Weapon upgrade

This article is about so-called "prefix" and "suffix" upgrades. For inherent weapon modifiers, see weapon modifier. For "inscriptions" (upgrade components which are equivalent to weapon modifiers), see inscription.

Weapon upgrades (also sometimes referred to as mods) are magically enhanced weapon parts that improve the characteristics of the weapon they are applied to. Weapon upgrades can be salvaged from a weapon and applied to another weapon, as opposed to weapon modifiers, which cannot be salvaged.

Weapons that do not have any upgrades on them are often called "clean," while those with the maximum value for their upgrades are called "perfect." Upgrading weapons does not change their value at the merchant.

A weapon can contain a maximum of 2 upgrades (one "prefix" and one "suffix"), plus one inscription.

A weapon has an upgrade on it if it has a prefix or suffix added to the weapon's name. For instance, if a Fiery Sword Hilt were applied to a Long Sword, it would be called a Fiery Long Sword. If a Sword Pommel of Defense were then applied, it would be called a Fiery Long Sword of Defense.

Shields, focus items, and wands found outside the Nightfall campaign cannot be upgraded. The modifiers on shields, focus items, and wands found in other parts of the game are fixed and can't be salvaged or replaced with other upgrade components. Upgrades have the following inventory icons and names:

Weapon	Prefix	Suffix
Swords	Sword Hilt	Sword Pommel
Axes	Axe Haft	Axe Grip
Hammers	Hammer Haft	Hammer Grip
Bows	Bow String	Bow Grip
Scythes	Scythe Snathe	Scythe Grip
Spears	Spearhead	Spear Grip
Daggers	Dagger Tang	Dagger Handle
Staves	Staff Head	Staff Wrapping
Wands	not available not available	Wand Wrapping
Focus Items	not available not available	Focus Core
Shields	not available not available	Shield Handle

Acquisition

• Weapon upgrades can be salvaged from weapons that contain them by using an Expert Salvage Kit, Superior Salvage Kit, or Perfect Salvage Kit.
• Upgraded weapons obtained from collectors, promotions, or the PvP Character Creation process cannot be salvaged to get their upgrades. However, you can add new upgrades to those weapons.
• In some cases, you can salvage the upgrades of the collector item if it was already equipped with one, e.g. the Ascalon Razor.
• Unique items cannot be salvaged for upgrades or upgraded at all.
• Fiery Dragon Swords, Icy Dragon Swords, and Fiery Gladiuses cannot have their sword hilts changed. Fiery Blade Axes and Icy Blade Axes can't have their Axe Hafts changed as well.
• Vampiric and Zealous upgrades occur only on rare weapons.

Usage

Simply double-click the upgrade, and then click on a compatible weapon to equip it. Applying a weapon upgrade to the wrong type of weapon or an un-upgradable weapon will result in an error message. Applying a prefix upgrade to a weapon that already has a prefix upgrade will replace the old upgrade; likewise, applying a suffix upgrade to a weapon that already has a suffix upgrade will replace the old upgrade. You will receive a warning before the old upgrade is replaced.

Prefixes

Martial Weapons

Axe Haft	Hammer Haft	Sword Hilt	Bow String	Dagger Tang	Scythe Snathe	Spearhead	Prefix	Effect	Blue	Purple	Gold
							Icy	Cold damage1	Yes	Yes	Yes
							Ebon	Earth damage1	Yes	Yes	Yes
							Shocking	Lightning damage1	Yes	Yes	Yes
							Fiery	Fire damage1	Yes	Yes	Yes
							Barbed	Lengthens Bleeding duration on foes by 33%	Yes	Yes	Yes
							Crippling	Lengthens Crippled duration on foes by 33%	Yes	Yes	Yes
							Cruel	Lengthens Deep Wound duration on foes by 33%	Yes	Yes	Yes
							Poisonous	Lengthens Poison duration on foes by 33%2	Yes	Yes	Yes
							Silencing	Lengthens Dazed duration on foes by 33%	Yes	Yes	Yes
							Heavy	Lengthens Weakness duration on foes by 33%	Yes	Yes	Yes
							Furious	Double Adrenaline on hit (Chance: 2-10%)	2-10%	?-9%	?-10%
							Zealous	Energy gain on hit: 1 Energy regeneration: -1	n/a	1	1
							Vampiric	Life stealing: 1-3 (swords, axes, daggers, spears), 1-5 (hammers, bows, scythes)3 Health regeneration: -1	n/a	n/a	3, 4-5
							Sundering	Armor penetration +20% (Chance: 10-20%)	10-15%	15-18%	19-20%

¹You can know when an unidentified weapon has one of the four elemental prefix upgrades by checking the weapon's Damage type. If the word "Dmg" appears with no other word before it, then the item has an elemental prefix.
²This will also lengthen the duration of Poisoning on yourself if you use Chilblains.
³Vampiric upgrades with "Life stealing: 1" are currently only available as unlocks from a Priest of Balthazar. Previously, vampiric upgrades were available on items of any rarity, allowing for nonperfect vampiric upgrades.

