A Guide to Improving Your Gear Score in Lost Ark

Developed by Tripod Studio and Smilegate RPG, Lost Ark is a massively multiplayer online action role-playing game (MMOARPG) that was officially released in Korea on November 12, 2018, and was open beta-tested in Russia, then closed beta-tested in Japan. It is expected Lost Ark will reach So far, Lost Ark has won a total of six gaming awards among a variety of categories at the 2019 Korea Game Awards.

Lost Ark’s Story

Lost Ark’s story starts with a certain god named Regulus that used light and order in an effort to balance the chaos and darkness that existed between two realms, namely Arkesia and Petrania.

Through the Ark, this order was powered seven different ways, among seven different gods that were once spread across Arkesia. These two worlds were nearly destroyed when the galactic rift disrupted the connection between them. At the time, Guardians were created and used to restore balance back to the two realms where Arkesians continued to reap the benefit of peace while the Petranians enjoyed the conditions of their realm.

While this seemed ideal enough among Arkesians and the Petranians who embraced the controlled chaos, not everybody appreciated this balance. When Kazeros, Lord of the Abyss, emerged to establish a dark order, things changed.

After his creation of the Red Moon, which imitated the sun, he used it to kill off most of the Petrania realm’s demon inhabitants. This allowed Kazeros to form an army of demon legions to take their place. This prompted suspicion that another prophecy was about to pass.

Without the presence of the gods since the galactic rift, Kazeros and the Sacrian Order had set out to collect the seven lost pieces that once belonged to the Ark. This search prompted a massive war that grabbed the attention of the Guardians, who rushed to restore peace and punish Kazeros and his allies.

Once the Guardians finally defeated Kazeros, his demon legions, and their allies, the dimensional rift he created was closed up again. Once it was established by the Guardians that peace has been restored, they distributed the seven pieces of the ark among the seven continents of Arkesia, hoping nobody would attempt to assemble them again.

According to the storyline, the peace that was restored by the Guardians has so far lasted almost 500 years but is now currently threatened by a series of troublesome events that have been taking place by remnants of Kazeros’ demon legions, as well as a number of other disruptive factions that don’t necessarily agree with the Arkesia way of life.

There is also the danger of the volcano prison that’s holding Kazeros facing eruption. Should this occur, then the possibility of Kazeros escaping only to cause death and destruction in his wake again will become a reality. This is a fate Arkesia is fighting to avoid.

Lost Ark Gameplay

The gameplay of Lost Ark starts off with the player choosing how they wish to start their chosen character. In an open world environment that boasts a number of adventuring possibilities, there are many battles to encounter, either as a solo player or with allies. Between dungeons, quests, raids, and head-to-head combat, there is no lack of activity a player can engage in.

While playing, part of the goal is to build up your hero character to perform at their best while taking on the enemies in the game. As your character levels up, there are opportunities to boost their gear scores so they can perform better as the game progresses. Coming from players and experts who know their stuff, that know how to make the most out of the three different gear score levels, there is a guide that can help both newbies and struggling veterans to elevate their character to perform at optimal levels.

Tier One (250-600)

Once you reach the 50th level in Lost Ark, you are now in a position to receive item levels that have gear scores ranging between 250 and 302. Once you’ve reached 250, begin runs at the Chaos Dungeon that’s located in North Vern. Start at Stage One, Level One. The objective is to collect enough rare equipment that will cause your gear score to reach 302. There is also the alternative option to complete the Shusire World Quest that will enable you to earn a full set of gear that will reach the 302 score level. Once you’re at 302, you can now target to either reach 340 or 600 as your gear score, depending on which route you prefer to go.

There are a couple of methods you can exercise at this point. You can either choose to upgrade your North Vern or Shushire rare equipment to +2 each to reach the 340 mark or upgrade the rare gear items to +15 each to reach the 600 mark. Using the second method serves as the fast-track to move straight into Tier 2.

However, if you’ve opted to grind your way to the second-tier level, then you will be looking to boost your 340 gear score to 460. This is done by accessing the Abyss Dungeons, namely through Demon Beast Canyon and Necromancer’s Cliff, so you can collect what you need in order to craft a full set of epic gear items.

When crafting, make sure to recycle the old into the new so that you can give each new item a +8 boost. This is how you will reach 460 in gear points. Once at 460, in order to get to 600 gear points, you will need to access the Citadel of Illusions and Aureslud Palace that belongs to the Abyss Dungeons. It is at these locations you can collect what you need to craft a set of legendary items. Again, when crafting, recycle the old into the new for the score boost you need. Each needs to have +15 added so you can reach your target of 600 gear points.

