Cookie Clicker Ascension Guide v2.052 (new)

Ascensions Guide - how to get all 129 heavenly upgrades in 23 progression ascensions or less

Last updated 2024/1/11

Helpers - Yershi (v2.019), 5h3i1ah (v2.021), Narrihson (v2.021), Phlap (v2.031), Gravity (v2.031), Katloverr (v2.031), Yoi Simp (v2.031), Indian Tech Support (v2.031) Finn (v2.052), Limes (v2.052)

[Psst! Hi Fillex, Fishy, Julian, Lookas, Vol, and CursedSliver! :3]

For each ascension, the first number is the target HC to get, which is a recommended minimum. The second number, "Total HC," is the total amount of HC required for all upgrades up to and including that ascension. The third number is the total cookies baked all time you'll need to complete this ascension. Remember, you're free to play the game however you like, but deviating from the guide may result in a longer time to complete the game.

This guide assumes a somewhat active playstyle, where Golden cookie effects are the primary method of gaining cookies. However, there are also notes for changes if you are primarily idle. The costs for the upgrades are not factored into the heavenly chip gain.

The upgrades in each ascension are listed from most to least important with unlock requirements in front.

Note: These are ascension minimums. If you're lucky with Golden Cookie combos you might get way more than an ascension minimum. That's okay. Just combine two or more consecutive ascensions or buy the most important upgrades (for a future ascension) in one ascension and buy the rest (for that future ascension) in a later ascension.

[Example: you overshot Ascension 3 and got 77 thousand HC. Then you can buy all of the upgrades for Ascension 3 and Lasting Fortune and Lucky Digit (Ascension 4), and buy the rest of Ascension 5 on the next ascension]

If you don't know what any of the heavenly upgrades do, check out this link: https://cookieclicker.wiki.gg/wiki/Ascension

It tells you what each and every one of the upgrades does, all sorted in the same order as you see below, except for unshackled upgrades grouped at the bottom. (They are in order but not divided by ascension)

Permaslots guide can be found at https://pastebin.com/qgT3GepD

1st - 365 - Total HC: 365 - 48.627 quintillion - 9/129
Legacy (1)
Heavenly Cookies (3)
How to Bake Your Dragon (9)
Box of Brand Biscuits (25)
Tin of British Tea Biscuits (25)
Box of Macarons (25)
Heavenly Luck (77)
Permanent Upgrade Slot 1 (100)
Heralds (100)
[- Skip Heavenly Luck (77) for this ascension if you have a completely idle playstyle. -]

2nd - 2 185 - Total HC: 2 550 - 16.581 sextillion - 13/129
Season Switcher (1111)
Golden Switch (999) - requires Heavenly Luck (77)
Tin of Butter Cookies (25)
Starter kit (50)

3rd - 12 301 - Total HC: 14 851 - 3.275 septillion - 20/129
Twin Gates, Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Dominions (2 801)
Kitten Angels (9 000)
Persistent Memory (500)

4th - 62 217 - Total HC: 77 068 - 457.744 septillion - 26/129
Halo Gloves (55 555)
Lasting Fortune (777)
Lucky Digit (777) - your PRESTIGE LEVEL AFTER ASCENDING needs to contain at least 1 7 for this upgrade to appear
Starter Kitchen (5 000)
Classic Dairy Selection (9) [cosmetic]
Basic Wallpaper Assortment (99) [cosmetic]

5th - 127 776 - Total HC: 204 844 - 8.595 octillion - 29/129
Permanent Upgrade Slot 2 (20 000)
Residual Luck (99 999)
Decisive Fate (7 777)

6th - 825 019 - Total HC: 1 029 863 (1.030 million) - 1.092 nonillion - 37/129
Belphegor, Mammon, Abaddon, Satan (2800)
Synergies Vol 1 (222 222)
Divine Discount (99 999)
Divine Sales (99 999)
Divine Bakeries (399 999)
[- Purchase Unholy bait (44 444) here too if idle playstyle. -]

7th - 2 568 911 (2.569 million) - Total HC: 3 598 774 (3.599 million) - 46.608 nonillion - 43/129
Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Cherubim, Seraphim (268 912)
Synergies Vol 2 (2 222 222)
Lucky Number (77 777) - your PRESTIGE LEVEL AFTER ASCENDING needs to contain at least 2 7s for this upgrade to appear
[- Purchase Elder spice (444 444) here too if idle playstyle. -]

