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 good source of damage and more AD or even more affixes.
Often times however, upgraded Common and Magic gear is outclassed by Rare-grade gear due to their higher requirements.
Armor
Armor upgrades can be applied to both armor and weapon items. They boost the performance of the item that they are attached to. Upgrades to armor can be found in the world of games and purchased from Blacksmiths on bonfires. They can also be salvaged by using a professional or higher salvage kits to salvage upgrade components from items.
The amount of damage that an armored item or weapon can absorb depends on the extent of its upgrades. The ability to absorb damage of an item of armor will increase as it is upgraded to the maximum upgrade level. It is important to keep in mind that this will increase the weight of the armor, so it must be heavier.
There are several kinds of armor upgrades that are available in the game and they all have distinct effects. For example, some upgrades will grant the armor a certain number of health points while others will make it stronger and lighter. item upgrade of the upgrade will indicate the type of upgrade an item can receive, as shown below.
A few upgrades also feature magic or a hybrid of technology and magic which is indicated by an "Magic" or "Hybrid" entry in the table below. Certain upgrades also require fees for use. These are identified as "Charges" entries in the table. These charges are either continuously updated or never expire based on the upgrade.
Iron Ore is the cheapest option to upgrade your armor. You can find it by exploring and looting small treasure chests. Titanium is more expensive, but it can be obtained through smelters in Orgrimmar and Stormwind City. Some upgrades, like the Reforge or the Hot Potato Books can only be applied on armor pieces that are of high-level. These upgrades can provide a significant improvements in stats and are a worthwhile cost, especially for single-handed weapons.
The player must be aware that upgrading a piece to the maximum upgrade level can boost its defense. However, it can also reduce its agility and its speed. For this reason, it is not recommended to upgrade the majority of armor pieces above +9, since the added defense is typically not worth the additional weight and power costs of the improvements required.
Weapons
Weapon upgrades allow players the ability to improve certain aspects of their weapon. For instance an upgrade could increase the damage dealt by shotgun shells or the accuracy of a rifle that snipes. Some weapons also have special upgrades that enhance their inherent capabilities. Frictionless materials (improves stability, reduces the risk of the possibility of overheating) and Kinetic coils (increases the projectile's acceleration for greater damage) are two examples.
Most weapon upgrades require one of three Power Dices, a different amount of Minerals and Erons and a whetblade for applying. These can be obtained by completing Side Quests, killing a certain amount of monsters or bosses or by contacting the Weapon Upgrade NPC in Central Flarine.
Upgrading a Weapon, Equipment Set piece, or Whetblade requires visiting the NPC [Armor] Boboko in Central Flarine and paying her an upgrade cost of a set number of Bars. The higher the upgrade level, the higher the number of bars required to complete it. If you have multiple upgrade materials The cost of upgrading will be lower.
In Chapter 2: Season 5 the way you upgrade your weapon and sets has changed. Previously you could go to an Upgrade Bench and pay for a specific 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, at which point the upgrades would be reset.
You can still do this, however, the process is high on RNG and low on agency. You're better off buying gear with minimal upgrade levels but with high base scores and stat distributions. These items will have a better chance of giving you the highest level of blessings and perks.
Most players will want to make the most of upgrades to weapons they are most likely to use to help them level up faster. In addition players, they should also consider upgrading the weapons favored by their teammates to make them more powerful and effective. Shepard for instance, should upgrade the M92F to unlock the Beretta M93R. This will increase the effectiveness of the weapon when used in conjunction by biotic specialists like Grunt and Tali.
Jewels
Jewels can be used to increase the effectiveness of a skill or provide additional effects on weapons and armor. They can be made through a process called jewelry crafting, in which you combine a gemstone and several reagents at a jewelry table. The higher the grade of the gem, the greater the secondary effect. These reagents can be obtained from Treasure Goblins and World Bosses all over the world, or through finding Legendary Gear. You can also purchase them from The Jeweler for gold and a Scattered Prism.
The quality of a diamond can be improved upon by the Jeweler, in stages that range from Crude to Royal. The boosts to stats will differ depending on the tier the jewel is at when it is inserted into jewelry, weapons, or other gear.
All kinds of jewels are crafted at the Jeweler, with the exception of the rare and legendary jewels that require you to be at a certain level to qualify for them. Jewels can be replaced by another jewel without destroying the original. You are able to replace the jewel once in an item of equipment.
It is common to use more jewels for aesthetic reasons. Apart from improving performance, the jewels create an area that is stronger than metal, so repeated friction with pivots doesn't cause harm as easily.
In addition to the above-mentioned upgrades players can also acquire glyphs for their weapons and shields from a Glyphmaster. They offer a small benefit and can be swapped out at any time however they aren't guaranteed to drop as loot. Glyphs can be upgraded, like jewelry, at the Jeweler for gold, and also Scattered Crystal. Glyphs can also be removed from the inventory, and they are 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 a Black Lion Salvage Kit or Ascended Salvage Tool.
Trinkets
Trinkets are a great way to provide your hero with many small, but useful benefits. They can be acquired starting in the areas of starting as loot, personal story rewards, from vendors, and by performing road interactions. They can also be made by jewelers, and found or purchased from the Trading Post.
The first trinket a player will be able to unlock is the cloak. It gives a small but beneficial boost in movement speed and the ability to evade. Then, they can purchase amulets, rings and necklaces in a similar fashion to how the player obtains armor and weapons. Every piece of equipment has a slot for an upgrade that is 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 is only compatible with certain types of trinkets.
These trinkets provide additional buffs and abilities that are active even when the hero isn't engaged in combat. This allows the hero to be more effective when not active, and can also help to compensate for the absence of a solid team or any slots in the talent tree that normally are filled with the hero's ideal statistics.
As a rule, trinket upgrades should prioritize BiS (Best in Slot) items that you aren't likely to replace in the near future. Also, consider items with desirable statistics that are less significant than the iLevel of the item that is to be upgraded. This is especially true when you want to upgrade multiple stats on an item. It is better to upgrade one important stat instead of two subpar ones.
Jungle players will often upgrade their yellow trinket to a red trinket at the start of the game. Top and mid players on the other hand they will select either a pink or green ward, depending on the game's matchup. These choices can impact the hero's ability to manage the map.
In item upgrading to the items mentioned above, players will also find other trinkets in the form trophies and rewards throughout the game. They can be obtained by completing certain milestones in the story. For instance, completing the main quest of a chapter or defeating a boss. They can be viewed by selecting the appropriate achievement in the reward tab of the hero menu.