Armor Enhancement

Armor enhancement

Armor Enhancement

Crafting Sigil

Crafted Armor can receive several distinct enhancement layers. Its Crafting Components contribute inherited Material Crafting Bonuses; Masterwork and Enchantment add later modifications; and eligible chest armor can be socketed with a Gem or Imbued Gem. Material-specific equipment variations have been part of the crafting system since its early releases.

This page explains how those layers fit together and preserves the armor enchanting and masterworking reference tables last updated in Release 103. For versioned comparisons of metal, leather, and cloth components, see Material Crafting Bonus. A version is a verification date, not a guarantee that the value remains unchanged.

Quick recommendations

Goal	Material or enhancement to consider	Why
Maximum recorded material resistance for plate or chainmail	Meteoric Iron sheets, wire, and bindings	These components carry the largest recorded Armor Damage Resistance bonuses among the standard metals. See the versioned component table at Material Crafting Bonus#Metal armor components.
Resistance plus Health	White Iron	White Iron armor components combine recorded Armor Damage Resistance with Health.
Physical offense	Copper or Hardened Leather	Copper armor components and Hardened Leather components can add Base Weapon Damage.
Weapon critical chance	Supple Leather	Supple Leather yards and straps record Weapon Critical Chance bonuses.
Spell critical chance	Carapacian Cloth	Carapacian cloth components favor Spell Critical Chance.
Further stat or armor-skill specialization	Masterwork and Enchantment	These later crafting steps offer additional choices beyond the inherited material bonuses, at a durability cost for many results.

The strongest finished armor depends on the base item, component counts, armor slot, enhancement rolls, skills, buffs, and the distinction between Damage Resistance, Maximum Damage Resistance, avoidance, and defense. Compare otherwise equivalent recipes rather than treating a material name as the whole answer.

Enhancement layers

Layer	Applied when	What it contributes
Material components	During initial crafting	The recorded bonuses from each sheet, wire, binding, bolt, yard, or strap used by the recipe
Masterwork	After crafting, using the equipment's production skill	Armor-type and slot-dependent choices; many results reduce maximum durability
Enchantment	After crafting, using Alchemy	General attribute, Health, Focus, and durability-related choices; many results reduce maximum durability
Gem or Imbued Gem	Socketing eligible chest armor using Alchemy	The socketed item's bonus and, where applicable, related enhancement choices

Worked material example

The Epic Plate Chest Armor recipe recorded in Release 105 uses eight Metal Sheets, four Metal Bindings, and two Cloth or Leather Straps. If it is made with eight Copper Sheets, four White Iron Bindings, and two Supple Leather Straps, the recorded component values produce:

• +4% Base Weapon Damage from eight Copper Sheets (+0.5% each);
• +1.2% Armor Damage Resistance and +20 Health from four White Iron Bindings (+0.3% and +5 Health each); and
• +0.4% Weapon Critical Chance from two Supple Leather Straps (+0.2% each).

Those are material contributions only. They do not include the chest armor's base statistics, exceptional crafting, masterworking, enchanting, socketing, artifacts, or character skills. The component records were last checked in different releases—R105 for Copper Sheet and White Iron Binding, and R51 for Supple Leather Strap—so confirm the current finished-item tooltip.

Armor component families

Armor construction	Primary component	Common secondary component
Chainmail	Coil of Metal Wire	Metal Binding and, by recipe, cloth or leather straps
Plate	Metal Sheet	Metal Binding and, by recipe, cloth or leather straps
Cloth	Bolt of Cloth	Cloth Strap or another recipe-specific component
Leather	Yard of Leather	Leather Strap or another recipe-specific component

The complete versioned values belong on Material Crafting Bonus, which avoids maintaining two conflicting copies of the same component data.

Enchantment

Successfully enchanting an eligible armor item presents a selection of effects. The table below preserves the theoretical first-enchantment maximums recorded in Release 103 for a crafter with skill level 200. It is historical reference data, not a claim about the current Release 153 client. Chest and leg results were recorded at twice the ordinary cost and benefit.

