Lost Ark’s Guardians Rage update is a major quality-of-life and catch-up patch aimed at getting new and returning players into endgame faster. It introduces the Guardian Knight class, removes Tier 3 honing for older gear bands, adds a revamped milestone mission system up to item level 1700, and pairs an event Powerpass with a Challenge Express designed to accelerate a character from the mid-1600s into current content.

This guide breaks down the practical impact: what you should do first after maintenance, which materials become obsolete, how the new “no honing” progression works below upper Ancient, and how to avoid wasting time (and your gold budget) while taking advantage of the events.

Guardians Rage update at a glance

• New class: Guardian Knight, built around an Emberth gauge and an Incarnation state.
• Progression revamp: Honing removed for Tier 3 and below up to lower Ancient (Brelshaza gear tier), with gear sets granted from story/knowledge transfer to meet continent entry requirements.
• Cost reductions: Tier 3 “Akon” gear honing (where applicable) and Tier 4 stage 1–18 get significant reductions; Tier 3 honing removes gold cost entirely.
• Milestone missions: Replaces weekly Una roster missions, Mokoko Challenge, and older growth missions; provides guidance and rewards up to item level 1700.
• Events: 4th Anniversary event island, Event South Kurzan Powerpass, Challenge Express (1640–1700/1701 range), expanded Mokoko Boot Camp.

New class: Guardian Knight (core gameplay concept)

Guardian Knight is described as a hybrid of heavy attacks and channeled “incarnation” abilities that draw power from fallen Guardians. The class revolves around building a resource called the Emberth orb gauge. When the gauge fills, the class can enter an Incarnation state, gaining high movement speed and access to stronger incarnation skills that visually manifest claws, wings, and scales.

Practical takeaways for players planning a new main or alt:

• Expect a two-mode flow: build gauge efficiently, then spend it during Incarnation windows for higher impact damage and mobility.
• Training and onboarding support: the patch includes a training room guide and new achievements tied to learning the class.
• Awakening quest: like other classes, Guardian Knight ties power spikes to completing the awakening questline, so plan time for story steps if you’re not powerpassing.

If you’re choosing between starting Guardian Knight fresh or converting an existing roster slot into a new “event character,” the deciding factor is usually your roster’s existing infrastructure (gems, cards, engravings, and accessories). Even with catch-up systems, the last stretch of gearing is still where in-game currency matters most.

Progression system revamp: what “no Tier 3 honing” actually means

The headline change is that the gear honing system is removed for content up to lower tier Ancient gear (Brelshaza-era gear) and for Tier 3 and below. In other words, the game is pushing you through older item level gates via granted gear sets rather than requiring you to hone through them.

Where honing starts now

Honing is now performed starting from Tier 3 upper tier Ancient gear (often referred to as “Kaya” gear) at stage 0 (1525) and above. This is the new baseline for when traditional honing becomes relevant again.

What this changes in practice:

• You’ll spend less time (and fewer resources) climbing older tiers.
• Roster catch-up becomes more about learning raids and building a stable weekly routine than grinding outdated materials.
• Gold sinks shift forward: instead of paying to push through old honing bands, you’ll more often spend on modern gearing needs (accessories, ability stones, bracelets, gems, and raid prep consumables).

Material cleanup: what becomes obsolete and what you can exchange

With Tier 2 and Tier 3 lower-tier honing removed, several materials and chests change behavior:

• Tier 2 and Tier 3 lower honing materials: no longer used for honing.
• Exchange option: Tier 3 lower-tier honing materials can be exchanged into higher tier materials at a fixed rate via the honing material exchange NPC.
• Dismantling updates: Tier 2 and lower honing materials now dismantle into Tier 3 materials.
• Shard conversion: harmony shard pouches now grant honor shards; existing harmony shards convert to honor shards at a 1:1 ratio.
• Old “extra honing” items: obsolete additional honing materials and metallurgy/tailoring items now dismantle into Tier 3 materials.

Inventory tip: don’t panic-delete old items. Let the system conversions and dismantles do the work, then decide whether to exchange or hold based on your roster’s next gearing breakpoint.

Completing world/main quests from North Vern to Voldis now grants a gear set that meets the item level requirement to enter the next continent. Knowledge transfer for eligible continents also grants the appropriate gear set.

Important edge case: if a character already completed the world quest but doesn’t meet the next item level requirement, the gear set is delivered to universal storage. If the new gear is higher item level than what you have equipped, it will be auto-equipped.

Stronghold and crafting changes tied to the revamp

Because older honing is being removed, some stronghold research and crafting gets cleaned up:

• Removed stronghold lab research for Tier 2 honing success/XP reduction and Tier 3 honing success/XP reduction (older levels).
• Removed crafting recipes related to certain older fusion materials (notably the patch calls out specific recipes being removed).

