Last Epoch: Ultimate Crafting Guide | Affix Shards, Runes, Glyphs and More

Crafting is the ultimate way to bolster your equipment in Last Epoch, but you will need to learn about Affix Shards, Runes, Glyphs, and more to really make the most of it.

The crafting system in this game can be quite daunting, indeed. But, truth be told, it’s a lot simpler than it looks at first.

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to make the most of crafting in Last Epoch.

Ultimate Crafting Guide | Affix Shards, Runes, Glyphs and More

Basics of Crafting – How to Craft

Crafting is pretty basic in Last Epoch, and can be done at any moment by using the Forge menu no matter which class you play. You can press the “F” key to bring it up whenever you want!

That said, note that crafting in Last Epoch is purely for modification of existing items. You won’t be making new gear from scratch.

Anyway, open the Forge and drag and drop the item you want to modify into the center of the Forge menu to get started.

The first thing you should take note of here is the “Forging Potential” above your item’s icon. This number varies for every item, and it goes down whenever you craft using that item.

Once the Forging Potential reaches 0, you won’t be able to modify the item any further!

The exact amount of Forging Potential you use up somewhat depends on what you’re doing. Sometimes, though, you may luck out and get a “Critical Success!”

Critical Successes will complete the crafting without using up any Forging Potential, which can allow you to make some truly powerful items.

Additionally, a random Affix will be upgraded one extra time and crafting materials won’t be consumed at all. It really is one hell of a deal but, as said previously, it’s purely luck-based!

With those basics down, it’s time to go over the real key of crafting: Affixes and Affix Shards.

Crafting Affixes

Affixes are modifiers that every piece of equipment has, and they offer a variety of effects. All items can have up to 4 Affixes, and you can add new Affixes using Affix Shards.

Affixes also come in different numbered tiers, from 1 to 7. The higher the number, the better the Affixes’ effects are! That said, you can only get up to Tier 5 Affixes via crafting.

It’s also worth noting that certain equipment has Sealed Affixes, which you can’t modify unless you use certain Glyphs.

Those Sealed Affixes take up their own special slot, separate from other Affixes. Gear can only have one Sealed Affix in total, though.

There are also Experimental Affixes, which are hybrid modifiers exclusive to items dropped by Exiled Mages. Though, you can also add them to any other item using a Glyph of Insight.

We’ve mentioned Glyphs a few times, huh? Don’t worry, we’ll cover Glyphs in detail later on in this guide, so keep an eye out for that!

To craft Affixes, simply click on the open circle under your item’s icon to add Affix Shards. This will allow you to use any Affix Shards you have to either upgrade the existing ones or create new ones.

As you might guess, crafting higher-tier Affixes will require more Affix Shards!

You will primarily get Affix Shards by killing enemies, looting containers, and completing quests.

Alternatively, you can recycle Affix Shards by destroying items using a Rune of Shattering, or by destroying random Affixes using a Rune of Removal.

This brings up to our next key item for crafting: the Runes!

Everything You Should Know About Runes

Runes can be added by clicking on the hexagonal “+” icon next to the bottom circle where you add Affix Shards.

There are quite a lot of Runes and they all have unique and strong effects that will greatly change the results of crafting.

You will get them from killing enemies, looting containers, and reaching certain milestones. They’re quite common, so don’t be too frugal with them!

These are the Runes in the game and what they do:

• Rune of Ascendance – Converts Normal, Magic, and Rare items into a Unique of the same type. Requires at least 1 Forging Potential left, however.
• Rune of Creation – Duplicates the item it’s used on. However, both the original and copy will have a Forging Potential of 0.
• Rune of Discovery – Fills all empty Affix slots with Tier 1 affixes, usually rare ones. Notably, this doesn’t lower Forging Potential at all!
• Rune of Refinement – Rerolls the values of all Affixes while keeping them in their Tier range. Makes Affixes stronger or weaker at random, basically.
• Rune of Removal – Removes a random Affix and returns its Tier number as Shards of the same type. For example, removing a Tier 5 Strength affix will give you 5 Strength Shards.
• Rune of Research – Turns an Experimental Affix into a Sealed Affix, opening up a slot for regular Affixes. Might also give you 1 Glyph of Insight randomly.
• Rune of Shaping – Rerolls all implicit modifiers. These are unique modifiers that are specific to each piece of equipment, the “Movement Speed” modifier on all “Worn Boots”.
• Rune of Shattering – Destroys the item it’s used on, recycling all of its Affixes into Shards. Can be used on items with 0 Forging Potential.

With Runes out of the way, let’s go over the last crafting item: Glyphs.

Glyphs And Their Effects

Glyphs are an optional crafting item, so you don’t need to use them every time you craft. Nonetheless, they are a common item as they come from the same sources as Affix Shards and Runes.

You can add Glyphs to your item by using the diamond-shaped icon in the very middle of the Forge screen. It’s between your item and the Affix Shard spot.

Glyphs are primarily used to affect the potential results of crafting an Affix. Here are the effects of all 4 Glyphs in the game:

• The Glyph of Hope – Gives you a 25% chance to not lower your item’s Forging Potential. It’s luck-based, but it can potentially allow you to craft an item way past its normal potential.
• The Glyph of Chaos – Upgrades an Affix’s tier but changes its effect to something else entirely.
• The Glyph of Order – Prevents the Affix’s power from being re-rolled when upgraded, it will just be adapted to the higher tier.
• Say that you have a Tier 4 affix that gives 55 HP, which is the max for Tier 4. It will become a Tier 5 affix that gives 75 HP, which is the max for Tier 5. 
• The Glyph of Despair – A rare Glyph that gives you a chance to seal an Affix. Since Sealed Affixes have their own slot, it allows you to have up to 5 Affixes. However, Sealed Affixes can’t be modified further.

With that out of the way, now you know everything you need to start crafting the best gear possible in Last Epoch. We wish you many Critical Successes as you try to make the most of the Forge!

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