Lineage 2 Classic Leveling Guide - Best Hunting Zones and More!

lineage 2 classic leveling guide

There are no magical ways that will carry you straight to the endgame in a very short time in Lineage 2 Classic. There’s no quest line to follow to get quick experience and free items. The key is to use everything that the game gives you as efficiently as possible and learn to choose the right hunting spots at all times. That’s what this Lineage 2 Classic leveling guide will focus on.

L2 Classic leveling - entry points

First of all, Lineage 2 Classic is very much about cooperation. Playing solo is not impossible, but it’s much less efficient. After all, the concept behind this version of the game was bringing back the old school MMORPG vibe. This means that doing everything by yourself is going to be a lot of work. Sooner or later you’re going to need some supports and their buffs as well as a spoiler (a special Dwarven class – bounty hunter) to increase your Adena income.

Remember that even if you pick the optimal farming spots won't magically take you to super high level isntantly, it's still going to take some hours over multiple days of grinding. Another thing to look at while choosing where to farm is your gear. Having the optimal armor and weapon will make it easier to keep up in the tougher zones.

Get the party started

If you want to progress as fast as possible in L2 Classic, you should always look for people to play with. Join a clan as fast as possible, or at least find some players you can consistently farm with. You’re not only going to get the exp multiplier, but you’ll also get the chance for some actual role-playing with tanks absorbing enemies’ attacks, damage dealers killing the monsters as fast as possible and supports assisting their team in every way possible. All classes have niches to fill and it won’t come into play if you’re only going to play solo. Also if you insist on playing solo, remember that it will be really slow on healers and tanks. 

Of course, we understand that it’s not always so easy to find a party, especially on lower levels. Not everybody has the dream situation of starting together with friends and always having people to play with. Playing solo to some extent is possible. Some of the zones we’re going to talk about are really well suited for that playstyle. At the same time, it’s important to understand that the progression will be slower.

Always check for weaknesses and resistances

Different monsters in Lineage II Classic have various weaknesses and resistances. This means that they can receive increased or decreased damage, when you hit them with certain weapons or types of damage. For example, a lot of monsters in the early locations are weak to blunt damage, what makes this weapon type really efficient there. Dark Elven mage will use the wind damage with their spells, while an Elf will nuke his enemies with water magic.

You should always check this information about the monsters you’re farming. Focusing on monsters that have a weakness towards your damage type can significantly accelerate your experience gains and decrease the cost of farming (faster kills = less consumables, especially Soulshots and Spiritshots).

Level 1-20

There’s not that much to talk about here. Complete your quests, farm around your race’s hometown and get to level 20. There’s no reason to create party yet, even if you started with some friends, you will probably begin the game in different places (unless you all chose the same race). Hitting 20 shouldn’t take you too much time. Depending on your choice of race and class, you can start your 1st in a different place. It will probably require teleporting to another town (unless you’re an Orc or a Dwarf). Complete this as soon as possible.

Level 20+

After your first class transfer, your character will start to gain some identity. That means that you will be able to start role-playing more and creating parties starts becoming more and more reasonable. There are plenty of good farming locations at levels 20-40, most of them are viable both for soloing and playing in parties.

If you have a big party, with a tank and a healer, you can always take a shot at some of the low-level Raid Bosses. It will be more difficult and a bit risky, but it will prepare you for the content in later levels and you might get some nice loot, like weapons, enchantment scrolls and runes. Besides the areas we're going to describe in a moment, you can also look at the zones around Gludio and Gludin, like Ruins of Despair and ruins of Agony.

Abandoned Camp

Abandoned Camp is a good and easy farming spot. If you don’t have great gear and have trouble finding a party, this is the place to grind in. The monster levels here are ranging from 17 to 29, but most of them are around 21-24.

If you’re leveling a spoiler you definitely should exp here, because there’s a possibility to sweep some valuable materials like Steel and Varnish.

The monsters here are pretty weak and squishy, this allows for AoE farming trains of mobs. For this, you’re going to need a properly set up party. You’re going to need someone to tank (unfortunately tanks don’t have mass taunts at those low levels, but it shouldn’t be a problem if you kill the monsters quickly). Other roles you will need are: a designated healer and some damage dealers with the ability to hit multiple monsters at once. At those levels, they will be either mages or melee fighters with Polearm Mastery and a spear of course. If you’re playing as a party and have the necessary role-players then we highly recommend doing that. It’s much more efficient, engaging and kind of fun.

Orc Barracks

This is a slightly higher level spot with more durable monsters. It’s really good if you have a party of people around 25-30 level. The monster levels here are 25-34. Soloing here will be more difficult than in the Abandoned Camp. Leveling a spoiler here is also a good idea, because you will be able to get some Coarse Bone Powder, High-Grade Suede and other materials.

Be careful with the size of the mob trains. The ones here are significantly tankier than in the Abandoned Camp and the lack of AoE taunt means that they will switch targets and hit other people than your designated tank.

