Route

This is the step-by-step route from “fresh level 80” to “clean ascended setup,” with multiple paths depending on what content you enjoy. The fastest gearing is always the one you’ll actually do consistently.

Route Rule Zero: Choose your build lane before buying anything

Before you spend a single coin, answer these two questions:

• What is my role most of the time?
• Power DPS / Condition DPS / Boon DPS (quickness or alacrity) / Healer-support / WvW-PvP bruiser-roamer
• What stat family supports that role?
• Examples you’ll see everywhere:
• Power DPS: Berserker (Power/Precision/Ferocity)
• Condition DPS: Viper (Condition Damage + Expertise-focused)
• Boon DPS: often Diviner / Ritualist (boon duration builds)
• Healer-support: often Harrier / Minstrel (healing + boon duration)

You don’t need to memorize everything. You just need to commit to one lane so your upgrades stack in the same direction.

Route Step 1: Clean your level-80 baseline (30 minutes)

Your leveling gear is almost always a messy mix of random stats. That makes your character feel weak even if your skill is fine.

Do this first:

• Replace any sub-80 gear immediately.
• Make sure your weapons are level 80 (weapon strength matters a lot).
• Slot a sensible relic, runes, and sigils (even budget versions), because upgrades with empty slots are “fake upgrades.”

Budget tip: If you’re broke, start with a cheap level 80 rare set as a temporary bridge—but don’t overinvest. Your first real goal is full exotics.

Route Step 2: Get full Exotic armor + weapons (your “real” level 80 start)

Exotic gear is the baseline endgame tier. It’s enough for open world, story, meta events, strikes, and even raids in many groups. Ascended is the next step, not the entry ticket.

Fastest Exotic methods (pick one you like):

• Trading Post named exotics (especially great for common stats like Berserker). Named sets are often cheaper than crafted versions.
• Crafting (reliable, but not always cheapest).
• PvP/WvW reward tracks (excellent for “stat-selectable” exotic boxes over time).
• Expansion map armor sets (some maps provide very practical exotic options as you play that content).

Practical shopping rules for exotics

• Buy level 80 pieces (don’t get tricked by slightly cheaper lower-level exotics).
• Don’t pay extra for “perfect runes” inside a piece unless you actually want those runes.
• Prioritize weapons first if you can’t afford everything at once—especially your main damage weapon(s).

Route Step 3: Fix your “invisible power” (runes, sigils, relic)

A full exotic set with the wrong upgrades often performs worse than a slightly weaker set with correct upgrades.

Your simple upgrade checklist:

• Runes: choose a set that supports your lane (damage, condi duration, boon duration, sustain).
• Sigils: one offensive + one utility or two offensives, depending on your build.
• Relic: pick a relic whose trigger matches what you do naturally (on-hit, on skill use, on support actions, etc.).

If you’re not sure, pick “boring and consistent” over “clever but unreliable.”

Route Step 4: Upgrade trinkets first (the easiest ascended power spike)

The smartest ascended progression for most players is:

Ascended Trinkets → Ascended Weapons → Ascended Armor

Why trinkets first?

• They provide a big chunk of your total stats.
• They’re often easier to get than armor.
• They can unlock infusion slots for fractals (rings/back/accessories).

Your ascended trinket slots

• Amulet
• 2 Rings
• 2 Accessories
• Backpiece

Once these are ascended and correctly statted, your character feels dramatically more “complete.”

Route Step 5: The best ascended trinket routes (choose your favorite)

You have several strong options—pick the one that matches your playstyle and account access.

Option A: Living World map vendors (the classic “stat-selectable trinket” route)

Living World maps are famous for selling stat-selectable ascended trinkets for map currency + magic. The most popular routine is to farm easy currencies on a short daily loop and buy trinkets piece by piece.

A reliable approach:

• Pick one map that sells multiple trinket types.
• Farm its currency daily.
• Buy one trinket at a time until your set is complete.

Option B: Wizard’s Vault → Laurels → Trinkets (the “menu-driven” route)

If you’re already doing dailies/weeklies, the Wizard’s Vault can fund ascended progression in a very controlled way:

• Earn Astral Acclaim
• Buy laurel-related rewards
• Purchase trinkets from laurel merchants

This path is excellent if you prefer structured, predictable progress.

