After Item Level 1640: A Budget Progression Roadmap

KUKJIN LEE·July 4, 2026

Korean budget progression framework · About these guides

Plan progression after 1640 by comparing functional build effects, equipment, skill gems, and usable rewards. This adapts a Korean progression framework; it does not establish a new “Season 4” system or guarantee party acceptance.

Reaching an item level can be easier than completing the build needed for your target content. Use your next budget to solve a specific gap instead of copying a complete endgame character at once.

Three Principles for Spending Less

Progression is more than raising item level. Think of it as choosing useful gains across several systems. Compare costs and requirements before honing; no fixed gold saving is guaranteed.

Avoid Unnecessary Pheon Purchases: Use suitable rewards you already own before buying temporary accessories. A purchase can still be worthwhile if it solves a real build need.

Use Eligible Bound Support: Check medal and growth-shop rewards. Metallurgy and Tailoring items must match the relevant honing range; they are not automatically Advanced Honing materials.

Compare Honing Routes: Advanced Honing adds progression through attempts, but the amount gained and total cost vary. It is not a fixed-budget alternative that always beats ordinary honing.

Why the Post-1640 Stage Can Feel Complicated

Progression updates can provide an easier starting equipment set, while systems such as Karma, Ark Passive, and Advanced Honing still require planning. The source’s claim of testing dozens of characters is not a test record supplied here; use the practical checklist rather than assuming independently verified savings.

Choosing the Next Upgrade

Choose the content and build you want to play, then identify the missing requirements. Spending more does not guarantee an invitation.

Useful Indicators: Compare item level with skill-gem coverage, active passives, and the complete build. Combat Power is one indicator, not the only recruitment rule above 1700.
Currency Management: Use eligible bound currency where it fits. Character-bound gold cannot buy market gems or accessories, and not every upgrade accepts every gold type. Keep tradable resources for purchases that need them.
An Optional Progression Pause: A pause around 1710 can fund other improvements, but is not a universal best stopping point. Check what the next level actually unlocks for you.

A Staged Roadmap from 1640 Upward

Korean post-1640 progression comparison and upgrade priorities

1640–1660: Establish the Basics

Check your current progression and reward eligibility first.

Example Build Goals: Appropriate equipment for the actual entry level, useful accessory effects, and suitable Level 6-or-higher skill gems. Honing-stage mappings depend on equipment generation.
What to Do: Claim eligible mission accessories and inspect them before replacing them. Buying an accessory early is not automatically a mistake if the existing one does not meet the build’s needs.
Content Choices: Thaemine, Echidna, and Ivory Tower offer learning opportunities where eligible; consider Solo Mode if you prefer independent practice. For daily rewards, choose the Kurzan Front and Guardian bracket actually available to your character.
Budget Tip: Use supported auto-faceting to reduce manual inputs, not to guarantee a stone. Free quality attempts remain random; a 90-quality target is optional and not guaranteed by reward items.

1670–1680: Compare Honing and Accessories

Price ordinary and Advanced Honing using current rules and your existing materials. Neither is universally superior at this item level.

Advanced Honing: Check tempering materials, attempt costs, and applicable support. Ordinary Metallurgy/Tailoring books do not automatically work here, and breath-material value depends on the actual system and current price.
Ark Passive: Allocate Evolution, Enlightenment, and Leap points for the selected build. Passive points, Karma ranks, and Ark Grid Core Points are distinct.
Accessories: Inspect any Ancient accessory rewards you qualify for. Check actual shop contents and binding rather than assuming every character receives the same set at 1680.

1700–1710: Make the Build Function

Ark Grid and higher-content options add more decisions, rather than a single universal recruitment score.

