Path of Exile Item Upgrades
The performance of a variety of Path of Exile items can be enhanced by upgrading them. They can also provide additional damage, AD or even affixes.
Rare-grade equipment can be superior to modernized Common or Magic equipment due to their higher requirements.
Armor
Armor upgrades can be applied to both armor and weapon items. They improve the stats of the item that they are attached to. Upgrades to armor can be found in the world of the game and can be purchased from Blacksmiths at bonfires. They can also be salvaged by using a specialist or higher salvage kits to recover upgrade components from other items.
The level of an armor's or weapon's upgrade determines the amount of damage it is able to absorb. The ability to absorb damage of a piece armor will increase when it is upgraded to the highest upgrade level. However, it's important keep in mind that this will increase its weight, which will cause it to be heavier than before.
There are a few different kinds of armor upgrades that are available in the game and they all have distinct effects. Certain upgrades give armor an extra amount of health points while others make it stronger and lighter. The type of armor upgrade that an item can receive will be identified by the name of the upgrade, as illustrated in the table below.
item upgrading require magic or a combination of technology and magic, which is indicated by the "Magic" and "Hybrids" entries in the table. Certain upgrades require charges for use. They are referred to as "Charges" entries in the table. The charges for these upgrades refresh every day or never expire, according to the upgrade.
Iron Ore is the cheapest method to upgrade your armor. You can locate it by exploring and looting small loot chests. Titanium is more expensive, but it can be obtained from the smelters in Orgrimmar and Stormwind City. Certain upgrades, like the Reforge and the Hot Potato Books, can only be applied to high-level armor pieces. These upgrades can provide significant increases in stats and are well worth the investment.
The player should be aware, however, that upgrading a piece up to the maximum upgrade level will increase its defense value. However, it can also reduce its agility and speed. It is not recommended to upgrade armor beyond +9. The boost in defense typically isn't worth the weight and power cost of the upgrades.
Weapons
Weapon upgrades allow players to enhance certain aspects of their weapon. For example, an upgrade may improve the damage that is caused by a shotgun's shells or the accuracy of the sniper rifle. Some weapons have special upgrades to improve their inherent capabilities. These include Frictionless Materials (improves stability and reduces the risk of overheating of the weapon) and Kinetic Coils (increases the velocity of projectiles for greater damage).
Most weapon upgrades require three Power Dices, a different amount of Minerals and Erons and a whetblade for applying. They can be obtained by completing Side Quests or by killing a certain amount of monsters and bosses.
Upgrades to a weapon, equipment Set piece or Whetblade requires visiting the NPC [Armor] Boboko in Central Flarine and paying her an upgrade cost of a certain number of Bars. The higher the upgrade level, the more bars required to complete it. The cost of the upgrades will be less if you have more than one of the relevant upgrade materials.
In Chapter 2: Season 5, the method of upgrading your weapon and equipment sets was a bit different. Prior to Chapter 2 Season 5, you could upgrade your weapon and equipment by paying a specific amount of Bars. You could do this until you reach a maximum upgrade level for your equipment or weapon, following which the upgrades would reset.
It's possible, but it relies heavily on RNG. Instead, you're better off visiting stores and buying gear with low upgrade levels, but good base scores and stat distributions. These items will have a higher chance of granting you the highest level of benefits and blessings.
The majority of players will prioritize upgrades to the weapons they use most frequently to help them level up quicker. Additionally, players should consider upgrading the weapons that are most popular with their squadmates to increase their power and effective. Shepard for instance, should upgrade the M92F so that he can unlock the Beretta M93R. This will make the weapon more effective when used in conjunction by biotic specialists like Grunt and Tali.
Jewels
Jewels are used in the sockets of armor and weapons, enhancing the stats of a weapon and providing additional effects. Jewelry crafting is the process of making them, in which you combine a gemstone with a number specific reagents on a jewelry table. The higher the level of the gem, the better its secondary effect. These reagents can be found around the world through Treasure Goblins, World Bosses and, sometimes, by salvaging Legendary equipment. You can also purchase them from The Jeweler for gold and a Scattered Prism.
The quality of a gem can be improved upon by the Jeweler, with stages that range from Crude to Royal. Depending on the tier of the jewel it can provide different stat boost when slotted into weapons, gear and jewelry.
The Jeweler can create all tiers of gems, apart from the rare and legendary ones, which require a certain level to get. Jewels can be substituted with another jewel without damaging the original. You are able to replace the jewel only once in a piece of equipment.
Utilizing more jewels in the movement will make it more smooth and is usually done for aesthetic reasons. Apart from improving performance, the jewels create an outer layer that is more durable than metal, so repeated friction from pivots doesn't cause harm as easily.
In addition to the upgrades mentioned above, the player can also obtain glyphs for their shields and weapons from a Glyphmaster. These provide a small bonus and are able to be swapped easily however they aren't guaranteed to drop as loot. Glyphs can be upgraded like jewelry, at the Jeweler for gold, and also a scattered Crystal. Glyphs are also removed and returned to the inventory. Other upgrade components, such as traits and aegis cannot be swapped out, and can only be recovered using an Upgrade Extractor or salvaging them using the Black Lion Salvage Kit or Ascended Salvage Tool.
Trinkets
Trinkets are pieces of equipment that offer a wide range of tiny but valuable advantages to your hero. You can find them in the starter area as loot or as personal story rewards. They are also available from vendors as well as through completing road interaction. They can also be crafted by jewelers, and then found or purchased at the Trading Post.
The first trinkets a player can unlock is the cloak, which gives a small but useful bonus to speed of movement and evasion. Then, they can get amulets, rings, and necklaces in the same manner to the way a player acquires weapons and armor. Every piece of equipment has an upgrade slot that can be either universal or jewel. Universal upgrades provide smaller bonuses and can be used in any type of equipment while jewelry cannot be replaced or upgraded and only works with certain types of trinkets.
These trinkets grant additional buffs and abilities that are active when the hero isn't engaged in combat. This lets a hero be more efficient when they are not active. It can also compensate for the lack of a strong slots in the team or talent tree which would normally be filled by a hero's top stats.
As a general rule trinket upgrades should be prioritized over BiS (Best in Slot) items you won't replace in the near future. Next, any items with desirable statistics that are less significant than the iLevel of the item to be upgraded. This is especially true if you're looking to upgrade several stats on an item. It is best to upgrade just one crucial stat instead of two subpar ones.
At the beginning of the game, junglers will usually want to upgrade their yellow trinket into a red one, while top and mid players will usually opt for the pink or green ward (depending on the game's matchup). These choices can affect a hero's ability to control the map.
Aside from the items mentioned above, players can also find a number of other items in the form of trophies and awards. These can be obtained through completing certain milestones in the story, like the main quest of a chapter or killing a particular boss. You can see them by selecting the achievement in the reward section of the hero's menu.