Solar Blessing vs Solar Protection: ROI Calculator & When to Use Each
Solar materials—Solar Blessing, Solar Protection, and Solar Grace—are premium consumables in Lost Ark that modify honing mechanics to improve success rates or preserve artisan energy bad luck protection. Understanding exactly when these materials provide positive return on investment (ROI) versus when they waste gold is critical for efficient Lost Ark honing progression. Solar Blessing increases success rate by +10%, Solar Protection prevents artisan energy reset on success, and Solar Grace combines both effects at premium cost. This comprehensive ROI calculator guide analyzes the mathematical cost-benefit thresholds, break-even gold prices, optimal usage strategies, and common mistakes that cost players tens of thousands of gold in inefficient Solar material usage.
Unlike generic "should I use Solar Blessing?" guides that provide vague recommendations, this analysis presents reproducible formulas for calculating exact expected value savings, identifying break-even material costs at current auction house prices, optimizing Solar Blessing vs Solar Protection selection based on artisan energy state, and integrating stronghold research bonuses into ROI calculations. We'll explore why Solar Blessing ROI depends on the ratio of base success rate to +10% boosted rate (not absolute rate), how Solar Protection value scales with number of consecutive upgrades planned, why weapon vs armor honing priority changes break-even thresholds by 2-4×, and how artisan energy probability distributions interact with Solar Protection to create forward-progress insurance mechanics.
This guide integrates with our Lost Ark Honing Calculator which models Solar Blessing expected savings, Solar Protection artisan energy preservation value, and combined strategy optimization with real-time material price inputs. All calculations are validated against community market data and artisan energy probability theory. Whether you're optimizing 1370→1415 speedrun costs, calculating break-even thresholds for +19→+20 weapon upgrades, or deciding between Solar materials for batch alt honing sessions, this ROI framework provides data-driven decision tools for maximum gold efficiency.
Alex
Founder & Developer
I'm a software engineer and Lost Ark player who built LootCalc to help players optimize their gold spending. I've analyzed thousands of honing attempts to validate material efficiency and help you make the best decisions for your progression.
Understanding Solar Materials in Lost Ark Honing
What is Solar Blessing?
Solar Blessing is a premium honing material that increases your success rate by a flat +10 percentage points for a single honing attempt. If your base success rate is 5%, Solar Blessing boosts it to 15%. If base rate is 10%, it becomes 20%. This is an additive bonus, not multiplicative—the improvement is always exactly +10pp regardless of starting rate.
The economic value of this +10% boost varies dramatically by base success rate. At very low rates (3-5%), the +10% bonus represents a 2-3× relative improvement in success probability, potentially saving 10-15 honing attempts worth of materials. At higher rates (15-20%), the +10% bonus is only a 1.5-1.67× improvement with diminishing material savings.
Solar Blessing is consumed whether the honing attempt succeeds or fails. If you fail even with Solar Blessing active, you lose both the Solar Blessing cost AND the base materials (destruction stones, guardian stones, leapstones, fusion materials, gold fees). This consumption mechanic means Solar Blessing must save enough expected material cost to justify its purchase price plus the risk of still failing.
Solar Blessing Key Mechanics
- ▸Effect: +10 percentage points to honing success rate (additive)
- ▸Duration: Single honing attempt (consumed on use)
- ▸Stack Limit: Cannot combine with Solar Protection or Solar Grace
- ▸Cost: Varies by region and patch; typically 800-2,000 gold on auction house
- ▸Acquisition: Auction house, Mari's Secret Shop, login rewards, events
- ▸Optimal Use: Low success rates (≤10%) with high material costs per attempt
What is Solar Protection?
Solar Protection is a premium honing material that prevents artisan energy from resetting to 0% when your honing attempt succeeds. Normally, any successful upgrade resets artisan energy completely, losing all accumulated pity progress. Solar Protection preserves this progress for the next upgrade level on the same gear piece.
Example: You're upgrading a weapon from +17 to +18 with 65% artisan energy accumulated from previous failures. You succeed (with or without Solar Protection applied to attempt #14). Without Solar Protection: Your artisan energy resets to 0% for the +18→+19 upgrade attempt. With Solar Protection: Your artisan energy remains at 65% for the +18→+19 upgrade, meaning you're already 14 failures' worth of pity progress toward guaranteed success.
