What is the Highest Gear Score in Lost Ark and How Long Does it Take to Get There?

As a long-time Lost Ark player and content creator, one of the most common questions I see is: "What is the maximum gear score you can get?" In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know about gear progression all the way to the bleeding edge.

What is the Current Gear Score Cap?

The maximum item level achievable in the Korean version of Lost Ark is currently 1620. This requires upgrading gear to +25 honing level from the Legion raids end-game content.

However, in the Western version of the game the cap is lower:

• The current gear cap is 1490. This comes from upgrading gear to +20 honing level from the Vykas Legion raid.
• In the upcoming October patch, the cap will raise to 1520 once Brelshaza Legion raid releases.

Here is a comparison of the gear level caps between the two regions:

*Brelshaza coming in October update
**Final KR legion raid

So while Korea is farther ahead now, new Legion Raids will continue raising the max item level over time in the West to catch up.

How Does Gear Score and Item Level Work?

Your gear score determines the content you can access – so what raises it? Here‘s a quick primer:

• All equipable gear has an item level stat based on its power
• Your roster level is the average item level across all your best gear
• Upgrading gear item level via honing raises your roster level
• Equipping higher item level gear also increases your overall level

For example, if you have 1402 helm, 1385 chest, 1340 gloves at +15 honing, your roster level would calculate to (1402 + 1385 + 1340) / 3 = 1376.

Gear Score Targets To Reach Endgame

Here are the current gear score milestones you need to hit to unlock endgame content:

*October 2022 Update

As you progress further, the incremental upgrades get smaller but the amount of materials needed scales exponentially.

How To Increase Gear Score – Honing Explained

The primary way to increase your gear score is through the honing system. Here‘s how it works:

• All gear has a honing level from +1 to +25
• Using honing materials, you can upgrade this level
• Each upgrade raises the item level by a certain amount
• This boosts the gear‘s stats and your overall roster level

For example, if you upgrade a weapon from +5 to +10 honing, it may raise the item level from 1340 to 1370.

Here is a table showing estimates of the honing chance rates along with material costs:

*Chance decreases each level

As you can see, upgrades up to +15 are relatively smooth. But post +15, your upgrades start relying heavily on lucky taps to succeed. From +16 onwards maps, the honing chance plummets while material costs sore upwards.

What‘s the Approximate Time to Reach Endgame Gear Score?

For a new player starting from scratch reaching the current 1490 gear cap would realistically take 2 to 4 months depending on how much you play and your luck with honing.

Veteran players in the Korean service have stockpiled tons of upgrade mats though allowing them to instantly hit new 1520+ gear score caps as updates release.

Here‘s a rough timeline estimate:

• Hit ilvl 600 (Tier 1): 3 days / 15 hours
• Hit ilvl 1370 (Argos): 2 weeks
• Hit ilvl 1460 Valtan): 4-6 weeks
• Hit ilvl 1490 (Vykas): 8-12 weeks
• Hit ilvl 1520 (Brelshaza): 3-4 months

Keep in mind there is a lot of additional horizontal content, collectibles, sailing, etc. you‘ll want to work on rather than purely spamming item level upgrades. Having multiple alts funnels more materials to your main as well.

Thoughts on the Gear Climb from a Lost Ark Veteran

As someone who has pushed beyond 1610 item level on the Korean servers, here are some tips:

• Take breaks between major pushes. Large item level jumps burn you out faster.
• Build up alts first for passive income. Funnel their bound mats to your main.
• Utilize events for extra upgrade materials and honing chance boosts.
• Work on horizontal progression like skill points, runes, souls, etc.
• Plug upgrade costs into the calculator. Forecast your targets.

The climb from 1415 onwards is challenging. But pacing things out and utilizing all systems makes hitting 1610+ achievable!

Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments.