This is just the basics of when to upgrade. Be flexible when reading. Prices change and adjust accordingly if possible. The good thing is that in the Next paragraph, i mention HS selling for 900k and they sell for 2.5 mill in Sarissa now. So you could buy weapons and have change left over now. Prices go up, but the armor and weapon prices have stayed the same.

NOTE: In Randol you buy the low level set of armor and weapons, then go to Merac/Dratan for the next level, then Eghea/Strayana for the next level, and then Mondshine. Mondshine sells the level 40x and 45x set of armor. This is the highest level sold by any armor trader now.


1. Upgrading from +1 - +3 -- From level 2 to level 37, you can use smelting stones gathered from weapons. You buy the level of weapon you would want to upgrade, then go to the transmuter and transmute and get TWO smelting stones. Rememer, armor transmuted, you only get 1 smelting stone. Sometimes, cheaper to buy weapons upgraded. Basically, up to Level 33 weapons, you do not need to upgrade nothing. The +15 event weapon, you get for having a Guardian before you get to Level 20, is the best weapon to get. It is better for sp farming and cheap now. At level 31, you get your FREE L30-32 Class Armor +10 and 2 - Level 33 Weapons, +10.

I found that smelting weapons up to L17 and armor up to L20-23 was the only times to upgrade and then you only needed +3 now.


Now level 37 weapons are a hit and miss thing. Sometimes easy to find and sometimes hard to find the Level 37 weapons. But if you can get a ride to Mondshine, they sell the L40x weapons there. If you have maxed weapons smith you could make your own level 37 weapons to get smelts. Again, it is a little cheaper to use level 37 and level 41 smelts now. Just look at the price of 2 weapons and if you can buy them after selling one HS. 4 smelts usually get you one +. Again, look at the cost ratio now.

Remember, when you upgrade higher weapons and armor to +3, you have to use Heaven Stones are smelting stones are not worth it. Go to the Sunday quiz to get your weekly 15 HS like I do. HS has a higher probability of upgrading then a smelting stone does.

2. Upgrading from +4 to +6 -- You can use Lucky Smelting Stones to guarantee you to get +6. (You could use HS, but again a chance of item breaking unless you have RoP I. But then look at the price of buying the upgraded armor/weapons too. Remember, to start buying the L85x set of armor and weapons when you can. Think Ahead. Sometimes, depending on the class, you can find cheap armor. I have found L85 G5+15 bow for as low as 250 meal.

I HIGHLY recommend you use RoP I and RoP II, when upgrading past +3, if you are using HS to upgrade now.

3. To upgrade from +6 to +15 --

A. You can use HS by themselves. Make sure you read other section on how to upgrade with HS now.

B. You can use Chaos Smelting stones to guarantee you the upgrade to +12. Then I usually try to use a RoP II with HS to +13, then the ES to get +14 and stop. Now the only time I try for +15 is if I have a 2d item at +14 already.

C. You can use Runes of Protection with HS upgrading. This method is VERY expensive. But can guarantee you that you will NOT ruin your item. Sometimes it may be cheaper to buy the + item, instead now.

D. You can buy Chaos Smelting stones to guarantee you up to +12.
NOTE: I use the CSS, when at times I can not upgrade past +11. You will notice at certain times, you only upgrade to a certain point before you fail and go back to +10. Then by using the CSS, it might break this barrier so you can go to +13.

E. Do not forget about the Extreme Stones. They will guarantee One Plus up to +14. You can not get +15 using an extreme stone now. But if you get a weapon/armor up to +12, then you could possible use the ES to get to +13. Then if you have any spare +2 Bonus meld books then use one to get you to +15. Again, this depends on what you have, your financial situation, and if you feel lucky too, lol.
NOTE: I use the Extreme Stone to get to +14 from +13. Try to use when your upgrading seems to be on a hot roll now. That takes experience to know when too. Then you can use the ES to get to +14, if you have a lot of +1 PRS too.

F. FINER POINTS ON UPGRADING.

OK, there is the time and place to upgrade. Go to a SECLUDED area, free of any characters or monsters. Try the Guild hall. When I get two failures here, then I go to Dratan. When you land on the pad, you notice that big building with steps . I go there then go to the left and to the rear. Then I try there.

If I get two failures, I quit for the day. Also, if you get one failure quit and go to another server. Try not to use the Non-PK servers. Upgrading is based on if the server is lagging or not. You know when you go to the Sunday quiz, they tell you to take off armor and weapons to reduce lag. Same with upgrading. Take off ALL armor and weapons. I just leave what I am upgrading on. You MUST squeeze every % you can when you upgrade.

I find that at night, is a good time to upgrade. Reason is that less people on at night so again, raising the odds up a little. I have had success during the day too. Just takes experience to know when the chances are good for you.

After you get +15, just quit for the day. I have noticed EVERYTIME I get a +15, then the rolls change. All of a sudden I am getting "Failure, Going back to +10." As many times as this has happened, I now quit when I get an item to +15.

DO NOT, try to upgrade in one spot with complete failures. You do not have to have +15 that day. It will be a waste of hs and time. One person said my method sucked as he lost all these hs and such. I had told him also, that I said to him, if you get 4 failures quit for the day. No, he just kept on and what was bad, I told him to change servers , which he did not do. It has taken me a week to trying to get +15. Usually, I might get one failure then go to Dratan and try there.

Sometimes, you may see that you can not get past +11. You try for +12 and it breaks and back to +10. Try using a CSS, to get to +12, to break that barrier.

I have gotten one failure, then go to Dratan and get another failure. NOW, I change servers and try again.