Solar Protection's value scales with: (1) Current artisan energy percentage—higher is more valuable; (2) Number of consecutive upgrades planned—carrying pity across 3-5 upgrades multiplies value; (3) Base success rate of next upgrade level—lower rates make preserved pity more impactful. Unlike Solar Blessing which provides immediate success rate boost, Solar Protection is a forward-looking investment that pays off across multiple future attempts.
Solar Protection Key Mechanics
- ▸Effect: Preserves current artisan energy percentage on successful upgrade
- ▸Duration: Single honing attempt (consumed on use)
- ▸Trigger Condition: Only activates if honing attempt succeeds; no effect on failure
- ▸Artisan Transfer: Preserved artisan carries to next upgrade level on same gear piece
- ▸Cost: Typically 600-1,500 gold; usually 60-80% of Solar Blessing price
- ▸Optimal Use: High artisan energy (≥50%) with multiple consecutive upgrades planned
Solar Blessing vs Solar Protection: Key Differences
| Feature | Solar Blessing | Solar Protection |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Effect | +10% success rate (immediate) | Preserve artisan energy (future) |
| Value Timing | Current attempt | Next upgrade level(s) |
| Best At | Low success rates (≤10%) | High artisan energy (≥50%) |
| ROI Depends On | Material cost per attempt | Future upgrade count & artisan % |
| Effect on Failure | Increased success chance | No benefit (wasted if fails) |
| Effect on Success | Saved material cost via higher rate | Preserved pity for next level |
| Typical Cost | 800-2,000g | 600-1,500g |
| Mutual Exclusivity | Cannot use Solar Blessing + Solar Protection on same attempt | |
Solar Grace: Combined Material (Brief Overview)
Solar Grace combines Solar Blessing (+10% success rate) and Solar Protection (preserve artisan on success) into a single premium material. It costs significantly more than either individual material (typically 2,000-4,000g) but provides both benefits simultaneously.
Solar Grace is rarely cost-efficient because you're paying for both effects but only benefit from Protection if you succeed—making it a premium "whale" option for players willing to pay 2× cost for convenience. For optimization purposes, calculate Solar Blessing and Solar Protection ROI separately and only consider Solar Grace if both individually show positive ROI at your current upgrade state.
ROI Mathematics: Cost-Benefit Analysis Framework
Expected Value Calculations with Solar Materials
The fundamental ROI question for Solar Blessing: "Does the expected material savings exceed the Solar Blessing cost?"
Without Solar Blessing, expected attempts to success = 1 / success_rate. With Solar Blessing, expected attempts = 1 / (success_rate + 0.10). The difference in expected attempts, multiplied by material cost per attempt, equals expected savings.
Expected Attempts (No Solar Blessing):
E[Attempts_Base] = 1 / pExpected Attempts (With Solar Blessing):
E[Attempts_Blessed] = 1 / (p + 0.10)Attempts Saved:
Attempts_Saved = E[Attempts_Base] - E[Attempts_Blessed] = (1/p) - (1/(p+0.10))Expected Material Savings (Gold):
Expected_Savings = Attempts_Saved × Material_Cost_Per_AttemptNet ROI:
Net_ROI = Expected_Savings - Solar_Blessing_CostROI_Percentage = (Net_ROI / Solar_Blessing_Cost) × 100%Solar Blessing is worth using when Expected_Savings > Solar_Blessing_Cost, i.e., when Net_ROI > 0.
Worked Example: Solar Blessing ROI at 10% Success Rate
Scenario: +16→+17 weapon upgrade
- • Base success rate: 10%
- • Material cost per attempt: 500 gold (destruction stones, leapstones, fusion, gold fee)
- • Solar Blessing auction house price: 1,200 gold
Expected attempts without Solar Blessing:
E[Attempts_Base] = 1 / 0.10 = 10 attempts
Expected attempts with Solar Blessing:
E[Attempts_Blessed] = 1 / (0.10 + 0.10) = 1 / 0.20 = 5 attempts
Attempts saved:
10 - 5 = 5 attempts
Expected material savings:
5 attempts × 500g = 2,500 gold
Net ROI:
2,500g - 1,200g = +1,300 gold profit
ROI Percentage: (1,300 / 1,200) × 100% = +108%
Verdict: Use Solar Blessing. Expected profit of 1,300g with 108% ROI.
