Path of Exile Item Upgrades
The performance of many Path of Exile items can be improved by upgrading their performance. They can be a fantastic source of extra damage or more AD or even more affixes.
In most cases, however, upgraded Common and Magic gear is beaten out by Rare-grade equipment due to their higher requirements.
Armor
Armor upgrades can be applied to both weapon and armor items. They increase the effectiveness of the item they're attached to. Armor upgrades are available in the world of games and can be purchased from Blacksmiths at bonfires. Additionally, they can be salvaged from items that have upgrade components inside them, using an expert or greater salvage kit.
The amount of damage that an armored piece or weapon will absorb is contingent on the level of its upgrades. The ability to absorb damage of a piece armor will increase when it is upgraded to its maximum upgrade level. It is important to note that this will increase the weight of the armor, so it should be heavier.
There are several different types of armor upgrades that are available in the game. Each has a different impact. For instance, some upgrades will give the armor a certain amount of additional health points, while others make it lighter and stronger. 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 magical or a combination of technology and magic which is indicated by a "Magic" or "Hybrid" entry in the table below. Certain upgrades require charges to use. They are referred to as "Charges" entries in the table. The charges associated with these upgrades change daily or never expire, dependent on the upgrade.
Iron Ore is the cheapest method to upgrade your armor. It can be found by exploring and looting small chests. Titanium is more expensive however it is obtainable from the smelters in Orgrimmar and Stormwind City. Certain upgrades, such as the Reforge or the Hot Potato Books can only be applied to high-level armor pieces. These upgrades can provide significant boost to stats and are a worthwhile cost, especially for single-handed weapons.
Upgrading a piece of armor to its maximum upgrade level will greatly increase its defense values however, the user must be aware that increasing its weight can drastically decrease its agility and speed. It is not recommended to upgrade armor above +9. The added defense generally isn't worth the weight and power costs of the upgrades.
Weapons
Weapon upgrades let players increase the effectiveness of specific aspects of a 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 decreases the chance of the risk of overheating) and Kinetic Coils (increases projectile acceleration for more damage).
The majority of weapon upgrades require a whetblade, one of three Power Dices and a different amount of Minerals and Erons. These are obtained through either doing side quests, or killing a certain number of monsters or bosses, or by contacting the Weapon Upgrade NPC located in Central Flarine.
Upgrades to a weapon, equipment Set piece or Whetblade requires visiting the NPC [Armor] Boboko in Central Flarine and paying her an upgrade price that is based on a specific number of Bars. The higher the upgrade level, the more bars required to complete it. If you have multiple upgrade materials The cost of upgrading will be less.
In Chapter 2: Season 5 the way you upgrade your weapon and equipment sets has changed a bit. Previously you could search for an Upgrade Bench and pay for a specific number of Bars to upgrade your weapon or equipment to a higher quality. You could continue to do this until you reach a maximum upgrade level for the equipment or weapon, after which the upgrades would reset.
It's still possible, but it is dependent heavily on RNG. You should consider buying equipment that has minimal upgrade levels but with high base scores and stat distributions. These will be able to give you the most prestigious bonuses and blessings.
The majority of players will prioritize weapon upgrades for the weapons they are most likely to use to make sure they are able to level up faster. Players should also upgrade the weapons their teammates use to make them stronger. Shepard for instance, should upgrade the M92F to unlock the Beretta M93R. This will make the weapon more useful when used with biotic specialists like Grunt and Tali.
Jewels
Jewels can be used to increase a stat or provide secondary effects in weapons and armor. Jewelry crafting is the process of making them, in which you combine gemstones with specific reagents on a jewelry table. The higher the level of the gemstone, the better its secondary effect. These reagents can be obtained from Treasure Goblins and World Bosses in the world, or by finding Legendary Gear. You can also purchase them from The Jeweler in exchange for Scattered Prisms and gold.
The Jeweler can improve the quality of a gem in stages ranging from Crude up to Royal. Depending on the tier of the jewel it will give different stat boosts when inserted into weapons, equipment and jewelry.
The Jeweler can craft all tiers of gems, except for the rare and legendary ones which you must attain certain levels to gain. Jewels can be replaced with another jewel without damaging the original. However it is only possible to replace one jewel in an equipment piece only once.
Using more jewels in the movement will make it feel smoother and is usually performed for aesthetic reasons. The jewels can also enhance performance and create an outer layer that is more durable than steel so that repeated friction from pivots do not damage them.
A Glyphmaster can provide glyphs that can enhance the appearance of your shields and weapons. These glyphs provide a small boost and can be exchanged, however they are not guaranteed to be available as loot. Glyphs can be upgraded like jewelry, at the Jeweler for gold and a Scattered Crystal. Glyphs may also be removed and returned to the inventory. Other upgrade components like traits or aegis cannot be exchanged, and can only be retrieved by using an Upgrade extractor or salvaging with the Black Lion Salvage Kit or Ascended Salvage.
Trinkets
Trinkets are pieces of equipment that provide a wide range of tiny but valuable benefits to your hero. They are available in the starting area as rewards for personal stories or loot. They can also be obtained through vendors and after the completion of road interactions. They can also be made by jewelers and later found or purchased from the Trading Post.
The first trinket players will unlock is the cloak. It gives a small, but useful bonus in speed of movement and the ability to escape. Then, they can purchase amulets, rings and necklaces in a similar manner to the way a player obtains armor and weapons. Each piece of gear comes with one upgrade slot that can accommodate either a universal upgrade or a jewel upgrade. Universal upgrades offer smaller bonuses and can be put into any kind of equipment while jewelry cannot be changed or upgraded, and is only compatible with certain types of trinkets.
These trinkets grant additional buffs and abilities that are active when the hero isn't fighting. This allows the hero to be more efficient when they are not active. It can also make up for the absence of strong team or talent tree slots that are normally filled by the hero's best stats.
As a rule trinket upgrades should be prioritized over BiS (Best in Slot) items you won't replace in the near future. Also, consider items with desirable statistics that aren't as important as the iLevel of the item to be upgraded. This is especially true when you're looking to upgrade several statistics on an item. It's 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 to a red, while top and mid players typically choose either a pink or green ward (depending on the matchup). item upgrade can affect the ability of a hero to control the map.
In addition to the items mentioned above, players will also discover other trinkets in form of rewards and trophies throughout the game. These can be obtained through completing certain milestones within the story. For instance, finishing the main quest of a chapter or defeating an opponent. You can see them by selecting the achievement from the reward section of the hero's menu.