Raptor +7 vs +8: Expected Upgrade Cost Explained
Use a Raptor catalogue example to show the difference between item-stat improvement, chain success, expected attempts and user-entered market cost.

Is Upgrading Your Raptor Worth It?
You're probably wondering if pushing your Raptor from +7 to +8 is a good idea. Many players face this decision. It's not just about the stat gain. You also need to consider the cost and the risk involved. This guide will break down the expected cost. We'll look at the numbers to help you decide.
Understanding the Raptor's Power Boost
First, let's see what you gain by upgrading. We'll use Hepa's Raptor as our example. This is a popular weapon for Warriors and Kurians. The stat increases are small but important. Every point of attack power helps your damage per second (DPS).
A +7 Hepa's Raptor has 198 attack power. It also adds 83 poison damage. You need 224 Strength to wield it. Moving to +8 changes these numbers. A +8 Hepa's Raptor gives 201 attack power. Its poison damage increases to 84. The Strength requirement goes up to 228. That's a +3 attack, +1 poison, and +4 Strength needed. These small boosts add up in combat.
How Item Upgrades Work in Knight Online
Upgrading items in Knight Online is always a gamble. You use an upgrade scroll on your item. There's a chance it will succeed. If it fails, your item is destroyed. This is why calculating expected cost is so important. You need to account for potential losses. Each attempt carries the risk of losing your base item. This system makes high-level upgrades expensive and nerve-wracking.
Estimating Success Rates and Costs
Official upgrade probabilities are never released by the game publisher. We rely on community testing and experience. For a +7 to +8 upgrade using a Blessed Upgrade Scroll, a 20% success rate is a common assumption. This means, on average, you'd expect to fail four times for every one success. This assumption forms the core of our cost calculation.
We also need current market prices. These prices change often. For our example, let's assume the following: A +7 Hepa's Raptor costs 1,000,000,000 Noah (1 Billion). A Blessed Upgrade Scroll costs 50,000,000 Noah (50 Million). These are user-entered assumptions for this calculation. Always check the market before you start upgrading.
Calculating Expected Attempts and Total Cost
The expected number of attempts is simple to figure out. It's 1 divided by the success probability. If your success rate is 20% (or 0.20), then:
`Expected Attempts = 1 / 0.20 = 5 attempts`
This means you'd expect to try 5 times to get one successful +8 item. Now, let's calculate the expected total cost. Each failed attempt means you lose the +7 item and the scroll. A successful attempt only costs the scroll. The formula accounts for these losses.
Using our assumed numbers, we can calculate the expected total cost:
`Expected Total Cost = (1 / 0.20) × (1,000,000,000 Noah + 50,000,000 Noah)`
`Expected Total Cost = 5 × 1,050,000,000 Noah`
`Expected Total Cost = 5,250,000,000 Noah`
So, you would expect to spend around 5.25 Billion Noah to make a +8 Hepa's Raptor from a +7. This number represents the average cost over many attempts. Your personal experience might be higher or lower.
Expected Attempts = 1 / Success Probability
Expected Total Cost = (1 / Success Probability) × (Cost of Base Item + Cost of Upgrade Scroll)Raptor +7 vs +8: A Cost-Benefit Table
Here’s a summary of the stats and costs. This comparison table helps you decide between buying different upgrade levels of the Raptor or attempting to upgrade your own. Remember, market prices for items can fluctuate. For our example, we'll assume a direct purchase of a +8 Hepa's Raptor costs 3,500,000,000 Noah (3.5 Billion), and a +6 costs 300,000,000 Noah (0.3 Billion).
This table clearly shows the stat differences across various upgrade levels. It also highlights the financial choices. The expected upgrade cost from +7 to +8 is significantly higher than buying a +8 directly. This is a key takeaway from our calculation. You are paying for the chance to save money, but the odds are against it.
| Item | Attack | Poison | Required STR | Market Price (Noah) | Expected Upgrade Cost (Noah) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hepa's Raptor +6 | 195 | 82 | 220 | 300,000,000 | N/A |
| Hepa's Raptor +7 | 198 | 83 | 224 | 1,000,000,000 | N/A |
| Hepa's Raptor +8 | 201 | 84 | 228 | 3,500,000,000 | 5,250,000,000 |
Making Your Decision: Upgrade or Buy?
Based on our example, the expected cost to upgrade a +7 Raptor to +8 is 5.25 Billion Noah. However, you could buy a +8 Raptor directly for 3.5 Billion Noah. This is a huge difference. Buying the +8 directly is much cheaper and safer. You avoid all the risk of item destruction. That extra cost is hard to justify.
I would only upgrade if +8 Raptors were unavailable on the market. Or perhaps if their market price was much higher. For this target, buying a +8 is the clear winner. You save 1.75 Billion Noah and avoid the frustration of failures. Always compare the expected upgrade cost with the direct market price. This strategy helps you make smart gear choices. It keeps your build strong without unnecessary spending.
Limitations and verification notes
- Market prices and item values can change between servers.
- The calculated result is an estimate, not a guaranteed outcome.
- Game updates, events and server-specific settings may change the result.

This guide provides a detailed breakdown of the expected costs for upgrading a Raptor from +7 to +8 in Knight Online, comparing it against direct market purchase prices. It uses clear calculations and market assumptions to help players make informed decisions on gear progression.