After some thoughts on how you all approach keeping your gear within say ~5 or so levels of your character/zone.
Currently I do a mix of offline/online, hardcore/non-hardcore so all my stashes are still very underwhelming and I find when making alts I have a consistent difficulty with keeping my gear in level range while having somewhat ideal affixes and suffixes (ideally good explicits as well).
For example I had a ring level 6 which had better affixes and suffixes and better overall stats than level 16-20 gear I was finding.
I know that enhancing the item via forging will increase its level, that’s not the issue as I’ve taken the items to their forging cap.
I do take the upgradability of the higher level item into consideration and often try to recraft it’s stats where I can (often it’s a crapshoot, especially at lower levels when you just get bugger all shards / runes and especially the very rare shattering runes).
With what money I get I buy the runes of shattering and I do get maybe 3-4 really good pieces of gear but there’s always at least 2 or so pieces that are really lagging behind.
Sometimes even taking white items with a higher base level to get some stats on it, is this the right way? I just take the crap stats sometimes on the higher level item and just hope that I can reforge it later.
Edit: just adding yes I do use a loot filter that I watched a few guides on how to make a decent one)
I don’t think you have to focus on item level in this game. I think item level only limits what type of item drops. But when it comes to forging affixes, it’s the same, just different base item. So if there’s a low item level armour and a high item level armour, they can have the same tier affixes. But but the base will be different. So the low level item might have a not as wanted +5 mana implicit or something, then the higher level one will have a base with 30% cold resistance. You’re really trying to find the affixes you want and try for higher tiers. Not levels. I think I ran from level 10 all the way to lvl 80+ echoes with some of the same items.
It’s just when you get to higher levels and need specific implicits on the items. Those base items won’t drop until you get that area level.
Like a lower level will have 10 armour, but a higher will be a different name and 120 armour. Not too familiar with stuff in this game. But comparing a baseball cap for level 5, hard hat level 25, motorcycle helmet 50… Focus on the affixes until you get to higher levels.
During campaign, I usually reserve 1 ring slot for the resistance that is mostly needed at that points. Void in the Ruined Era, necrotic in the Imperial Era, fire when going against Rayeh’s forces, cold in Heoborea. I switch rings as necessary - but be careful not to sell or shatter the spare rings in your inventory by mistake.
physical is the most important resistance
I mean, there is no definite answer for all possible ways to build your character. But the above are some general concepts I adhere too. Maybe others have better advice, that’s just my experience.
The wand on your one build lvl req is 31. I’m guessing one of the affixes raises it to 32.
A different wand with the same stats but level 52, will show higher damage because of the flat damage implicit is higher. The bottom right, Rowan is a base level 1 wand. The affix will raise the requirement. But you can see it rolled with just one high tier affix and it can up the damage. Showing that levels don’t matter too much.
