In Diablo 4, legendary items are central to character progression and build optimization, largely due to their unique Legendary Aspects. These aspects provide specialized bonuses and passive effects that can significantly enhance your abilities. However, after upgrading a legendary item, it is crucial to remember to imprint the correct aspect onto the new or upgraded gear. Failing to do so can lead to a drastic reduction in your character's performance, negating the benefits of your upgrade.
When you obtain a legendary item in Diablo 4, you have two main options: equip the item with its default aspect or salvage it to extract the Legendary Aspect into your Codex of Power. This allows you to imprint that aspect onto another rare or legendary item of the appropriate slot, effectively customizing your gear to suit your build. Upgrading a legendary item increases its base stats, but the aspect must be manually imprinted onto the new version to retain or amplify your specific bonuses.
Imprinting ensures that the powerful passive effects and damage multipliers associated with your aspect continue to work on your upgraded equipment. If you upgrade a legendary but forget to imprint its aspect, you might end up with a shiny new item that lacks the critical bonuses you rely on. This oversight can cause a noticeable drop in damage output or survivability, sometimes over 90%, which can be confusing and frustrating for players who expect an upgrade to improve their character's power.
The process requires interacting with the Occultist vendor who provides the imprinting service. You place the upgraded item in the imprinting slot, select the desired aspect from your Codex of Power — which stores all the aspects you've extracted from previous legendaries — and apply it. This action consumes the imprinting reagent associated with that aspect, but is necessary to transfer the bonus to your upgraded gear. Keep in mind that imprinted aspects cannot be extracted again, so choose carefully which aspects you want to lock onto particular items.
Strategically managing your aspects through imprinting allows you to optimize your build and adapt to new playstyles or challenges. Since aspects are categorized by type (offensive, defensive, resource, utility, mobility) and are slot-specific, imprinting is not just about upgrading but also about customizing your gear to maximize effectiveness. Always review your Codex of Power and imprint the best available aspect after upgrading any legendary item to maintain or enhance your combat capabilities.
In summary, upgrading a legendary item in Diablo 4 is only part of the journey to improved power. Always imprint your aspect after upgrading to keep your damage, utility, and survivability at their peak — and to get the most out of your gear investment. Let's continue your legendary journey in Diablo 4!
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