Lineage 2 Classic leveling guide - reach the endgame in no time!

Lineage 2 Classic Leveling Guide

So, you've decided to get on the Lineage II Classic server. You're quite a hardcore MMORPG player, aren't you? Classic or vanilla servers were never pleasant for people that wanted to get the taste of their childhood back. Early versions of many Korean MMORPGs were much harder than games from this genre that are coming out nowadays. These games were brutal, they lacked user support, and each player had to learn everything by himself, but we all loved it for how harsh it could be, as after a hard day's work, you could feel like you have accomplished something. 

Introduction

Back in the day, this game would eat up your life. EXP and Adena rates were low, enemies were relentless, and sometimes impossible to beat as a solo player, even when you were in the area recommended to you. The road to the max level is hard and time-consuming. You will spend a lot of time grinding in the same areas for hundreds of hours, so be prepared for that.

Your comeback to Lineage 2 Classic will be harsh at times, but it entirely depends on your mindset and your preferences. If you do not like grinding and slow, sometimes even unfair, progress - stay away from this game. If grinding in a brutal world of Lineage 2 Classic is what you are looking for, stay, and use this guide that we've prepared for you. It should make your time spent in this game a little bit more pleasant. While we are certainly not the best players, and we're not on the top of our game - we will try to guide you through the earliest levels slowly. Then, at a higher level, it becomes slightly more complicated, with all the gear needed, etc. and that's what we will cover in the next guide, so stay tuned. Create an account, log in, make your character… It can be orc, dwarf, or dark elf, or human if you're boring, search for parties, or join a clan (as clans have useful clan skills), and announce on the forum that new hero of Gludio is in the making (if you want to be hated).

Level 1-20

It is the most tedious part of most MMORPGs. Those first 20 or so levels are not a long road, and it acts as a tutorial for new players. And it's not different in Lineage 2 Classic. All you have to do after you start the game is to get to your Newbie Helper NPC and follow the questline. There's no point in leveling to level 20 in any other way. Beginner quest series should take you to level 18/19 in about 2-3 hours. After you are done with these quests, you will be fully equipped, including weapons, armor, jewelry, potions, as well as Spiritshots or Soulshots, depending on your class. With these items, you should be able to get everything started, reaching level 20 and grinding weaker mobs in the area.

How to grind past level 20

You are now lvl 20. We could tell you all the locations right away, but there are some things that should be done, so you can farm in the most efficient way to save time or nerves. You could play solo and kill every mob one by one, but this is one of the slowest, if not the slowest way of leveling in Lineage 2 Classic. For your advantage, you should find yourself a party by talking in chat and utilize Mob Trains. 

The party that we recommend for lvl 40 runs should consist of at least four members:

1 Tank - Tank's job is to lure enemies to get their attention. A Tank gathers enemies from the spot, and when they commit to chasing him, he will run around in circles. It is what we call a Mob Train. At this point, Tank shall not do anything except circling around his party.

2 AoE DPS - Their whole purpose can be summed up in one word. Kill. That's right. The point of this role is to deal Area of Effect damage to the mob train. If Tank does a great job, then don't even have to move from one place. Just cast everything until the entire mob train dies.

1 Healer - If something should go wrong, the healer has to be there to help. Since the Tank is the only one that takes damage in the entire party, the healer's job is pretty straightforward.

Keep in mind that this is only our recommended way of grinding in a party. You can always have more members, but since experience is divided between all party members - you should have just as many members as you need to kill mobs reliably. You don't want some leech in your party. And if you are one - shame on you.

Also, your Tank doesn't have to be a tank. It can be any class quick or sturdy enough not to die when leading a train of mobs. Since we've got that covered, let's hop on to locations recommended for each level cap.

When reaching higher levels, starting from level 30-40, you should be looking for more members for your party, as mobs will get harder and stronger each time you go to the next area. Bring more friends for harder regions, but as we mentioned in the previous paragraph - take only as many members as you need to grind efficiently. 

Level 20-40 

Abandoned Camp

"A campsite of the Gracian army when they were invading Aden. This place served as a stronghold on their march but was abandoned as the army retreated at the end of the war. It has since been turned into a stronghold for the Ol Mahum."