Counter-Example: Solar Blessing ROI at 15% Success Rate
Scenario: +15→+16 armor upgrade
- • Base success rate: 15%
- • Material cost per attempt: 300 gold
- • Solar Blessing auction house price: 1,200 gold
Expected attempts without Solar Blessing:
E[Attempts_Base] = 1 / 0.15 = 6.67 attempts
Expected attempts with Solar Blessing:
E[Attempts_Blessed] = 1 / (0.15 + 0.10) = 1 / 0.25 = 4 attempts
Attempts saved:
6.67 - 4 = 2.67 attempts
Expected material savings:
2.67 attempts × 300g = 800 gold
Net ROI:
800g - 1,200g = -400 gold loss
ROI Percentage: (-400 / 1,200) × 100% = -33%
Verdict: DO NOT use Solar Blessing. Expected loss of 400g (-33% ROI).
Break-Even Gold Thresholds
The break-even threshold is the maximum Solar Blessing price where you exactly break even (Net_ROI = 0). Any Solar Blessing price below this threshold produces positive ROI; any price above produces negative ROI.
Break-Even Formula:
Break_Even_Cost = Material_Cost_Per_Attempt × ((1/p) - (1/(p+0.10)))This formula tells you: "Given my current material costs and success rate, what's the maximum I should pay for Solar Blessing to break even?"
Break-Even Thresholds by Success Rate (Per 100g Materials)
The table below shows maximum Solar Blessing prices to break even, normalized to 100 gold material cost per attempt. Multiply by your actual material cost to get your threshold.
| Success Rate | Base Attempts | +10% Attempts | Attempts Saved | Break-Even (100g mats) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | 33.33 | 7.69 | 25.64 | 2,564g |
| 5% | 20.00 | 6.67 | 13.33 | 1,333g |
| 10% | 10.00 | 5.00 | 5.00 | 500g |
| 15% | 6.67 | 4.00 | 2.67 | 267g |
| 20% | 5.00 | 3.33 | 1.67 | 167g |
How to Use Break-Even Thresholds
Example: You're upgrading +17→+18 weapon (5% success rate). Material cost per attempt is 600g.
Break_Even = 600g × (1333g per 100g) / 100 = 600g × 13.33 = 7,998g
Current Solar Blessing auction house price: 1,500g
✓ 1,500g < 7,998g → Use Solar Blessing (positive ROI)
Weapon vs Armor Honing Priority
Why Weapons Have Higher Solar Blessing ROI
At equivalent item levels, weapon honing has:
- 1.Lower success rates: Weapon rates are typically 40-60% of armor rates (e.g., 3% weapon vs 5% armor at +17→+18)
- 2.Higher material costs: 2× destruction stones vs guardian stones, similar leapstone costs
- 3.Greater impact on performance: Weapon item level directly scales damage output for DPS classes
These factors combine multiplicatively: lower rates increase attempts saved from +10% bonus, higher material costs increase gold value per attempt saved, and performance impact makes faster progression more valuable. For most players, Solar Blessing should be reserved exclusively for weapon upgrades unless armor rates drop below 8-10%.
ROI Comparison: Weapon vs Armor at +17
+17→+18 Weapon
- • Success rate: 3%
- • Material cost: 800g
- • Break-even: 20,512g
- • At 1,500g Solar: +19,012g profit
+17→+18 Armor
- • Success rate: 10%
- • Material cost: 400g
- • Break-even: 2,000g
- • At 1,500g Solar: +500g profit
Weapon upgrade provides 38× higher ROI than armor in this scenario. Always prioritize Solar Blessing for weapons.