This is a net win for roster management: fewer research traps, fewer “must-craft” bottlenecks, and less confusion for returning players.

Honing and cost reductions: where your gold pressure eases (and where it doesn’t)

Even with the revamp, not all costs vanish. The patch specifically calls out reductions for:

• Tier 3 “Akon” gear level 1–19: 60% reduction on breakthrough materials, 90% reduction on silver, and gold removed from Tier 3 honing.
• Tier 4 gear stage 1–18: 20% gold cost reduction (plus other reductions depending on the exact system band).
• Karma costs: reduced from 1100 to 900 (per the patch note excerpt).

This is one of the cleanest ways the update supports alt rosters. Getting characters into functional Tier 4 bands becomes less punishing, which indirectly increases your ability to generate weekly gold sources through more endgame-ready characters.

However, remember where costs still concentrate:

• Accessories and engraving books: market prices fluctuate and can spike after class releases.
• Ability stones and bracelets: RNG sinks can chew through your gold budget quickly.
• Gems and card progression: still a long-term investment for real raid performance.

If you’re planning a fresh main with this patch, it’s smart to set a ceiling for “RNG spending” each week. That’s the fastest way to avoid accidentally draining your roster’s honing funds while chasing a perfect stone.

Milestone missions: the new core guidance and reward track (up to 1700)

The update introduces Milestone Missions, a streamlined system that replaces weekly Una task roster missions, Mokoko Challenge, and previous growth missions. It’s designed to guide players through core daily content and progression and provide selectable rewards using weekly points.

How milestone missions are structured

• Unlock condition: after completing the North Vern world quest Ealyn’s Gift.
• Per character: missions are completed on a character basis, not purely roster-wide.
• Two parts: Growth Missions and Weekly Missions.

Take a look at: a practical gold and progression routine for dailies and weeklies

Growth missions (daily guidance) in 8 stages

Growth missions are divided into eight stages based on item level, and they provide essential guidance up to item level 1700.

• Stages include repeatable missions and one-time missions.
• Repeatable missions can be completed up to seven times.
• When you hit the max item level for a stage, the next stage becomes available immediately (you can still claim prior rewards).
• Once you reach 1700, growth missions stop being provided.

Weekly missions are effectively “do your normal activities, get credit automatically” objectives:

• Reset: every Wednesday.
• You earn points automatically by meeting mission goals (no manual quest acceptance needed).
• Cap: up to 300 points per week.
• Storage: up to 1000 points held at once (you can’t earn more at cap).
• Spending: points can be exchanged in the milestone UI for one of four growth-related rewards.

Strategy tip: don’t sit at the 1000-point cap. If you do, you’re effectively throwing away future progress until you spend down.

What happened to weekly Una roster missions and Una token gold?

One of the biggest economic shifts in the notes is that weekly Una roster missions are removed. The excerpt also states that character-bound gold previously purchasable with Una tokens from weekly roster missions has been moved to Chaos Gate rewards.

That means your daily Lost Ark gold income planning should adjust:

• Chaos Gates become more important as a consistent value target.
• If you were relying on Una token conversions, you’ll want to re-check your weekly schedule to maintain the same overall currency flow.

Event Powerpass and Challenge Express: how to use them efficiently

This patch pairs a new Powerpass with a Challenge Express that’s clearly meant to propel a character into the 1700 range quickly.

Event South Kurzan Powerpass (1640 start)

An Event South Kurzan Powerpass is granted to all players and is available until May 15. The pass takes a character to item level 1640, which is the ideal on-ramp into the express event bracket.

Planning advice:

• If you’re returning, use the pass on a class you can realistically gear and play weekly.
• If you’re new, pick a class with straightforward raid execution so your learning curve doesn’t stall your progression.

Challenge Express: eligibility and the “bonus chest” trap to avoid

Challenge Express lets you select a character between item level 1640 and 1701 (must be below 1701). It provides honing supports and mission-based rewards designed to reach 1700, with additional reward chests that extend support beyond 1700.

The key detail: if you complete every mission in a bracket and you started below that bracket’s item level, you earn a bonus chest with roster-bound gold. If your starting item level is already over the bonus mission level, you can’t earn that bonus chest.

Practical approach:

• Don’t over-hone past a bracket before finishing its missions if you care about maximizing roster-bound gold rewards.
• Do the bracket’s challenges as you progress so you don’t accidentally “outlevel” your own rewards.

Express honing supports (what the patch notes call out)

• 1640 to 1660: 40% material discount, +100% success rate, 60% gold reduction, 40% silver/shard reduction.
• 1660 to 1680: 40% material discount, +100% success rate, 40% gold reduction, 40% silver/shard reduction.
• Advanced honing 1 to 20: 90% material discount, +2 Ancestor’s Grace, 50% gold reduction, 90% silver/shard reduction.

