Should You Upgrade Weapons in Diablo 4? A Comprehensive Guide
The short answer: yes, absolutely upgrade your weapons in Diablo 4, but with strategic consideration. Early game upgrading should be light, focusing on maximizing your build’s effectiveness with minimal resource investment. Late game, upgrading is crucial for pushing into higher World Tiers and tackling endgame content.
The Nuances of Weapon Upgrading
Diablo 4’s weapon upgrade system offers a direct path to enhancing your character’s power, but it’s not a simple “always upgrade everything” scenario. The system centers around visiting blacksmiths and utilizing crafting materials obtained through salvaging unwanted gear. Each upgrade increases a weapon’s base damage and, importantly, the stat ranges on its affixes.
Early Game (Levels 1-50): Strategic Minimalism
During the campaign and early leveling process (World Tiers 1 and 2), you’ll frequently find new gear dropping. Often, these drops will outperform your currently equipped items. Therefore, dumping resources into maxing out every weapon is a waste.
- Focus on key upgrades: If a weapon has exceptional affixes that significantly boost your build’s core functionality (e.g., increased critical strike chance, cooldown reduction, skill ranks), a single or double upgrade might be worthwhile. This allows you to capitalize on the power boost without overspending resources that could be better used later.
- Prioritize resource efficiency: Stick to upgrading Magic (blue) and Rare (yellow) weapons only when necessary. Legendary and Unique weapons are less frequent drops, which would make finding more valuable to upgrade later on.
- Salvage, salvage, salvage: Salvaging unwanted gear is paramount. You’ll need the crafting materials to upgrade your key weapons later.
Mid-Game (Levels 50-70): World Tier Transition
As you transition to World Tier 3 and beyond, the power curve steepens. Your existing gear might struggle to keep pace. This is where more deliberate upgrading becomes important.
- Identify upgrade-worthy items: Carefully evaluate dropped weapons. Look for items with high Item Power (ilvl) and strong, synergistic affixes. These are your upgrade candidates.
- Upgrade consistently: Now is the time to start using all available upgrade tiers on items with high potential.
- Consider rerolling: The Occultist provides the ability to reroll one affix on a weapon. This can transform a good weapon into an exceptional one.
End-Game (Levels 70+): Maximize Optimization
Once you’ve reached higher levels and are farming Nightmare Dungeons and Helltides on World Tier 4, you’re looking for near-perfect gear. Upgrading weapons is no longer optional; it’s essential for tackling the most challenging content.
- Aim for Item Power breakpoints: Diablo 4 has Item Power breakpoints that significantly impact the potential stat ranges on your gear. Strive to reach these breakpoints through upgrades.
- Legendary and Unique focus: At this stage, you’ll be primarily upgrading Legendary and Unique weapons. Use your materials strategically to push their stats to the maximum possible values.
- Aspect Extraction and Imprinting: The Occultist allows you to extract Legendary Aspects from one item and imprint them onto another. Use this system to move powerful Aspects onto your upgraded weapons.
- Be Prepared: Endgame content will require specific build archetypes, it’s important to have appropriate upgrades for each item on hand and ready to switch into as needed.
- Prioritize your Main Weapon: The main weapon which the character will deal damage with should always have the highest item level.
- Test and Adapt: It is important to test the builds after each upgrade to ensure the character’s performance in game.
Is it worth upgrading iconic weapons?
Upgrading iconic weapons can be incredibly powerful and valuable in the game. They are the end-game focus of every build.
Weapon Customization and Its Influence
While Diablo 4 doesn’t have the extreme weapon customization seen in games like Escape From Tarkov or Fallout 4, the combination of affixes, item power upgrades, and Aspect imprinting offers a meaningful degree of customization. You can tailor weapons to perfectly complement your character’s skills and playstyle.
Remember that learning and sharing knowledge about games and their mechanics is crucial for any gaming community, consider joining or supporting organizations like the Games Learning Society, which is dedicated to advancing the understanding of games and learning at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Weapon Upgrades, Economy, and Power
The economy in Diablo 4 revolves around resource management. Gold and crafting materials are the lifeblood of your progression. Investing wisely in weapon upgrades will accelerate your character’s power and, therefore, your ability to acquire even more resources.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What does upgrading weapons do in Diablo 4?
Upgrading weapons increases their base damage and improves the stat ranges of their affixes. Each upgrade tier requires specific crafting materials and gold.
2. How many times can you upgrade gear in Diablo 4?
The number of upgrades depends on the item’s rarity: Magic (blue) items can be upgraded once, Rare (yellow) twice, and Legendary (orange) three times. Unique items can be altered at The Occultist for affixes.
3. Should I sell or salvage in Diablo 4?
Early on, salvaging is generally preferred, as you’ll need the crafting materials for upgrades. As you amass resources, you can sell excess items for gold. Always salvage Legendaries unless you have an extreme surplus.
4. When should I start upgrading my gear in Diablo 4?
Focus on light upgrades until you hit level 50 and transition to World Tier 3. After that, upgrade strategically based on an item’s potential.
5. Does gear level matter in Diablo 4?
Yes! Item Power directly influences a weapon’s base damage and the ranges of its affixes. Higher Item Power weapons are almost always better.
6. What is the highest item power in Diablo 4?
Item Power can range from 1 at low levels to over 725+ at the top levels. There are key breakpoints within that range that affect stat scaling.
7. Are exotic weapons better than legendary weapons?
Diablo 4 doesn’t have “exotic” weapons like Destiny 2. However, Unique items (which are the rarest and most powerful) offer unique effects that often surpass those of standard Legendary items.
8. What should you never sell in Diablo 4?
Always keep items with useful Transmogs, valuable affixes for different builds, and Legendary gear that has not been extracted yet.
9. When should I start worrying about gear in Diablo 4?
Really start focusing on gear optimization once you reach the level cap and higher World Tiers.
10. What is the best place to farm Legendaries in Diablo 4?
Nightmare Dungeons and Helltide events are excellent for farming Legendaries. Target specific dungeon affixes that benefit your build.
11. Does difficulty affect loot in Diablo 4?
Yes, higher difficulty settings grant you the chance to earn more XP, more gold, and better loot drops.
12. What is the best gear farm in Diablo 4?
Public Events in Helltide areas on Nightmare difficulty offer a high chance of dropping Legendaries and other valuable resources.
13. What to do with useless Legendaries Diablo 4?
Salvage them! The crafting materials are crucial for upgrading your better gear and imprinting Aspects.
14. Should I salvage Legendaries Diablo 4?
Yes, as a general rule, salvage Legendaries for their valuable crafting materials, especially Coiling Wards and Baleful Fragments.
15. Should I keep unique items in Diablo 4?
Absolutely! Unique items are among the best in the game and can significantly enhance your build’s effectiveness.
Conclusion
Weapon upgrading in Diablo 4 is a core mechanic that significantly impacts your character’s power progression. By understanding the nuances of the system and applying strategic resource management, you can maximize your character’s effectiveness and conquer the most challenging content that Sanctuary has to offer. Embrace the grind, experiment with different builds, and enjoy the journey!