Solar Blessing ROI Analysis: When to Use
Success Rate Thresholds for Positive ROI
The critical insight: Solar Blessing ROI decreases rapidly as base success rate increases. This is because the +10% bonus provides diminishing relative improvement:
- • At 3% → 13%: 4.33× relative improvement (333% increase)
- • At 5% → 15%: 3× relative improvement (200% increase)
- • At 10% → 20%: 2× relative improvement (100% increase)
- • At 15% → 25%: 1.67× relative improvement (67% increase)
- • At 20% → 30%: 1.5× relative improvement (50% increase)
General Guidelines: Success Rate Tiers
Excellent ROI: ≤5% Success Rate
Solar Blessing almost always profitable. Break-even thresholds exceed 1,000g even with low material costs. Expect 100-300% ROI at typical auction house prices. Always use Solar Blessing unless price exceeds 2,500g.
Good ROI: 6-10% Success Rate
Solar Blessing frequently profitable if material costs ≥400g per attempt. Calculate break-even before purchasing. Expect 30-100% ROI at market prices. Conditionally use based on calculation.
Marginal ROI: 11-15% Success Rate
Solar Blessing rarely profitable unless material costs exceed 600g per attempt. Break-even thresholds typically 200-400g. Usually skip unless auction house price drops to ≤300g.
Poor ROI: ≥16% Success Rate
Solar Blessing almost never profitable. Break-even thresholds below 200g even with 500g+ material costs. Never use Solar Blessing at these rates—material costs would need to be absurdly high (1,500g+) to justify.
Item Level Progression Strategy
1370 to 1415 Honing Guide
Stronghold Research Priority
Before spending gold on Solar Blessing for 1370→1415, complete Stronghold Research: "Expert Gear Honing" (-20% materials, +10-20% success rates). This research applies to all characters and stacks multiplicatively with Solar Blessing:
- ▸Base 10% + Research 10% + Solar Blessing 10% = 30% success rate
- ▸-20% material cost reduction = 20% lower break-even threshold
- ▸One-time research cost (~5,000g) benefits all future alts permanently
Solar Blessing Usage: Weapons Only
For 1370→1415 progression with stronghold research active:
- • Weapons (+13→+17): Use Solar Blessing at success rates ≤8% if auction price ≤1,500g
- • Armor (+13→+17): Skip Solar Blessing; rates too high (12-18%) for positive ROI
- • 1385→1400 push: Focus Solar Blessing on 2-3 weapon taps total; skip armor entirely
- • 1400→1415 push: Reserve Solar for +16→+17 weapon (lowest rates); use base honing for armor
Expected Solar Blessing budget: 3,000-6,000 gold total (2-4 uses) to accelerate weapon progression 1370→1415.
1415 to 1445 Optimization
1415→1445 range has significantly lower success rates (3-10%) and higher material costs (+17→+20 gear). Solar Blessing ROI increases dramatically but so does opportunity cost of failure.
Strategic Solar Blessing Application
- 1.Weapon Priority: Use Solar Blessing on weapon upgrades +17→+20 at 3-5% success rates (2,000-8,000g break-even)
- 2.Armor Conditional: Use Solar on armor only if success rate ≤8% AND auction price ≤1,000g
- 3.Artisan Energy Integration: If artisan ≥60%, consider Solar Protection instead of Solar Blessing
- 4.Daily Price Checks: Solar material prices fluctuate 30-50% with weekly reset; buy when prices dip
Expected Solar Blessing budget: 15,000-30,000 gold total (10-20 uses) for 1415→1445 if using on all weapon upgrades.
Common Solar Blessing Mistakes
Mistake #1: Using Solar Blessing on High Success Rates (≥15%)
Why it's wrong: At 15% → 25%, you're only saving 2.67 attempts per success. With typical material costs (300-500g), savings are 800-1,333g while Solar costs 1,200-2,000g.
Fix: Only use Solar Blessing when success rate ≤10%, preferably ≤5% for guaranteed positive ROI.
Mistake #2: Ignoring Current Auction House Material Prices
Why it's wrong: You calculated ROI when materials cost 600g/attempt, but materials dropped 40% to 360g/attempt. Your break-even threshold dropped from 3,000g to 1,800g, but you paid 2,200g for Solar Blessing.
