Sanctuary field notes

Diablo IV Field Guide

Researched, versioned notes on Diablo IV systems and decisions.

Upgrading gear in Season 15

Scope: Rare, Legendary, Unique and Mythic Unique equipment in the live 3.2.1 build
Checked: September 27, 2026
Status: Practical route grounded in Blizzard’s published rules; item-specific menus and costs still need in-game verification.

Start with the item you actually want to keep. Make the affix and power choices first, finish its ordinary upgrades, and only then consider a Cube operation that can make it Unmodifiable. If your goal is a direct Mythic upgrade, do that before such a Transfiguration: Blizzard says an Unmodifiable item cannot use the direct-upgrade recipe. Season 15 crafting notes.

The short route

Starting item Work through Key decision
Rare with promising affixes Check for an Ancestral base and valuable Greater Affixes. If you know the Aspect you want, imprint it at the Occultist to make a Legendary; if you want a random power, inspect the Cube’s Upgrade to Legendary recipe. Imprinting adds the Aspect, not a free base affix: if the result has fewer base affixes than you want, use the Cube’s Add Affix recipe while it is eligible. Then follow the Legendary route. Rarity and Ancestral status are different properties. Do not assume that converting a non-Ancestral Rare will satisfy an Ancestral gear goal. Check the output preview before spending.
Legendary Choose the base affixes and Legendary Aspect; use eligible Cube affix recipes and the Occultist as needed; socket, temper and masterwork; consider Transfiguration last. Do not confuse a Cube affix reroll with an Occultist Enchant. Check the recipe preview for what changes.
Unique Choose the Unique and fix eligible affixes; socket, temper and masterwork; if you want its direct Mythic version, use the Cube’s Upgrade Direct Item to Mythic while the item is still modifiable. Skip Aspect imprinting. The direct upgrade preserves the input item’s affixes, Tempering and Masterworking, and gives it a Crafted tag.
Mythic Unique already in hand Check which affixes can be Enchanted, then finish the eligible sockets, Temper and Masterwork. Consider Transfiguration only after all intended changes. Do not feed a Mythic into a recipe intended to turn a lower-quality item into a Mythic. Skip Aspect imprinting.

This is a decision path, not a claim that every menu accepts every item. Check the game’s current preview for the item in your hand before spending rare materials. Blizzard’s 3.1 notes opened Enchanting to Unique and Mythic Unique affixes, but individual affix eligibility still depends on the item and menu.

Remember the finish line: S.T.E.A.M.

Players use S.T.E.A.M. as a community checklist. It is useful for catching a missed upgrade; it is not a mandatory vendor order.

Letter Check Where / when
S — Socket Are the desired sockets and gems or runes in place? Jeweler and item socket UI. Check before declaring the item finished.
T — Temper Is the chosen Tempering affix present at a satisfactory value? Blacksmith. Blizzard says you choose the affix from a recipe and an item has one Tempered affix.
E — Enchant Did you replace the eligible unwanted base affix, if needed? Occultist. In 3.1, Uniques and Mythics also became eligible for Enchanting.
A — Aspect / Affix For a Rare or Legendary, is the intended Legendary Aspect imprinted? Have you finished any eligible Cube affix work? Occultist for the Aspect; Horadric Cube for its distinct affix recipes. Skip the Aspect check for Unique and Mythic Unique items.
M — Masterwork Is item Quality at the target level, and is its Capstone result acceptable? Blacksmith. Quality goes up to 25. Each Quality point raises affix values by 1%, and the Capstone boosts one random affix by 50%, potentially an existing Greater Affix or Temper.

The two versions of the mnemonic in the community say Aspect or Affix for A. This guide keeps both visible because the Occultist’s imprint and the Cube’s affix operations solve different problems. Tempering and Masterworking rules are described in Blizzard’s final 2.5 patch notes, which supersede the earlier item journey preview.

Step 1: Decide which item deserves investment

Compare the item’s quality, existing Greater Affixes, build-relevant base affixes and special power with your target. A Rare with the right affixes can be worth keeping: Blizzard says Rares can drop Ancestral with Greater Affixes and can be used as bases for higher-rarity gear. Lord of Hatred item rarity updates. A socket or high Quality cannot rescue the wrong Unique power for your build. If it is an old Legacy item, Blizzard says Legacy items cannot be crafted or used in the Cube. Lord of Hatred itemization overview.