If you are upgrading with Runes, these same guidelines still apply now

GET SUNGLASSES. Go to PATCH NOTES, to go to LC patches. Once there then click the link to get the free sunglasses. Once you get them, you can use a +3 Bonus Meld book on your +15 helm or lower.

Now there is the Prime stone which upgrades ANYTHING up to L16. I had a L157 bow at +10. Normally, most people will use Prime Stone on this. What I did, was buy another bow at +0, then use the Prime Stone on this.
Now, i have a +10 bow to sell, if I do not plan to upgrade.

Be careful, if you use weapon covers. I used one on my +25 duals and then my offense dropped for some reason.

Again, my finer points are things i have learned over the years. cough, cough, like i have always had +15 armor now, using the above.

Summary: Upgrade from +1 to +3 with smelts. Use LSS to get to +6. Use HS with RoP I, to get to +10. Then from +10 to +15 use RoP II.


ITEMS FOR UPGRADING

Smelts - Smelts must be same level or above to upgrade weapon. Use until +3, otherwise weapon breaks if you fail to get +4. Use weapons for smelts as you get 2 smelts versus 1 smelt for armor.

Heaven Stones - About 50% of upgrading. Can use to +3 without breaking. From +4 on up the following actions may take place for each attempt to upgrade with the HS: 1) chance of breaking or ruining item. 2) getting a +1, 3)Decrease item one plus, example from +6 to +5, 4) or doing nothing. You can now upgrade to +16 using HS.

Lucky Smelting Stones - Guaranteed to give +1 for each LSS, up to +6. If you try to upgrade past +6, the LSS will not work.

Chaos Smelting Stone - Guaranteed to give +1 for each CSS up to +12. If you try to upgrade to +13, CSS will not work.

Platinum Refining Stone - The PRS you buy is unopened or not identified. . You need to click it and then you will get +1, +2, or +3. You can barely see it in the red. Only when using the PRS on an uncovered weapon can you possible get +16 max. The effects are good for 24 hours. If you have a plain +14 weapon and use a +2 PRS, then you will get +16. If you use a +3 PRS, you still get only a +16. Remember, if the weapon or armor is covered you can not use the PRS. The original PRS and PRS showing the +, are tradeable.

Runes of Protection I - The RoP I is used to ensure the item will NOT break from +1 to +9. Of course, you would use this from +4 to +9 upgrading. Using it on +1 to +3, your item will not break anyway, so your RoP I is wasted if you try to use it from +1 to +3.

Runes of Protection II - The RoP II is used to ensure the item will NOT break from +10 to +14. If the item were to break, then your weapon returns to +10. NOTE: Just a rumor I have heard and NOT tried it yet. But some persons have said, not to use it when you try to get +15. They said your weapon will not break. I will have to try this rumor out next time. Sometimes, there are small glitches like this that might be good to know. If you do try this and it breaks going to +15 let me know. Again, this is a LC urban legend.

Bonus Book of Melding - You have to click the Bonus Book to get either +1, +2, or +3. This is used in conjunction with a cover, eg. weapons cover, or gang suit. The max effect is +15. Because it is covered, you can not use a PRS on it. But you can upgrade with it. I was sleepy and upgraded a covered +12 weapon twice. What eventually happened is that my weapon went from +12 to +14 after the cover wore off. Now when i upgrade I take ALL items off. I could have failed a broke my weapon too, but was lucky. You can not show, trade, or sell any item with the Bonus Book of Meld on it. You have to buy a Bonus Book of Unmeld to take the cover off in case you level early or need to sell your armor or weapon. Effects lasts 30 days in which the item goes to its original state. The bonus book of melding + is also lost. Original Bonus Book of Melding is tradeable. Once you identify or click Bonus Book of Melding showing the +, then it is NOT tradeable

Prime Stone - This can upgrade any armor or weapon up to +16. Example, if you have a weapon at +0 or at +10, then the Prime Stone could upgrade either to +16.

Note: I tried to upgrade once a weapon that was +9 with a +3 cover. I used the RoP II. The weapon broke and went to +10 total. The surprise was when the cover wore off my weapon was +7. So the RoP II takes the total effect in, that is , it treats my weapon like a +12, but the +3 cover is not changed but the weapon + is. There was a patch, supposedly to fix this. When i can verify it, I will edit in the info

Book of Melding - This is just a plain book of melding used to put covers on without any + on this book of melding. If you had a +15 weapon and you just want to put a cover on just for looks. I like the Knights dual covers which look like fish bones, whereas the single sword cover is just a plain bat look. Same rules apply as far as not trading, selling, and you need book of unmeld to take cover off, if the time has not expired yet. Effects last 30 days.

Covers, Uniforms, Gang Outfits - In the Item Mall are numerous covers to aid you in upgrading or if you just want something different from the usual armor. The items that say level 3 or level 17 is the level for that armor now. So Buying level 3 Japanese armor is not worth it as when you get to level 10 you would want armor with more protection. Also, new western outfits and Samba outfits are available in that they have head cover that you can meld. The other outfits do not have head cover to meld. NOTE: These are not selling anymore in the Item Mall.

NOTE: Chaos Smelting Stones are expensive and hard to come by. I suggest to save them for the level 85 weapon and armor set. You can always shop around and start pricing armor and weapons in the Level 85 level. Depending on money and stuff, you can hopefully get enough hs, lss, and css. Use hs to get from +1 to +3, Lss to get to +6, then Css, to get to +12. Now the option is to use an ES to get to +13 an then use +2 bonus book with cover to get +15. This will last 30 days.