Item upgrades are a common and essential way to boost the performance of many items in Path of Exile. They can be a good source of extra damage and more AD or even more attachments.
Rare-grade equipment is often superior to the more modernized Common or Magic equipment due to their high demands.
Armor
Armor upgrades are a form of upgrade that can be applied to weapon and armor items. They improve the stats of the item upgrader kit that they are connected to. Upgrades to armor are available in the world of the game and can be purchased from Blacksmiths at any bonfire. Additionally, they can be rescued from items with upgrade components in them using an expert or greater salvage kit.
The amount of damage that a piece of armor or weapon is able to absorb is dependent on the extent of its upgrades. The damage absorption of a piece armor will increase as it is upgraded to its maximum upgrade level. However, it's important note that this will also increase its weight, causing it to be heavier than before.
There are a variety of armor upgrades that are available in the game. Each one has a distinct effect. For instance, certain upgrades give the armor a certain amount of health points while others will make it stronger and lighter. The name of the armor upgrade will indicate the type of upgrade an item upgrader can be given, as illustrated below.
Some upgrades also feature magic or a hybrid of magic and technology, which is shown by an "Magic" or "Hybrid" entry in the table below. Some upgrades also require a charge to use, and are shown by a "Charges" entry in the table below. The charges for these upgrades are updated daily or never expire, dependent on the upgrade.
The cheapest method of upgrading armor is by using Iron Ore, which can be obtained by exploring the area and looting minor loot chests. Titanium is more expensive however, it is available from smelters located in Orgrimmar and Stormwind City. Certain upgrades, such as 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 cost.
The process of upgrading an armor piece to max upgrade level will greatly increase its defense values but the wearer must be aware that putting more weight on it will drastically reduce its agility and speed. It is not recommended to upgrade armor beyond +9. The added defense usually isn't worth the weight and power costs of the upgrades.
Weapons
Weapon upgrades give players the ability to improve certain aspects of their weapon. Upgrades can increase the accuracy of a rifle or the damage caused by shotgun shells. Some weapons have special upgrades to improve their inherent characteristics. They include Frictionless Materials (improves stability and minimizes overheating of the weapon) and Kinetic Coils (increases the velocity of projectiles for greater damage).
The majority of upgrades for weapons require a whetblade. It's one of three Power Dices and a different amount of Minerals and Erons. They can be gained by completing Side Quests or by killing a certain amount of bosses and monsters.
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 more bars you need to complete an upgrade the higher the level. The cost of upgrades will be lower if have more than one of the upgrade materials.
In Chapter 2: Season 5 the way you upgrade your weapon and equipment sets has changed. Previously you could go to an Upgrade Bench and pay a certain number of Bars to upgrade your weapon or equipment to an increased level of rarity. You could continue doing this until you reach a max upgrade level of the weapon or equipment, after which the upgrades would reset.
It's still possible, but it depends heavily on RNG. Instead, you're much better off going to the stores and buying gear that has low upgrade levels but good base scores and stat distributions. These gears have a greater chance of granting you the most prestigious tier of benefits and blessings.
To improve their skills faster, many players prioritize upgrading their weapons. Players should also upgrade the weapons that their teammates utilize to increase their power. For instance, Shepard should consider upgrading the M92F to unlock the Beretta M93R, which will enhance its effectiveness when accompanied by experts in biotics like Grunt and Tali.
Jewels
Jewels are used in the armor's sockets and weapons, increasing the stats of a weapon and providing additional effects. They can be created using a process called jewelry crafting, where you combine a gem and a number of specific chemicals at a table. The higher the quality of the gemstone, the better the secondary effect. These reagents can be obtained around the world from Treasure Goblins, World Bosses and occasionally by salvaging Legendary equipment. You can also purchase them from The Jeweler for gold and a Scattered Prism.
The Jeweler can boost the quality of gemstones in stages ranging from Crude up to Royal. Based on the level of the gem, it will provide a different stat boosts when inserted into weapons, equipment and jewelry.
All tiers of jewels are crafted at the Jeweler however, there are some exceptions to this, such as the rare and legendary jewels that require you to be at a certain level to obtain the privilege of having them. Jewels can be replaced by another jewel without damaging the original. You can only replace the gem only once in a piece of equipment.
It is typical to use more gems for aesthetic reasons. In addition to improving performance, the diamonds create an outer layer that is more durable than steel, so the repeated friction with pivots doesn't cause harm as easily.
A Glyphmaster can offer glyphs to improve the appearance of your shields and weapons. These glyphs provide a small boost and can be freely swapped, but they are not guaranteed to appear as loot. Glyphs, just like jewelry, can be upgraded at the Jeweler to exchange gold and Scattered Crystals. Glyphs may also be removed and returned to the inventory. Other upgrade components, such as traits or aegis can't be exchanged, and can only be found by using an Upgrade extractor or salvaging using the Black Lion Salvage Kit or an Ascended Salvage tool.
Trinkets
Trinkets can give your character many small, but useful benefits. You can find them in the start-up area as loot or as personal story rewards. They are also available from vendors and by doing road interaction. They can also be made by jewelers, and found or purchased on the Trading Post.
The first trinket players will unlock is the cloak. It grants a small but valuable boost in speed of movement and the ability to evade. The player can then acquire necklaces, rings, and amulets in a similar manner as they did with weapons and armor. Every piece of equipment has a slot for an upgrade that is either universal or jewel. Universal upgrades are smaller and can be utilized on any piece of equipment. Jewels cannot be upgraded or replaced, and can only be used with certain trinkets.
These trinkets can provide additional bonuses and abilities that are active even when the hero isn't fighting. This allows a hero to be more efficient when they are not active. It can also compensate for the absence of strong team or talent tree slots which are usually filled by the hero's optimal stats.
In general trinket upgrades should be prioritized over BiS (Best item upgrade in Slot) items that you will not replace soon. Next, any items that have desirable statistics aren't as significant as the iLevel of the item to be upgraded. This is especially true when an item has multiple stats you'd like to upgrade, since it's generally better to upgrade just one crucial stat than two subpar ones.
Jungle players usually upgrade their yellow trinkets to a red trinket at the start of the game. Top and mid players however will pick a pink or green ward, based on the matchup. These choices will have a significant impact on the hero's abilities to control maps.
Aside from the things mentioned above, players can also find a number of other trinkets in the game in the form of trophies and awards. These can be earned by completing certain milestones in the story. For instance, completing the main quest for a chapter or defeating the boss. You can see them by selecting the achievement from the reward section of the hero's menu.
