Hey guys! Let's dive deep into the advanced honing system in Lost Ark, enhanced with insights from the Lost Ark Reddit community. Honing is a crucial aspect of progressing your gear and character, and understanding the nuances can significantly impact your success and efficiency. This guide compiles essential information, tips, and strategies to help you navigate the advanced honing process, making the most of your resources and minimizing frustration.

Understanding Advanced Honing in Lost Ark

When we talk about advanced honing in Lost Ark, we're moving beyond the initial gear progression and stepping into the realm where success rates plummet, and the cost of materials skyrockets. This is where the game truly tests your patience and resource management skills. The advanced honing system typically refers to upgrading your gear from item level 1370 onwards, pushing towards the endgame content and harder difficulties. So, buckle up; it’s going to be a grind!

The basic principle remains the same: You gather materials, visit the honing NPC, and attempt to upgrade your gear. However, the success rates become drastically lower, often hovering around 10% or even less at higher item levels. This means you'll need a significant amount of honing materials, silver, and gold to make consistent progress. To put it plainly, it’s a resource sink, but it’s also the gateway to unlocking the most challenging and rewarding content in Lost Ark. The Lost Ark Reddit community often discusses strategies for efficient material farming, sharing tips on the best daily and weekly activities to maximize your resource income. They also frequently debate the most cost-effective honing strategies, weighing the benefits of using additional materials to increase success rates versus simply attempting more hones with the base chance.

Moreover, advanced honing introduces new mechanics such as Artisan’s Energy. Each failed honing attempt increases the Artisan’s Energy meter for that specific piece of gear. When the meter reaches 100%, the next honing attempt is guaranteed to succeed. This mechanic is crucial because it provides a safety net, ensuring that you will eventually upgrade your gear, even with terrible luck. However, relying solely on Artisan’s Energy can be incredibly expensive, so it’s generally better to aim for successful hones before reaching the guaranteed upgrade. Many players on Lost Ark Reddit track their Artisan’s Energy levels meticulously, planning their honing sessions to optimize resource usage and avoid wasting materials on near-guaranteed Artisan’s Energy upgrades. They often use spreadsheets and online tools to calculate the expected cost of honing a piece of gear to a specific level, taking into account average success rates and the accumulation of Artisan’s Energy.

Essential Materials for Advanced Honing

Knowing your materials is half the battle! For advanced honing, you’ll need a variety of resources, each playing a crucial role in the upgrade process. These materials can be broadly categorized into currencies, honing materials, and supplementary items.

1. Currencies: Silver and Gold are your bread and butter. Silver is primarily used for the honing fee itself, while Gold is essential for purchasing honing materials from the auction house or Mari’s Secret Shop. Managing your Gold income and expenditures is vital, especially as the costs escalate significantly at higher item levels. The Lost Ark Reddit is filled with discussions on efficient Gold farming methods, such as running specific Chaos Dungeons, selling valuable trade skills items, and participating in weekly activities like Abyss Dungeons and Raids.

2. Honing Materials: These include Harmony Shards, Life Shards, Honor Shards, and their respective pouches; Guardian Stones and Destruction Stones; and Leapstones. The specific type and quantity of materials required will depend on the item level and tier of your gear. These materials are typically obtained through daily and weekly activities, such as Chaos Dungeons, Guardian Raids, Abyss Dungeons, and Una’s Tasks. Some materials can also be acquired through events, islands, and the auction house. Efficiently managing your honing materials is crucial for consistent progress. Lost Ark Reddit users frequently share tips on prioritizing which activities to focus on based on your current material needs and market prices.

3. Supplementary Items: These are special items that can increase your honing success rate or provide other benefits. Examples include honing books and special materials that can be purchased from Mari’s Secret Shop or obtained through events. These items can be incredibly valuable, especially when attempting to hone gear with very low success rates. However, they can also be quite expensive, so it’s important to weigh the cost against the potential benefits. Many players on Lost Ark Reddit debate the optimal times to use these supplementary items, often recommending saving them for honing attempts with exceptionally low success rates or when pushing for a critical item level threshold.

