Item Upgrades: A Simple Definition

Path of Exile Item Upgrades Upgrades to items are a frequent and essential way to boost the performance of numerous items in Path of Exile. They can provide extra damage, AD or even affixes. Rare-grade equipment can be superior to upgraded Common or Magic equipment due to their high demands. Armor Armor upgrades are a type of upgrade that can be applied to armor and weapon items. They boost the performance of the item they are attached to. Upgrades to armor can be found in the world of the game and are available from Blacksmiths on bonfires. Additionally, item upgrading can be salvaged from items that have upgrade components in them using an expert or greater salvage kit. The amount of damage an armored item or weapon can absorb depends on the level of its upgrades. The upgrade of an armor piece to the highest upgrade level will increase its ability to absorb damage. However, it's important keep in mind that this will increase its weight, causing it to be heavier than it was before. There are a few different kinds of armor upgrades that are available in the game and they all have distinct effects. For instance, certain upgrades will give the armor a certain amount of health points while others make it stronger and lighter. The kind of armor upgrade an item can receive will be identified by the name of the upgrade as illustrated in the table below. Some of the upgrades also require magic or a combination of technology and magic, as shown by the “Magic” and “Hybrids” entries in the table below. Additionally, some upgrades require a charge to use, and are shown by an “Charges” entry in the table below. The charges for these upgrades are updated every day or never expire, dependent on the upgrade. Iron Ore is the cheapest way to upgrade your armor. You can locate it by exploring and looting small loot chests. Titanium is more costly, but is readily available at the smelters of Orgrimmar and Stormwind City. Some upgrades, like the Reforge or the Hot Potato Books can only be applied on armor pieces of the highest level. These upgrades can give a significant increases in stats and are definitely worth the cost. The player should be aware that upgrading a piece to its maximum upgrade level can increase its defense values. However, it will also reduce its agility and its speed. It is not recommended to upgrade armor above +9. The boost in defense usually isn't worth the weight and power cost of the upgrades. Weapons Weapon upgrades allow players to increase the effectiveness of certain aspects of an weapon. Upgrades can increase the accuracy of a rifle, or the damage that shotgun shells do. Certain weapons also come with upgrades that improve their innate capabilities. Frictionless materials (improves stability, reduces the risk of weapon overheating), and Kinetic coils (increases the projectile's velocity to cause more damage) are two examples. The majority of upgrades to weapons require a whetblade. It's one of three Power Dices and a different amount Minerals and Erons. These can be obtained by completing Side Quests or killing a certain amount of monsters and bosses. To upgrade a weapon, equipment set piece or Whetblade You must go to the NPC [Armor] Boboko located in Central Flarine, and pay her an upgrade fee of a specific amount of Bars. The more bars you need to complete an upgrade the more advanced the level. The cost of upgrades will be less if you have more than one of the upgrade materials. In Chapter 2: Season 5, the ways to upgrade your equipment and weapon sets has changed a bit. Previously you could go to an Upgrade Bench and pay a certain number of Bars to upgrade your equipment or weapon to a higher level of rarity. You could do this until the weapon or equipment reached its maximum upgrade level and at that point, the upgrades would reset. You can still do this however, the process is high on RNG and low on agency. You're better off buying gear with low levels of upgrade, but high base scores and stat distributions. These items have a better chance of granting you the highest level of advantages and benefits. The majority of players will prioritize weapon upgrades for the weapons they are most likely to use to help them level up quicker. Players should also upgrade the weapons that their squadmates use to boost their strength. Shepard, for example should upgrade his M92F so that he can unlock the Beretta M93R. This will make the weapon more useful when used by biotic specialists like Grunt and Tali. Jewels Jewels are placed in the sockets of armor and weapons, increasing the stats of a weapon and providing additional effects. They can be made through a process called jewelry crafting, where you combine a gem and a number of specific ingredients at a table for jewelry. The higher the grade of the jewel the better the secondary effect. These reagents can be obtained around the world from Treasure Goblins, World Bosses and occasionally by salvaging Legendary gear. You can also purchase them from The Jeweler in exchange for gold and Scattered Prisms. The quality of a jewel can be improved by the Jeweler, with stages that range from Crude to Royal. The stat boosts can vary depending on the level the jewel is in when it's slotted into jewelry, weapons, or gear. All kinds of jewels can be crafted at the Jeweler however, there are some exceptions to this, such as the rare and legendary gems that require you to be at a sufficient level to be able to get the privilege of having them. Like other upgrade components jewels are able to be swapped with a identical jewel without damaging the original one. However you can only swap out one jewel in an item of equipment only once. The use of more jewels in the movement will make it feel smoother, and is often done to enhance the aesthetics of the movement. Jewels also enhance performance and make an outer layer that is more durable than steel, so that the repeated friction caused by pivots does not cause damage to the movement. In addition to the above-mentioned upgrades players can also get glyphs for their weapons and shields from a Glyphmaster. These glyphs give a slight boost in power and can be traded, but they're not guaranteed to appear as loot. Glyphs, like jewelry, can be upgraded by the Jeweler to exchange gold and Scattered Crystals. Glyphs can also be taken out from the inventory, and they are returned to the inventory. Other upgrade components like traits or aegis can't be swapped, and can only be recovered by using an Upgrade extractor, or salvaging with Black Lion Salvage Kit or Ascended Salvage. Trinkets Trinkets are pieces of equipment that provide a wide range of tiny but valuable advantages to your hero. You can find them in the start-up area as loot or as personal story rewards. They are also available from vendors as well as through the completion of road interactions. They can be purchased from the Trading Post, or crafted by jewelers. The first trinkets a player can unlock is the cloak, which gives a small but useful bonus to speed of movement and evasion. After that, they'll be able to acquire rings, amulets, and necklaces in a similar way to how a player acquires weapons and armor. Each piece of gear comes with one upgrade slot that accepts either a universal or a jewel upgrade. Universal upgrades offer fewer benefits and can be used in any type of equipment, while jewelry cannot be changed or upgraded and is only compatible with certain kinds of trinkets. These trinkets also grant additional bonuses and abilities that are active whenever the hero is not in combat. This enables the hero to be more effective while inactive, and can also help fill in the void of a strong team or the absence of any talent tree slots that normally are filled with the hero's best statistics. A good rule of thumb for trinket upgrades is to prioritize BiS (Best-in-Slot) items that you aren't planning to replace soon, followed by any items with desirable stats that are less important than the iLevel of the item to be upgraded. This is especially true when you're looking to upgrade several statistics on an item. It is more beneficial to upgrade a single important stat than two less important ones. Jungle players usually upgrade their yellow trinkets to a red one prior to the beginning of the game. website link and mid players however, will choose a green or a pink ward, based on the matchup. These choices will have an impact on the ability of a hero to control the map. Aside from the items listed above, players can find other items in the form of awards and trophies. They can be obtained by completing certain milestones within the story. For instance, finishing the main quest of a chapter or defeating the boss. You can view them by clicking on the achievement in the reward section of the hero's menu.