When an Ancestral Rare is worth saving

For an Ancestral replacement slot, inspect Rare drops too. Prioritize the right affix on the right slot—especially a Greater Affix on a stat your build needs—then compare the whole item with your equipped piece. A Greater Affix on an irrelevant stat is not, by itself, a reason to invest. Blizzard confirms that Ancestral Rares can drop with Greater Affixes and serve as crafting bases. Item rarity updates.

Before using materials, count the desired base affixes already present. The Cube’s Add Affix fills an eligible open slot with a random affix; a Tuning Prism can narrow its category, but cannot promise the exact stat. Imprinting your chosen Aspect makes the Rare a Legendary without filling a missing base-affix slot. Keep the candidate if the existing rolls are valuable enough to justify that remaining gamble; otherwise, keep farming. Cashlarond’s Cube recipe reference and Occultist guide.

Before spending, choose one of these goals:

  1. Build from a Rare: keep promising affixes (especially on an Ancestral base), then choose the Occultist for a specific Aspect or the Cube recipe for a random Legendary power. Check the preview for affixes and Ancestral status.
  2. Keep a Legendary: settle on the affixes and the Aspect you want.
  3. Keep a Unique: improve eligible affixes and its other available modifications; there is no Legendary Aspect step.
  4. Make a direct Mythic: identify the exact eligible input Unique, plan the expensive Cube recipe, and avoid making the candidate Unmodifiable.

Step 2: Use the right tool for the affix problem

What you want Tool What the published rules establish
Change one eligible unwanted affix Occultist → Enchant Uniques, Mythic Uniques and Iconic Mythics became eligible in 3.1. The 3.2.1 notes lowered the Forgotten Soul cost of enchanting an Ancestral item from 25 to 10. Check the current candidate list and full price in game.
Add, remove or change affixes with a Cube recipe Horadric Cube Blizzard describes add, remove and reroll recipes, but their precise input restrictions and effects differ. Read the selected recipe’s preview; do not assume it behaves like Enchant.
Improve base affix values while protecting chosen work Cube → Affix Value Reroll The Season 15 recipe rerolls base affix values on equipment and Talismans while protecting Greater Affixes, Enchanted affixes, Tempers and eligible Transfigurations. It is not a promise to replace a base affix with a different one.
Reroll a Charm or Seal’s base affixes Cube → Horadric Reroll This separate Season 15 recipe applies to Legendary-or-higher Charms and Seals. It does not change their set bonuses or Unique/Mythic powers. It is not the equipment recipe.

Sources: Cube overview, Season 15 new recipes and Occultist changes, and 3.1 Unique Enchanting changes.

Order within this step: Decide which affix must change and which values must be protected. The new Affix Value Reroll expressly preserves an Enchanted affix, so Enchanting first can protect that result. Other Cube recipes may remove or replace more than you expect: inspect their actual input and output before confirming.

Protecting Greater Affixes

An item with a valuable Greater Affix deserves an extra check before any affix operation. Three actions that sound similar have different risks: rerolling a value, replacing an affix, and boosting an affix through Masterworking. Preserve the roll that makes the item worth upgrading while fixing the rest.

Action Safer decision when the item has a prized Greater Affix
Cube → Affix Value Reroll Blizzard explicitly says this recipe protects Greater Affixes, Enchanted affixes and Tempers while rerolling base affix values. Use it when the affix identities are right but ordinary values need work; inspect the input and output anyway.
Occultist → Enchant Select the unwanted affix, not the prized Greater Affix. Enchanting replaces the selected affix; do not count on getting a lost Greater Affix back. Check the selected row and replacement choices before accepting.
Other Cube affix recipes “Add,” “Remove” and “Reroll” have different effects. Blizzard’s general Cube description does not promise that they preserve your Greater Affix. Read the exact recipe and result preview; if it could touch the valued roll, hold the item back.
Temper and Masterwork An Ancestral Temper can itself roll as a Greater Affix. At Quality 25, the Masterwork Capstone boosts a random affix by 50%; an existing Greater Affix or a Temper can receive the boost. Decide which Temper you want before spending for that bonus; reroll an unwanted Capstone result without resetting Quality.
Transfiguration or direct Mythic upgrade Finish your desired affix work and direct Mythic upgrade before a Transfiguration that could make the item Unmodifiable. The direct Mythic recipe preserves the item’s affixes and modifications but rejects Unmodifiable input.

