Augmenting in Diablo 3: Choosing the Right Gems for Power
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The crucial question for any Diablo 3 player looking to maximize their character’s potential is: What gems should I use for augmenting? The answer is straightforward yet important, as it directly impacts the stats you’ll gain. For augmenting, you’ll need three Flawless Royal Gems of a specific type, determined by the stat you want to increase on your chosen piece of Ancient or Primal Ancient gear.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Flawless Royal Ruby: Used to augment Strength. Ideal for classes like Barbarians and Crusaders that rely heavily on this stat.
- Flawless Royal Emerald: Used to augment Dexterity. Perfect for Demon Hunters, Monks, and some builds of the Necromancer.
- Flawless Royal Topaz: Used to augment Intelligence. This is the go-to gem for Wizards, Witch Doctors, and other Necromancer builds.
- Flawless Royal Amethyst: Used to augment Vitality. While generally not recommended for damage-focused builds, it can be valuable for support characters or builds requiring extreme survivability.
The choice of gem directly correlates to the stat boost you will receive on the augmented item. Augmenting in Diablo 3 is an end-game activity that provides a substantial boost in power by increasing your main stats. This system uses legendary gems along with flawless royal gems. A legendary gem is consumed in the process, adding stat to your chosen Ancient or Primal Ancient item.
The Augmenting Process
Before we move to FAQs, let’s quickly recap how augmenting works. Here’s what you need:
- An Ancient or Primal Ancient item you wish to augment.
- A Legendary Gem of the appropriate level:
- Rank 30+ for weapons.
- Rank 40+ for rings and amulets.
- Rank 50+ for armor.
- Three Flawless Royal gems of the type that corresponds to your desired stat.
- Ruby for Strength.
- Emerald for Dexterity.
- Topaz for Intelligence.
- Amethyst for Vitality.
- You will use Kanai’s Cube, select the recipe “Calaesann’s Despair.”
Put these items in Kanai’s Cube and transmute. Your chosen piece of equipment is then augmented, and the legendary gem you used will be destroyed. The item you augment receives a permanent stat increase equal to the level of the gem multiplied by 5. This is an essential mechanic to push your character further.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is Augmenting and why is it important?
Augmenting is a powerful end-game mechanic in Diablo 3 that allows you to add a significant amount of your main stat (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, or Vitality) to Ancient or Primal Ancient gear. It is essential because it provides a substantial, permanent stat increase, acting similarly to gaining Paragon Levels past 800 but on a per-item basis. Each level of the legendary gem you use to augment is multiplied by 5 and that amount of stat is added to your gear.
2. What are the different types of Flawless Royal Gems and what do they do?
There are four types of Flawless Royal Gems used for augmenting, each corresponding to a specific stat:
- Flawless Royal Ruby (Strength): Increases Strength, which is primary for Barbarians and Crusaders.
- Flawless Royal Emerald (Dexterity): Increases Dexterity, critical for Demon Hunters, Monks, and some Necromancer builds.
- Flawless Royal Topaz (Intelligence): Increases Intelligence, crucial for Wizards, Witch Doctors, and some Necromancer builds.
- Flawless Royal Amethyst (Vitality): Increases Vitality, useful for builds focused on survivability, but rarely the best choice for boosting damage.
3. Which Legendary Gems are best for Augmenting?
Any Legendary Gem that can be leveled to 150 is suitable for augmenting, as the stat boost is directly tied to its level. Avoid using Boon of the Hoarder and Iceblink because these are capped at level 50, providing less stat benefit.
4. What level should my Legendary Gem be before I use it to augment?
The level of your Legendary Gem dictates the amount of stat the augment will give. Therefore, using higher level gems are better for getting the most stat boost. The minimum level requirement depends on the item type. A Rank 30+ gem for Weapons, a Rank 40+ gem for Rings and Amulets, and a Rank 50+ gem for Armor. It is recommended to level your gems as high as you can for optimal augments, even beyond the minimum level requirement, as the stat benefit of augmenting increases with the level of the legendary gem used.
5. How do I get Flawless Royal Gems?
Flawless Royal Gems can be acquired through a few methods:
- Combining Gems: Combine lower-tier gems at the Jeweler until you reach Flawless Royal quality.
- Gem Hoarders: Treasure Goblins known as Gem Hoarders drop gems, which can be a good way to obtain them in The Vault.
- Regular Drops: While rare, Flawless Royal Gems can also drop from enemies and chests in high-level content.
6. Where is the best place to farm Gems in Diablo 3?
The Vault is the best place to farm gems. This area has plenty of Treasure Goblins, including Gem Hoarders, which drop a significant number of gems. Running The Vault is the most reliable method to get both regular gems to combine and higher-tier gems.
7. Does it matter which Legendary Gem I use to augment, other than the level?
No. The stat boost only scales with the level of the gem used. However, remember the gem is destroyed in the process of augmenting. Any gem that can reach level 150 is suitable for augmenting.
8. Can I stack augments on the same item?
No, you cannot stack augments. If you augment an item again, the new augment will replace the old one. Be sure to use the highest leveled gems for augmenting for optimal effect.
9. Is Vitality ever a good stat to augment?
While it can add to survivability, Vitality is generally not the ideal stat for augmenting unless you are a dedicated support character in group play, or a build that needs to be extremely survivable. For damage-focused builds, augmenting for Strength, Dexterity, or Intelligence will provide far more overall power.
10. When should I start Augmenting my items?
It’s recommended to augment once you have a character capable of easily completing high Greater Rifts or other endgame content, and your main legendary gems are at a high level. For most builds, this will be around level 100 for your key legendary gems. A good strategy is to augment your speed-farming character first.
11. Can I augment crafted Primals?
Yes, you can augment Primal Ancient items, and they are actually the most ideal candidates for augmentation. You can only equip one crafted Primal item at a time. This means if you equip one, you cannot equip others.
12. Do Followers benefit from augments?
Followers do not benefit from augments, nor do they benefit from most legendary gems, with the exception of Esoteric Alteration and Mutilation Guard. These two legendary gems help them survive. The only legendary gem that has an effect on followers is Enforcer, if you have it equipped.
13. Should I combine all my gems to the highest level before using them for augments?
Yes. You need Flawless Royal versions of the gems to use for augmenting. This requires combining lower-tiered gems at the Jeweler. The best practice is to combine all regular gems until you have enough Flawless Royal gems of the stat type you want for augmenting.
14. Can I re-augment items?
Yes, you can re-augment items. Be mindful, the previous augment will be replaced by the new one. It is worth re-augmenting if you can gain at least 20 levels per item, which is +100 stat per item.
15. What if I accidentally use the wrong gems to augment?
Unfortunately, you cannot undo an augment, nor can you retrieve the gem that was used. Be extremely careful to select the right gem and legendary gem before confirming the augment process in Kanai’s Cube. If you use the wrong gem, you must obtain new gems and repeat the augmenting process.
By choosing the right gems and understanding the mechanics of augmentation, you will substantially boost the power of your Diablo 3 character, pushing the limits of what you can achieve in Sanctuary.