8th - 32 900 000 (32.900 million) - Total HC: 36 498 774 (36.499 million) - 48.622 decillion - 48/129
Inspired Checklist (900 000) [QoL]
Genius Accounting (2 000 000) [QoL]
Label Printer (5 000 000) [QoL]
Unshackled Flavor (10 000 000)
Unshackled Cursors (15 000 000)
[- Purchase Sacrilegious Corruption (444 444) here too if idle playstyle. -]

9th - 210 266 660 (210.267 million) - Total HC: 246 765 434 (246.765 million) - 15.026 undecillion - 66/129
Starspawn, Startrade, Starterror, Starlove, Starsnow (555 555)
Unholy Bait (44 444)
Elder Spice (444 444)
Sacrilegious Corruption (444 444)
Wrinkly Cookies (6 666 666)
Permanent Upgrade Slot 3 (3 000 000)
Five Finger Discount (555 555)
Golden Cookie Alert Sound (999 999) [QoL]
Wrapping Paper (999 999)
Distilled Essence of Redoubled Luck (7 777 777)
Lucky Payout (77 777 777) - your PRESTIGE LEVEL AFTER ASCENDING needs to contain at least 4 7s for this upgrade to appear
Stevia Caelestis (100 000 000)
Fanciful Dairy Selection (1 000 000) [cosmetic]
Distinguished Wallpaper Assortment (10 000 000) [cosmetic]

10th - 1 600 000 000 (1.600 billion) - Total HC: 1 846 765 434 (1.847 billion) - 6.298 duodecillion - 69/129
Sugar Baking (200 000 000)
Sugar Crystal Cookies (1 000 000 000)
Permanent Upgrade Slot 4 (400 000 000)
[- Purchase Aura Gloves (555 555 555) here too if your cursor level is any more than 0. -]

11th - 6 838 860 718 (6.839 billion) - Total HC: 8 685 626 152 (8.686 billion) - 655.245 duodecillion - 80/129
Unshackled Grandmas (1 920 000 000)
Unshackled Berrylium (1 810 193 360)
Diabetica Daemonicus (300 000 000)
Sugar Craving (400 000 000)
Sugar Aging Process (600 000 000)
Aura Gloves (555 555 555)
Keepsakes (1 111 111 111)
Eye of the Wrinkler (99 999 999) [QoL]
Lucifer, God (1 647 086)
Chimera (40 353 607)

12th - 34 999 999 984 (35.000 billion) - Total HC: 43 685 626 136 (43.686 billion) - 83.371 tredecillion - 85/129
Cat Ladies (9 000 000 000)
Kitten Wages (9 000 000 000)
Shimmering Veil (999 999 999)
Reinforced Membrane (14 999 999 985)
Sucralosia Inutilis (1 000 000 000)
[- Sucralosia Inutilis very slightly decreases the chance of all special sugar lumps except for Bifurcated permanently, so you might not want to buy if you care about the achievements, or more Caramelized sugar lumps for combos (although it does increase lump gain on average). -]

13th - 227 777 777 776 (227.778 billion) - Total HC: 271 463 403 912 (271.463 billion) - 20.005 quattuordecillion - 88/129
Fortune Cookies (77 777 777 777)
Permanent Upgrade Slot 5 (50 000 000 000)
Pet the dragon (99 999 999 999)

14th - 1 379 559 951 147 (1.380 trillion) - Total HC: 1 651 023 355 059 (1.651 trillion) - 4.500 quindecillion - 94/129
Box of Pastries (333 000 000 000)
Box of Maybe Cookies (333 000 000 000)
Box of Not Cookies (333 000 000 000)
Unshackled Blueberrylium (37 879 951 162)
Unshackled Chalcedhoney (327 680 000 000)
Cosmic Beginner's Luck (14 999 999 985)

[- Upgrades order doesn’t really matter past this -]

15th - 9 809 487 269 319 (9.809 trillion) - Total HC: 11 460 510 624 378 (11.461 trillion) - 1.505 sexdecillion - 100/129
Unshackled Buttergold (1 746 928 107 422)
Unshackled Sugarmuck (6 857 003 606 358)
Luminous Gloves (55 555 555 555)
Milkhelp Lactose Intolerance Relief Tablets (900 000 000 000)
Delicate Touch (149 999 999 985)
Sound Test (99 999 999 999) [cosmetic]

