A refining budget must include attempts spent recovering lost levels. A method that resets equipment to +0 can consume far more Mirage Celestones than the sum of one successful attempt at each level suggests. Choose the equipment, its current refinement and your target in the refining calculator, then compare methods under the same starting conditions.
What happens when refinement fails?
The failure rule changes the route back to your target. Mirage Celestones and Tienkang Stones can reset the refinement. Tisha Stones lose one level instead, while Chienkun Stones preserve the current level. A matching Dragon Orb guarantees the next level. Protection against loss and success chance are different properties; a preserved level does not imply a cheap successful attempt.
| Method | On failure |
|---|---|
| Mirage Celestone | Refinement returns to +0. |
| Tienkang Stone | Refinement returns to +0. |
| Tisha Stone | Refinement loses one level, never below +0. |
| Chienkun Stone | Refinement stays at its current level. |
| D. Orb (1 Star) | The next level is guaranteed with the matching Dragon Orb. |
The calculator keeps one method for the complete plan. It does not choose an optimal mixture of stones or claim that the cheapest average method is best for your available budget. Compare alternatives, then decide how much uncertainty you are prepared to accept.
Why does a small upgrade need recovery attempts?
Use Refined Sword, starting at +0 and targeting +2 with Mirage Celestones. This weapon consumes two stones per attempt. The first step has a 50% chance and the second a 30% chance in this plan.
Treating the steps independently would give 2 + 3.333 attempts. That misses the resets from +1. Accounting for the need to earn +1 again gives 10 attempts on average, or 20 Mirage Celestones. These are expected values across repeated runs of the plan; an individual weapon can finish sooner or need more stones.
Open that +0 to +2 example. Keep the weapon fixed when comparing methods so a different Mirage cost per attempt does not distort the result.
How should you compare stones and orbs?
Compare the predicted attempts, Mirage consumption and the individual aid quantities. The guaranteed route needs an orb matching each next level; buying several low-level orbs is not the same operation as having every required higher-level orb. Follow the material links and check the item names before pricing the plan.
For chance-based methods, compare the failure rule as well as the displayed total. A low average does not place a ceiling on a bad run. Stop at a target you can afford to reach without using materials reserved for the replacement item itself.
What should you check before spending?
Decide whether this is equipment you will keep. Use the equipment comparison to review the replacement's requirements and base attributes first. Refinement is an improvement to a chosen item; it does not remove the item's level or attribute requirements.
Find Mirage Celestone sources before counting your supply as ready. The source finder can lead to a recipe, quest or other acquisition path, but a listed source is not a promise that the item is free or immediately available. Save the named share link after setting your starting level, target and method so the same estimate can be reopened later.