A four-Stigma set is a combination
Choose the core skills together. For Gladiator, a repeated-Slam plan depends on the interaction between Raging Burst and Overhead Slam; removing the activation piece changes what the spender can do. Assassin, Sorcerer and Spiritmaster similarly need their preparation to match the attacks that follow.
Use a flex swap to answer a specific encounter problem. A recovery option may replace a block when blocking is unnecessary, while a protective option may replace damage when casts are repeatedly interrupted. Keep four equipped and account for the interaction you removed.
Base level and total level are different
Base investment is the rank you purchase directly. Total skill level may include equipment and progression bonuses. When an option says it requires a total rank, compare it with the total shown in the client after every gear change.
The secondary reference used for the base-class guides describes one specialty slot at total 8, two at 12, access to all options at 16 and a third slot at 20. These are reference-client checkpoints, not a promise for every regional patch. Read the current unlock and slot text before choosing an option.
Access to five options does not mean you can equip all five. The reviewed total-16 reference still has two slots. If a build demonstrates three selected options, confirm whether it uses a higher total rank.
Specialties can change the rotation
A cooldown change can increase how often a skill is available, but it may leave the original activation requirement intact. A recovery option may also depend on a critical hit, so its sustain changes with the encounter and the rest of your build.
Before adopting a developed rotation, check the required total rank, the selected specialty, the enabling Stigma and the resource plan. If one piece is missing, keep an early rotation that works without it.
Upgrade the skills you use
Unlock the intended starting set, establish the core loop and improve its most useful interactions before spreading investment over every alternative. A situational replacement deserves materials when you actually need to use it.
Keep defensive actions deliberate. An emergency heal, control break or protective skill should remain available for the event that justifies the slot. Putting it into an unconditional macro can consume it before the mechanic arrives.
Recheck after equipment changes
A gear replacement can lower one total rank while improving another. Record which thresholds your current plan needs and compare them after the change. The displayed combat-power increase does not guarantee the new setup preserves your interaction.
Use the build planner to record the four Stigma choices and encounter notes. It is a planning notebook: it does not calculate DPS, validate specialty unlocks or infer the regional version of your character.
How do these choices change a real loadout?
A higher-value item removes a skill option
Compare the total level before and after the replacement for each skill your rotation requires. If the old item supplied a needed bonus, the new item can leave the selected interaction unavailable despite increasing another displayed value. Confirm the option and available slots in the client rather than counting base investment alone.
Decide whether to retain the old item, restore the relevant total through another legitimate source, or use a simpler sequence. This guide cannot determine the best trade without your actual items. The useful question is which interaction changed, not whether every higher-value item must be worse.
A defensive Stigma changes how the opener is prepared
On the cited Assassin reference, Evasive Stance can replace Savage Fang. The swap supplies a defensive response but changes the preparation of Insignias. Keep the remaining burst pieces and inspect how the current attacks build the required state instead of assuming the original opener remains identical.
A flex replacement has both a purpose and a cost. Apply the same reasoning to other classes: identify what the removed Stigma contributed, which part of the setup remains, and what encounter problem the new choice addresses. Record that condition alongside the four equipped choices.
What should you check before investing?
How many Stigmas do these AION 2 starting plans equip?
Each starting plan on this site equips four Stigmas. Alternatives are replacements for a situational need, not extra simultaneous slots. Preserve the main interaction and account for the contribution of the removed skill. Check your current regional client before applying the referenced setup.
Does a total skill level prove every specialty is equipped?
No. Access to an option and the number of available specialty slots are different conditions. The reviewed reference describes unlock checkpoints and slot limits separately. Read both in your current tooltip, then check which options are actually selected; reaching a total rank does not automatically select every available benefit.
Does removing a cooldown remove an activation condition?
Not necessarily. A conditional attack can still require its trigger even when a selected option changes the cooldown. The Gladiator Overhead Slam example is one reason to check the enabling Stigma, specialty and activation rule together. Keep a functioning filler sequence when the conditional attack is unavailable.
Sources and scope
These are editorial decisions drawn from the references below. Official pages establish class identity and announcements; secondary guides supply the reference-client loadout examples. Check your current regional tooltips before applying a numeric unlock or skill interaction.
- NC: official game and class introduction: primary class reference.
- NC: regional update notices: check dated changes.
- AION2 Codex: Gladiator reference-client guide: secondary loadout and skill reference.
- AION2 Codex: Assassin reference-client guide: secondary loadout and skill reference.
These decisions are not controlled DPS tests or a current-patch class ranking. Editorial policy · Submit a correction.