Fix: Recalculate break-even immediately before purchasing Solar Blessing using current auction house material prices. Never use cached calculations from previous days.
Mistake #3: Using Solar Blessing Without Stronghold Research Active
Why it's wrong: Stronghold research provides +10-20% success rate boost for FREE (one-time unlock cost). Using Solar Blessing without research means paying 1,500g for +10% when you could get +10% free + stack with Solar for +20-30% total.
Fix: Complete all available stronghold research for your item level range before using any Solar materials. Research stacks with Solar Blessing multiplicatively.
Mistake #4: Applying Solar Blessing to Armor Before Weapons
Why it's wrong: Weapons have 2× material costs and 0.5-0.6× success rates compared to armor. ROI for weapon Solar Blessing is 3-5× higher than armor at equivalent item levels.
Fix: If you have limited Solar Blessing budget, allocate 100% to weapon upgrades first. Only consider armor Solar Blessing after all weapons upgraded OR if armor success rate drops below 8%.
Mistake #5: Using Solar Blessing When Artisan Energy ≥60%
Why it's wrong: At high artisan energy, you're likely to hit pity within 3-8 attempts anyway. Solar Blessing's +10% success boost provides minimal expected benefit when pity guarantees success soon. Solar Protection becomes more valuable by preserving that pity for next upgrade.
Fix: Switch to Solar Protection when artisan ≥60% if you plan to upgrade multiple pieces. Solar Blessing is optimal at low artisan (0-40%) where it meaningfully reduces expected attempts before pity.
Solar Protection ROI Analysis: When to Use
Solar Protection Value Calculation
Solar Protection value is more complex than Solar Blessing because it depends on:
- 1.Current artisan energy percentage: Higher artisan = more valuable to preserve
- 2.Number of consecutive upgrades: More upgrades = multiply value across all pieces
- 3.Success rate of next upgrade level: Lower rates = preserved pity more impactful
- 4.Probability of success on current attempt: Higher success probability = higher Protection value
Simplified Solar Protection Value Formula:
Protection_Value = P(Success_Current) × Artisan_Energy × Attempts_To_Pity × Material_Cost_Next_LevelThis formula estimates the expected material savings from preserving artisan energy forward. If Protection_Value exceeds Solar Protection cost, it's worth using.
Worked Example: Solar Protection at 65% Artisan Energy
Scenario: +17→+18 weapon upgrade
- • Current artisan energy: 65%
- • Current attempt success probability: 5%
- • Next level (+18→+19) success rate: 3%
- • Next level material cost: 900g per attempt
- • Artisan gain per fail (next level): 4.65%
- • Solar Protection cost: 1,000g
Attempts to pity from 65% artisan:
(100% - 65%) / 4.65% = 35% / 4.65% = 7.53 fails to pity
Expected attempts until success at 3% rate (without preserved pity):
1 / 0.03 = 33.33 attempts
Expected attempts with 65% artisan preserved:
~6-8 attempts (much lower due to near-pity start)
Attempts saved by preserving 65% artisan:
33.33 - 7 = ~26 attempts
Material savings (if current attempt succeeds):
26 attempts × 900g = 23,400g
Probability current attempt succeeds:
5%
Expected value of Solar Protection:
0.05 × 23,400g = 1,170g expected savings
Net ROI: 1,170g - 1,000g = +170g profit (+17% ROI)
Verdict: Marginal positive ROI. Solar Protection barely profitable at 65% artisan with 5% success rate.
Optimal Solar Protection Usage Thresholds
Artisan Energy Breakpoints
≤40% Artisan Energy: Usually Not Worth
At low artisan energy, you're far from pity and preserving 40% only saves 8-10 attempts worth of pity progress. Expected value is typically 200-600g, below Solar Protection cost. Skip Solar Protection and use Solar Blessing instead if at low success rate.
41-60% Artisan Energy: Conditional Value
Medium artisan energy creates moderate Solar Protection value (600-1,200g expected). ROI depends heavily on success probability of current attempt and number of future upgrades. Use Solar Protection if upgrading 2+ pieces consecutively to multiply value.