Honing Strategies and Tips from Lost Ark Reddit

Alright, let's get into the nitty-gritty. The Lost Ark Reddit community is a treasure trove of honing strategies and tips. Here are some of the most valuable insights:

• Material Management: One of the most common pieces of advice is to plan your honing sessions carefully and avoid impulsive decisions. Keep track of your material inventory and set realistic goals for each session. Don't blow all your resources on a single piece of gear; instead, spread your attempts across multiple items to maximize your chances of success and minimize the risk of hitting the Artisan’s Energy cap on a single item too quickly.
• Utilize Honing Buffs: Take advantage of any honing buffs that are available, such as those provided by Stronghold Research or events. These buffs can significantly increase your success rates and reduce the cost of honing, making them invaluable for pushing through difficult item level ranges. Keep an eye on patch notes and community announcements for information on upcoming events and buffs.
• Mari's Secret Shop: Regularly check Mari's Secret Shop for deals on honing materials. The prices can fluctuate, but sometimes you can find significant discounts compared to the auction house. However, be sure to compare prices carefully, as not all items are always a good deal. Lost Ark Reddit users often share screenshots and analyses of Mari's Shop prices, helping others make informed decisions about their purchases.
• Island Events and Quests: Participate in island events and quests that offer honing materials as rewards. These events can be a great way to supplement your material income and break up the monotony of daily activities. Check the in-game calendar and community resources for information on upcoming island events and their rewards.
• Guild Support: Join an active guild and take advantage of the guild shop and other guild-related activities. Guilds often offer honing material discounts or other benefits that can help you progress your gear more quickly. Plus, having a supportive community to share tips and strategies with can make the honing process less frustrating.
• Patience is Key: Above all, remember that honing is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be times when you experience long streaks of failures, and it can be tempting to get discouraged. However, it’s important to stay patient and stick to your long-term goals. Don't let short-term setbacks derail your progress. Take breaks when you need to, and focus on enjoying other aspects of the game.

Advanced Honing: Reddit User Experiences

To give you a real-world perspective, let's look at some Reddit user experiences with advanced honing. Many players share their honing journeys, both the triumphs and the frustrations, providing valuable insights and lessons learned. These stories can offer encouragement, help you avoid common pitfalls, and give you a sense of what to expect as you progress through the advanced honing system.

• The Lucky Ones: Some players report incredible luck, successfully honing their gear to high item levels with minimal attempts and resource expenditure. These stories are often met with envy and skepticism, but they serve as a reminder that luck does play a role in the honing process. However, it’s important to remember that these cases are the exception rather than the rule, and you shouldn't base your expectations on them.
• The Unlucky Souls: On the other end of the spectrum, some players share tales of woe, experiencing long streaks of failures and hitting the Artisan’s Energy cap on multiple pieces of gear. These stories can be discouraging, but they also highlight the importance of having a solid strategy and managing your resources effectively. Many of these players emphasize the importance of patience and perseverance, reminding others that even with bad luck, you will eventually progress if you stick with it.
• The Strategists: Many Reddit users share detailed accounts of their honing strategies, including the materials they used, the success rates they targeted, and the decisions they made along the way. These stories can be incredibly valuable for learning from others' experiences and refining your own approach to honing. Some players even share spreadsheets and tools they’ve developed to track their honing progress and optimize their resource usage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Advanced Honing

Navigating the advanced honing landscape can be tricky. Here are some common mistakes you should avoid:

1. Ignoring Market Prices: Always check the market prices of honing materials before buying them from the auction house. Prices can fluctuate significantly, and you don't want to overpay. Use websites like Lost Ark Market to track prices and identify good deals. Also, be aware of regional price differences; what's cheap on one server might be expensive on another.

2. Rushing the Process: Honing is a long-term investment, so don't rush it. Avoid making impulsive decisions and stick to your planned strategy. Don't be tempted to spend all your resources on a single piece of gear in the hopes of getting lucky. Instead, spread your attempts across multiple items and focus on maximizing your overall progress.

3. Neglecting Daily Activities: Daily activities like Chaos Dungeons, Guardian Raids, and Una’s Tasks are crucial for obtaining honing materials. Don't neglect these activities, even if they become repetitive. They are a consistent source of income and materials that will help you progress your gear over time. Prioritize these activities based on your current needs and the rewards they offer.

4. Skipping Research: Make sure to complete Stronghold Research that reduces the cost of honing or increases success rates. These researches can provide significant benefits, especially at higher item levels. Check your Stronghold Technology Research regularly and prioritize those that are relevant to honing.

5. Not Using Honing Buffs: Failing to utilize honing buffs from events, Stronghold Research, or other sources is a common mistake. These buffs can significantly increase your success rates and reduce the cost of honing, so make sure to take advantage of them whenever possible. Keep an eye on patch notes and community announcements for information on upcoming events and buffs.

Conclusion: Mastering Advanced Honing in Lost Ark

Advanced honing in Lost Ark is a challenging but rewarding journey. By understanding the mechanics, managing your resources effectively, learning from the Lost Ark Reddit community, and avoiding common mistakes, you can increase your chances of success and progress your gear towards the endgame. Remember to stay patient, stick to your strategy, and enjoy the process. Good luck, and happy honing!