Patch guide
July 21, 2026
Honor +21 · Virtual Equipment · R110 PvE · endgame PvE +20
Starter Weapon Comparison (2026)
Live weapon ladder for new accounts: how Honor +21, Virtual Equipment, and early PvE weapons actually compare once attack attribute is fixed — and why attribute is ~30% of your damage.
At a glance
- 1Attack attribute matched to the zone is ~30% of your damage — Opal/collections do nothing without weapon AT
- 2Spirit-charge bonus now keys off weapon grade, not enchant — Honor grade = 0% · R110/PvE/VE = +30%
- 3Honor +21 with LS/SA and zone AT covered beats free Virtual Equipment on a fair test
- 4Virtual Equipment +20 is free but has 0 AT and no LS/SA — do not dump all VE points into the weapon alone
- 5Long-term slot: PvE +20 with 450 AT — test winner by a wide margin
How the comparison was run
Warg on starter Honor armor, extras stripped, Fields of Silence–style mid content that wants ~1600 attack attribute. Single-target swings to read hit sizes.
Controls that matter
| Variable | Keep constant | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Same monster and level range | Defense and attribute resistance change the result |
| Character | Same class, skills, buffs, armor, artifacts, and collections | Weapon-only conclusions require a stable sheet |
| Attack attribute | Compare both raw weapon state and zone-covered state | A 0-AT weapon otherwise loses for a different reason |
| Charges | Same Spirit/Ore charge state on every swing | Grade bonus changes charged damage |
| Critical state | Record normal and critical samples separately | A lucky short run can reverse an average |
| LS/SA | List every active option instead of hiding it | Honor and PvE accept bonuses that VE does not |
| Sample size | Use repeated hits, not one screenshot | Damage spread and proc timing are noisy |
Three mechanics that decide the result
Weapon damage layers
| Layer | Honor +21 | VE +20 | R110/PvE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enchant attack | High safe +21 value | Virtual +20 value | +8 bridge or +20 long-term value |
| Weapon attack attribute | 300 | 0 | 450 in the compared build |
| Life Stone | Supported | Not supported | Supported |
| Soul Crystal / SA | Supported | Not supported | Supported |
| Spirit-grade charge | 0% grade bonus | +30% | +30% |
| Acquisition role | Budget complete weapon | Free baseline | Adena bridge / final investment |
- Enchant is not grade
- A +21 Honor weapon still receives 0% spirit-grade bonus
- Grade is not attribute
- VE receives +30% spirit charge but still carries 0 weapon attack attribute
- Attribute is conditional
- Its damage appears only when total attack attribute reaches the target’s useful window
- Options compound the gap
- LS/SA improve Honor and PvE but cannot be added to Virtual Equipment
- Complete build wins
- Compare attack, attribute, charge grade, LS, and SA together
Weapon ladder
Observed order (attribute-aware)
| Weapon | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Honor +21 + LS/SA | 300 AT · safe +21 · LS/SA · beats VE when AT is covered | 0% spirit-charge grade bonus |
| Virtual Equipment +20 | Free · +30% spirit-charge | 0 AT · no LS/SA |
| R110 PvE +8 / 450 AT | Spirit-charge + real AT · mid step | Low enchant caps P. Atk |
| PvE +20 / 450 AT + SA | Test stomper · long-term slot | Adena wall |
- Honor rough hits (AT fixed)
- Often ~150k / ~300k with crit procs in the demo framing
- VE rough hits
- ~80–90k / ~150k crit — wins only vs under-AT Honor
- R110 +8
- ~100–110k / ~200k crit
- PvE +20
- ~200–250k / ~450k crit · one-shots the test spot
Which weapon wins which question?
