power curve explodes-if you know what you're doing. With the right purchases and stat priorities, you can realistically triple your damage (or healing output) as soon as you reach level 10, turning early-game progression from a slog into a smooth, efficient grind.

This guide breaks down exactly how to do that.

Why Level 10 Is a Major Power Spike

At level 10, you gain access to Apprentice-quality Adept gear. This gear tier introduces real stat scaling, particularly Power, which directly translates into higher damage for DPS classes and increased healing for healers. For example, pushing your Power stat beyond 120 can dramatically change how quickly you kill mobs or sustain a party.

Trying to level from 10 to 20 in Initiate gear is a mistake. You will deal less damage, take longer to kill three-star mobs, and generally waste time. Adept gear is not optional-it is the foundation of efficient early progression.

Step One: Go Where the Market Is Best

Once you hit level 10, head to a node with an auction house, meaning at least Village rank or higher. Ideally, choose the busiest node on your server, as a higher population usually means lower prices due to competition. Always check tax rates, as even a 1-2% difference adds up when buying multiple pieces.

You should aim to have around three Ashes of Creation gold saved. On most servers, that is more than enough to fully outfit yourself in solid Adept gear.

Step Two: Use External Tools to Avoid Guesswork

There is an enormous amount of gear in Ashes of Creation, and manually browsing crafting menus is inefficient. Instead, use Ashes Codex, which allows you to simulate a character, filter items by level range, and sort by item level and stats.

Set your filters to level 10-20 and sort by item level. Item level 13 Adept gear is the sweet spot: accessible, affordable, and powerful. Higher item levels usually require rare boss drops or heavy investment in crafting professions, which is not realistic for most players at this stage.

Step Three: Prioritize the Right Stats

Your stat priorities depend on your role:

· Magical DPS and Healers: Magical Power, Intelligence, Wisdom

· Physical DPS: Physical Power, Strength

· Tanks: Constitution first, then Mentality

Power is king for PvE. Intelligence and Strength are especially valuable because each point scales power at a 3x multiplier, while also contributing to crit and accuracy. Wisdom and Dexterity provide smaller bonuses but are still useful as secondary stats.

Avoid Adept upgrades that give irrelevant stats. For example, Dexterity-heavy boots are effectively wasted on a magic user.

Step Four: Complete the Force Set Bonus

One of the most impactful early-game bonuses is the Force set, which grants 15% Strength and 15% Intelligence when you equip five matching pieces. This bonus scales indefinitely, meaning it becomes more valuable the more stats you stack.

Look for Ashes of Creation items tagged with the following set names:

· Scorch Wander

· Shell of the Sanctifier

· Storm Cannon

· Unfallen Regalia

Search these names directly in the auction house and look for cheap pieces that also have useful stats. You do not need a perfect set-your goal is simply to reach five Force pieces while maintaining relevant attributes.

Step Five: Weapons Are Mandatory Upgrades

Weapons provide some of the largest raw power increases at this stage. Even if you do not actively use a weapon (for example, a secondary axe on a magic user), it still functions as a stat stick. You gain its bonuses simply by equipping it.

Always ensure your weapons provide the correct power type-magical power for magic users, physical power for physical classes. A mismatched weapon may look good on paper, but it will not boost your damage.

Step Six: Practical Leveling After Gearing

Once geared, early leveling becomes far more efficient. Three-star mobs in areas like the Riverlands church, Minotaur regions near Miralith, and oak tree zones are excellent from levels 10 to 18+. Without Adept gear, these mobs feel punishing. With it, they become consistent and rewarding.

Final Thoughts

You do not need rare drops or maxed crafting professions to be powerful at level 10. With a few gold, smart auction house searches, and the right stat priorities, Adept gear can completely redefine your character's effectiveness. Whether you are a bard focusing on magical power and healing, a physical DPS chasing raw damage, or a tank stacking constitution, the principles remain the same. Gear intelligently, not randomly-and Ashes of Creation's early game will open up dramatically.