At 1700: Use the actual content entry rules. The source’s Advanced Honing 20 example is not a separate mandatory entry condition or proof of party readiness.
If Pausing at 1710: Compare the next upgrade with gems, passives, and cores. The quoted 400,000-gold jump to 1720 is a historical estimate, not a fixed current cost.
Gold Use: Preserve tradable currency when a useful bound alternative exists. Do not assume every raid awards tradable gold, or that bound-only spending is always the best plan.
Core Rewards: Check whether a specific raid’s bonus reward chest contains something useful at a worthwhile cost. It is not automatically mandatory while a build remains unfinished.

1720–1750: Match the Actual Endgame Content

Plan for the exact gate and difficulty instead of using the item-level range as a ready-made raid list.

Difficulty Expectations: Serca and other encounters have specific patterns and guard rules. The source’s unidentified “Ferca” is not a verified raid name. Difficulty cannot be reduced to universally invisible telegraphs or one Combat Power threshold.
Upgrade Comparison: Before pushing a weapon higher, compare remaining Advanced Honing gains with other options. Stage 40 is not automatically better value for every character.
Gear Transfer: Read the result preview for quality, honing, and Advanced Honing information. A new equipment generation can change later costs, but transfer does not universally improve the next purchase or preserve every displayed value identically.

Progression Comparison Table

These are planning examples, not official ready-for-raid requirements.

Item Level Source Power Description Equipment Goal Accessories / Skill Gems Passives / Karma Content to Check 1640–1660 Foundation stage. Appropriate gear for the actual bracket. Useful Relic effects and Level 6 gem coverage. Activate the basic build. Eligible Thaemine, Echidna, or Ivory Tower; Solo where available. 1670–1680 Transition stage. Compare the next ordinary hone with remaining Advanced Honing. Useful Ancient rewards and Level 6–7 gems. Build-relevant Enlightenment and Leap progression. Eligible Aegir, Kazeros Act 2, or Mordum routes. 1700–1710 Source estimate: 1,600–2,100; not an official threshold. Choose the next gains from actual equipment state. Functional accessories and important Level 7 gems. Relic core effects and compatible passives. Act 4, Denouement, or Horizon Cathedral as eligible. 1720–1730 Source estimate: 2,600–3,500; not a North American lobby standard. Compare remaining progression rather than forcing Stage 40. Useful Ancient effects and selected Level 8 upgrades. Relevant core effects and learned Relic engravings. Serca and Denouement at their actual difficulty requirements. 1740–1750 Source estimate: 4,000+; not an official universal minimum. Check upper-tier gear and transfer results. Compare selected high-value gem upgrades. Price the next Karma or passive benefit. Appropriate high-stage Cathedral or Belgardin Normal from 1750.

A More Deliberate Gold Budget

When to Buy Bonus Rewards: Compare the exact contents, remaining weekly eligibility, and cost. Pause purchases when the materials no longer support a worthwhile next upgrade; do not use “always buy” or “always stop” as a blanket rule.
Check Reward Growth Items: Usable Processed Chaos Stones and Processed Destiny Stones can support quality attempts and Karma attempts under their own restrictions. Their random or limited progression does not make every result guaranteed or every item urgent to consume.
Buying Support Materials: Compare actual savings at the correct stage before buying books or breath materials. A lower listing price does not prove a tenfold benefit, and speculative stockpiling is not necessary for this plan.

Does Gear Transfer Reset Advanced Honing?

Inspect the preview. Supported transfers can carry Advanced Honing information, including the added transfer routes described in official notes. Quality-only and other transfer cases differ; confirm the result and any source-item consumption before proceeding.

How Are Ebony Cube and Haal’s Content Different?

They serve different roles. Ebony Cube uses eligible tickets for its own reward brackets. Chaos Rift is separate timed solo content, with Haal’s objects used for access and Sand of Trial affecting applicable rewards. Check its actual unlock, stage, and weekly limits rather than treating every Haal activity as one identical mode.

Are Relic Engraving Books Worth Buying?

Compare useful milestones. Learned effects can benefit roster characters using that engraving. That is a reason to compare 5/10/15/20-book progress with other upgrades, not a reason to buy every cheap book or expect guaranteed returns.