| Question | Winner | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Free first weapon | Virtual Equipment +20 | No Adena entry cost and +30% spirit-grade charge |
| Complete budget spike | Honor +21 | 300 AT plus LS/SA with strong safe enchant |
| First proper grade/attribute bridge | R110 PvE +8 | 450 AT and +30% charge in one weapon |
| Long-term tested damage | PvE +20 | High enchant, 450 AT, grade bonus, and full options |
| Best while total sheet is below ~1,600 AT | Usually Honor/R110 | Built-in weapon attribute closes more of the zone gap |
| Best after all external attribute is fixed | Retest Honor vs VE; PvE +20 stays ahead | The fair comparison exposes LS/SA, grade, and enchant differences |
Detailed weapon profiles
Honor +21
| Feature | Value | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Enchant | +21 safe package | Strong displayed and real attack for an early weapon |
| Attack attribute | 300 | Closes a meaningful part of the zone requirement |
| LS | Available | Adds a class-appropriate damage option |
| SA | Available | Adds skill/normal-attack lines according to build |
| Spirit charge | 0% grade bonus | Main reason it does not scale like a proper R110/PvE grade |
| Best use | Budget bridge after VE | Especially strong when LS/SA and total attribute are completed |
| Exit signal | Affordable 450-AT PvE weapon with proper grade and meaningful enchant | Do not replace it with an incomplete sidegrade |
R110/PvE +8 and PvE +20
| Feature | +8 bridge | +20 long-term |
|---|---|---|
| Attack attribute | 450 | 450 |
| Spirit charge | +30% | +30% |
| LS / SA | Available | Available |
| Enchant attack | Limited | High |
| Role | Proper-grade bridge | Long-term damage weapon |
| Test result | ~100–110k normal / ~200k crit example | ~200–250k normal / ~450k crit example |
| Buying rule | Worthwhile only at a sane complete-build price | Winner, but do not starve every other gear slot to rush it |
Attribute craft chain
Weapon attribute stages
| Range | Material | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| 0 → 150 | Attribute Ore | First element application; confirm the correct attack element |
| 150 → 300 | Attribute Crystal | Second stage; this reaches the Honor weapon’s built-in comparison point |
| 300 → 450 | Attribute Stone | Final compared PvE stage and the most expensive material tier |
| External total | Opal, collections, artifacts, masks, talismans | Adds to weapon AT but does not make the weapon itself transferable or option-ready |
| Zone check | Damage test against current target | A displayed total is useful only relative to target defense |
- Material order
- Ore → Crystal → Stone; later material does not skip the earlier stage
- Element choice
- Match the build and target plan before committing materials
- Fee growth
- Craft/application fees rise through the stages; price the complete 450 result
- Resale comparison
- A finished 450-AT weapon can cost less than buying a blank weapon and crafting it yourself
- Budget path
- VE early → Honor +21 while fixing total AT → R110/PvE +8 bridge → PvE +20 hold piece
DIY weapon budget
A self-built weapon in this progression class is often discussed around ~35 billion Adena. Use that only as an approximate planning number: the base, enchant, attribute chain, LS, SA, and transaction timing can move the total sharply.
Cost buckets to quote separately
| Bucket | What belongs in it | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon base | Correct grade, type, and trade state | Buying the cheapest base without checking upgrade compatibility |
| Enchant | Materials and failure/safety economics to target level | Pricing a lucky result as guaranteed |
| Attribute | Ore, Crystal, Stone, and application fees to 450 | Quoting only Stone cost |
| Life Stone | Desired effect plus reroll/finished-item premium | Assuming the first roll is usable |
| Soul Crystal / SA | Correct damage-type options and insertion cost | Installing normal-attack lines on a skill build |
| Opportunity cost | Adena not spent on armor, artifacts, gems, or cooldown | Rushing +20 while the rest of the sheet is below the zone floor |
- Approximate class number
- ~35B Adena for orientation, never a guaranteed quote
- Best comparison
- Finished World Trade listing versus complete DIY total on the same day
- Class variance
- Weapon type, required SA, and enchant scaling alter the total
- Stop rule
- If DIY approaches the price of a finished, tested weapon, buy completeness rather than crafting risk
Upgrade priority ladder
Spend in this order
| Priority | Goal | Why it comes now |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Equip Virtual Equipment and start farming | Free baseline produces the first Adena |
| 2 | Reach the active zone’s total attack-attribute floor | Below it, other damage purchases are muted |
| 3 | Choose a complete Honor +21 or R110/PvE bridge | Complete means attribute plus compatible LS/SA, not a blank base |
| 4 | Install correct LS and SA | These are unavailable on VE and define the replacement’s advantage |
| 5 | Balance Virtual Equipment points across supporting slots | Mask/Opal-style helpers can outperform one overfed weapon slot |
| 6 | Move to 450 AT and proper spirit grade | R110/PvE bridge combines both missing mechanics |
| 7 | Fund PvE +20 | The long-term test winner after the surrounding sheet works |
| 8 | Consider +30/cursed tier | Only after +20 and account systems no longer offer cheaper damage |
Decision examples
| Current state | Next move |
|---|---|
| VE +20, far below ~1,600 total AT | Buy external attribute efficiently or move to Honor’s built-in 300 AT |
| Honor +21 without LS/SA | Finish LS/SA before judging it against a completed weapon |
| Honor +21 complete, zone one-shot | Keep it and improve broader systems; weapon tier is not the bottleneck |
| R110/PvE +8 complete, damage stable | Save directly for a meaningful +20 rather than repeated small sidegrades |
| PvE +20 but weak armor/artifacts | Stop weapon spending and repair the rest of the sheet |
Checklist
- Check zone attack-attribute requirement before comparing weapons
- Do not judge Honor while under the AT floor
- Split Virtual Equipment points — weapon is not the only slot
- Put SA/LS on anything that accepts them as soon as it is your main stick
- Remember: spirit-charge bonus follows grade, never enchant level
- Price the full Ore → Crystal → Stone chain before starting a DIY 450-AT weapon
- Treat ~35B DIY estimates and hit samples as approximate class numbers, not market promises
- Buy PvE +20 only after the surrounding sheet can use its damage
Worked upgrade examples
A weapon upgrade is correct only when it fixes the current limiting layer. The examples below separate attack attribute, grade charge, enchant attack and options so a large displayed attack number does not hide an incomplete build.
