Jumping back into Sanctuary this season feels different. Gear drops are still exciting, but now the real power is made at the anvil. You’ll quickly see that the big shift is in how you can shape your items through crafting. Three systems — Tempering, Masterworking, and hunting for Greater Affixes — form the backbone of progression. And instead of just waiting for that one perfect drop, you’re getting stuck into building something yourself. Whether it’s finding a rare Tempering Manual or chasing down a star-marked stat, the crafting grind is what brings your character alive. It’s a whole new layer to Diablo 4 Items that makes playing feel far more personal.

Tempering – Putting Your Own Mark on Gear

Tempering is basically your ticket to adding custom affixes. Those manuals you loot? They’re recipes tied to a theme, like cold skills for Sorcs. Take one to the Blacksmith, pick your item, and slap on something like bonus rank to Ice Shards or increased size for Frost Nova. Each gear slot has its own set of options. Thing is, you can only reroll a temper a handful of times before the item’s temper durability runs out. So it’s a bit nerve‑wracking — you’re trying to hit that perfect line, knowing you’ve only got a few swings at it.

Masterworking – The Long Haul Upgrade

Once the item feels right, Masterworking is the next step. This replaces those old simple gear upgrades with something much deeper. You’ll be heading into The Pit, a new endgame dungeon, to farm materials for it. Masterworking runs through 12 ranks. Most levels give every affix a slight boost, but at ranks 4, 8, and 12, one affix jumps by a massive 25%. If that boost lands on your best stat, the whole piece can flip from good to insane. That’s why folks keep grinding — one lucky upgrade can completely change a build’s power curve.

Greater Affixes – The Dream Rolls

Before you even start crafting, you want a strong base item — and that’s where Greater Affixes come in. They’re rare, only on Ancestral Legendary or Unique gear, and you’ll spot them by a star icon and a distinct drop sound. What makes them huge is the value bump: a Greater Affix rolls at 1.5 times its max possible stat. Get two or more on one item and you’re holding something truly special. When you blend that with a perfect temper and a well‑placed Masterwork bonus, you’ve got kit that’s tailored exactly to your playstyle. It’s the chase for setups like that which keeps the endgame loop addictive, and it’s this synergy that makes finding Chaos Armor feel like striking gold.