.

• Gear: Push to +40 advanced honing across your set.
• Gems: Full level 8 is the expectation in many groups. A few level 7s can be acceptable on negligible skills, but expect more scrutiny.
• Books: Start targeting 1–2 Relic books maxed if you’re pushing this bracket seriously.
• One premium damage gem: If your build has a single standout damage skill, this is where many players invest into a level 9 (or even level 10) for that one slot.

At this point, it’s common for players to look for ways to stabilize upgrade costs—whether that’s tightening spending, farming more consistently, or (for limited playtime players) exploring options like where to buy Lost Ark gold if you have limited playtime so they can keep pace with honing and gem expectations without endless grinding.

1740: High-End Main Territory (Very Expensive, Only If You Need It)

1740 is not a casual push. This bracket is typically reserved for mains, leaderboard-minded players, or those preparing for the highest current and upcoming raid difficulty expectations.

• Gear: Around +22 becomes the conversation here, which is extremely expensive relative to earlier gains.
• Weapon: Many players push weapon higher (often discussing +25) for damage and lobby optics, but the cost is massive.
• Accessories: Upgrade toward high/mid quality combinations across pieces.
• Gems: Expect a profile leaning into level 9s, with selective level 10s for the most important skill(s).
• Books: A realistic target is around three maxed Relic books for a well-finished endgame setup.
• Arc Grid: Continue pushing core upgrades; it remains a major contributor to power scaling.

Because this tier is so resource-heavy, many players plan their spending carefully around the market. If you’re comparing time vs cost, it’s also where searches like how to balance Lost Ark gold spending between honing engravings and cosmetics become very relevant—mistakes here can set you back weeks.

Practical Upgrade Priority (If You’re Unsure What to Do Next)

If you ever feel stuck between upgrades, use this priority list as a general rule of thumb.

• Meet raid ilvl safely (keep armor pieces aligned so you don’t become a damage sponge).
• Finish baseline gems (6s at 1640, 7s by 1680, 8s by 1720–1730).
• Ancient accessory baseline (single high at 1680, better combinations when parking 1720+).
• One premium gem on your top damage skill (1700+ as budget allows).
• Relic books (start 1730+, expand at 1740).
• Arc Grid routine (steady progress; don’t expect instant completion).

When planning purchases, remember that honing, accessories, and books are all major sinks. Players commonly use progression resources from weekly shops and events to soften costs, and some also look into Lost Ark gold solutions to keep upgrades moving during expensive brackets without stalling their roster.

Should I hone my weapon first or armor first at 1700+?

Weapon advanced honing can be very efficient for damage, but staying at-or-above raid thresholds on every armor piece matters for survivability. Keep armor aligned first, then push weapon.

When should I switch to Ancient accessories?

A clean swap point is around 1680, aiming for at least one strong relevant line per piece. If you’re short on Feons, fixed-price sources can be less punishing than market shopping.

Do I need full level 8 gems at 1730?

Many party finder groups expect it. You can sometimes get by with a couple level 7s on low-impact skills, but full 8s reduces gatekeeping and improves consistency.

Is it worth upgrading accessories at 1720 if I’m pushing to 1730+ soon?

Often no. If you’re not parking, it can be smarter to save and do a more meaningful accessory upgrade later, avoiding double spending on interim pieces.

What’s the best way to avoid running out of gold during these brackets?

Set a weekly budget for honing materials, gems, and accessories, and prioritize upgrades that won’t be replaced immediately. If you’re time-limited, some players also consider how to get extra Lost Ark gold without burning out on daily grinding by focusing on high-value weekly sources and minimizing impulse market purchases.