The single most important NPC in Diablo 4 is the Blacksmith, who will be assisting the player in the repair, salvage, and upgrade of weapons, armor, and jewelry. Each of these services have distinct quirks that players need to be aware of, in order to take the most advantage of the limited quantities of gold and materials, especially in the early to mid game.
How To Unlock The Blacksmith
The Blacksmith is the earliest vendor that can be unlocked in Diablo 4. Once the Prologue has been completed, and you have made your way to Kyovashad, all the Blacksmiths across the map will be unlocked with the most convenient being Zivek right there in the city. At level 10, a quest objective will be made available to upgrade equipment and this will confer experience upon the player.
How To Repair Equipment
The earliest Blacksmith service you will likely be using is the repair gear function. Conversely, you should avoid repairing low-end gear early in the game as far as possible, since the investment in gold required is better spent elsewhere, especially since gold is relatively harder to come by than all the extra equipment that is constantly dropping. Gear durability decreases by 10% upon each player death, with item attributes being penalized when durability hits 0. Opt to sell or salvage damaged equipment, and switch to whatever else you may have on hand as backup, until you arrive at a point where you are consistently wielding rare and higher items. Repairing is an expensive proposition, and the cost in gold is based around item rarity and its durability at the time of repair.
How To Salvage Equipment
The Blacksmith can salvage unwanted gear for its component parts. These critically important crafting materials can then be used in the upgrade process for equipment that you do want to keep and use consistently. Crafting materials obtained from the Blacksmith during the salvage process include Veiled Crystals, Abstruse Sigils, Baleful Fragments, and Coiling Wards.
- Veiled Crystals are a potential, but not guaranteed, drop from salvaging Rare gear.
- Abstruse Sigils are a guaranteed drop from salvaging Legendary jewelry of a certain power level.
- Baleful Fragments are a guaranteed drop from salvaging Legendary weapons of a certain power level.
- Coiling Wards are a guaranteed drop from salvaging Legendary armor of a certain power level.
Salvaging an item obviously leads to its destruction. Socketed gems, however, are returned to the player inventory. Additionally, the first time you can salvage a given item of any rarity, you may notice a unique icon on it. This indicates that a particular Transmog will also be unlocked by breaking the item down. Transmogs are possible for every single item of all rarities, and can drastically alter the appearance of any given piece of equipment while retaining all of its attributes.
How to Upgrade Equipment
Upgrading gear is where you will be putting all your salvaged crafting materials into, and given the rarity of most of them, it is highly recommended you focus on only the highest rarity items. A high amount of gold is also required in the upgrade process. Upgraded equipment receive several benefits, beginning with increases to base stats like defense or damage dealt, plus improvements to affixes, and a raise in item power. The materials and the tiers at which they first become available are listed below, along with where they can be obtained and which items require them for upgrades.
Iron Chunk
World Tier 1
Upgrades for Weapons and Jewelry
Picked up in the open world from veins of ore.
Rawhide
World Tier 1
Upgrades for Armor
Recovered from beasts and wildlife kills in the open world.
Silver Ore
World Tier 2
Upgrades for Weapons and Jewelry
Picked up in the open world from veins of ore.
Superior Leather
World Tier 2
Upgrades for Armor
Recovered from beasts and wildlife kills in the open world.
Veiled Crystal
World Tier 3
Upgrades for Weapons, Armor, and Jewelry
Salvaged from Rare Weapons and Armor.
Abstruse Sigil
World Tier 4
Upgrades for Jewelry
Salvaged from 400+ Item Power Legendary Jewelry.
Baleful Fragment
World Tier 4
Upgrades for Weapons
Salvaged from 400+ Item Power Legendary Weapons.
Coiling Ward
World Tier 4
Upgrades for Armor
Salvaged from 400+ Item Power Legendary Armor.
Forgotten Soul
World Tier 5
Upgrades for Sacred and Ancestral Weapons, Armor, and Jewelry
Found in the open world during Helltide events.
That is every service the Blacksmith offers players in Diablo 4.