These numbers are large enough that they change how you should think about your gold budget. If you were previously hoarding for “just in case” honing spikes, the express window is often the time to push, because the discounts are effectively doing part of the saving for you.

For players with limited playtime, this is also where the idea of Lost Ark gold for progression becomes relevant: you can’t always farm every needed resource during a short event window, but you can plan your spending so the discounted honing period isn’t wasted.

The patch notes mention a second, paid track with character-exclusive items (examples listed include character-bound gold, bracelets, processed chaos stones, and bound level 8 gems). Whether you buy it or not, it will likely affect the market:

• More players reach higher item levels faster, increasing demand for endgame accessories.
• Class release hype tends to raise prices for popular engravings and certain stat/engraving combinations.

If you’re trying to minimize costs, consider delaying non-essential purchases (like “perfect” accessories) until prices stabilize—especially in the first couple of weeks after the patch.

Take a look at: a 1640–1740 gearing roadmap for honing and accessory priorities

4th Anniversary event: what to expect and how to prioritize

Lost Ark’s 4th anniversary celebration brings back an event island with event coins and an anniversary shop. The event runs until March 11.

While exact shop inventories can vary, anniversary events typically reward a mix of:

• Progression materials (shards, leapstones equivalents, honing-related items for current tiers)
• Cosmetics and collectibles
• Utility items that help smooth alt gearing

Priority recommendation for most rosters:

• First: items that convert directly into power on your main (gems/materials within your current tier).
• Second: roster-wide value (selectable chests, card-related items if offered).
• Third: cosmetics, once your progression needs are covered.

This is also a good moment to review your overall Lost Ark gold management tips: events can flood you with materials, but the “missing piece” is often the currency needed to finish upgrades cleanly (stones, accessories, quality taps, and raid consumables).

Mokoko Boot Camp expansion: easier entry into party finder

Mokoko Boot Camp is meant to help new and returning players overcome high party finder standards while rewarding veterans for assisting. The patch expands eligibility to include players below item level 1710 and adds coverage for newer endgame raid bands (the notes reference Act 3 Hard and Act 4 Normal).

What this means socially:

• More “learning-friendly” lobbies should exist during the event window.
• If you’re returning, this is one of the best times to re-learn raid fundamentals without being instantly filtered by gear expectations.

Recommended first-day checklist after the patch

• Log in and clean inventory: identify Tier 2/Tier 3 lower materials and convert/dismantle where appropriate.
• Claim story/knowledge transfer gear: check universal storage for delivered sets on older characters.
• Pick your pass target: decide whether the Powerpass goes to Guardian Knight or an existing “needs help” alt.
• Start milestone missions: unlock after North Vern requirement, then ensure you’re not missing weekly point generation.
• Plan express brackets: complete bracket missions before pushing past thresholds to secure bonus chest rewards.
• Schedule Chaos Gates: with Una token gold shifting, keep Chaos Gates in your weekly rhythm.

Economic impact: where players will feel the change most

This patch reduces friction in old tiers and shifts the economy’s pressure to modern endgame optimization. For many players, that’s healthier: you spend less time paying “entry fees” and more time investing in meaningful power.

Common spending pressure points after this update:

• Engravings and accessories for a new class launch (prices often spike early).
• Bracelets and ability stones as long-term RNG projects.
• Consumables for raid consistency as more characters reach endgame quickly.

If you’re trying to progress quickly but don’t want to burn out on daily grinding, it helps to treat your roster like a budget: decide what you’ll spend on upgrades versus what you’ll reserve for the next honing wall. Some players bridge gaps by farming more aggressively; others look into options like where to buy Lost Ark gold if you have limited playtime so they can focus their hours on learning raids instead of repeating low-value chores.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The patch removes honing for Tier 3 and below up to lower Ancient (Brel-era) gear, and it adds gear grants from story and knowledge transfer to meet continent entry requirements.

What should I do with old Tier 2 materials and harmony shards?

Most old materials are obsolete for honing now. Harmony shards convert to honor shards 1:1, and many older materials can be dismantled or exchanged into Tier 3 materials through the exchange NPC.

How do milestone missions replace weekly Una roster missions?

Milestone missions provide growth guidance and weekly point-based rewards. Weekly roster Una missions are removed, and the patch notes indicate character-bound gold tied to Una token purchases moves to Chaos Gate rewards.

Should I use the Powerpass on Guardian Knight or an existing alt?

Use it on the character you will actually play weekly. Guardian Knight is a strong choice if you want a new main, but an existing alt that already has gems/cards support may reach raid-ready performance faster.

What’s a smart way to avoid overspending while pushing Express?

Finish each express bracket’s missions before honing past its thresholds to avoid missing bonus roster-bound gold. Keep RNG spending (stones/bracelets) capped weekly so you don’t starve your honing and accessory budget. If you’re considering how to buy Lost Ark gold safely for honing and upgrades, treat it as part of a planned budget rather than impulse spending.