Beginner · 8 min read
Aion 2 First Week Guide: What to Do From Level 1 to 45
Updated ·By the Aion2 Atlas team·How we source data
What should I do in my first week of Aion 2?
- Boards: Nezekan 12, Zikel 20, Vaizel 30, Triniel 40, Azphel 45
- Stigma slots open at 22, 27, 32 and 37
- Rift every 3 h from 00:00 UTC; Shugo Festival every hour
- Daily reset 07:00 UTC, weekly reset Wednesday
Before you start: class, faction and server
Your class is the one choice that's hard to undo, so spend a minute on it. The 60-second class quiz matches your play style to a class, and our best class for beginners ranking explains which classes forgive mistakes while you learn. Faction is mostly story and scenery: Elyos and Asmodians get the same classes and stats, but you can't change faction later, so play the side your friends are on (see Elyos vs Asmodian).
Servers are single-faction. Free same-faction server transfers open on October 14, 2026, so a crowded server isn't a trap. Check server status for the rules.
Level-by-level checklist
Unlock levels below come from global client data (MetaBot) and agree with game8. Your exact pace depends on how much you play, so use this as a checklist, not a schedule.
| Level | What unlocks | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1–10 | Starter zone: Poeta (Elyos) or Ishalgen (Asmodian) | Follow the story, wear every quest reward, learn your basic attack and two core skills |
| ~10 | Verteron / Altgard; Essence Extraction (reported at 10) | Gather nodes on your route; Odyle first. See the Essence Extraction guide |
| 12 | Nezekan Daevanion board | Spend your first Daevanion points. Plan them in the Daevanion board planner |
| 13 | Shugo Festival | Play the hourly minigames for Centuryroot Tokens |
| 14 | Each class's big burst skill (for example Ruinous Blow, Hellfire, Punishment, Spinning Strike) | Put skill points into it straight away |
| 16 | Defiance (all classes) | Your crowd-control break; bind it somewhere easy |
| 20 | Zikel board | Damage Boost and Damage Tolerance nodes are the usual first picks |
| 22 | Stigmas, first slot (more at 27, 32 and 37) | Read your class build for the stigma order |
| 30 | Vaizel board | Critical Damage nodes and skill nodes for your main attacks |
| 40 | Triniel board | Multi-Hit Chance nodes |
| 45 | Level cap: Azphel PvP board and Arcana | Reset skill points to your endgame build and start on Arcana |
A rough day-by-day plan
This assumes a few hours a day. It's guide advice, not a measured leveling speed; some players hit 45 much sooner.
- Day 1: make your character, finish the starter zone and reach Verteron or Altgard. Turn on the hidden cube and Empyrean Trace layers on the interactive map before you leave town.
- Day 2: keep following the Episode Quests. Spend Nezekan points at 12 and try the Shugo Festival at 13. Gather every node you pass.
- Day 3: Zikel board at 20. Start joining Spacetime Rifts when one lines up with your session.
- Day 4: stigmas at 22. Set your first stigma from your class build and keep questing.
- Day 5–6: Vaizel at 30 and the second, third and fourth stigma slots. Run the Sealed Dungeons and zone quests the story sends you to.
- Day 7: push toward 40 and 45. Plan the full board before you spend Triniel points, and save weekly content for after the Wednesday reset.
Daily and weekly rhythm
| When | What | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Every hour | Shugo Festival (unlocks at 13) | Centuryroot Tokens for the festival shop, including Empathy Candy |
| Every 3 hours from 00:00 UTC | Spacetime Rift (enter in the first 10 minutes) | Enemy-side Sealed Dungeons, field bosses, rift quests and PvP. The rift timer shows your local time |
| Daily, 07:00 UTC | Daily reset | Duty Missions, Nightmare and Transcendence attempts, attendance |
| Wednesday, 07:00 UTC | Weekly reset | Daily Dungeon entries, Ascension Trial, Sanctuary raids, Abyss time |
Rift times shift with daylight saving
The rift schedule runs on a fixed server clock, so local times move by one hour when EU (Oct 25) and US (Nov 1) daylight saving ends. The rift timer handles that for you.
Collectibles worth grabbing on the way
- Empyrean Traces: fixed feathers you resonate at the zone Monolith for permanent stats, skill points and items. Reported to be account-wide. See the Empyrean Trace guide and trace map.
- Hidden cubes: red cubes need a Hidden Key, gold cubes don't. They give crafting and upgrade materials. The hidden cube map has 2,811 known spawn points (possible positions, not unique cubes).
- Ruby veins: only matter once Essence Extraction reaches Novice 50. See the ruby vein list.
Gear and upgrades: keep it simple
- Wear what the Episode Quests give you. Farming leveling gear is slower than just moving on.
- When you do upgrade, the weapon comes first: most class guides agree it drives your damage.
- Extract (dismantle) each new item once before you throw it out, so its skin goes into your Closet. The old gear guide covers the other options.
- Skill points reset for free, so experiment while leveling and respec at 45.
Do you need the membership?
No. Aion 2 is free to play. The optional Special Quai Membership ($14.99 per 30 days) is needed to buy from the Market and for personal trading, plus convenience perks. Everything in this checklist works without it. Buying Kinah or leveling from third parties breaks the game's rules and can get your account banned, so don't.
Global vs KR
Korea and Taiwan are about a year ahead, with a level cap of 50, extra boards and a ninth class. Korean leveling guides don't match global level by level, so check where a guide comes from.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to reach level 45 in Aion 2?＋
It depends on how much you play. Many players reach the cap within the first week by following the Episode Quests. We haven't timed it ourselves, so treat any hour count you see online as a rough guide.
When does the Daevanion board unlock?＋
On global, Nezekan opens at level 12, Zikel at 20, Vaizel at 30, Triniel at 40 and the Azphel PvP board at 45. Plan your nodes in the Daevanion board planner.
When do stigmas unlock in Aion 2?＋
At level 22. Stigma slots open at 22, 27, 32 and 37, so you have all four at 37.
When is the daily reset in Aion 2?＋
Daily reset is at 07:00 UTC on global servers. The weekly reset is Wednesday at 07:00 UTC.
Should I grind mobs or do quests?＋
Quests. The Episode Quests carry you to 45 and give gear and extra skill points on the way. Grinding mobs is slower.
What should I do at level 45?＋
Reset your skill points to your endgame build, start on Arcana, finish the Triniel board and begin the Azphel PvP board. Then work through dungeons and rifts for gear.
Related
Spacetime Rift timer →
Next rift in your local time, with alerts.
Hidden cube map →
Every known cube spawn with saved progress.
Daevanion board planner →
Plan nodes as each board unlocks.
Arcana guide →
The level 45 card system.
Which class? quiz →
Find your class in 60 seconds.
Best class for beginners →
All 8 classes ranked for new players.