Aion 2 Season 1: Nightmare, Trials & Ranked Endgame
Aion 2 Season 1 on EU/NA: Nightmare bosses and unlocks, Transcendence stages, the Ascension Trial rotation, Subjugation gates and the per-class season rankings.
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Past the expedition dungeons, Aion 2's level-45 endgame has four modes that run on the season clock: Nightmare, Transcendence, the Ascension Trial and Subjugation. Three of them feed a per-class ranking with its own rewards. This guide covers how each mode works on EU/NA in Season 1, what it pays, which item level it asks for and how the rankings work.
Every number below comes from the EU client data. Where we give an opinion, we mark it as advice.
In 30 seconds
- Season 1 runs from 30 September to 16 December 2026. Its reward window then runs until 10 March 2027.
- Nightmare is a solo boss ladder: 7 bosses, 10 levels each, 2 attempts a day (up to 14). It pays Phantasmal Fragments for the Nightmare shop.
- Transcendence is the 5-player challenge dungeon: 2 dungeons, 4 stages at item level 1,600, 1,900, 2,200 and 2,500. Only an S rank opens the next stage. It drops Arcana.
- The Ascension Trial is solo: 3 entries a week, 4 difficulties from item level 1,000 to 2,500, and a different dungeon every other week.
- Six modes are ranked in Season 1, per class: Nightmare, Transcendence, Ascension Trial, the Abyss and the two arenas. The top 1,000 of each class get a rank.
The Season 1 calendar
| What | Dates |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | 30 September 2026 – 16 December 2026 |
| Season 1 reward window | 16 December 2026 – 10 March 2027 |
| Season 2 | Starts 16 December 2026 |
Every date switches at the reset time ( provisional server time). The Seasons page lists the pass rewards and season shops.
Nightmare: the solo boss ladder
Nightmare is a solo challenge against one boss at a time. Each boss has 10 levels, and each level has a recommended Combat Power. You get 2 attempts a day, banking up to 14, and an attempt is only used up when you clear.
Season 1 opens the first tier: seven bosses in three steps.
| Step | Bosses | Unlocks when | Recommended Combat Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gatekeeper Pinopi, Furious Feruk, Fafnir's Poison Blood, Wraith Giselle | Open | 1,000 at level 1 → 1,600 at level 10 |
| 2 | Fortress Guardian Notun | Pinopi and Feruk cleared at level 10 | 1,700 → 2,300 |
| 2 | Mutated Gerod | Poison Blood and Giselle cleared at level 10 | 1,700 → 2,300 |
| 3 | Zikel's Apparition | Notun and Gerod cleared at level 10 | 2,400 → 3,000 |
What Nightmare pays
Every reward is in Phantasmal Fragment.
| Boss | First clear of each level | Each repeat clear |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 bosses | 500 at level 1, rising to 900 at level 10 | 100–250 at level 1, 180–445 at level 10 |
| Notun and Gerod | 840 at level 1, rising to 1,350 at level 10 | 170–420 at level 1, 265–655 at level 10 |
| Zikel's Apparition | 1,500 per level | 300–740 at every level |
The repeat reward falls inside that range depending on your result. The Nightmare Trade Shop
turns the fragments into growth: the Clash Rune Chest, Amplify Stone Fragment (Unique) (Bound), Stigma Shards and
Daevanion Crystals (see the level 45 guide for prices).
Advice: take the first clear of every level as soon as you can; those rewards are the big ones. Then farm the highest level you clear reliably with the 2 daily attempts.
Transcendence: the ranked 5-player dungeon
Transcendence uses two dungeons, Deus Research Base and Shattered Arkanis. Each has four stages, and each stage checks your item level:
| Stage | Item level |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1,600 |
| 2 | 1,900 |
| 3 | 2,200 |
| 4 | 2,500 |
A clear is graded S, A or B. Only an S opens the next stage; an A or B leaves you on the same one.
Each clear gives an Odyle Energy cube (40 energy to open), and a reward count refills every 12 hours, up to 14. The final boss pays out 28 times a week. Transcendence is where Arcana come from: Deus Research Base drops Chalice, Compass and Bell cards, Shattered Arkanis Chalice, Parchment and Mirror cards. Our Arcana guide has the drop rates per stage.
