AFK Journey Ascension Guide: Costs, Unlocks, Paragon

Ascension in AFK Journey raises a hero through tiers from Elite up to Supreme+ and then Paragon 1 to 4, using duplicate copies of that hero plus faction Acorns, and each step adds stats while key tiers unlock new skills. This ascension guide lays out the full cost table for A-Level, S-Level and Celestial or Hypogean heroes, what Legendary+, Mythic+ and Supreme+ unlock, how the Paragon tiers and Rivalry stats work, and where the copies actually come from as of November 2026.

Our cost figures come from Prydwen's Ascension Info and Beginner pages; we cross-checked the unlock rules and later additions against Farlight's official notes for versions 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 1.4.3, 1.7.1 and 1.8.2, and read the current rankings from Pocket Gamer's November 4, 2026 tier list.

How Ascension Works

AFK Journey removed the fodder system its predecessor was known for. To ascend a hero you need either more copies of that same hero or Acorns, and Prydwen describes the result as a much simpler system. Each tier comes in a base and a plus version, for example Mythic and Mythic+, and you move through them in order.

The currency you need depends on the hero's rarity:

• A-Level heroes mostly need many duplicates, and only use Acorns for the jump to Supreme.
• S-Level heroes (other than Celestials and Hypogeans) use duplicates to reach each plus tier and Acorns to promote to the next base tier.
• Celestial and Hypogean heroes use duplicates only, with no Acorns, but the number of copies rises at higher tiers.

Acorns come in five versions: one for each standard faction (Maulers, Lightbearers, Wilders and Graveborn), usable only on heroes of that faction, and a universal version that works on anyone. You get them from banners, rewards and shops. Since faction Acorns are locked to one faction, it pays to settle on a faction core early so they are not stranded. Our factions guide helps you pick that core.

Ascension Costs From Elite to Supreme+

The table below reproduces Prydwen's requirements for each step. A dash means the step does not apply to that rarity, because S-Level, Celestial and Hypogean heroes all start at Epic.

AFK Journey ascension requirements per step, as listed by Prydwen

Step	A-Level	S-Level	Celestial or Hypogean
Elite to Elite+	1 copy	-	-
Elite+ to Epic	3 copies	-	-
Epic to Epic+	4 copies	1 copy	1 copy
Epic+ to Legendary	5 copies	50 Acorns	1 copy
Legendary to Legendary+	8 copies	2 copies	1 copy
Legendary+ to Mythic	10 copies	100 Acorns	2 copies
Mythic to Mythic+	12 copies	2 copies	2 copies
Mythic+ to Supreme	200 Acorns	200 Acorns	2 copies
Supreme to Supreme+	20 copies	2 copies	4 copies

Prydwen sums those steps into three totals that are worth memorizing. Taking an A-Level hero to Supreme+ needs the original plus 63 duplicates, 64 copies in all, and 200 faction Acorns. An S-Level hero needs the original plus seven duplicates, eight in all, and 350 faction Acorns. A Celestial or Hypogean hero needs the original plus 13 duplicates, 14 in all, and no Acorns. Fan-made tables can lag behind balance changes, so treat the in-game ascension screen as the final word whenever a number looks off.

What Each Milestone Unlocks

Stats rise at every step, but three tiers matter far more than the rest because they change what a hero can do. Prydwen lists them as follows.

• Legendary+ unlocks Hero Focus, a bonus to one stat or, for some heroes, a brand-new effect.
• Mythic+ unlocks the Exclusive Weapon, which adds a new passive skill that grows as you level the item.
• Supreme+ unlocks Skill Enhancement, an extra effect on one of the hero's skills.

Supreme+ has a second payoff for older heroes. Enhance Force Level 2 upgrades, which the developer adds a few at a time to revive underused heroes, require the hero to be at Supreme+ before you spend Shadow Essence from season milestones to activate them. The 1.8.2 notes, for example, added one for Harak. The Exclusive Weapon unlocked at Mythic+ has its own upgrade path, and our Exclusive Equipment priority guide explains which levels deserve your rare essences first.

One special rule applies in Honor Duel: version 1.7.1 changed it so that a hero who reaches Mythic in that mode also unlocks their Level 2 Enhance Force if one exists. That rule is specific to Honor Duel and does not change the normal Supreme+ requirement elsewhere.

Paragon Tiers and Rivalry Stats

Past Supreme+ the system changes character. Prydwen explains that heroes no longer gain skill upgrades; instead, each Paragon tier raises base stats by roughly 2.5 to 3 percent and adds Rivalry stats, which only apply in PvP modes but are very strong there. Version 1.3.1 added two of those Rivalry stats, Intimidation and Inspiration.