Before confirming: write down or screenshot the exact Greater Affix and value, check that the preview still shows it, and cancel if the result is ambiguous. The Season 15 Cube recipe details, final Masterworking and Tempering rules, and Cube overview establish the published parts of this checklist; exact item eligibility and preview remain in-game checks.

Step 3: Set the Aspect where one is allowed

For a Rare with good affixes, imprinting your chosen Aspect at the Occultist turns it into a Legendary; you need not use the Cube merely to change its rarity. Imprinting does not roll a missing base affix. A dropped Legendary normally has four base affixes under Blizzard’s item rarity rules; inspect the converted item’s actual affix count and use the Cube’s separate Add Affix recipe for an eligible item if it is short. That extra affix is random, so check its recipe and result preview. The Cube’s separate Upgrade to Legendary recipe takes a Rare and gives it a random Legendary power, so use it only if that outcome suits your plan. Icy Veins’ Occultist guide and Cashlarond’s Cube recipe reference.

For an existing Legendary, use the Occultist’s imprint function to set the chosen Aspect. In either case, check that the Aspect suits the item slot and build, and confirm the output’s affixes, Greater Affixes and Ancestral marker in the live preview. Blizzard documents separate Occultist Imprinting and Enchanting costs. An Aspect is not a base affix; changing one does not replace the other.

Imprinting preserves the base affixes. The Occultist’s Imprint Aspect applies a Legendary Aspect to eligible gear; the Cube’s Remove Affix is a separate recipe. Current recipe references list Remove Affix for Magic or Rare items, removing one random affix per craft, so it is not a way to strip a Legendary down to one chosen roll. Check your Cube’s live recipe and preview before using it, particularly if the item has a Greater Affix. Current Cube recipe reference and Blizzard’s Cube overview.

Step 4: Temper, socket and Masterwork

At the Blacksmith, select the desired Tempering affix from its recipe. The permanent item journey changes give an item one Tempered affix and allow Tempering charges to be restored. At the Jeweler, add any wanted sockets and fill them with the appropriate gem or rune. Check the slot and recipe previews for your item quality.

Masterworking raises the item’s Quality to a maximum of 25, adding 2–5 Quality per upgrade. Quality improves base damage, armor or resistance and raises all affix values by 1% per Quality point. At maximum Quality, the Capstone boosts a random affix by 50%; this can include a Greater Affix or a Temper. You can reroll the Capstone without resetting Quality, but cannot choose its target directly. Decide whether the intended Temper should be present when you roll for the Capstone, and check the item’s result before spending more. Blizzard final 2.5 patch notes and updated Season 11 explanation.

You may do some of these steps in a different order to manage materials or the Capstone pool. Use S.T.E.A.M. to verify all applicable steps have been considered.

Step 5: Make the Mythic and final-lock decisions

Direct Mythic from a Unique: Blizzard’s Season 15 crafting explanation says the Cube’s Upgrade Direct Item to Mythic carries over the exact item’s affixes, Tempering and Masterworking. It is a more expensive path than the other Mythic crafting routes, refuses Unmodifiable input, and yields a Crafted item. You may equip only one Crafted-tag item from this route. Confirm the recipe accepts your particular item and that you want this outcome before using it.

Alternative Mythic routes: The Jeweler’s rune recipe and Blacksmith’s Mythic Cache produce Mythics without that Crafted tag; they are separate crafting decisions, not the one-to-one upgrade of your carefully prepared Unique. Season 15 crafting explanation.

Transfiguration: Treat a Cube operation that can leave an item Unmodifiable as the last optional gamble, after all desired normal changes and after any direct Mythic upgrade. Blizzard explicitly warns that Transfiguring a candidate can block the direct recipe. Check the exact Transfiguration preview; do not promise a particular outcome.

Final check

  • The item still has the power and affixes the build needs.
  • All applicable S.T.E.A.M. checks are done; skipped steps are intentionally inapplicable.
  • You have chosen whether a direct Mythic upgrade is worth its cost and Crafted-tag restriction.
  • You have read any Cube confirmation that changes quality, replaces an item or makes it Unmodifiable.
  • You have checked the actual vendor menus and costs in your live build.

Research still needed: exact material costs and unlock conditions for each Cube recipe; item-by-item eligible Enchant and Temper options; whether a particular Remove Affix preview can safely preserve a prized Greater Affix. These are tracked in the repository’s unpublished research log. This page will be updated after in-game checks.