Tier Two (600-1100)

Once you’ve reached 600 gear points, you are now ready to begin working on the second tier. This starts with the Chaos Dungeon Yorn’s Stage 1, Level 1. The goal is to collect a full set of rare items that total 802 gear points once equipped. Make sure each time you replace your gear that you are recycling the old into the new so that you can hit the gear score target.

This is also where you really need to pay attention to gems as they’re needed to upgrade your character’s skills. As soon as 802 is reached, you can either boost each piece by+2 to obtain the 840 gear score mark, or simply upgrade the gear to +15 items to reach 1100. At 1100, you’re already at Tier 3.

For those taking the scenic route with gear scores from 840, proceed to the Abyss Dungeons. While there, you will need to engage in Road of Sorrow and Forgotten Forge in order to gather all the materials needed to craft a full complement of epic sets. Don’t forget to recycle as each time you do so, it gives your new epic item a +8 score boost.

This is how you will jump from 840 gear points to 960. Once you’ve achieved this goal, you now need to run through the Oblivion Sea, Perklous Abyss, and Underwater Sanctuary, all of which are located at Abyss Dungeon. Through those runs, you need to gather enough material to craft a full set of legendary gear. When recycling the old to boost the new by +15 each, you will have the 1100 gear score.

Tier Three (1100-1575)

Once at 1100, you will return to Chaos Dungeon, this time taking on Punika’s Stage 1, Level 1. It is here where you need to gather a full set of items in order to reach the total gear score of 1302.

When doing this, don’t forget to recycle. This is essential. Along the way, don’t forget to upgrade any gems you have on you. In order to jump from 1302 to 1370, you can upgrade your full set of rares to +15 each should you have this. If not, but you do have a random full complement of rare gear on you, upgrade each of them by +6 as this will at least set you at 1325 in total gear points.

However, this means you will have to run through the Punika map again, but now at Stage 2, Level 1. Keep doing this until you have a full set of epic gear. It’s vital as you’re doing this to recycle the old to boost the score value of the new. Doing this gives each item a +15 benefit. Once at 1370, you’re now set to reach the next score level, which is 1415.

Once at 1370, either go through Punika’s Stage 3, Level 1 until you get a full set of legendary gear that each receives a recycle boost of +15, or go through the recycling process of old epic sets and rare sets into the new Argos Legendary Set. This will give a boost of +15 per item. Either way, you should be at 1415 at this point. Once at 1415, you can either upgrade all of your items by +18 each or run the Valtan Legion Raid on normal mode so you can create a full set of legendary gear items that will get you the 1340 gear score you need. Once each is upgraded by +18, you should have your 1460 score.

You can also opt to upgrade your completed Argos set or Valtan set to +16 per item and then run the Biackiss Legion Raid so you can put together a full set of legendary gear. Once obtained, upgrade each item by +18. This is also how you will reach the 1460 gear score. If this doesn’t work for you, there is also taking either the Argos gear items, the Valtan gear items, or the Biakiss +17 gear items into the Valtan Hard Raid as a method to craft a full set of Valtan Relic gear. Don’t forget to recycle each item by +18. Between these three gear sets, Biackiss and Valtan have far superior base stats than Argos.

When you’ve reached the gear score of 1460, in order to reach 1490 there’s either upgrading whatever gear you have on you by +20 each, or running through the Biackiss Legion Raid in hard difficulty. This way, you should be able to gather enough material to achieve a full set of relic gear. Don’t forget to upgrade each by +20 when doing this. Also as an option, you can also upgrade your gear set by +19 before running through the Kouku-Saton Legion Raid. First, do this at normal difficulty so you can gather what you need to craft a full set of relic gear, upgrading each by +20 along the way. Once you have your full Kouku-Saton set, upgrade all of it with Trumpets to increase the gear score. Now at 1490, you can either upgrade each gear item by +25 or run through the Abrelshud Legion Raid at normal difficulty. This grind will make a full set of relic gear that reaches a score of 1340. Once there, be sure to recycle each old item first into the new, then upgrade each by +25. Doing this will also reach your gear score to 1575.

The Lost Ark Experience

When our characters have become as powerful as possible, thanks to combining all the gear items needed to get the highest possible score, this is where the maximum benefit of game enjoyment really shines through. It is the closest thing to God Mode a player can achieve without resorting to cheats, hacks, and trainer programs. On Fandom, there is a thorough rundown of everything one needs to know about Lost Ark, which serves as a helpful tool for players who may find themselves stuck in situations where a little bit of help is needed to get through it. Currently, this game is played on the Playstation 4 and 5 consoles, as well as the Xbox One and Xbox Series X, and Windows.

You can also read:

• The 10 Best Fortnite Chapter 1 Season 1 Skins
• Five Awesome Tips and Cheats for GreedFall
• 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Mark Gruenwald
• The Five Best Dexterity Builds in Dark Souls 3
• Video Games in the ’60s vs. Today