Example A: free Virtual Equipment to complete Honor
| Step | State | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virtual Equipment +20, 0 weapon AT, total sheet well below the current zone’s useful window | Do not spend every Virtual Equipment System point on more weapon-only power |
| 2 | External attribute sources are affordable but still leave a large gap | Compare those account-wide sources with Honor’s built-in 300 AT |
| 3 | Honor +21 is available but has no useful LS or SA | Price the finished options before buying; a blank Honor is not the guide’s completed comparison |
| 4 | Honor +21, correct LS/SA, and sufficient total AT | Run the same timed field sample against Virtual Equipment |
| 5 | Honor clears stable packs and the next proper-grade weapon is only a small sidegrade | Keep Honor and save for a complete 450-AT step |
Worked attribute example: a character has 1,250 external attack attribute. Virtual Equipment adds zero, for 1,250 total; Honor adds 300, for 1,550; a 450-AT PvE weapon reaches 1,700. Against content where about 1,600 is a useful orientation, the PvE weapon crosses the example window while Honor remains close. This does not prove a universal threshold; it shows why the same weapon can rank differently on two accounts.
- Compare complete totals
- Weapon price plus attribute, LS, SA, enchant state and application fees
- Test two states
- Raw current sheet and a controlled attribute-covered sheet
- Keep charge constant
- Spirit/Ore charge state must match on every weapon
- Record normal and critical
- Do not let one critical proc stand in for average damage
- Use farm output
- Kills, XP, Adena, recovery and deaths over equal time
- Require a breakpoint
- Pay for a sidegrade only when it changes the practical route
Weapon buying decision tree
Follow the first matching branch
| Question | If yes | If no |
|---|---|---|
| Is there no usable weapon and Adena is near zero? | Equip Virtual Equipment and begin farming | Evaluate a complete permanent bridge |
| Is total attack attribute below the active zone’s useful window? | Fix attribute before chasing enchant alone | Compare grade, LS/SA and enchant attack |
| Can Honor +21 be completed with correct LS/SA for less than a proper R110 bridge? | Use Honor if the field test confirms the value | Price the complete R110/PvE option |
| Does the R110/PvE +8 solve 450 AT and proper charge grade? | Buy only if its complete price and expected hold time are sensible | Keep the current weapon and avoid a partial sidegrade |
| Does the current weapon already one-shot the target? | Spend on another bottleneck | Measure whether +20 changes the skill-cycle breakpoint |
| Would PvE +20 consume the budget needed for armor or support systems? | Delay it and stabilize the surrounding sheet | Buy after testing the finished weapon’s real gain |
Field test and troubleshooting checklist
Repeatable weapon test
| Stage | Action |
|---|---|
| Prepare | Use the same class, target, buffs, armor, artifacts, collections and consumables |
| Document | Record weapon AT, total AT, enchant, grade charge, LS and SA |
| Warm up | Allow normal procs and rotations to settle before counting |
| Sample | Record repeated normal and critical hits plus kills over a fixed duration |
| Economy | Track consumables, deaths, recovery time, XP and Adena |
| Swap | Change only the weapon package and repeat under the same conditions |
| Decide | Buy for the measured breakpoint, not the largest isolated screenshot |
- Before buying
- Confirm element, weapon type, trade state, options and total finished cost
- Before crafting
- Price Ore → Crystal → Stone in order and include application fees
- Before replacing Honor
- Require a complete proper-grade weapon, not a blank base
- Before maxing Virtual Equipment
- Check whether support slots provide more total value
- Before PvE +20
- Ensure armor and account systems can hold the intended field
- After every purchase
- Repeat the same timed test and update the next bottleneck
Linked names open L2Playbook pages when that skill, item, class, NPC, or zone exists in the database. Values can change with patches — always double-check in-game.