+X	Bonus	Cost
Enchantment cost/benefit doubled for Chest/Legs
+2	+3.6 Dexterity	-10
+2	+18 Focus	-10
+2	+18 Health	-10
+2	+3.6 Intelligence	-10
+2	+3.6 Strength	-10
+3	+4.5% Armor Durability Effectiveness	+0
+3	+5.4 Major Dexterity	-14
+3	+27 Major Focus	-14
+3	+27 Major Health	-14
+3	+5.4 Major Intelligence	-14
+3	+5.4 Major Strength	-14

The first column is the displayed effect tier; “Cost” is the recorded durability change. Verify current choices and values in the crafting interface before applying an enchantment.

Masterworking

Successfully masterworking an eligible armor item presents a selection of effects based on armor construction and equipment slot. The tabbed tables preserve theoretical first-masterwork maximums recorded in Release 103 for a crafter with skill level 200. They are historical reference data, not current-client verification. Chest and leg results were recorded at twice the ordinary cost and benefit.

The source page noted that selecting the same effect twice replaced the earlier bonus and durability penalty. Confirm that behavior in the current crafting interface before relying on it.

ClothLeatherChainPlate

+X	Bonus	Cost
Masterwork cost/benefit doubled for Chest/Legs
+1	+9% Minor Armor Defense	-5
+1	+1.8 Minor Avoidance	-5
+1	+9 Minor Focus	-5
+1	+1.8 Minor Intelligence	-5
+2	+13.5 Armor Defense	-7
+2	+18 Focus	-10
+2	+3.6 Intelligence	-10
+3	+15 Durability	+15
+3	+30 Major Focus	-14
+3	+5.4 Major Intelligence	-14
Leg Specific
+2	+18% Dodge Power	-10
Boot Specific
+2	+2.7% Movement Rate	-5
+2	+9% Sprint Power	-5

Leather armor masterwork values require current verification.

+X	Bonus	Cost
Masterwork cost/benefit doubled for Chest/Legs
+1	+9% Minor Armor Defense	-5
+1	+1.8 Minor Avoidance	-5
+1	+9 Minor Focus	-5
+1	+1.8 Minor Strength	-5
+2	+13.5% Armor Defense	-7
+2	+18 Focus	-10
+2	+3.6 Strength	-10
+3	+15 Durability	+15
+3	+27 Major Focus	-14
+3	+5.4 Major Strength	-14
Chest Specific
+2	+36% Body Slam Stun Length	-10
Leg Specific
+2	+18% Glancing Blow Power	-10
Helm Specific
+2	-22.5% Heavy Armor Focus Cost	-7
+2	+4.5% Stun Resistance	-5
Glove Specific
+2	+0.9% Attack Speed	-5
+2	+9% Inner Strength Power	-5
Boot Specific
+2	+9% Glancing Blow Power	-5
+2	+0.9% Movement Rate	-5

+X	Bonus	Cost
Masterwork cost/benefit doubled for Chest/Legs
+1	+9% Minor Armor Defense	-5
+1	+1.8 Minor Avoidance	-5
+1	+9 Minor Health	-5
+1	+1.8 Minor Strength	-5
+2	+13.5% Armor Defense	-7
+2	+18 Health	-10
+2	+3.6 Strength	-10
+3	+15 Durability	+15
+3	+27 Major Health	-14
+3	+5.4 Major Strength	-14
Chest Specific
+2	+36% Body Slam Stun Length	-10
Leg Specific
+2	+18% Glancing Blow Power	-10
Helm Specific
+2	-22.5% Heavy Armor Focus Cost	-7
+2	+4.5% Stun Resistance	-5
Glove Specific
+2	+0.9% Attack Speed	-5
+2	+9% Inner Strength Power	-5
Boot Specific
+2	+9% Glancing Blow Power	-5
+2	+0.9% Movement Rate	-5

The first column is the displayed effect tier; “Cost” is the recorded durability change. Leather armor values were not available in the Release 103 table and still require a verified source.

Socketing chest armor

Eligible crafted and artifact chest armor can use Alchemy socketing recipes for a Gem or Imbued Gem. A socket contributes its own recorded bonus and may affect later enhancement choices. Exact eligibility and gem behavior can vary by item, so consult the individual chest-armor and gem records before crafting.

See also

• Material Crafting Bonus
• Weapon Enhancement
• Focus Enhancement
• Jewelry Enhancement
• Crafting Component
• Recipe Book