To rapidly increase your combat power in Ares: The Iron Vanguard, redeem active promo codes, build a dedicated high-damage stage-clearing squad, and target specific progression milestones rather than farming generic experience.
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Redeem Active Codes and Build an XP Farming Team
Start by checking for and redeeming any currently active redemption codes in the settings menu to claim free starter items and upgrade materials.
To maintain steady account growth, build a dedicated XP farming team focused on raw damage output and fast area clears:
- Prioritize High-Output Units: Concentrate leveling resources into high-damage units that reduce stage clear times. Faster clears yield more daily experience and crafting materials.
- Avoid Thin Resource Spreading: Focus on a core squad capable of meeting requirements for higher-tier zones before investing in secondary units.
- Maintain Daily Clear Routines: Consistent daily stage clears generate a steady stream of upgrade materials needed for long-term progression.
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Overcome Guardian Rank Walls with Regional Quests
Progression halts at specific "Guardian Rank Walls" when character levels or rank promotion prerequisites are not met. Brute-forcing these barriers with un-upgraded equipment wastes resources.
Identify Guardian Wall Requirements ──> Complete Regional Quests ──> Unlock Promotion Milestones
- Check Rank Requirements: Open the rank promotion menu to identify whether the bottleneck is base level, specific quest clears, or reputation thresholds.
- Clear Regional Quests: Complete all regional quests in your current zone before moving to new maps. These chains provide the exact unlocks, currencies, and materials required for Guardian Rank advancement.
- Target Specific Prerequisites: Pivot daily routines away from generic farming and directly toward missing quest milestones until the rank wall breaks.
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Craft Gear and Manage Skill Upgrade Resources
Relying entirely on random gear drops leads to uneven stat growth. Use targeted crafting and controlled resource management to upgrade equipment and skills systematically.
| Progression System | Priority Action | Key Execution Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Gear Crafting | Forge high-tier pieces | Target gear recipes that grant the largest power jumps for your main suit; farm designated zone bosses for missing components. |
| Skill Upgrades | Maximize main suit abilities | Focus skill materials on your primary suit's highest-impact skills before spending resources on secondary suits. |
| Regen Tickets | Time ticket usage | Save regen tickets (regen tix) for long farming sessions when inventory space is open and active playtime is available. |
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Complete Collections for Permanent Stat Boosts
The collection system provides permanent passive stat increases across all your suits. Register extra gear, materials, and set items as you acquire them.
- Register Excess Gear: Submit duplicate or secondary equipment into collection slots to secure global power increases.
- Complete Item Sets: Review incomplete collection entries and target specific zone drops to finish partial sets.
- Treat as Long-Term Growth: Consistent collection registration creates a baseline stat boost that makes campaign chapters and high-tier dungeons easier over time.

COMMUNITY
Player Comments
69 players commented on this guide.
The explanation is clear, especially for beginners.
Good guide for HOT players. The resources part was useful.
The tips are practical and easy to follow.
Nice guide. I am checking the other HOT articles next.