Refining +0 to +15
The real rates of each step, what only costs levels, what destroys the item and where it pays to stop.
Updated on August 10, 2026Refining an item is raising the number after the name, from +0 to +15. The journey has two halves with completely different rules: up to +9 you use jewels in the inventory and the worst case is losing levels; from +10 on you go to the Chaos Machine and the worst case is the item disappearing.
- +6how far the Bless takes you, without failing
- +9Jewel of Soul ceiling
- +15absolute ceiling
- 66damage or defense added at +15
From +0 to +9, with a jewel in the inventory
Put the item in the inventory (it cannot be equipped), right click the jewel and then the item. Two jewels do that, and they do not overlap: the Bless covers up to +6, and the Soul covers from +0 to +9.
| From | Jewel | Success | With Luck | If it fails |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +0 to +5 | Jewel of Bless | 100% | 100% | there is no failure |
| +6 on | Jewel of Bless | blocked | the jewel is not accepted | |
| +0 | Jewel of Soul | 50% | 75% | it stays at +0 |
| +1 to +6 | Jewel of Soul | 50% | 75% | it loses one level |
| +7 | Jewel of Soul | 50% | 75% | it goes back to +0 |
| +8 | Jewel of Soul | 50% | 75% | it goes back to +0 |
| +9 on | Jewel of Soul | blocked | the jewel is not accepted |
The practical conclusion is straightforward: use Bless up to +6 and only then switch to Soul. Using a Soul on an item below +6 is throwing half your jewels away, because the Bless does the same job for free in terms of risk.
- 1Item +0
six Blesses take it to +6, no risk
- 2Item +6
from here only the Soul works
- 3+6 to +7
50%, and failing only costs one level
- 4+7 to +9
50%, and failing zeroes the item
From +10 to +15, in the Chaos Machine
From +9 on the loose jewel is no good anymore. The path is the Chaos Goblin, with one recipe per level. Each recipe asks for the item at the exact previous level, a Jewel of Chaos, a growing amount of Bless and Soul, and zen.
| Target | Input | Chaos | Bless | Soul | Zen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +10 | item +9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2,000,000 |
| +11 | item +10 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4,000,000 |
| +12 | item +11 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6,000,000 |
| +13 | item +12 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 8,000,000 |
| +14 | item +13 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 10,000,000 |
| +15 | item +14 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 12,000,000 |
What changes your chance
The base rate in the table above is not the final rate. Five characteristics of the item add or take away percentage points, and they stack.
| Item characteristic | Effect on the rate | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| It has the Luck option | +25 points | the only real protection that exists |
| It is excellent | minus 10 points | the better the item, the harder it is to raise |
| It is ancient | minus 10 points | it stacks with excellent |
| It has the 380 Guardian option | minus 10 points | |
| It has a socket | minus 20 points | the heaviest penalty |
A real example: an item that is excellent, ancient and has Luck trying for +15 starts at 50%, gains 25 from the Luck, loses 10 from excellent and 10 from ancient, and ends at 55%. The same item without Luck sits at 30%.
What each level gives
The gain per level is not linear: it accelerates at the end. From +9 to +15 you gain almost as much as from +0 to +9. That is why the Chaos Machine is worth the risk on some pieces and not on others.
| Level | +1 | +3 | +5 | +7 | +9 | +11 | +13 | +15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon damage | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 27 | 36 | 49 | 66 |
| Armor defense | 3 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 27 | 36 | 49 | 66 |
| Shield defense | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 |
| Extra durability | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 21 | 32 | 47 |
| Gear score | 1 | 6 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 51 | 64 | 70 |
There is a side effect almost nobody considers: each level adds 3 to the effective drop level of the piece, and the effective drop level is what dictates the stat requirement. A +15 armor can ask for a lot more strength than the same armor at +0. It is worth checking the tooltip before refining something you already equip at your limit.
And a good side effect: a complete set from +10 on multiplies the base defense of the whole set, 5% per level above 9. A full set at +13 yields 20% more defense than the sum of the pieces on their own.
Where to stop
- Stop at +6, with Bless only
- Zero risk, zero wasted jewels
- You will swap that piece in twenty levels
- Go to +9 with Soul
- Only if the piece has Luck
- Accept going back to +0 more than once
- +11 or +13 is the balance point
- +15 is for those with a spare piece
- Never take the only copy you have