Diablo 4 has revamped its loot system significantly in Season 4, introducing new ways to enhance your gear. These changes can be complex and costly, but with the right approach, you can optimize your equipment effectively. Here's a guide to the four main methods to upgrade your loot in Diablo 4:

1. Imprinting (Occultist)

Imprinting is a familiar feature for seasoned Diablo players, allowing you to apply specific legendary aspects to your gear. In Season 4, this process has been simplified. You no longer need to extract aspects from other pieces of gear individually. Instead, when you salvage gear with a desired aspect, it gets "banked" in your Codex of Power, retaining the best roll up to a maximum value. This change makes it easier to imprint and upgrade your gear as you progress consistently.

Tips for Imprinting:

Regularly check your Codex to see which aspects you have banked.

Imprint high-value aspects onto gear that you plan to use for a significant time.

Use this method to tailor your equipment to fit your preferred playstyle.

2. Enchanting (Occultist)

Enchanting, another returning feature, has seen improvements in Season 4. There are now fewer useless stats, making your re-rolls more likely to produce valuable results. However, be cautious with enhanced affixes, identifiable by a small dot; rerolling these can result in their loss.

Focus on rerolling stats that directly benefit your build.

Avoid rerolling enhanced affixes to preserve their boosted stats.

Plan your rerolls strategically to maximize the effectiveness of your gear.

3. Tempering (Blacksmith)

Tempering is a new addition to the gear enhancement system, allowing you to add two new affixes to your legendary items, which now only come with three base affixes. As you play, you'll find manuals that offer the best rolls for various categories, enabling you to add an affix to two slots in two different categories. This can even include repeating affixes, such as adding more movement speed to boots that already have it.

Tips for Tempering:

Collect manuals diligently to ensure you have the best options for your gear.

Prioritize adding affixes that enhance your character's weaknesses or further bolster your strengths.

Be mindful of the limited number of charges available for tempering; use them wisely.

4. Masterworking (Blacksmith)

Masterworking is the ultimate endgame method for upgrading your gear, a more detailed process than simply upgrading at the Blacksmith. There are twelve levels of Masterworking, each requiring materials from various levels of The Pit. The process is expensive, but Blizzard has recently reduced the gold cost. Each Masterwork level boosts all affixes by 5%, and for every four levels, one random affix (including tempered ones) gets a 25% boost.

Tips for Masterworking:

Gather materials from The Pit consistently to support your Masterworking efforts.

Focus on gear pieces that have a high potential for maximum enhancement.

Monitor your gold reserves and plan your upgrades to avoid running out of resources.

Bonus: Enhanced Affixes

Enhanced affixes add another layer of complexity and potential to your loot. These affixes are marked by 1-4 dots next to the item and can have up to 150% of the normal value of a stat. They are rare, and you can find 1-3 enhanced affixes on legendary items and up to 4 on Unique items.

Tips for Enhanced Affixes:

Prioritize gear with enhanced affixes to maximize your character's power.

Combine enhanced affixes with Masterworking for exponential boosts in effectiveness.

Keep an eye out for gear with multiple enhanced affixes to fully exploit their potential.

Final Thoughts

Mastering the art of gear enhancement in Diablo 4's Season 4 requires understanding and leveraging these four methods. Imprinting, Enchanting, Tempering, and Masterworking each offer unique ways to improve your loot, and enhanced affixes add another dimension of potential power. By strategically using these methods, you can significantly boost your gear's effectiveness and dominate the treacherous world of Sanctuary. Good luck, and may your loot be ever in your favor!