The Ascension Trial
The Ascension Trial is solo, with 3 entries a week (refilled on Wednesday). Each trial dungeon has four difficulties:
| Difficulty | Item level |
|---|---|
| Easy | 1,000 |
| Normal | 1,500 |
| Hard | 2,000 |
| Challenge | 2,500 |
The trial dungeon changes every week in Season 1, alternating between Sanctum of Loathing (Easy) and Nightmare Altar (Easy) (linked at their Easy difficulty):
| Week starting (Wednesday) | Trial dungeon |
|---|---|
| 30 Sep, 14 Oct, 28 Oct, 11 Nov, 25 Nov, 9 Dec | Sanctum of Loathing |
| 7 Oct, 21 Oct, 4 Nov, 18 Nov, 2 Dec | Nightmare Altar |
The trial scores each run, and its reward table grows with the score: from 2
Growth Pet Chest (Bound) at the bottom up to 3,500 Enhance Stones, 20 Growth Pet Chests and 14
Amplify Stone Fragment (Unique) (Bound) at the top.
Advice: use all 3 entries every week, on the hardest difficulty you clear comfortably. They don't carry over.
Subjugation
Subjugation dungeons are 4-player matchmade runs with 3 tickets a week. They open at level 45 with a ladder of difficulties:
| Difficulty | Item level | Dungeons |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 1,000 | All |
| Normal | 1,500 | All |
| Hard | 2,000 | All |
| Extreme | 2,500 | Orcus's Grave and Fafnite Forge |
| Despair | 3,000 | Orcus's Grave and Fafnite Forge |
| Hell | 3,500 | Orcus's Grave and Fafnite Forge |
The client's Season 1 table has no Subjugation ranking. Play it for its rewards, and use matchmaking when your friends are offline.
The Season 1 rankings
Six modes are ranked in Season 1: Nightmare, Transcendence, the Ascension Trial, the Abyss, the Arena of Solitude (1v1) and the Arena of Cooperation (5v5). Each ranking is per class: you compete against your own class only, and the top 1,000 get a rank. The Abyss uses its own military ranks (see the Abyss guide); the others use these:
| Rank | Place in your class | Nightmare points | Transcendence points | Ascension Trial points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Challenger 1 | 1st | 1,150,000 | 1,800,000 | 200,000 |
| Challenger 2 | 2nd–3rd | 1,000,000 | 1,450,000 | 180,000 |
| Challenger 3 | 4th–5th | 850,000 | 1,100,000 | 160,000 |
| Grand Master | 6th–10th | 700,000 | 800,000 | 130,000 |
| Master | 11th–20th | 550,000 | 550,000 | 100,000 |
| Diamond | 21st–50th | 400,000 | 400,000 | 70,000 |
| Platinum | 51st–100th | 250,000 | 200,000 | 40,000 |
| Gold | 101st–300th | 100,000 | 100,000 | 20,000 |
| Silver | 301st–600th | 30,000 | 60,000 | 15,000 |
| Bronze | 601st–1,000th | 10,000 | 20,000 | 10,000 |
| Iron | Everyone else with a score | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Each rank lists a place range and a minimum score. The rankings show the current ladders.
A weekly plan by item level
| Your item level | Every day | Every week |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000–1,500 | 2 Nightmare attempts on the step 1 bosses; energy cubes in Conquest | 3 Ascension Trial runs on Easy or Normal; 3 Subjugation runs |
| 1,600–2,400 | Nightmare as far as your Combat Power allows; Transcendence stages 1–3 for Arcana | Trial on Normal or Hard; push the S rank in Transcendence |
| 2,500 and up | Transcendence stage 4; Zikel's Apparition | Trial on Challenge; the Ludra raid from 2,800 |
Advice: if you're climbing a ranking, the trial and Nightmare don't share entries with anything else, so a ranked player and a casual player run the same number of attempts. The difference is the difficulty you clear.
FAQ
Do failed Nightmare attempts cost an attempt? No. An attempt is only deducted when you clear.
Can I skip a Transcendence stage? No. Each stage needs its item level and an S-rank clear of the stage before.
Why is the Ascension Trial dungeon different this week? It alternates every Wednesday between Sanctum of Loathing and Nightmare Altar for the whole of Season 1.
Is Subjugation worth it if it isn't ranked? Yes for its weekly rewards. In our view it's also the easiest group content to find a party for, thanks to matchmaking.
Where to go next
- Daily and weekly routine: where these modes fit in your week.
- Endgame PvE: every dungeon with its loot and weekly limits.
- Arcana: the cards Transcendence drops.
- What to do at level 45: the gearing loop and the shops.
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The tools that do what this guide explains, with the game client's own numbers.