This guide is meant to help answers questions about upgrade priorities, when to switch gear sets, and target upgrades. For which gear to use on a specific class, see Class Gear Guides, or for target awakenings, see Awakening Guide.
For classes with an offhand weapon or shield, make sure to get awakenings and piercings on your offhand. However, do not apply normal upgrades, elemental upgrades, or monster card piercings to your offhand.
Beginning gear and early milestones
As a new player, you'll want to use the free weapons and armor from beginner chips. Don't worry about upgrading this gear at all, and don't waste time awakening it either. You'll want to quickly transition out of this gear straight into Early-game or Mid-game (if you have the perins to do so).
You'll also want to hatch some eggs until you get the correct pet for your class.
Gear check!
Beginner chip weapon (+6, no awake)
Beginner chip armor (+3, no awake)
Raised pet (D Class, no awake)
Pick up pet (no stats, no beads)
Early-game gear
If you have around 100 perins, or are willing to buy CWT to skip a few steps, you can skip early-game gear entirely. Otherwise, check the Class Gear Guides to figure out which set you should use. Most classes will use a Legendary Golden weapon and level 105 armor (all found in Dekane Mines).
If you can afford to do so, most classes will also aim to swap their LG weapon and armor for the level 120 set, whichever set is better. You can also lock your level at Level 130-H using EXP Stop and farm Red Meteonyker for level 120 gear.
If you have enough perins (usually 10-30 perins, depending on your class), you should buy your level 130 weapon instead, instead of upgrading the level 105 or 120 weapon.
Once you have your gear, you should aim for the following upgrades:
Try to get the Bandit's Cloak through VP Chance Box
Upgrade weapon to +8
Level your pet to A or S rank
STOP! At this point, you should have enough upgrades to progress. Upgrading your gear further is likely less worthwhile for your perins than to buy new gear for level 130.
However, if you'd like, there are some (expensive) additional luxury upgrades that will not be a waste in the long term:
Statted pickup pet (300 cwt)
Unlocking Stat Dice (1p each, 2p for blue dice)
Dark Devil's cloaks (150-250p)
Dragon fashion sets (500p)
Gear check!
Level 105 or 120 weapon (+8, 4/4 B cards, early-game awake)
(optional: +10 element, if your class benefits from elemental damage)
Pickup pet with pet beads (preferably statted pickup pet from CWT)
Mid-game gear
When you reach mid-game, you want to prioritize getting your level 130 weapon as soon as possible and begin upgrading it immediately. For most classes, your level 125/130 armor will not be a significant boost from your current armor, so you'll get the most out of upgrading your weapon first.
Upgrade to element+15 if your class benefits from elemental damage
Upgrade to 6 piercings (B Cards)
After completing the weapon upgrades, work on getting your level 125 or level 130 set. For most classes, the 125 set is recommended since the 130 set only gives marginal upgrades but costs significantly more.
Make sure you have the entire set before working on upgrades.
Many players leave their weapon at Angelic+0, but due to how difficult it is to get 7-star Hephaestus Weapons as of Season 5, it's worthwhile to upgrade your weapon to Angelic+20 so long as you don't have to pay perins for the upgrade materials.
Once you reach late game, your first priority should be to obtain your full Blessed or Cursed set, whichever set provides you with damage.
Full Blessed/Cursed Set and Jewelry
Upgrade set to +3
Get a late-game awakening on all set pieces
Pierce suit with 4% Lightning Cards (7% once you can afford them)
Upgrade set to +6
Get a late-game awakening on your weapon
Get an angel awakening on your weapon
Upgrade set to +8
Upgrade Jewelry to +18/15/3/15/18
Get 4 monster card piercings on your weapon
Get a level 6 Glyph
Start upgrading weapon to Angelic+20
Upgrade weapon to element+20 if your class benefits from elemental damage
Upgrade set to +10
Turn your raised pet into a Perfect Angelic Pet
Upgrade Jewelry to +20/15/3/15/20
Get a Dark Devil's cloak if you don't have one already
Make sure you have maximum awake on all your fashion
Get a Khan, Kalgas, or Kheldor card for your weapon
It's recommended to finish out your late-game gear before pursuing end-game upgrades. Unlike earlier stages where you can skip gear sets, pursuing Hephaestus Weapon and/or Yggdrasil fashion set may leave you dry of perins/cwt without meaningfully useful gear.
The approximate cost of getting a Hephaestus Weapon to the point that it can replace your Level 130 weapon is in the range of thousands of perins, and that will only get you a weapon that will match an upgraded Level 130 weapon. Be patient and work slowly toward your end-game gear, unless you're willing to dump tremendous amounts of perins or CWT into rushing it.
End-game gear
In the end-game, the biggest upgrade will be your 7-star Hephaestus weapon. The other big upgrade is your Yggdrasil fashion set. The rest is just maximizing your existing gear.
Do not scrap your Level 130 weapon until your Bloodbane is sufficiently upgraded
Craft your Bloodbane weapon
Get at least 4 stars for your Bloodbane weapon
Upgrade your weapon to Angelic
Pierce your weapon with 8 A cards
Get an end-game awakening on your weapon
Get 4 monster pirecings on your weapon
Reroll any low stats until you're satisfied (it doesn't matter how many Stars the weapon has when you reroll)
At this point, your Bloodbane is ready to use
Continue adding stars to your Bloodbane weapon
Get end-game awakenings on all of your gear
Upgrade your weapon to Angelic+20
Upgrade your weapon with Element+20 if your class benefits from elemental damage
Get an Angelic awakening on your weapon
Get your weapon to 7 stars
Get 5 monster card piercings on your weapon
Put a Kheldor card into your weapon
Pierce your weapon with 10 A cards
Upgrade your jewelry to +30/30/30/30/30
Get your Yggdrasil fashion set
Get perfect Stat Dice (+255 stats)
Get your Yggdrasil Mask
Get a FWC Gold glove
Finish your Sphere Grid
Get +8 stats on all your gear using scrolls from Endless Exchange
Get +10 stats on all your fashion using Curse of Goddess
Gear check!
7-star Bloodbane (Angelic+20, 10/10 A cards, end-game awake)
(5/5 monster cards, preferably with Kheldor card)
(optional: +20 element, if your class benefits from elemental damage)