Option C: Fractals (rings/accessories + long-term drops)

Fractals naturally feed ascended progression over time:

• You can buy certain ascended trinkets with fractal currencies.
• Higher participation increases your chance of ascended drops.
• Fractals also connect directly to the infusion/Agony Resistance path.

Option D: Icebrood Saga map currency (Bjora-focused route)

Some players use Icebrood Saga currencies as a “currency engine” that can purchase trinkets directly and/or be exchanged into other useful currencies depending on what you’re targeting.

Route Step 6: Rings and the “attune/infuse” advantage (important for fractals)

Ascended rings are special because you can improve them beyond “just stats.”

Two concepts matter:

• Attuning and infusing (Mystic Forge processes) can add extra infusion slots.
• A ring that is both attuned and infused can end up with three infusion slots total, which is huge for building Agony Resistance efficiently.

This matters most if you want to climb fractals seriously.

Route Step 7: Backpiece choices (don’t ignore this slot)

Backpieces are easy to forget, but they’re a real stat chunk and often provide infusion value.

Pick a backpiece based on:

• Whether it’s stat-selectable
• How easy it is for you to farm its currency
• Whether it supports your fractal plans (infusion slots)

If you’re a “fractal future” player, prioritize a backpiece that helps your infusion setup sooner rather than later.

Route Step 8: Get your first Ascended weapon (the best “feel upgrade”)

Ascended weapons are a high-impact upgrade because weapon strength affects your damage feel and consistency.

Strong ways to obtain ascended weapons:

• Wizard’s Vault weapon chest (seasonal purchase option)
• Strike mission vendors (buy stat-selectable ascended weapons with strike currency)
• Raids (drops or vendor purchases) if you raid
• Fractal drops over time
• Elite specialization collections (some provide stat-selectable ascended weapons as a long-form goal)

What to craft/buy first

• Mainhand weapon (or your primary damage weapon) first
• Then your offhand or second weapon set
• Then niche weapons you rarely use

Route Step 9: Ascended armor paths (pick the one that matches your content)

Armor is usually the “slowest” part of the ascended journey, so choose a method you can repeat.

Path A: Wizard’s Vault armor chests (steady seasonal progress)

The Vault typically offers a limited number of stat-selectable ascended armor chests per season. This is one of the friendliest routes for solo/open-world-focused players.

Path B: Strike missions (the most approachable instanced route)

Strikes are often the best “bridge” between open world and endgame gearing:

• You learn simple boss mechanics
• You earn strike currency steadily
• You can purchase ascended armor/weapon chests through vendors depending on what your currency supports

Path C: Raids (high value if you’ll actually raid)

Raiding can be a very strong gearing route:

• Ascended drops can happen
• Raid currency can be exchanged for ascended gear
• The Envoy armor collections are famous because they can award a full ascended set as part of the journey

If you like organized PvE and can commit weekly, raids can be one of the most cost-effective “gear engines.”

Path D: Fractals vendors (often tied to Grandmaster Marks)

Fractals can provide ascended gear through vendors, but many purchases involve requirements beyond “just currency,” commonly including Grandmaster Marks (crafted tokens). This route is great if fractals are your main game mode and you’re comfortable with crafting progression.

Path E: Crafting (reliable control, but time-gated)

Crafting ascended armor is dependable and lets you target exactly what you want, but it often involves time-gated components. It’s ideal if you:

• enjoy crafting systems
• want predictable outcomes
• don’t mind gradual daily crafting progress

Path F: WvW / PvP (excellent if you live in those modes)

Competitive modes can provide ascended gear through their reward structures and vendors—often alongside mode-specific currencies and (again) Grandmaster Mark requirements depending on the purchase type.

If WvW or PvP is your main home, gearing through your favorite mode is usually the most sustainable choice.

Route Step 10: If you’re doing Fractals, build your Agony Resistance plan early

You do not need ascended to start fractals, but you will eventually need infusion slots to handle higher tiers comfortably.

The practical fractal gearing order:

1. Ascended rings + backpiece early
2. Fill infusion slots gradually as you climb
3. Expand to ascended armor/weapons as you commit to higher tiers
4. Aim for around 150 Agony Resistance for Tier 4 comfort (the common milestone many guides and players plan around)

Route Step 11: The “two-build” upgrade that makes gearing feel effortless

Most players suffer because they try to use one gear set for everything.