The bigger hurdle is the gate on each tier, which is based on how many heroes you already have at the tier below:

• Paragon 1 needs 25 heroes at Supreme+.
• Paragon 2 needs 20 heroes at Paragon 1.
• Paragon 3 needs 15 heroes at Paragon 2.
• Paragon 4 needs 15 heroes at Paragon 3.

The copy costs also climb. Per Prydwen, Supreme+ to Paragon 1 and Paragon 1 to 2 each cost 45 A-Level copies, six S-Level copies or four Celestial or Hypogean copies, and Paragon 2 to 3 and Paragon 3 to 4 each cost 68, nine or six. Once a hero hits Paragon 4, version 1.3.2 lets you recycle any excess Soul Sigils for that hero into Spiritstones for the Spirit Store, and a Paragon 4 hero whose Exclusive Equipment is at +25 earns the Winged Crown portrait border, which is purely cosmetic.

Where the Copies Come From

Duplicates arrive as Soul Sigils from many places, and knowing them helps you plan which heroes are realistic to max.

• Wishlists. On Epic Recruitment you can wishlist A-Level heroes too; Prydwen notes you always receive an Epic version of them, which gives four soulstones if you already own the hero.
• Rate-up banners. When the featured hero is A-Level, a rate-up pull gives eight copies of them.
• Stores. The Dream Store sells A-Level copies, the Arena Store sells S-Level copies, and the Guild Store sells Celestial and Hypogean copies.
• Season Store. Most patches add Soul Sigils for a couple of earlier heroes; 1.7.1 added Solise and Silven, and 1.8.2 added two more.
• Dimensional heroes. Since the Dimensional Hiring change in 1.4.3, crossover heroes available for hire ascend with general S-Level and A-Level Dimensional Soulstones instead of hero-specific copies.

Stellar Crystals for the Stargaze banner are the bottleneck for Celestial and Hypogean copies, and they come from limited monthly store purchases plus sources like Homestead progress, which our Homestead guide covers.

Who to Ascend First

The totals above make the trade-offs clear. An S-Level hero reaches Supreme+ with only eight copies, so S-Level carries and supports are usually the first heroes to unlock all three skill milestones. A-Level heroes need 64 copies, but many of them are meta picks and the Dream Store gives a steady supply, so building one or two strong A-Level heroes over time is very achievable. Celestial and Hypogean heroes need 14 copies and no Acorns, which makes them expensive in Stellar Crystals but cheap in faction resources.

• Push your main carry to Mythic+ first so its Exclusive Weapon comes online.
• Bring your key healer or buffer to Legendary+ early for Hero Focus, then Mythic+.
• Prefer heroes that rank well in several modes; Shemira, Odie and Ludovic all sit in the SS tier of Pocket Gamer's November list.
• Do not chase Paragon until you have the 25 Supreme+ heroes it requires; spreading copies to reach that count is a long-term goal, not a first-month one.

Newer accounts should also remember the free pieces: since 1.6.1, accounts get 14 Aurora Soul Sigils through Dreamdelve. Our beginner guide covers the other early rewards that feed ascension.

Common Ascension Mistakes

Most wasted resources in AFK Journey come from a handful of avoidable habits. These are the ones worth checking before you press the ascend button.

• Treating ascension like leveling. Levels come from the Resonating Hall, which raises every hero to the level of your five Hands of Resonance automatically. Ascension is the part that costs scarce copies, so it deserves the careful planning, not the leveling.
• Burning universal Acorns first. Universal Acorns are the only ones that work on any faction. Spend faction Acorns wherever they apply and keep the universal ones for the hero who would otherwise be stuck.
• Ascending a hero whose job is already covered. A second healer at Mythic+ adds less than your first tank reaching Legendary+. Fill missing roles before doubling up.
• Writing off older heroes for good. Prydwen notes that every season gives four to six heroes Enhance Force upgrades, so a benched hero you already ascended can become useful again. Keep that in mind before resetting or abandoning one.
• Ignoring where a hero is strong. A hero who shines in one mode only may still be worth it if that is the mode you play most, but a hero who helps in stages, bosses and PvP pays back the same copies several times.

Starting With Heroes Already Ascended

Reaching Supreme+ across a full team, let alone Paragon, takes a long time on normal income. If you would rather start with an account where some of that is done, the AFK Journey section of our store lists accounts from sellers that change each day, so compare listings carefully. Farlight's Terms of Service say players have no ownership or property interest in the account itself, a point worth knowing before you buy.

Frequently Asked Questions