Essence Stones are a valuable Hero Gear resource used to increase the Mastery Forging level of Mythic gear. Because every Mastery level becomes more expensive, spending them without a clear plan can slow the development of your strongest march.
This Whiteout Survival Essence Stones guide explains how Mastery Forging works, how many stones each level requires, where to obtain them, and which gear pieces deserve priority.
You will also find direct answers to common questions, including how many Essence Stones are needed for level 10 and the total required to reach Mastery level 20.
What Are Essence Stones in Whiteout Survival?
Essence Stones are upgrade materials used in the Mastery Forging system. Mastery Forging is separate from normal Hero Gear enhancement and provides an additional percentage-based improvement to the bonuses supplied by an eligible gear piece.
The upgrade is attached to the gear itself rather than a specific hero. This allows an upgraded gear piece to remain useful when it is moved to another compatible hero of the same troop type.
Important distinction: Essence Stones upgrade standard Mythic Hero Gear through Mastery Forging. They are not the same as Widgets, which are used for hero-specific Exclusive Gear.
How to Unlock Mastery Forging
Two requirements must be completed before Essence Stones can be used:
- Your Furnace must reach level 20.
- The target Mythic, or gold-quality, Hero Gear must reach Enhancement level 20.
Once both conditions are met, select the eligible gear piece from the Hero Gear screen. The Mastery Forging option should appear alongside the normal enhancement option.
If the button is missing, confirm that you selected Mythic gear rather than Epic gear and that the individual piece has reached Enhancement level 20. Reaching Furnace level 20 alone is not enough.
How Many Essence Stones Do You Need?
The cost increases by 10 Essence Stones for every Mastery level. Mastery level 1 costs 10 stones, level 2 costs 20, and the pattern continues until level 20 costs 200 stones for that individual upgrade.
Quick answer for level 10: Upgrading from Mastery level 9 to level 10 costs 100 Essence Stones. Starting from Mastery level 0, reaching level 10 requires 550 Essence Stones in total.
Essence Stone Cost Formula
The cost of the next upgrade can be calculated with this simple formula:
Cost of a Mastery level = target level × 10
For example:
- Mastery level 5 costs 5 × 10 = 50 Essence Stones.
- Mastery level 10 costs 10 × 10 = 100 Essence Stones.
- Mastery level 20 costs 20 × 10 = 200 Essence Stones.
To calculate the cumulative total from level 0 to a target level, use:
Total Essence Stones = 5 × target level × (target level + 1)
Players who do not want to calculate the totals manually can use the full table below.
Whiteout Survival Essence Stone Cost Table
| Target Mastery Level | Stones for This Level | Cumulative Stones | Additional Mythic Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 10 | None |
| 2 | 20 | 30 | None |
| 3 | 30 | 60 | None |
| 4 | 40 | 100 | None |
| 5 | 50 | 150 | None |
| 6 | 60 | 210 | None |
| 7 | 70 | 280 | None |
| 8 | 80 | 360 | None |
| 9 | 90 | 450 | None |
| 10 | 100 | 550 | None |
| 11 | 110 | 660 | 1 piece |
| 12 | 120 | 780 | 2 pieces |
| 13 | 130 | 910 | 3 pieces |
| 14 | 140 | 1,050 | 4 pieces |
| 15 | 150 | 1,200 | 5 pieces |
| 16 | 160 | 1,360 | 6 pieces |
| 17 | 170 | 1,530 | 7 pieces |
| 18 | 180 | 1,710 | 8 pieces |
| 19 | 190 | 1,900 | 9 pieces |
| 20 | 200 | 2,100 | 10 pieces |
Reaching Mastery level 20 from level 0 requires 2,100 Essence Stones. Levels 11 through 20 also consume a combined total of 55 additional Mythic Hero Gear pieces.
Late-game cost warning: The table covers the resources used for Mastery Forging. Legendary ascension, normal gear enhancement, Mithril milestones, and other advanced gear requirements are separate costs. Check the live upgrade screen before consuming rare materials.