Execution Grounds

That’s pretty much an alternative for Orc Barracks. Monsters here are level 25-35 and the spot is viable both for solo farm and for parties. It offers decent drops and spoils. If you’re a mage or a melee fighter around level 30, who’s looking for a spot to farm solo, it might be a good option.

Windy Hill

All the monsters here (with the only exception being Whispering Wind) are vulnerable to bows. This makes it a good spot for solo farming as an archer. Of course you can always create a party of archers for that sweet bonus.

Monster levels here are 26-30. If you want to hunt solo, make sure you have at least a decent bow and bring a lot of arrows and Soulshots. If you have a party, especially one with a spoiler, make sure you skip this area. Spoils here are pretty bad and there are much better places for non-archers.

An alternative for solo farming with a bow around this level is killing Monster Eye Destroyers (lvl 26) at Plains of Dion. They are the only monsters with vulnerability to bows in that location though, that’s why we recommend Windy Hills.

Cruma Marshlands

We talked a bit about the best spots for archers, this is an example of a great place to level up mages. Almost all the monsters here are vulnerable to fire damage and their levels are 25-35. Every DPS mage between the levels 20 and 40 has access to Flame Strike – AoE fire damage nuke. A party with some spellcasters, a tank, and a healer can farm here very efficiently.

The human wizard also has a single target fire damage spell – Blaze. This makes Cruma Marshlands a very viable spot for solo farming for this character class. Bringing a spoiler here is okay too, at least you will be able to get some Cokes.

Ant Nest

Probably the best area for quick experience gains around levels 30-40. It’s extremely recommended if you’re able to form a party with some good AoE damage. Ant Nest is great for creating big trains of monsters, just be careful not to aggro too many of them. Around level 40 the monsters can get a little too weak, but you can easily get stay here till 40 if the spot suits you.

There are some drawbacks to this area though. It’s a very popular spot for leveling, so you might be contested by other players and parties. While exp gains are really good, drops and spoils are not that great here. If you don’t get much help with gearing up and you want to collect some materials while leveling, you might want to go somewhere else.

Plains of the Lizardmen

That’s a slightly more difficult spot, with monster levels being 35-40. It’s good for both solo farming while killing single mobs and creating trains for AoE. With a spoiler, you can get some Coarse Bone Powder from Leto Lizardman Warriors and Crafted Leather from Leto Lizardman Overlords. Moreover, all the mobs here drop good amounts of Adena.

Second class transfer and leveling post 40

During the levels 35-40 you’re going to complete a series of three quests, leading to your second class transfer at level 40. At this point, you really should be a member of a clan. As you get higher levels, soloing becomes less and less efficient, at least for a huge majority of classes.

At this point, you should start looking at necessary materials and Spellbooks more, than at sheer experience values. You’re going to need some C-Grade gear and at least some elements of it will probably require crafting (unless you buy them from other players). We’re going to talk about a few good higher level spots, but you will probably have other priorities at this point of the game. If you want to farm in a party, remember that lower level healing skills are still relevant. If you lack a designated healer, summoners can easily still fill that niche.

Cruma Tower

Around level 40, or a bit before that if you have a good party, you can start hunting on the 3rd floor of Cruma Tower. Monsters there are 40-45, but they are pretty strong. They also drop big amounts of Adena and you can spoil some decent materials. It’s a great area for powerful parties, who can minimize their downtime.

Alligator Island

It’s another great spot for group AoE farming. You can create big trains of mobs here and kill them all with mass nukes or polearm attacks. Spoils are not that great though.

Forest of Mirrors

Forest of Mirrors is a location full of 45-55 level monsters. The Taik Orcs that you can find there all have a vulnerability to bows, which makes it a great spot for archers. In general, this is probably the best spot for solo farming around level 45. Drops and spoils are good too.

Dragon Valley

Rather big area that has level 45-60 monsters. It’s decent for solo farming and really good for parties. You can farm in this location for a really long time, just gradually moving to higher level parts of it when necessary.

Tower of Insolence

The last location that we’re going to mention is the Tower of Insolence. It has 14 floors, with monsters becoming stronger, the higher you get. There are multiple Raid Bosses, including Baium, who sits on top. The monsters in the whole tower range from level 54 to 78, but the bottom floors have lower levels.

You will definitely need a party here, but you’ll be able to get a really nice experience and Adena gains, as well as some nice drops. If you bring a spoiler with you, there’s a chance of getting some valuable, rare materials and components of strong B-Grade items.

Lineage 2 Classic leveling post 61

You can easily get to level 61 in the zones we discussed in this guide. Around that point, you will definitely focus even more on grinding for the right gear. It’s not easy to get the needed A-Grade equipment in Lineage 2 Classic.

Play with your clan, collect the necessary materials and components. Focus on playing with big parties, possibly going on more raids. You’re going to want a strong rune, when you get your A-Grade weapon.

Later on you will probably bring your party to different Catacombs, Lair of Antharas and higher floors of Tower of Insolence, but there are plenty more viable hunting zones. You will most likely chase the necessary recipes, components, and materials for your endgame gear, so don’t worry about optimal experience gains too much. Good luck slaying those monsters, it will take some time, but it’s really satisfying.