This area is the friendliest for newer players. There's some good mob density, and they respawn quite fast. Enemies here don't hit too hard, and they are easily kited, even solo. You and your party can stay there up to level 27. If you think your party is strong enough, you can skip this area and head straight into...

Ant Nest

"An ant tunnel made by Giant Ants of Wastelands. Queen Ant inhabits in the innermost spot."

While considerably harder than Abandoned Camp, with the main reason being, that enemies in Ant Nest have attacks that can Poison the player, this place offers better EX. You can come here even at level 20, completely ignoring Abandoned Camp if your party can manage. For more uncertain players - we recommend level 27. It is the area where your healer becomes the most reliable ally. Be nice to her (as statistically, most support players are girls anyway), and you will be able to safely exp here until level 40.

Level 40-52

Forest of Mirrors

"They say, in the deep of the woods, where the Sun doesn't shine, there lives the Forest of Mirrors Ghost, one of the Shilen monsters. It banishes the memory of everyone who comes across his way. The ones who come back tell the stories of seeing their doppelgangers."

Mobs here give a lot of EXP and no drops. While mob density is not that great, there are specific routes that your group can take, that will enable you to level up fast. You can stay here with your party until level 50, and then head for the Cruma Tower to hit 52, but if you are confident that you will be able to grind there reliably head to Cruma Tower at lvl 40.

Cruma Tower

"Giants made this fortress to use as a research center to study Cruma. But a divine animal of the earth Cruma disappeared at the end of Giants era, and this research center and its by-products are still remaining."

Good exp, good drops. You can head here level 40, and if you and your party are strong enough. Stay here until level 52. Take more party members with you if needed.

Level 52-62

Enchanted Valley

"Changes in the Material Realm has influenced even the Enchanted Valley. Oddly enough, all fairies has just disappeared from there."

Significant exp gain, a lot of Adena drops from enemies. Start with weaker mobs here, and gradually go for stronger ones as you level up. We think this is the best spot for this level range period. 

Level 62-78

Seal of Shilen

"According to the legend, with these Gates, the first Emperor Shunaiman's barred the way to the place where Shilen came down, exiled from heaven, became the goddess of death, and created horrible monsters. Now the Gates are open and don't hold back those monsters. That's why it's so dangerous to approach them."

Great place of a solo grind, but party works wonders too. But it's always better to bring some people, as grinding alone can be tedious at such low exp rates. Doom Knights give a lot of exp here. Stay in this location until level 70.

Devils Isle 

"People who survived to tell the story claimed that at night creatures here become stronger and more vicious. Stay close and keep your noise down adventurer, for we may not survive until dawn."

It is the fastest way of reaching level 78, in our opinion. Great exp per hour, just be careful with the Raid boss - Zaken. This location is dangerous, especially during the night, as mobs become much stronger.

Level 78-80

Giants Cave

"A Cave… with giants in it… 

Giants Cave. 

Simple as that."

It is the endgame area. Hard, even for large groups. You and your party should be well geared for this location. Use all the party techniques you have learned up to this point. You're going to need everything for this location. Naturally, here you spend your final hours, days, most likely months if it comes to grinding for exp. If you reached this point on Lineage 2 Classic with default exp rates, for you, Sir (or Ma'am, or person if you are hypersensitive), I would raise a glass if I had one in my vicinity.

Lineage 2 Classic leveling guide - Summary

It is the end of our guide. We didn't want to go into details if it comes to specific gear requirements for each area, as it depends on the class and your role in the party, but we hope that everything mentioned here will make your progress much more fun, and much faster. If you stick to this guide's roadmap, following everything in the presented order, you will reach the max level most efficiently and safely. If you have any suggestions, or maybe you have used our guide and want to share your thoughts about it, please leave a comment under this article, feel free to join the discussion. We appreciate all the feedback, whether it's positive or negative. 

What are you waiting for then? Jump into the game. You know what to do with this knowledge. See you on the grounds of many dangerous zones. We also wish you good fortune in the wars to come. And as always - Keep on Playing, Keep on Slaying!