The Elite Transition Checklist

Unlocking and Deciding When to Move

• ▸Defeating Loghorrean (the Act 4 final boss) on Normal/Veteran unlocks both Elite and Ultimate for that character (since v1.2.0.0; not retroactive).
• ▸Resistances are the go/no-go axis: Elite applies -25% to primary resistances (Fire, Cold, Lightning, Poison & Acid, Pierce), so check whether your key resistances hold up on the character sheet.
• ▸Pushing on while dying repeatedly loses XP too (death loss plus grave-marker walks) - stepping back a tier is genuinely faster.
• ▸Since v1.2.0.0 most Normal areas scale to level 100, so continuing Normal is a legitimate choice, not a concession.

Before the Move

• ▸Slot resist components into armor with the primary resistances in mind, then fine-tune the last few percent with faction augments (see Components and Augments).
• ▸Do a full gear comparison pass - keep well-affixed yellows and greens, vendor the rest for iron.
• ▸If any faction has reached Honored, a Writ (+50% reputation gains) makes Elite-band reputation progress smoother.
• ▸Keep attributes Physique-centered for baseline health and DA (see Attribute Points).
• ▸Sweep any missed Normal shrines - Elite's shrines count separately.

After the Move

• ▸Point-reward quests are worth re-clearing on Elite - you gain that difficulty's points (and since v1.2.0.0, higher-difficulty clears also grant uncollected lower-difficulty copies).
• ▸Collect Elite's shrines to close in on the devotion cap (see Devotion Basics).
• ▸Re-clearing any one bag-reward quest (Clearing the Way / Culling the Swarm / Precious Resources) on Elite grants the fifth bag - Clearing the Way is the earliest reachable (see Inventory Bags).
• ▸Faction reputation grows naturally in the Elite band - add bounty tables to unlock Honored/Revered augments and blueprints.
• ▸With FG installed, following the Emissary's quest to the FG hub on Elite lets you buy a Champion's Merit (the alt-skip item - see Difficulties and Merits).

Alternate Routes and Notes

• ▸Alts can skip difficulties with a Merit bought by your first character (use auto-grants the lower difficulties' points, riftgates, and bags).
• ▸Endgame content like the Shattered Realm (SR, requires FG) and the Crucible (separate DLC) is optional at this stage - engage based on how finished your build is (DLC requirements compared in Endgame at a Glance).
• ▸For Elite-band money and leveling details, see Mid Game Money and Mid XP.

1. Official Crate Forum: Grim Dawn v1.2.0.0/1/2/3 Hotfixes — Confirms the simultaneous Elite/Ultimate unlock on the Loghorrean kill (non-retroactive), the point-quest catch-up, and the expanded Normal scaling.
2. Grim Dawn Japanese Wiki: GameMode, Difficulty — Confirms Elite's -25% primary resistance penalty and the per-difficulty independence of quest progress and shrines.
3. Grim Dawn Japanese Wiki: FAQ — Confirms four bags per Normal playthrough with the fifth on Elite.
4. Grim Dawn Japanese Wiki: Factions — Confirms reputation ranks and the vendor/bounty unlock tiers.
5. Grim Dawn Japanese Wiki: Faction Boosters — Confirms the Writ (Honored, +50% gains).
6. Grim Dawn Japanese Wiki: Forgotten Gods Overview — Confirms the Champion's Merit becoming purchasable after reaching the FG hub on Elite.
7. Official Crate Forum: Grim Dawn v1.2.1.6 + Hotfix — Official patch notes for the verified version.