How to Get Essence Stones in Whiteout Survival
Essence Stones can come from alliance activities, shops, missions, rotating events, chests, and optional packs. However, availability may depend on your state age, event rotation, account progression, or current game version.
Recurring Alliance and Gameplay Sources
- Bear Hunt: Participate consistently with an active alliance and follow the alliance’s rally instructions.
- Intel and Growth Missions: Some mission rewards and progression stages may include Essence Stones.
- Alliance Mobilization: Complete suitable tasks and work toward individual or alliance reward milestones.
Bear Hunt is particularly useful because it appears regularly and rewards coordinated alliance participation. The quantity earned can depend on performance and the active reward structure.
Shops and Exchange Locations
Depending on what is currently available in your state, check the following locations:
- Arena Shop
- Foundry Shop
- Canyon Shop
- VIP Shop
- Mystery Shop
- Frostdragon Tyrant Shop
- Tundra Trading Station
Do not buy Essence Stones automatically whenever they appear. Compare their price with other scarce items available for the same currency, especially Mythic Hero Gear and materials needed for your immediate progression target.
Rotating Events, Missions, and Chests
Essence Stones may also appear in events or reward systems such as:
- Officer Project
- Frosty Fortune
- Mia’s Fortune
- Frostdragon Tyrant
- Hero missions
- Seasonal or state-progression events
- Mastery or event reward chests
- Limited deals and packs
Event rewards can change. Always inspect the current event panel instead of assuming that an older reward list still applies to your state.
Best Way to Spend Essence Stones
The most efficient strategy is usually to strengthen a limited number of important gear pieces instead of spreading stones across every hero.
1. Build One Strong Main March First
Start with the Hero Gear used by your primary march. A focused march is generally more useful for rallies, PvP, events, Arena battles, and difficult PvE content than several incomplete secondary sets.
Because normal Hero Gear can be moved between compatible heroes, you do not need a fully upgraded set for every hero you own.
2. Maintain One Core Set for Each Troop Type
A practical long-term target is one developed set for your main Infantry hero, one for your main Lancer, and one for your main Marksman. When you replace a hero with a stronger hero from a newer generation, transfer the appropriate gear set instead of beginning again.
3. Match the Upgrade to the Hero’s Role
Review the bonuses shown on each gear piece before spending stones. For a frontline hero, survivability-related bonuses may provide more immediate value. For a primary damage dealer, an offensive piece may be a better first investment.
The correct choice depends on the hero, troop type, gear slot, and content you prioritize. Avoid following a universal order without checking what the individual piece improves.
4. Use Reachable Mastery Milestones
Do not begin an expensive upgrade path without knowing whether you can complete the next useful level. Useful planning checkpoints include:
- Mastery level 5: 150 cumulative Essence Stones.
- Mastery level 10: 550 cumulative Essence Stones.
- Mastery level 15: 1,200 cumulative Essence Stones, plus late-game gear requirements.
- Mastery level 20: 2,100 cumulative Essence Stones, plus late-game gear requirements.
5. Consider Event Timing Before Upgrading
Some competitive events may award points for using Essence Stones or completing Hero Gear-related upgrades. Saving stones until a relevant scoring stage can provide event progress alongside the permanent gear improvement.
Event tasks are not identical in every rotation. Confirm that the active event specifically rewards the action you are about to perform before delaying an upgrade.
Practical rule: Save when an event is approaching and your current strength is sufficient. Upgrade immediately when the improvement will help your alliance or allow you to complete important content that would otherwise remain inaccessible.
Essence Stone Strategy for Different Players
Beginner and Free-to-Play Strategy
- Reach Furnace level 20 and develop one complete Mythic set for each troop type.
- Upgrade the gear used by your main march before secondary heroes.
- Participate consistently in Bear Hunt and alliance events.
- Compare shop prices instead of purchasing every available stone.
- Work toward manageable Mastery milestones rather than attempting level 20 immediately.
- Save upgrades for scoring events when doing so will not block normal progress.