Staves

Staff Head	Effect	Blue	Purple	Gold
Adept	Halves casting time on spells of item's attribute (Chance: 10..20%)	10-15%	15-18%	19-20%
Defensive	Armor +4-5	+4	+5	+5
Hale	Health +10-30	+10-25	+21-26	+27-30
Insightful	Energy +1-5	+1-3	+3-4	+4-5
Swift	Halves casting time on spells (Chance: 2..10%)	2-6%	6-8%	9-10%

Suffixes

Martial weapons

Axe Grip	Hammer Grip	Sword Pommel	Bow Grip	Dagger Handle	Scythe Grip	Spear Grip	Suffix	Effect	Blue	Purple	Gold
							of Defense	Armor +4-5	+4-5	+5	+5
							of Shelter	Armor +4-7 (vs. physical damage)	+4-5	+6	+7
							of Warding	Armor +4-7 (vs. elemental damage)	+4-5	+6	+7
							of Enchanting	Enchantments last 10-20% longer	10-15%	15-18%	19-20%
							of Fortitude	Health +10-30	+10-25	+25-28	+29-30
							of <attribute>	+1 <attribute> (10-20% chance while using skills)1	10-15%	15-18%	19-20%
							of <species>slaying	Damage +10-20% (vs. <species>)5	+10-15%	+15-18%	+19-20%

Staves

Staff Wrapping	Effect	Blue	Purple	Gold
of Fortitude	Health +20-30	20-25	25-28	29-30
of Devotion	Health +30..45 (while Enchanted)	30-?	38-?	43-45
of Endurance	Health +30..45 (while in a Stance)	?-35	36-?	43-45
of Valor	Health +45..60 (while Hexed)	45-56..?	..55..	?..58-60
of Defense	Armor +4-5	4	5	5
of Shelter	Armor +4-7 (vs. physical damage)	4-5	6	7
of Warding	Armor +4-7 (vs. elemental damage)	4-5	6	7
of Enchanting	Enchantments last 10-20% longer	10-15%	15-18%	19-20%
of <attribute>	+1 <attribute> (10-20% chance while using skills)2,4	10-15%	15-18%	19-20%
of Mastery	+1 weapon's linked attribute (10-20% chance while using skills)3,4	10-14?%	?%	19?-20%
of <species>slaying	Damage +10-20% (vs. <species>)4,5	+10-15%	+15-18%	+19-20%

¹Weapons have +1 <attribute> modifiers only for their required attribute, i.e. an axe will only have a +1 Axe Mastery upgrade.
²Staves can have +1 <attribute> for any caster attribute.
Currently the following upgrades are confirmed to exist for staves:

• Monk - Divine Favor, Healing Prayers, Protection Prayers, Smiting Prayers
• Necromancer - Blood Magic, Curses, Death Magic, Soul Reaping
• Mesmer - Domination Magic, Illusion Magic, Inspiration Magic
• Elementalist - Air Magic, Earth Magic, Fire Magic, Water Magic
• Ritualist - Channeling Magic, Communing, Restoration Magic, Spawning Power

³Any Attribute can now have an attribute +1 with a staff of the type wanted and a Staff Wrapping of Mastery.
⁴Staff +1 <attribute> upgrades (excluding Staff Wrapping of Mastery) and species-slaying upgrades cannot be unlocked for PvP characters. In the Nightfall update Staff Wrappings of Mastery are already unlocked for PvP.
⁵<species>slaying modifiers:

Suffix	Creature type
of Charrslaying	Charr
of Deathbane	Undead
of Dwarfslaying	Dwarves
of Giantslaying	Giants
of Ogreslaying	Ogres
of Pruning	Plants
of Skeletonslaying	Skeletons
of Tenguslaying	Tengu
of Trollslaying	Trolls
of Demonslaying	Demons
of Dragonslaying	Dragons

Shields

Shield Handle	Effect	Blue	Purple	Gold
of Devotion	Health +30-45 (while Enchanted)	35-37..?	?..40..?	43-45
of Endurance	Health +29-45 (while in a Stance)	29-34..?	?..38-40	?..44-45
of Fortitude	Health +10-30	10-?	?..21-26	27-30
of Valor	Health +45-60 (while Hexed)	45-47..?	54-57	?..59-60

Wands

Wand Wrapping	Effect	Blue	Purple	Gold
of Quickening	Halves skill recharge of spells (Chance: 5-10%)	5-8%	8-9%	9-10%
of Memory	Halves skill recharge of spells of item's attribute (Chance: 10-20%)	10-15%	15-18%	19-20%

Focus items

Focus Core	Effect	Blue	Purple	Gold
of Swiftness	Halves casting time of spells (Chance: 5-10%)	5-8%	8-9%	9-10%
of Aptitude	Halves casting time of <attribute> spells (Chance: 10-20%)	10-15%	15-18%	19-20%
of Fortitude	Health +10-30	10-25	?..25..?	27-30
of Devotion	Health +33-45 (while Enchanted)	33?-35..?	?..40..?	?..44-45
of Valor	Health +45...60 (while Hexed)	45..54..?	53-56?	58-60
of Endurance	Health +30-45 (while in stance)	30-34..?	?	?..43-45

Inscriptions

For all information about inscriptions, and a list of available types, see the inscription article.