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Aion 2

Aion 2 Dungeons Guide: Expeditions, Conquest and Odyle Energy

Every Aion 2 expedition dungeon by star rank and item level, plus Odyle Energy costs, Conquest rewards, pity, and 5-player party tips.

The MMO Codex editorial deskEditorial desk
8 min read

If you understand expeditions, you understand the core of Aion 2 at launch. These are the six repeatable dungeons you will run every day after 45. This guide covers their order, item levels, the Exploration versus Conquest split, Odyle Energy and rewards. For boss-by-boss mechanics, see the linked dungeon guides. Back to the overview in the Beginner Guide.

What Are Expedition Dungeons in Aion 2?

Expedition dungeons are 5-player instances on global (4-player in the Korean footage you will see on YouTube). Each can be run on two difficulties: Exploration and Conquest.

Exploration is the tutorial version. The main story walks you through it, the bosses have fewer patterns, and the rewards are smaller. Conquest is the real version: same rooms, extra boss patterns, extra mechanics and the better loot, including unbound Kinah that you can send to another character.

You meet your first expedition, Krao Cave, around level 22, so you see the system long before 45. Six dungeons are available at global Season 1. What matters is the order you tackle them in, not just their level.

The Six Expeditions by Star Rank, and What Order to Run Them

Season 1 launches with six expeditions, ranked by stars on the menu:

Korean Expedition menu listing the six dungeons, with Fire Temple selected showing its level 35 entry requirement

Korean Expedition menu listing the six dungeons, with Fire Temple selected showing its level 35 entry requirement. Source: 4Easy

Dungeon Stars Role in the ladder
Krao Cave 1 Entry dungeon, first Conquest target
Draupnir Cave 1 Entry dungeon
Urugugu Canyon 2 Mid-tier accessories
Vakron Sky Island 2 Mid-tier farm
Fire Temple 3 Hard farm
Ferocious Horn Den 3 Hard farm

Korean season-1 guides recommend the clear order Fire Temple → Draupnir Cave → Conquest Krao Cave → Vakron Sky Island once you are at max. That order reflects Korea's 4-player pace and lower gates. On global, the item-level gates are higher across the board, so you cannot skip straight to a 3-star even if a Korean video does.

For mechanics, go to the dedicated pages: Fire Temple: Every Boss and Mechanic, Ferocious Horn Den and Krao Cave and Draupnir Cave. This page stays on order, energy and rewards.

Item Level Gates: When You Can Enter Each Dungeon

Korean season-1 baselines, with a global caveat:

Dungeon Korean baseline Global note
Draupnir Cave party 1200-1400 item level Global higher, treat as floor
Draupnir Cave solo 1600+ If you farm it alone on an alt
Conquest Krao Cave Around 1600 First Conquest most players reach
Vakron Sky Island Exploration 1600 listed, parties want +200 Save energy for this rather than burning it early

The numbers are floors, not promises. Global raises the minimums, and parties add about 200 item level on top of the listed gate because they expect a clean clear.

Aion 2 Conquest vs Exploration: What's the Difference

comparison

Exploration

  • Story version. Forgiving damage, fewer boss phases.
  • Pays bound Kinah, stays on that character.
  • Tutorial for the room and the groggy check.

the Exploration/Conquest difficulty selection screen for an expedition dungeon

The Exploration/Conquest difficulty selection screen for an expedition dungeon. Source: Anders

Conquest

  • Same dungeon, extra patterns, forced groggy phases that can wipe the party.
  • Pays unbound Kinah, can be mailed. That is why farming Conquest on an alt is a real way to fund your main. See Alts: How Many to Make.
  • No hard mode at global launch. It is expected a few weeks after release once average Combat Power catches up.

If you only remember one rule, it is this: Exploration teaches, Conquest pays.

Odyle Energy and the Reward Cube, Explained

Every Conquest run ends at a reward cube. Odyle Energy is the currency that opens it.

Korean Conquest menu for Krao Cave showing its 1,000 energy entry cost and 40-energy cube reward

Korean Conquest menu for Krao Cave showing its 1,000 energy entry cost and 40-energy cube reward. Source: 4Easy

  • Anders puts the regeneration at 10 every 3 hours, or 15 with the $15 membership. The official global membership notice says the cap rises but does not publish the number, so read the 15 as his figure from the live Asian build.
  • An Exploration cube costs less energy than a Conquest cube.
  • You start earning it once your first expedition opens, around level 22.

You can top it up in two capped ways, each 7 per week:

steps

  1. Craft a charge item through Material Conversion → Special tab.
  2. Buy one from the trading-post vendor.
  3. The subscriber shop and Substance Morphing can also add energy.