Competitive and Advanced Strategy
- Calculate the exact number of stones needed for the next planned Mastery breakpoint.
- Reserve spare Mythic gear before committing to levels above 10.
- Coordinate major upgrades with State of Power or other relevant scoring events.
- Concentrate resources on the gear sets used by your strongest battle formation.
- Include Legendary ascension, Mithril, and enhancement costs in the same progression plan.
Comparing Established-State Progression Options
Players joining friends in an older state sometimes compare normal progression with an established wos account for sale. Before considering an account, review its state number, Furnace level, heroes, Hero Gear, Chief Gear, transfer eligibility, binding method, and account-recovery security rather than judging it by total power alone.
Common Essence Stone Mistakes
- Upgrading too many sets: Dividing stones among several secondary heroes delays meaningful progress on your main march.
- Confusing enhancement with Mastery: Furnace level 20 does not make every Mythic item eligible. The selected gear must also reach Enhancement level 20.
- Ignoring cumulative costs: Mastery level 10 costs 100 stones for the final step but 550 stones in total from level 0.
- Spending event currency without comparing alternatives: Essence Stones may compete with Mythic gear or other scarce materials in the same shop.
- Starting levels above 10 without spare gear: Later Mastery levels require both stones and additional Mythic Hero Gear.
- Following an outdated reward list: Event and shop availability can change between states and game updates.
- Delaying every upgrade for events: Saving resources is useful, but not when an immediate upgrade would unlock valuable progression or improve important alliance performance.
FAQ
What are Essence Stones used for in Whiteout Survival?
Essence Stones are used to increase the Mastery Forging level of eligible Mythic Hero Gear. Mastery Forging adds an additional percentage-based improvement to the bonuses provided by the selected gear piece.
When can you start using Essence Stones?
You can begin using Essence Stones after your Furnace reaches level 20 and the target Mythic Hero Gear reaches Enhancement level 20. Both requirements must be completed.
How many Essence Stones are needed for Mastery Forging level 10?
The upgrade from Mastery level 9 to level 10 costs 100 Essence Stones. Reaching Mastery level 10 from level 0 costs 550 Essence Stones in total.
How many Essence Stones are needed for Mastery level 20?
The individual upgrade to Mastery level 20 costs 200 stones. Reaching level 20 from level 0 requires 2,100 Essence Stones.
Levels 11 through 20 also require additional Mythic Hero Gear. Legendary ascension, Mithril, and normal enhancement costs are separate.
Can Essence Stones be used on Epic Hero Gear?
No. Mastery Forging is designed for eligible Mythic, or gold-quality, Hero Gear. Epic gear cannot be upgraded through this system.
Where can free-to-play players get Essence Stones?
Free-to-play players should regularly participate in Bear Hunt, alliance events, missions, and rotating activities. They can also check the Arena, Foundry, Canyon, Frostdragon, Mystery, and other available shops.
The available sources and reward quantities may vary, so check the current in-game menus.
Which Hero Gear should receive Essence Stones first?
Prioritize gear used by your primary march. Build one strong set for each troop type and focus first on the pieces that best support each hero’s role instead of spreading stones across every available hero.
Should you save Essence Stones for State of Power?
Saving stones can be efficient when the current State of Power preparation tasks award points for using Essence Stones. Check the live event panel first because scoring tasks and rotations may change.
Conclusion
This Whiteout Survival Essence Stones guide shows why careful planning matters. Each Mastery level costs 10 more stones than the previous one, resulting in a total cost of 550 stones for level 10 and 2,100 stones for level 20.
For most players, the best strategy is to develop the Hero Gear used by one strong main march. Maintain one core gear set for each troop type, transfer those sets when changing heroes, and avoid dividing scarce stones among unnecessary secondary equipment.
Remember that events, shops, and reward rotations can differ between states. Check the current in-game panels before spending shop currency or delaying an upgrade for event points.
For more resource planning, gear advice, and practical progression strategies, explore our collection of Whiteout Survival guides.
