Path of Exile Item Upgrades
The performance of a variety of Path of Exile items can be improved by upgrading their performance. They can be a fantastic source of damage and more AD or even more attachments.
Often times however, upgraded Common and Magic gear is beaten out by Rare-grade gear because of their higher requirements.
Armor
Armor upgrades are a kind of upgrade that can be applied to armor and weapon items. They boost the performance of the item that they're connected to. Armor upgrades are available in the world of the game and can be purchased from Blacksmiths at bonfires. Additionally, they can be rescued from items with upgrade components inside them, using a specialist or more powerful salvage kit.
The amount of damage that an armored item or weapon will absorb is contingent on the level of its upgrades. Upgrading a piece of armor to its highest upgrade level will boost its ability to absorb damage. It is important to note that this will increase the weight of the armor, therefore it should be heavier.
There are many different kinds of armor upgrades that are available in the game. Each one has a distinct effect. For instance, certain upgrades will give the armor a certain number of additional health points, while others will make it lighter and stronger. The name of the armor upgrade will indicate the kind of upgrade the item can receive, as shown below.
Some upgrades also feature magic or a mix of magic and technology, which is indicated by the "Magic" or "Hybrid" entry in the table below. Additionally, some upgrades require a charge to use, which are shown by a "Charges" entry in the table below. These charges are either constantly updated or never expire depending on the upgrade.
The cheapest way to upgrade armor is to use Iron Ore, which can be obtained by exploring the environment and looting small loot chests. Titanium is more expensive however it is obtainable from the smelters in Orgrimmar and Stormwind City. Some upgrades, such as the Reforge and the Hot Potato Books, can only be applied to high level armor pieces. These upgrades can give a significant improvements in stats and are well worth the investment.
The process of upgrading an armor piece to its maximum upgrade level will dramatically boost its defense, but the player should be aware that putting more weight on it will dramatically reduce its speed and agility. It is not recommended to upgrade armor beyond +9. The boost in defense typically 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 that shotgun shells cause. Some weapons also have special upgrades that improve their innate capabilities. Frictionless materials (improves stability, reduces the risk of the possibility of overheating) and Kinetic coils (increases the projectile's acceleration to cause more damage) are two examples.
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, taking out a certain number of monsters or bosses or by contacting the Weapon Upgrade NPC located in Central Flarine.
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 higher the level. 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 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 do this until you reached the max upgrade level of the weapon or equipment, after which upgrades would reset.
It's possible, but it is dependent heavily on RNG. Instead, you're much better off visiting stores and purchasing equipment that has low upgrade levels but excellent base scores and stat distributions. These will be able to give you the highest tier bonuses and blessings.
To level up quicker, players usually prioritize upgrading their weapons. Players should also upgrade the weapons that their teammates use to make them stronger. Shepard, for example should upgrade his M92F so that he can unlock the Beretta M93R. This will increase the effectiveness of the weapon when accompanied with biotic specialists such as Grunt and Tali.
Jewels
Jewels can be used to boost a stat or provide secondary effects in weapons and armor. Jewelry crafting is a method of creating them. You combine a gemstone with a number specific reagents on a jewelry table. The higher the level of the jewel, the better its secondary effect. These reagents are obtained in the world through Treasure Goblins, World Bosses and sometimes by salvaging Legendary gear. You can also purchase them from The Jeweler in exchange for gold and Scattered Prisms.
The quality of a gem can be improved by the Jeweler, in stages that vary from Crude to Royal. Based on the tier of the gem it will give different stat boosts when it is inserted into weapons, gear and jewelry.
The Jeweler can craft all tiers of gems, with the exception of rare and legendary ones which require a certain level to get. Like other upgrade components jewels can be swapped with a jewel of the same kind without damaging the original one. You can only replace the jewel once in an item of equipment.
It is normal to use more jewelry for aesthetic reasons. Jewels also enhance performance and create a surface harder than steel so that repeated friction from pivots do not cause damage to the movement.
A Glyphmaster can provide glyphs that can enhance the look of your weapons and shields. They offer a small benefit and can be swapped freely, but are not guaranteed to drop as loot. Glyphs, just like jewelry, can be upgraded by the Jeweler to exchange Scattered Crystals and gold. Glyphs can also be taken out and returned to the inventory. Other upgrade components, such as traits and aegis, aren't swappable and can only be retrieved using an Upgrade Extractor or salvaging them with Black Lion Salvage Kit or Ascended Salvage Tool.
item upgrades are pieces of equipment that offer an array of tiny but valuable advantages to your hero. You can find them in the starter area as rewards for personal stories or loot. They can also be obtained from vendors as well as through doing road interaction. They can also be crafted by jewelers, and found or purchased on the Trading Post.
The first trinket a player can unlock is the cloak. It provides a tiny, but useful bonus in speed of movement and the ability to escape. The player can then collect necklaces, amulets, and rings, in a similar way to how they acquired weapons and armor. Every piece of equipment has an upgrade slot that can be either universal or jewel. Universal upgrades offer fewer benefits and can be placed in any type of equipment, however, jewelry cannot be replaced or upgraded and only works with certain types of trinkets.
These trinkets can provide additional bonuses and abilities that are active even when the hero isn't in combat. This enables the hero to be more effective when not active and may also help make up for a lack of a strong team or any slots from the talent tree that would normally be filled with hero's ideal stats.
A good guideline for trinket upgrades is to prioritize BiS (Best-in-Slot) items that you aren't planning to replace in the near future, then any items with desirable stats but less important than the iLevel of the item to be upgraded. This is true especially if you want to upgrade multiple stats on an item. It is more beneficial to upgrade a single important stat instead of two subpar ones.
In the beginning of the game players who are in the jungle will typically want to upgrade their trinket to a red, while top and middle players usually choose the pink or green ward (depending on the matchup). These choices will have a major impact on the hero's map control abilities.
In addition to the items listed above, players will find other trinkets that form of trophies and rewards throughout the game. These can be obtained through completing certain milestones within the story. For instance, finishing the main quest for a chapter or defeating a boss. You can view them by clicking on the achievement in the reward section of the hero's menu.