Progression
Fast leveling & the Core Courses
The XP loop that actually compounds — Alphas, sanctuaries and elites in your level band — plus the full 17-region route from Sunrise Meadows to Aurora Veil.
The XP loop that wins
Alpha hunts
Region Alphas give the heaviest XP per kill in the open world. Plan a loop past your current band's Alpha, reset, and repeat — it out-paces wandering by a wide margin.
Sanctuary clears
Each of the 17 regions hides sanctuaries that pay out a chunk of XP plus unlock rewards. First clears are a one-time level spike — spend them in your current band, not a lower one.
Elite spawns
Elites respawn on routes and reward far more than commons. A loop of three or four elite spawns beats farming ten commons.
The pattern is always the same: farm a tight route through one region that matches your band, reset its rare spawns, and move on the moment the band above unlocks. Aimless wandering is the number-one XP leak.
The 17-region leveling route
Every region with its recommended level band and the travel ability it needs. Follow the bands in order — over-levelled regions pay almost nothing, under-levelled ones pay in faints.
| Band | Region | Biome | Travel needed | Known boss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lv 1–8 | Sunrise Meadows | Grassland | — | — |
| Lv 5–12 | Coconut Shore | Coastal | Swim | — |
| Lv 9–16 | Ember Gorge | Volcanic | — | Embracewyrm |
| Lv 12–18 | Brine Bogs | Marshy | Swim | — |
| Lv 15–22 | Thunder Peak | Montane | Climb | Storm Herald Kutu |
| Lv 20–27 | Frostwaist | Frozen | Glide | — |
| Lv 22–30 | Verden Dell | Forest | — | — |
| Lv 28–35 | Scaldhold | Geothermal | — | Alpha Searinglug |
| Lv 32–40 | Riftmoors | Shadowed | — | Omega Umbrawraith |
| Lv 38–45 | Quakefall | Badlands | Endurance | — |
| Lv 42–50 | Galecrest | Alpine | Climb | Stormdrake Vael |
| Lv 46–53 | Sporehollow | Cavern | Endurance | Alpha Petalgulch |
| Lv 50–58 | Stillbay | Maritime | Swim | Tidewraggler Prime |
| Lv 55–62 | Ashveil | Volcanic | Endurance | Omega Ashvegaawk |
| Lv 60–68 | Cindermaw | Molten | Endurance | Alpha Cindrarchon |
| Lv 64–72 | Moondrift | Highland | — | Omega Luneward |
| Lv 70–80 | Aurora Veil | Polar | — | Theta Starcaller |
Travel abilities come from Twining — see the Twining system for how each movement form unlocks.
Core Courses, prioritised
Courses gate your cap
Your level cap is not a number — it's the Core Courses you clear. Rushing XP past an uncleared course wastes overflow, so clear the gating course before grinding the next band.
Unlock regions, not breadth
Prioritise the courses that unlock the region you need next rather than spreading points across every branch. The meta route follows the level bands below.
Stamina is the real currency
Hunts and course activities eat stamina. Spend it on high-XP targets inside your band, then stop — pushing past empty stamina is the slowest XP in the game.
Skill points while you grind
Levels feed two things: your Wayfarer’s progression and your squad’s stats. While grinding the loop, keep spending skill points — an unspent point is a dead stat. How base stats, rarity and Starup interact is covered in stats & growth, and which creatures deserve the investment is the tier list's job.