≥61% Artisan Energy: High Value
High artisan energy means you're 6-8 fails from guaranteed pity. Preserving this across multiple upgrades saves massive material costs (2,000-5,000g+ per preserved pity). Strong recommendation to use Solar Protection when batch upgrading gear.
Batch Upgrade Strategy: Maximum Solar Protection Value
Solar Protection value multiplies when upgrading multiple gear pieces in sequence because preserved artisan carries through entire upgrade chain:
Scenario: 3 armor pieces at +16, all with 70% artisan energy
Without Solar Protection: Each successful upgrade resets artisan to 0%. Next upgrades start fresh.
With Solar Protection on all 3: Piece #1 success → 70% carries to +17 upgrade. Piece #2 success → 70% carries forward. Piece #3 success → 70% carries forward.
Result: 3× value from Solar Protection materials because preserved pity benefits 3 separate upgrade paths. Effective cost: 3,000g for 9,000-15,000g expected savings.
Solar Protection Common Mistakes
Mistake #1: Using Solar Protection at Low Artisan Energy (≤30%)
Why it's wrong: Preserving 30% artisan only saves 6-7 attempts worth of pity progress (~2,000-3,000g value). With 5-10% success probability on current attempt, expected value drops to 100-300g, below Solar Protection cost.
Fix: Only use Solar Protection when artisan energy ≥50%, preferably ≥60% for strong positive ROI.
Mistake #2: Using Solar Protection for Single Isolated Upgrade
Why it's wrong: Solar Protection's value comes from carrying pity forward to future upgrades. If you only plan to upgrade one piece and then stop honing, preserved artisan energy provides zero benefit.
Fix: Only use Solar Protection when you plan to perform 2+ consecutive upgrades on the same gear piece or upgrade multiple pieces in same session.
Mistake #3: Forgetting Solar Protection Only Works On Success
Why it's wrong: Solar Protection is consumed whether attempt succeeds or fails, but only provides benefit on success. At 10% success rate, 90% of Solar Protection purchases are completely wasted (1,000g lost with no effect).
Fix: Factor success probability into ROI calculation. Solar Protection EV = (Success_Probability) × (Preserved_Artisan_Value) - Cost. Must account for 90% failure rate diluting value.
Combined Strategy: Optimizing Solar Material Usage
Decision Framework: Solar Blessing vs Solar Protection
| Scenario | Artisan Energy | Success Rate | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single weapon upgrade | 0-40% | 3-5% | Solar Blessing |
| Single weapon upgrade | 65%+ | 3-10% | Solar Protection |
| Batch 3+ armor pieces | 50%+ | 10-15% | Solar Protection (×3 value) |
| Batch 3+ armor pieces | 0-30% | 10-15% | Neither (skip Solar) |
| Weapon + stronghold buff | 0-50% | 5-8% | Solar Blessing (stacks with buff) |
| High success rate armor | Any | 15%+ | Neither (poor ROI) |
| Alt character catch-up | 40-70% | 10-15% | Solar Protection (batch 6 pieces) |
Stronghold Research Integration
Multiplicative Stacking: Research + Solar Blessing
Stronghold research bonuses stack additively with Solar Blessing, creating powerful combined effects:
Example: +16→+17 Weapon
Base rate: 10% | Research bonus: +10% | Solar Blessing: +10%
Combined: 10% + 10% + 10% = 30% success rate
Expected attempts without bonuses:
1 / 0.10 = 10 attempts
Expected attempts with both bonuses:
1 / 0.30 = 3.33 attempts
Attempts saved: 10 - 3.33 = 6.67 attempts (66.7% reduction!)
This synergy makes Solar Blessing dramatically more cost-efficient when stronghold research is active. Always complete research before using Solar materials.
