best way to upgrade gear.

I was wondering what is the best way that you guys have found to upgrade your gear?

I main a lvl 42 witch and the way i've been going about it is finding the item I want to upgrade, dump armor scraps into it until it's at 20%, then hit it with a trans orb to make it magical then dump Alt orbs into it until I get what I want. it seems to be very inefficient and costly but doing it that way I get better items then I would if I just made it item rare.

this is my current chest:


I can't even tell you how many alt orbs it took me to get those stats it was at least over 40 before I got something I was happy with.

anyone have a better way of making good gear?

I do it exactly the way you do, but if the nomal item I found has good links, number of sockets and the colour, I just use Alchemy orb on it. Never disappointed me once, guess I'm just lucky.

So long as you don't try to upgrade/alter the item you're currently wearing, you can't really go wrong. Always wear the best you have and craft a replacement.

Anyway, rolling the stats you want on a blue and then turning it into a rare and adding other mods is a good way to go about it.

Or Alch and Scour/Chaos until you get what you want.

Just depends on what you have available and how much you're willing to throw into an item.

Crafting is costly however you go about it.. especially if you want that perfectly rolled 6L.

Finding the best gear is always the hardest part of this game for me. Often times I end up wearing the same gear for 10+ levels, which becomes pretty weak after a while. Asking in trade chat for certain gear is good also, and saves the headache of spending dozens of alcs/fusings/chroms/etc to get what you want.

WTB LV 47+ EV/ES gear w/ HP + Int + ele damage.

:D

why would you waste armor scraps on it until you are sure you get a roll on it you like?

If you use armor scraps on a white item. It gives 5% quality per scrap.
If you use them on a rare item, it only gives 1% per scrap.

Cheap way of upgrading gear

what about blue gear? he isnt making rares

I hardly ever use orbs on gear. I find it much more cost effective to trade for something you need. otherwise save your orbs for maps! also, if your having a hard time progressing, just farm an easy area till your 5 levels over the area level and then see if you still need new gear. you may just find what you need!

are you Hardcore or Normal? I have a stash tab of chests in normal you might be able to use something

There are a couple of ways:


Scrap -> Transmute -> alteration/augmentation -> regal

or

Scrap -> Alchemy -> chaos

However, before you choose a method you need to consider:



1) How many Orbs am i willing to use to craft a new armor piece AND

2) Can i use these orbs to trade for a new armor piece from another player.


If you can buy/trade the orbs you would have used to craft for a new armor piece then you are more likely to have a decent item at the end of the day, as opposed to crafting and having the possibility of not creating anything useful.


EDIT /TIP:

Make a high level character that can run maps without good gear (summoner / totem character) and then farm for lower level white items (with good sockets) and use that to craft.

The required level will be higher than usual (will have higher mods, because the item will have a higher item level) however it will be better than any item you will find at low levels

Use this armor for your low level characters = twinking.