Kinah LedgerNightmare Altar guide
A solo trial: clear three rooms, then fight Divided Aponos. The death limit is the real danger.
- Prep
Before you go
Nightmare Altar · Ascension Trial- Level
- 45
- Item level
- 1,000 · Challenge 2,500
Entry by difficultyEasy Normal Hard Challenge Level 45 45 45 45 Item level 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 Party Solo Solo Solo Solo Deaths allowed 5 3 2 2 Entries a week 3, shared 3, shared 3, shared 3, shared 3 entries a week, spent when you walk inNo Exploration or Conquest: you pick one of 4 difficulties
Know this first- Three entries a weekAll trials share them. Reset Wednesday 07:00 UTC
- Open every other weekIt alternates with Sanctum of Loathing
- Pick a tier you can finishA failed run still costs the entry
- Keep a stun break readySave it for Smite Ground and Energy Cannon
- Run it late in the weekYour item level may reach a higher tier
Watch a full runAION 2 Nightmare Altar Easy · AD Mones · 12 Oct 2026Chosen by us. Plays on YouTube when you press it.
- 1Enter the trialSolo. This spends 1 of your 3 weekly entries.
- 2Clear room 1Kill every pack. Pick up the buffs.
- 3On to rooms 2 and 3Same again. The buffs are random.
Stuns and knockdowns, with few deaths to spare on harder tiers.
The fight- Smite GroundDodge it, or break the stun1 s cast, then a 2.5 s stun
- Energy CannonDodge it, or cleanse the knockdown2 s cast, then a 3 s knockdown
- Energy ExplosionKeep movingShort 1.2 s castOne source
- Meteor BlastDon't stand stillLong 2 s castOne source
- Storm Fist, Shatter GroundKeep dodgingFast 1.2 s castsOne source
- Shadow TeleportStay on himHe blinks away, 0.3 s castOne source
- Finish
Collect your score
Rewards follow your final score- 4. Check your scoreRewards follow your final score.
No gear or Stigma Shards, only materialsYour final score sets the amount
- If it goes wrong
If you wipe
- Running out of deaths5 on Easy, 3 on Normal, 2 above
- Stunned with no breakSmite Ground and Energy Cannon lock you down
- Running out of timeSlow room clears eat the clock
- Leaving earlyThe entry is spent the moment you walk in
- Hard and ChallengeOnly 2 deaths, and tougher enemies
Monsters
Questions
How many bosses are in Nightmare Altar?
One: Divided Aponos. It is a solo Ascension Trial, so you clear three rooms of monsters and then fight him, with no party and no mid-bosses.
What item level do you need for Nightmare Altar, and is there a Hard mode?
Level 45, and a difficulty to pick instead of Exploration and Conquest: Easy needs item level 1,000, Normal 1,500, Hard 2,000 and Challenge 2,500. Global sources list those four; some sites also show Insane and Hell.
How many times a week can you run Nightmare Altar?
You get three Ascension Trial entries a week, used up when you enter rather than when you win, and they reset on Wednesday at 07:00 UTC. Only one of the two Season 1 trials is open each week.
What does Nightmare Altar drop?
Enhance Stones, Growth Pet Chests, Amplify Stone Fragments (Unique) and Ascension Binding Chests, which hold a manastone or soulstone. It pays no gear or Stigma Shards, and your final score sets how much you get.
Is Nightmare Altar the same as Nightmare?
No. Nightmare is a separate solo boss ladder with its own attempts and rewards. Nightmare Altar is an Ascension Trial against Divided Aponos.
Sources. Written by Kinah Ledger in our own words, checked against Aion 2 Maps: Dungeons and raids, Aion 2 Maps: Global differences, Aion 2 Maps: Daily and weekly, MetaBot: Nightmare Altar, MetaBot: Divided Aponos, Game8: Ascension Trials, GamesFuze: Ascension Trial guide, AION 2 Wiki (Fextralife): Ascension Trial, AION 2 Quest: Nightmare Altar, AD Mones (YouTube). Boss art, entry rules and loot from the game files via MetaBot.GG. Global version, checked 23 October 2026. Report a mistake