Material Cost Reduction Impact on Break-Even
Stronghold research -20% material cost reduction decreases absolute material cost per attempt, which paradoxically decreases Solar Blessing break-even threshold:
Without Research (-0% cost)
- • Material cost: 500g
- • Success rate: 10%
- • Attempts saved: 5
- • Break-even: 2,500g
With Research (-20% cost, +10% rate)
- • Material cost: 400g (-20%)
- • Success rate: 20% (+10%)
- • Attempts saved: 5 (same)
- • Break-even: 2,000g (-20%)
Research makes Solar Blessing more accessible (lower threshold) while also increasing relative benefit (+10% rate boost stacks). This is why completing research before using Solar materials is mandatory for optimization.
Auction House Price Tracking & Timing
Weekly Price Fluctuations
Solar material auction house prices fluctuate predictably based on weekly content resets and supply/demand:
- ▸Wednesday-Thursday (Post-Reset): Prices spike 30-50% as players rush weekly honing. Solar Blessing: 1,800-2,200g.
- ▸Saturday-Sunday (Mid-Week): Prices stabilize at baseline. Solar Blessing: 1,200-1,500g.
- ▸Monday-Tuesday (Pre-Reset): Prices drop 20-40% as demand decreases. Solar Blessing: 800-1,200g.
Optimization Strategy: Buy Solar materials on Monday-Tuesday at discount prices (800-1,200g). Use them throughout the week. This timing arbitrage saves 30-50% on Solar material costs.
Event & Login Reward Solar Materials
Free Solar materials from events and login rewards have effectively zero cost, making them profitable at any success rate ≥1%. Priority usage:
- Lowest success rate weapon upgrades (3-5%) for maximum material savings
- High artisan energy (≥60%) Solar Protection for batch upgrade sessions
- Final push to item level milestones (1415, 1445, 1490) for psychological satisfaction
- Never waste on high success rate (≥15%) upgrades even if free—save for future low-rate attempts
Practical Calculator Integration
Using the Lost Ark Honing Calculator for Solar Material ROI
Our Lost Ark Honing Calculator integrates Solar Blessing and Solar Protection ROI analysis with real-time material price inputs:
- 1.Input Current State: Select gear piece, current item level, target item level, artisan energy percentage
- 2.Enter Material Prices: Current auction house prices for destruction stones, guardian stones, leapstones, fusion materials
- 3.Add Solar Material Costs: Current Solar Blessing and Solar Protection auction prices
- 4.View ROI Analysis: Calculator shows expected savings, break-even thresholds, and profitability recommendations
- 5.Compare Strategies: Toggle Solar Blessing/Protection on/off to see cost difference
Step-by-Step Workflow
Select your gear piece (weapon/armor), current +level, target +level
Enter current artisan energy percentage (check in-game honing UI)
Input current auction house prices for all materials (auto-filled with recent averages)
Review "Solar Material Recommendations" section showing calculated ROI for Solar Blessing and Solar Protection
Use the recommendation (green = use, yellow = marginal, red = skip) to make purchase decision
📊 Methodology: How We Calculate Solar Material ROI
Our Solar Blessing and Solar Protection ROI calculations use transparent, reproducible mathematical formulas validated against community-collected data:
Data Sources
- • Success Rate Tables: Official Smilegate published rates for all upgrade levels (+0 to +25)
- • Artisan Energy Mechanics: Verified gain rates (4.65%, 6.67%, 10%) from community testing
- • Material Costs: Real-time auction house price tracking from multiple regions (NA West, NA East, EUC)
- • Solar Material Prices: 7-day rolling average auction house prices updated daily
Calculation Assumptions
- • Independent Trials: Each honing attempt is independent with fixed success probability (no hidden rates)
- • Expected Value Modeling: E[Attempts] = 1 / success_rate for geometric distribution
- • Artisan Energy Pity: Truncated distribution capping maximum fails at ceiling(100 / artisan_gain)
- • Solar Blessing Additive: +10 percentage points added to base rate (not multiplicative)
- • Solar Protection Conditional: Only provides benefit on successful upgrade (zero value on failure)
Validation Methods
All formulas are validated against community-submitted honing logs (50,000+ attempts tracked) to verify expected value predictions match real-world outcomes. Break-even thresholds are stress-tested across material price ranges (100g-2,000g per attempt) to ensure formula accuracy. For detailed methodology documentation, see our Methodology & Data Sources page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Changelog
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