Instead, aim for:

• Build A: Open World Comfort (survivable, flexible, easy tagging)
• Build B: Instanced/Competitive Role (clean DPS or clean support setup)

This reduces stat confusion, makes upgrades obvious, and stops you from constantly second-guessing your purchases.

Loot

In GW2, “loot” isn’t just drops—it’s account power: correct stats, correct upgrades, and a gear setup that makes every hour of play feel better.

What each tier actually gives you

• Rare (yellow): a temporary level-80 bridge; fine for starting, but not a destination.
• Exotic (orange): the real baseline endgame tier—easy enough to obtain, strong enough for most content.
• Ascended (pink): slightly higher stats than exotic (often described as about ~5% stronger in raw stats) and, crucially, reliable access to infusion slots for serious fractals.
• Legendary (purple): same power as ascended, but maximum convenience (stat swapping, account-wide usability depending on item type).

The biggest loot truth: most “power” comes from correctness, not rarity

A correctly built exotic character usually outperforms a confused ascended character.

Correctness means:

• matching stats to your role
• real runes/sigils/relic choices
• a rotation you can actually execute
• survivability that keeps you attacking instead of downed

The best loot sources by playstyle

• Open world players: Wizard’s Vault, Living World map currencies, meta events over time
• Fractal players: fractal currencies + infusion progression + eventual ascended drops
• Strike players: strike currencies that purchase stat-selectable ascended chests
• Raid players: raid drops + raid currency + Envoy collection value
• WvW/PvP players: reward tracks + mode currencies + long-run vendor gearing

Loot you should prioritize early

• A full exotic set in correct stats
• Correct runes + sigils + relic
• Ascended trinkets (stat-selectable if possible)
• One ascended weapon for your main role

Loot you should delay (unless you love it)

• Expensive niche stat sets for “maybe someday” builds
• Full ascended armor if you’re not doing content that benefits from it yet
• Legendary crafting if you don’t actually swap builds often

Extraction

Extraction is how you turn gearing into long-term freedom: less wasted gold, fewer rebuilds, and the ability to pivot builds without starting over.

Extraction Goal 1: Make your first gear set “boring and permanent”

Your first serious set should be:

• common stats you will reuse (Berserker / Viper / Harrier-style lanes)
• usable in multiple content types
• not reliant on hyper-specific niche gear

This is how you build an account foundation.

Extraction Goal 2: Learn the ascended stat-swap tool (so mistakes aren’t expensive)

You can change stats on ascended weapons and armor using a Mystic Forge recipe that uses:

• the ascended piece
• the exotic inscription/insignia of the stats you want
• 5 globes of ectoplasm
• an Anthology of Heroes (purchased for spirit shards)

This single mechanic makes “wrong stat drops” far less painful.

Important limitation: Many trinkets/backpieces cannot be stat-swapped like armor/weapons. That’s why stat-selectable trinkets (and trinkets with reset mechanics) are so valuable.

Extraction Goal 3: Use “resettable” trinket ecosystems to protect yourself

Some trinket sources are beloved because they let you reset or reselect stats through specific mechanics (attune/infuse processes for rings, certain vendor items/capacitors for specific trinket families).

If you’re the type who changes builds, prioritize trinkets with:

• stat selection at purchase
• realistic reset options
• easy reacquisition if you change your mind

Extraction Goal 4: Understand Grandmaster Marks (the hidden gating item)

In several game modes, buying ascended armor/weapons from vendors can require Grandmaster Marks in addition to currency. These marks are often crafted and represent a “crafting investment” even if you don’t craft the armor directly.

Your smart approach:

• If you’re vendor-buying ascended frequently, plan crafting progression early so marks aren’t a surprise.
• If you’re not vendor-buying ascended, don’t rush marks—focus on trinkets and weapons first.

Extraction Goal 5: Turn your gear plan into a weekly schedule

A simple schedule prevents burnout and keeps progress steady:

• Daily (10–20 min): Wizard’s Vault objectives (if you use this route)
• 2–3x per week (30–90 min): your chosen currency engine (Living World farming loop, strikes, fractals, WvW/PvP)
• Weekly (60–180 min): “big progress session” (strike clears, fractal dailies, raid night, or a full trinket-buy push)

This creates predictable gear progress without grinding.

