Path of Exile Item Upgrades
The performance of a variety of Path of Exile items can be enhanced by upgrading the performance of them. They can be a good source of additional damage or more AD or even more attaches.
Rare-grade equipment can be superior to upgraded Common or Magic equipment due to their higher requirements.
Armor
Armor upgrades are a type of upgrade that can be used on weapons and armor items. They boost the performance of the item they are attached to. Armor upgrades can be found in the world of games and purchased from Blacksmiths on bonfires. Alternately, they can be salvaged from items with upgrade components in them using a specialist or more powerful salvage kit.
The level of an armor's or weapon's upgrade determines the amount of damage it is able to take on. The absorption of damage by a piece armor will increase as it is upgraded to the maximum upgrade level. However, it's important to note that this will also increase its weight, causing it to weigh more than it was before.
There are several kinds of armor upgrades available in the game and each one has distinct effects. Some upgrades give armor an extra number of health points, while others make it lighter and more powerful. The kind of armor upgrade an item can receive will be identified by the name of the upgrade, as shown in the table below.
Some upgrades also feature magic or a mix of technology and magic which is indicated by the "Magic" or "Hybrid" entry in the table below. Certain upgrades also require fees for use. These are identified as "Charges" entries in the table. The charges associated with these upgrades change every day or never expire, dependent on the upgrade.
The cheapest way to upgrade armor is with Iron Ore, which can be obtained by exploring the environment and looting minor loot chests. Titanium is more expensive, but can be found in the smelters of Orgrimmar and Stormwind City. Certain upgrades, such as the Reforge or the Hot Potato Books can only be used on armor pieces of the highest level. These upgrades can give a significant boost in stats, and are worth the investment.
Upgrading a piece of armor to the highest upgrade level will greatly increase its defense values however, the user must be aware that increasing its weight will dramatically reduce its agility and speed. It is not recommended to upgrade armor beyond +9. The defensive boost gained usually isn't worth the weight and power cost of the upgrades.
item upgrades allow players to enhance certain aspects of their weapon. For example an upgrade could increase the damage dealt by the shells of a shotgun or the accuracy of a sniper rifle. Some weapons have special upgrades to improve their inherent capabilities. Frictionless materials (improves stability, minimizes the risk of overheating), and Kinetic coils (increases the projectile's speed for greater damage) are two examples.
The majority of upgrades to weapons require three Power Dices, a different amount of Minerals and Erons and a whetblade. These are obtained through either doing side quests, or killing a certain amount of monsters or bosses, or through the Weapon Upgrade NPC in Central Flarine.
To upgrade an equipment set, weapon piece, or Whetblade you need to visit the NPC [ArmorBoboko. Boboko located in Central Flarine, and pay her an upgrade fee of a specific number of Bars. The more bars required to complete an upgrade the more advanced the level. The cost of the upgrades will be lower if you have more than one of the relevant upgrade materials.
In Chapter 2: Season 5, the way you upgrade your weapon and equipment sets was a bit different. In the past you could search for an Upgrade Bench and pay for a specific number of Bars to upgrade your equipment or weapon to an increased level of rarity. You could do this until the weapon or equipment reached its maximum upgrade level at which point the upgrades would be reset.
It's still possible, but it is dependent heavily on RNG. It is better to purchase gear that has low upgrade levels but with high base scores and stat distributions. They will also have a better chance of bringing you the highest tier benefits and blessings.
The majority of players will prioritize upgrades to the weapons they are most likely to use to allow them to progress quicker. Players should also upgrade the weapons their squadmates utilize to increase their power. Shepard, for example should upgrade his M92F in order to unlock the Beretta M93R. This will make the weapon more effective when accompanied with biotic specialists such as Grunt and Tali.
Jewels
Jewels are used in the armor's sockets and weapons, increasing the stats of a weapon and providing additional effects. They can be made through a process called jewelry crafting, in which you combine a gem with various ingredients at a table for jewelry. The higher the grade of the jewel is, the greater its secondary effect. These reagents can be obtained from Treasure Goblins and World Bosses around the world, or by finding Legendary Gear. You can also purchase them from The Jeweler for gold and a Scattered Prism.
The Jeweler can improve the quality of gemstones in stages ranging from Crude up to Royal. The boosts to stats will differ depending on the level the jewel is in when it is inserted into jewelry, weapons, or gear.
The Jeweler can craft all tiers of gems, with the exception of rare and legendary ones, which require an appropriate level to obtain. Jewels can be replaced by another jewel without destroying the original. However it is only possible to replace a jewel in an item of equipment only once.
Using more jewels in a movement can make it feel more comfortable, and is often performed to enhance the aesthetics of the movement. Apart from improving performance, the jewels create an outer layer that is more durable than metal, which means that repeated friction from pivots doesn't cause damage as easily.
In addition to the upgrades mentioned above additionally, players can get glyphs for their weapons and shields from a Glyphmaster. These are a small perk and are able to be swapped easily, but are not guaranteed to drop as loot. item upgrades are like jewelry and can be upgraded at the Jeweler in exchange for Scattered Crystals and gold. Glyphs may also be removed and returned to the inventory. Other upgrade components, like traits and aegis, cannot be swapped out, and are only recoverable by using an Upgrade Extractor or salvaging them using a Black Lion Salvage Kit or Ascended Salvage Tool.
Trinkets
Trinkets can give your character many small, but beneficial benefits. They can be obtained in the starter areas as loot or personal story rewards from vendors, and by performing road interactions. They can be purchased from the Trading Post, or crafted by jewelers.
The first trinket a player can unlock is the cloak, which gives a small, but valuable boost to speed of movement and evasion. The player can then acquire necklaces, rings, and amulets, in a similar way similar to how they obtained weapons and armor. Each piece of equipment has an upgrade slot which can be universal or jewel. Universal upgrades provide smaller bonuses and can be used in any type of equipment while jewelry cannot be changed or upgraded and only works with certain kinds of trinkets.
These trinkets provide additional buffs and abilities that are active even when the hero isn't fighting. This allows a hero to be more efficient while inactive. It can also compensate for the absence of excellent slot in the talent tree or team that are normally filled by the hero's optimal stats.
A good rule of thumb for trinket upgrades is to prioritize BiS (Best-in-Slot) items that you will not replace in the near future, then any items with desirable stats but less important than the iLevel of the item that is being upgraded. This is especially true when an item has multiple stats that you wish to upgrade, as it's usually better to upgrade a single important stat rather than two sub-optimal ones.
Jungle players will often upgrade their yellow trinket to a red one prior to the start of the game. Mid and top players, on the other hand, will choose a green or a pink ward, based on the matchup. These choices will have a significant impact on the hero's map control abilities.
In addition to the items mentioned above, players will find other trinkets that form of trophies and rewards throughout the game. They can be obtained by completing certain milestones within the story. For instance, completing a chapter’s main quest or beating a boss. You can see them by selecting the achievement from the reward section of the hero's menu.