If you hit level 45 in AION 2 and keep getting kicked or declined from group runs, you are not imagining it — AION 2's Expeditions (its 5-player party dungeons) are hard-gated by Item Level, and the hardest tier is socially gated by Combat Power on top of that. This guide lists every real entry requirement for the 1-star, 2-star and 3-star Expeditions as they stand on the global retail build in October 2026, the Combat Power numbers players are actually asking for, and the single fastest way to stop getting gatekept.
Quick answer: AION 2 Expeditions run in three difficulty tiers. In Conquest (the level 45 mode), Tier 1 (1-star) needs Item Level 700, Tier 2 (2-star) needs Item Level 1,400, and Tier 3 (3-star) needs Item Level 2,100. Item Level is the game's hard gate; Combat Power (CP) is the looser number party leaders filter on — for 3-star runs, players report ~120k+ CP is the practical social floor even though the game lets you queue lower. Use instant-join / Quick Join instead of "apply" lobbies to skip the gatekeeping.
All dungeon tiers, item-level gates and dungeon names below are verified against the Fextralife AION 2 wiki (Expeditions/Dungeons pages, updated 9 October 2026). The 1/2/3-star labels are how players and launch materials describe the three Conquest difficulty tiers; the underlying gate the game enforces is Item Level. Every Combat Power number is player-reported from launch-week r/Aion2 threads and is labelled as such — NC has not published CP requirements in English.
What is an Expedition in AION 2?
Expeditions are AION 2's core group-dungeon system: short-form instanced runs for up to 5 players that you clear for gear, Kina, enhancement materials and Arcana. The Expedition menu unlocks from an episode quest available at level 10 (Elyos: Wind Breeze Merchants; Asmodians: Daeva in a Dream), and it is recommended at around level 22.
There are three Expedition modes, and they are the thing people mean by "1/2/3-star":
- Exploration — the easier version of the same dungeons; the only mode you can run before level 45 (it opens as early as level 20).
- Conquest — the level 45 mode, grouped into three tiers (1-star, 2-star, 3-star) by Item Level. This is where endgame gear comes from and where the gatekeeping happens.
- Transcendence — a separate level 45 stage challenge with its own two dungeons and steeper gates.
On the live build in October 2026, Conquest Tiers 1 to 3 (the 1-star, 2-star and 3-star Expeditions) are the only tiers open — higher tiers are not available yet. So the "3-star" everyone is grinding toward is the current ceiling, and any guide listing a 4-star or "mythic" Expedition tier is describing content that isn't live.
AION 2 Expedition requirements: the full table (October 2026)
Here is every Conquest tier, the dungeons in it, and the exact gate. Item Level is the hard requirement the game enforces — you cannot queue below it. Character level 45 is required for all of Conquest.
| Tier (stars) | Dungeons | Character level | Item Level gate | Mode notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-star (Tier 1) | Krao Cave, Draupnir | 45 | 700 | Easiest Conquest; your first endgame step |
| 2-star (Tier 2) | Urugugu Canyon, Vakron Sky Island | 45 | 1,400 | Mid-tier accessory and blue-gear source |
| 3-star (Tier 3) | Fire Temple, Ferocious Horn Den | 45 | 2,100 | Unique-gear tier; the one people gatekeep |
| Exploration (any) | All six dungeons | 20 / 28 / 35 / 45 | 200–2,100 | Pre-45 version; no weekly cube limit |
| Transcendence | Deus Research Base, Shattered Arkanis | 45 | 1,600 / 1,900 / 2,200 / 2,500 (by stage) | Four-stage challenge, separate from Conquest |
Source: Fextralife AION 2 Expeditions/Dungeons pages, updated 9 October 2026. Gates are the minimum Item Level to enter.
So when a player says "I'm trying to get into 3-star expeditions," they mean Conquest Tier 3 — Fire Temple and Ferocious Horn Den — which the game gates at Item Level 2,100. That is the hard number. The reason people still get declined is everything that happens above it.
Item Level vs Combat Power vs Gear Score — which number actually matters?
This trips up almost every new AION 2 player, because the party-finder and the stat screen use different numbers:
- Item Level (IL) is the sum of your equipped gear's levels. It is the number the game checks — it is the true, non-negotiable entry gate (700 / 1,400 / 2,100 for the three Conquest tiers).
- Gear Score (GS) is the same equipment-strength idea shown on your character sheet; players use "GS" and "Item Level" loosely for the same thing.
- Combat Power (CP) is your overall power rating — gear plus stigmas, enhancement, manastones, titles, wings and stat boosts rolled into one big number. It is the figure party leaders filter on when they set a "100k+ only" room.
The trap: you can clear the Item Level gate for 3-star and still get declined, because a leader is screening on Combat Power, which you build well past the IL minimum. That is exactly what players are running into.
One r/Aion2 player on 2026-10-17 put it bluntly: "my damage is the same as a Templar and I spec into defensive stigmas. People are just straight up rude." Another: "Dw, I'm 113k and I constantly get declined into these '100k+' groups."
What Combat Power do you actually need for 3-star?
NC has published no official CP requirement, so these are player-reported launch-week numbers (mid-October 2026), not game-enforced gates:
- ~100k CP — commonly asked for in 3-star "apply" rooms, but routinely declined anyway.