Extraction Goal 6: Decide if legendary is even worth it for you

Legendary is not a power increase over ascended. It’s convenience.

Legendary makes sense if you:

• swap builds constantly
• play multiple characters in the same armor weight
• move between PvE, WvW, and PvP frequently
• hate rebuying runes/sigils/relic-related setups

If you don’t do those things, full ascended is already “endgame complete.”

Practical Rules

Rule 1: Pick one role and gear it fully before you gear a second role.

Splitting gold between two half-built roles makes both feel bad.

Rule 2: Exotic is the starting line, not a failure.

Most content is designed to be playable in exotic gear.

Rule 3: Trinkets first is the safest ascended strategy.

Big stats, easy access, and strong fractal value.

Rule 4: Weapons are your best “feel upgrade.”

If your damage feels inconsistent, get your primary ascended weapon earlier.

Rule 5: Don’t buy gear until you know your stats.

A cheap wrong-stat set is still a waste.

Rule 6: Don’t ignore runes/sigils/relic.

Empty slots are “missing power” you can’t see.

Rule 7: If you plan to do fractals seriously, plan infusions early.

You don’t need perfect Agony Resistance immediately—but you do need a path.

Rule 8: Use stat swapping to fix mistakes on ascended armor/weapons.

It turns “bad drops” into “future flexibility.”

Rule 9: Two builds beats one perfect build.

Open world comfort + instanced role is the healthiest gearing lifestyle.

Rule 10: Stop at “good enough” and enjoy the game.

Once your gear is correct, most improvement comes from practice, not rarity.

BoostRoom

If gearing feels overwhelming—too many stats, too many currencies, too many “best methods”—BoostRoom can turn it into a simple, personal plan you can follow without guesswork.

BoostRoom gearing support is ideal if you want:

• a clear stat plan for your profession and role (power/condi/boon/heal)
• a step-by-step route tailored to what you actually play (open world, fractals, strikes, raids, WvW, PvP)
• help choosing the fastest non-waste exotic setup
• a trinket plan that avoids “unique item” mistakes and bad purchases
• an ascended plan that matches your schedule (casual vs grindy)
• a “level 80 landing plan” so you feel strong immediately instead of lost

The goal is simple: you spend less gold correcting mistakes and more time playing content that feels rewarding.

FAQ

Do I need ascended gear for GW2 endgame?

Not for most content. Exotic is enough for open world, strikes, and many raid groups. Ascended becomes most important for serious fractal progression because of infusion slots and Agony Resistance planning.

What should I upgrade first: armor or trinkets?

Trinkets first in most cases. They’re a big stat chunk, often easier to obtain, and very helpful for fractal infusion slots.

Is the stat difference between exotic and ascended huge?

It’s commonly described as about ~5% in raw stats overall, but the “feel” can be bigger in certain situations (like weapon strength upgrades and optimized setups). The bigger difference is infusion support for fractals.

Can I change stats on ascended gear if I pick wrong?

Yes for ascended weapons and armor via Mystic Forge stat swapping using an exotic inscription/insignia, ectoplasm, and an Anthology of Heroes. Trinkets/backpieces are more limited—plan those carefully.

What are Grandmaster Marks and why do guides mention them?

They are crafted tokens often required for buying certain ascended pieces from vendors in modes like fractals, WvW, and PvP. If you plan to vendor-buy a lot of ascended, marks become part of your plan.

What’s the easiest way to get ascended armor as a solo/open world player?

Wizard’s Vault seasonal ascended armor chests are one of the cleanest routes, paired with ascended trinkets from map currencies or laurel-based paths.

What’s the easiest way to get ascended gear through instanced content?

Strikes are often the most approachable: learn simple bosses, earn currency, buy stat-selectable ascended chests over time.

Should I craft ascended armor or buy it from vendors?

Crafting gives control but can be time-gated. Vendor routes can be great but often require currencies plus Grandmaster Marks. Choose the path you’ll actually repeat.

Do I need legendary gear after I get ascended?

No. Legendary is convenience, not extra power. Get legendary only if you love swapping builds or gearing multiple characters long-term.

How long does it take to go from exotic to full ascended?

It depends on your route. If you focus on trinkets early and use a consistent weekly routine (Vault, Living World loops, strikes/fractals), you can build a full ascended setup steadily without grinding nonstop.