Do not buy energy to burn on low-star Exploration cubes early. Save it for Vakron Sky Island, its drops stay useful from roughly 1700 to 2200 item level and the pity saves a bad streak.

One-Boss or Three-Boss Runs: Rewards and Pity

Every expedition has three bosses: two mid-bosses and a final boss. You choose how many to kill.

the Select Guaranteed Reward dialog for the pity system, letting you pick a gear voucher, stone or weapon type

The Select Guaranteed Reward dialog for the pity system, letting you pick a gear voucher, stone or weapon type. Source: Madsin

How many bosses to kill?

  • One boss, fastest clear, best for pure Kinah or material farming when time is short.
  • Three bosses, full clear, best reward odds, best chance at gear, but longer and riskier at the final groggy check. Right for gear farming.

The correct pick depends on whether you need gear or just currency. If you are farming gear, clear all three. If you are farming Kinah after your pity is secured, one boss is faster.

The cube can contain Kinah, dungeon equipment, crafting materials, enhancement stones and Daevanion fragments. A pity system guarantees a chosen reward after enough runs, you pick the slot and the game tracks to it. There is also an unclaimed-cube limit: skipping a dungeon's reward burns one of 10 weekly unclaimed entries. If you run out, you are blocked from entering any dungeon until reset.

Urugugu Canyon at a Glance

Urugugu Canyon is the 2-star that sits between the 1-star entrances and the 3-star hard pair. Its Exploration form appears naturally on the leveling path around level 37. Its Conquest form is a mid-tier accessory source, it drops level 59 blue gear and the occasional Unique piece. One creator calls it the Tier 2 dungeon-accessory ingredient for guaranteed-success crafting.

It is the bridge, not the destination. Farm it for accessories while you work toward Vakron Sky Island and Fire Temple.

Vakron Sky Island at a Glance

The other 2-star, and the one most players save energy for. Exploration lists 1600 item level, though parties often ask for about 200 more. Conquest is one of the best farming loops in the 1700-2200 item-level window. It drops level 76 gear, including a guard piece that can roll attack, crit and accuracy.

item level comparison between a level 57 Transcendent Breastplate and the level 76 Vakron Breastplate drop

Item level comparison between a level 57 Transcendent Breastplate and the level 76 Vakron Breastplate drop. Source: xMiMiCx

Several sources say the same thing: save Odyle Energy for Vakron rather than spending it on the earlier Exploration dungeons, since its drops stay useful even at low odds and its pity softens a dry streak.

Building a 5-Player Expedition Party on Global

Global parties are five, not four as in the Korean footage. That changes the groggy math.

steps

  1. Assign groggy callers before the pull. Conquest final bosses have forced groggy phases that wipe the party if not enough groggy skills land in time.
  2. In Korea's 4-player groups, some parties drop the tank for a healer plus sub-healer instead. No global creator has shown a live 5-player Conquest party yet, but the extra slot likely leaves room to keep a tank and still cover healing.
  3. Learn the route to the mid-boss and to the final boss before a blind Conquest run. Getting lost wastes the entry, and missing the groggy timing wipes the whole party.
  4. Watch the cube, not just the boss. If your pity is one run away, clear all three bosses. If you are after pure Kinah, one boss and out is faster.

Check the groggy timing on one Exploration clear, then run Conquest.

Aion 2 Dungeons FAQ

FAQ

What are Aion 2 expeditions?

Six repeatable 5-player dungeons at Season 1, each on Exploration (tutorial) and Conquest (harder, better rewards) difficulty.

What is Odyle Energy used for?

It opens the Conquest reward cube after each dungeon run. Anders gives the regeneration as 10 every 3 hours and 15 with membership, a figure from the live Asian build that the global membership notice has not confirmed, and it can be topped up 7 times a week from crafting and another 7 times a week from the vendor.

What is the difference between Conquest and Exploration?

Exploration is the story difficulty with bound Kinah. Conquest adds boss patterns and groggy checks and pays unbound Kinah you can send to another character.

What order should I run the dungeons in?

Korean order is Fire Temple → Draupnir Cave → Conquest Krao Cave → Vakron Sky Island, but on global respect the higher item-level gates and do the 1-stars before pushing 2- and 3-stars.

Is Urugugu Canyon or Vakron Sky Island worth farming?

Both are 2-star bridges. Vakron is the longer farm, its gear stays useful from about 1700 to 2200 item level. Save energy for it.

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Sources

Screenshots on this page are frames from the videos below, used to illustrate what they describe. All rights remain with their creators.

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