- ~113k CP — players report still getting declined from "100k+" groups at this level.
- ~120k+ CP — the point multiple players call the practical floor where runs get smooth: "It's better after 120k combat power."
- ~140k CP — enough to carry a weak group through a 3-star: one Chanter reported clearing Ferocious Horn Den content at 140k while a 90k Cleric kept cycling the party.
- ~190k CP — the stretch endgame target players chase after 3-star, which one noted "the only way to get more gear is to" push toward with heavy investment.
Treat these as the community's expectation band, not a rule. The Item Level gate (2,100) is the only number the game enforces for 3-star entry.
How to stop getting kicked: instant-join beats "apply"
The most actionable thing in launch-week discussion has nothing to do with raising your CP — it is which lobby type you queue through. AION 2's Expedition window lets you either create/apply to a room or use Quick Join (instant join) matchmaking.
Players overwhelmingly recommend instant-join for Tier 3:
"I personally have more success with the open insta-join lobbies. If you think about it, those are where the most confident players are. Gatekeepers are... looking to get carried by numbers only." — r/Aion2, 2026-10-17
"My friend group first did apply-to-join to fill our final spot when we started T3 dungeons. After a few runs we just did insta-join because we were certain it doesn't matter what the 5th guy does." — r/Aion2, 2026-10-17
The pattern players describe: "apply" rooms attract leaders who screen on raw CP and kick anyone who dies, while instant-join fills with MMO veterans who clear content on mechanics rather than numbers. If you meet the Item Level gate and you are tired of being declined, make your own room or use Quick Join — it is the single most-repeated advice in the current threads.
3-star dungeon tips: Fire Temple and Ferocious Horn Den
The two 3-star (Tier 3) Conquest dungeons are Fire Temple and Ferocious Horn Den. A few launch-week notes from players actually running them:
- Watch a clear before you go in. One player reported topping DPS on every boss on their first Stage-2 run simply because they "watched a few videos just before going in." Mechanics knowledge beats a few thousand CP.
- Don't take the shortcut jump in Fire Temple. Players report the "shortcut jump" skip causing problems for groups — run it straight until you know the instance.
- Spend your weekly Conquest claims wisely. Conquest and Transcendence both draw from the weekly Remaining Unobtained Cube Count — Exploration does not, so you can farm Exploration freely but your Tier-3 Conquest claims are capped each week. Prioritise the dungeons with the gear you still need before the reset.
- Rewards come from the Odyle Energy Cube. At the end of a run you spend Odyle Energy (20/30/40 points depending on the dungeon; Conquest and Transcendence cost 40) to open the cube that holds every defeated boss's loot — Kina, gear, upgrade materials and Sealed Wings.
How to reach the gates faster
If your blocker is the Item Level 2,100 gate rather than social CP, the ladder is straightforward: clear Tier 1 (IL 700) and Tier 2 (IL 1,400) Conquest for gear, enhance what you get, and slot manastones to push your Item Level and Combat Power together. Enhancement from +0 to +10 is reported to be guaranteed on the global build (failure becomes possible above +10), so safe enhancing is the cheapest IL gain early. Crafted and Unique Tier-3 drops are what finally break you past the 2,100 wall into comfortable 3-star farming.
If you'd rather skip the grind to the gate, you can shortcut AION 2 leveling, Kina and gear progression — see the link below.
Speed up your AION 2 climb to endgame:
FAQ
What Item Level do you need for 3-star Expeditions in AION 2? Conquest Tier 3 (the 3-star dungeons Fire Temple and Ferocious Horn Den) requires Item Level 2,100 and character level 45. Item Level is the hard gate the game enforces; Tier 1 needs 700 and Tier 2 needs 1,400.
What Combat Power do I need for 3-star Expeditions? NC has not published an official number. Launch-week players (October 2026) report ~120k+ Combat Power as the practical floor for smooth 3-star runs, with many "100k+" rooms still declining players at 113k. CP is a social filter set by party leaders, not a game-enforced requirement — the only enforced gate is Item Level 2,100.
Why do I keep getting kicked from groups even though I meet the requirements? Because "apply" lobbies are often run by leaders who screen on raw Combat Power and kick anyone who dies, regardless of whether you meet the Item Level gate. Players recommend using instant-join / Quick Join matchmaking or making your own room instead — those lobbies tend to clear content on mechanics rather than CP numbers.
What is the difference between Item Level, Gear Score and Combat Power? Item Level (also shown as Gear Score) measures only your equipped gear and is the number the game checks for dungeon entry. Combat Power is your total power rating — gear plus stigmas, enhancement, manastones, titles and wings — and is the number party leaders filter on.
How many Expedition difficulty tiers are there in AION 2? On the October 2026 global build, Conquest Tiers 1 to 3 — the 1-star, 2-star and 3-star Expeditions — are the only tiers open; higher tiers are not available yet. Transcendence is a separate four-stage challenge with its own Item Level gates (1,600 to 2,500).
Which dungeons are the 3-star Expeditions? Fire Temple and Ferocious Horn Den, the two Conquest Tier 3 dungeons. They drop the Unique-grade gear that most launch-week players are farming toward.