[- This is around the time to do Endless Cycle (shadow achievement for ascending 1000 times whilst gaining at least 1 prestige each time), this window lasts until ~1 quadrillion prestige. Guide: https://pastebin.com/rmPgwu4Y -]

16th/993th - 39 791 524 719 681 (39.792 trillion) - Total HC: 51 252 035 344 059 (51.252 trillion) - 134.627 sexdecillion - 106/129
Unshackled Farms (32 805 000 000)
Unshackled Mines (245 760 000 000)
Unshackled Factories (1 171 875 000 000)
Unshackled Banks (4 199 040 000 000)
Unshackled Temples (12 353 145 000 000)
Unshackled Jetmint (21 788 899 719 681)

[- Below tiers are unshackled first because Elder Battalion (Grandma dragon aura) gets substantially stronger around this time, reaching powers significantly above Radiant Appetite, and tiers are the main contributor; but note that Godzamok (pantheon god) makes Elder Battalion very hard to use as they anti-synergizes. If you are not planning on using Elder Battalion, you can unshackle buildings, it’s just that unshackling buildings before Fractal Engines is not gonna do much at all. -]

[- Around here (around 50-100 trillion prestige levels) is the window for optimal endless cycle grinding. Some earlier/later periods may be possible with more sugar lumps. -]

17th/994th - 202 805 486 015 158 (202.805 trillion) - Total HC: 254 057 521 359 217 (254.058 trillion) - 16.398 septendecillion - 108/129
Unshackled Cherrysilver (59 316 416 015 158)
Unshackled Hazelrald (143 489 070 000 000)

18th/995th - 977 594 110 341 772 (977.594 trillion) - Total HC: 1.23 165 163 170 099 E+15 (1.232 quadrillion) - 1.868 octodecillion - 111/129
Unshackled Mooncandy (316 277 766 016 838)
Unshackled Astrofudge (646 316 344 324 949)
Steadfast Murmur (14 999 999 999 985)

19th/996th - 3.5 036 801 946 893 E+15 (3.504 quadrillion) - Total HC: 4.73 533 182 639 029 E+15 (4.735 quadrillion) - 106.182 octodecillion - 113/129
Unshackled Alabascream (1 241 250 239 661 059)
Unshackled Iridyum (2 262 429 955 028 239)

20th/997th - 1.41 390 514 390 732 E+16 (14.139 quadrillion) - Total HC: 1.88 743 832 654 635 E+16 (18.874 quadrillion) - 6.724 novemdecillion - 123/129
Unshackled Glucosmium (3 944 212 159 073 245)
Unshackled Wizard Towers (31 457 280 000 000)
Unshackled Shipments (71 744 535 000 000)
Unshackled Alchemy Labs (150 000 000 000 000)
Unshackled Portals (292 307 565 000 000)
Unshackled Time Machines (537 477 120 000 000)
Unshackled Antimatter Condensers (941 227 755 000 000)
Unshackled Prisms (1 581 202 560 000 000)
Unshackled Chancemakers (2 562 890 625 000 000)
Unshackled Fractal Engines (4 026 531 840 000 000)
[- If playing completely idle, purchase Glittering Edge (1 499 999 999 999 985) here too; otherwise, you might not want to purchase it at all as the absence of the upgrade can have positive implications in advanced strategies -]

21th/998th - 1.27 724 352 341 841 E+16 (12.772 quadrillion) - Total HC: 3.16 468 184 996 476 E+16 (31.647 quadrillion) - 31.695 novemdecillion - 125/129
Unshackled Glimmeringue (6 617 355 139 184 079)
Unshackled Javascript Consoles (6 155 080 095 000 001)

22th/999th - 2.2 591 376 565 E+16 (22.591 quadrillion) - Total HC: 5.42 381 950 646 476 E+16 (54.238 quadrillion) - 159.557 novemdecillion - 127/129
Unshackled Idleverses (9 183 300 480 000 000)
Unshackled Cortex Bakers (13 408 076 085 000 000)

23th/1000th - 2.07 E+16 (20.700 quadrillion) - Total HC: 7.49 381 950 646 476 E+16 (74.938 quadrillion) - 420.833 novemdecillion - 129/129
Unshackled You (19 200 000 000 000 000)
Glittering Edge (1 499 999 999 999 985)

[- Past here, aim to at least double your prestige per combo/ascend if you still wish to bother playing, there's still more 'cookies baked in one ascension' achievements to do. -]