Path of Exile Item Upgrades
The performance of a variety of Path of Exile items can be improved by upgrading them. They can be a fantastic source of extra damage, more AD or even more affixes.
Sometimes, however, upgraded Common and Magic gear is beaten out by Rare-grade gear due to their high requirements.
Armor
Armor upgrades can be applied to both weapon and armor items. They boost the performance of the item that they are connected to. Armor upgrades are available in the world of the game and are available from Blacksmiths on bonfires. They can also be salvaged by using a specialist or higher salvage kits to retrieve upgrade components from other items.
The amount of damage an armored piece or weapon will absorb is contingent on the level of its upgrades. The damage absorption of an item of armor will increase when it is upgraded to the maximum upgrade level. However, it's important to keep in mind that this will increase its weight, which will cause it to be heavier than it was before.
There are a few different kinds of armor upgrades available in the game, and they all have distinct effects. Certain upgrades give armor a greater amount of health points while others make it more powerful and lighter. 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 are magical or a combination of magic and technology, which is identified by the "Magic" or "Hybrid" entry in the table below. Certain upgrades require charges in order to be used. These are indicated as "Charges" entries in the table. These charges are either continuously updated or never expire, depending on the upgrade.
The cheapest method of upgrading armor is by using Iron Ore, which can be gathered by exploring the area and looting minor loot chests. Titanium is more expensive but is readily available in the smelters of Orgrimmar and Stormwind City. Certain upgrades, like the Reforge or the Hot Potato Books can only be used on high-level armor pieces. These upgrades can provide significant boost in stats, and are well worth the investment.
The player must be aware, however, that upgrading a piece to its max upgrade level will increase its defense value. However, it can also reduce the speed and agility of the piece. This is why it is typically not recommended to upgrade most armor pieces beyond +9, since the defensive boost gained is usually not worth the weight and power costs of the upgrades required.
Weapons
Weapon upgrades let players increase the effectiveness of specific aspects of an weapon. Upgrades can improve the accuracy of a rifle, or the damage caused by shotgun shells. Certain weapons also come with enhancements that enhance their intrinsic qualities. They include Frictionless Materials (improves stability and reduces the risk of overheating of the weapon) and Kinetic Coils (increases projectile acceleration for more damage).
The majority of upgrades to weapons require a whetblade. It's one of three Power Dices and a different amount Minerals and Erons. They can be obtained by finishing side quests, killing a certain number of monsters or bosses, or from the Weapon Upgrade NPC in Central Flarine.
To upgrade the weapon, equipment set piece or Whetblade, you must visit the NPC [ArmorBoboko. Boboko located in Central Flarine, and pay her an upgrade fee of a specific number of Bars. The higher the upgrade level, the more bars you will need to complete the upgrade. The cost of upgrades will be lower if you have more than one of the upgrade materials.
In Chapter 2: Season 5 the way you upgrade your weapon and sets has changed a bit. Prior to Chapter 2: Season 5 you could upgrade your weapon or equipment by paying a certain amount of Bars. You could continue to do this until you reach a maximum upgrade level for your equipment or weapon, after which the upgrades would be reset.
It's still possible, but it relies heavily on RNG. You're better off buying gear that has low upgrade levels, but high base scores and stat distributions. These gears have a better chance of giving you the highest tier blessings and perks.
Most players will want to prioritize upgrades to the weapons they most often 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 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 placed in the armor's sockets and weapons, enhancing a stat and providing secondary effects. Jewelry crafting is the process of creating them. You combine gemstones with specific reagents on a jewelry table. The higher the quality of the gem, the greater the secondary effect. These reagents can be obtained from Treasure Goblins and World Bosses around the world, or by collecting Legendary Gear. You can also buy them from The Jeweler in exchange for gold and Scattered Prisms.
The quality of a jewel can be improved at the Jeweler in stages that range from Crude to Royal. Based on the level of the jewel it can provide different stat boost when slotted into weapons, equipment and jewelry.
All levels of jewels are crafted at the Jeweler and Jeweler's Workshop, with the exception of the rare and legendary gems that require you to be at a high enough level to obtain the privilege of having them. Like other upgrade components jewels can be swapped with another jewel of the same kind without damaging the original one. You are able to replace the jewel once within an item of equipment.
Utilizing more jewels in a move can make it feel more comfortable, and is often performed for aesthetic reasons. In addition to improving performance, the jewels also create a surface that is harder than metal, so repeated friction with pivots doesn't cause harm as easily.
In addition to the above-mentioned upgrades, the player can also get 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, just like jewelry, can be upgraded at the Jeweler to exchange Scattered Crystals and gold. Glyphs are also removed from the inventory, and they are 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 by salvaging them using a Black Lion Salvage Kit or Ascended Salvage Tool.
item upgrades are small pieces of equipment that provide an array of tiny but valuable advantages to your hero. They are available in the starter area as rewards for personal stories or loot. They are also available from vendors and by completing road interaction. They can also be crafted by jewelers, and then found or purchased from the Trading Post.
The first trinkets a player is able to unlock is the cloak, which gives an unimportant but beneficial boost to speed of movement and the ability to escape. The player can then acquire necklaces, rings, and amulets in a similar manner as they did with weapons and armor. Each piece of equipment comes with one upgrade slot that accepts either a universal or jewel upgrade. Universal upgrades are smaller and can be utilized on any piece of equipment. Jewels are not upgradeable or replaced, and can only be used with certain trinkets.
These trinkets also provide additional buffs and skills that are active whenever the hero is not fighting. This allows a hero to become more efficient even when not in combat. It can also compensate for the lack of a good slot in the talent tree or team which would normally be filled by a hero's top stats.
A good rule of thumb for trinket upgrades is to prioritize BiS (Best-in-Slot) items that you won't be replacing in the near future, then any items with desirable stats that are less important than the iLevel of the item being upgraded. This is especially true when you are looking to upgrade multiple stats on an item. It's best to upgrade just one crucial stat than two less important ones.
At upgrade item of the game, players who are in the jungle will typically want to upgrade their trinket to a red in the middle and top players typically choose the pink or green ward (depending on the game's matchup). These choices will have a significant impact on the hero's ability to control his map.
In addition to the items listed above, players will find other trinkets in the form of rewards and trophies throughout the game. These can be obtained through completing certain milestones in the story, such as finishing a chapter's main quest or killing a certain boss. These can be viewed by selecting the relevant achievement in the reward tab of the hero menu.