Aspects offer the biggest impact in upgrading your gear in Diablo 4. While fresh additions from Season 4, like Tempering and Masterworking, have added dimension to the upgrade system, the Imprint Aspect remains key to defining your build. Thus, I recommend that you learn its ins and outs as well as some tips on how to get the most out of your Aspects. Here’s how the Imprint Aspect mechanic works in Diablo 4.
[Updated on August 24, 2024 – Guide revised based on Diablo 4 Loot Reborn changes]
Know Your Aspects
Aspects in Diablo 4 are basically skill or stat modifiers that will drastically change the way a skill or action works. In some cases, they even provide a whole new passive skill that can mean the difference between life and death.
Each gear can only have one Aspect, making the slots limited since you can only get 9-10 gear slots depending on your class (weapons, armor, jewelry). Moreover, Aspects are divided into different categories:
- Offensive
- Defensive
- Resource
- Utility
- Mobility
Each piece of gear can also only accommodate aspects that belong to a certain category. Weapons, for example, can only have Offensive Aspects (mostly), while boots can only have Mobility Aspects, and so on. You can, however, extract Aspects and imprint them over other items using the Imprint Aspect.
How Does the Imprint Aspect Work?
To Imprint Aspects, you need proper gear– presumably of Legendary rarity because it has the best stats. You can overwrite the existing aspect of a Legendary gear.
Here’s the step-by-step process on how to do this:
- Talk to the town Blacksmith and talk to them. Open the Salvage tab.
- Extract the Aspect you want by salvaging the gear. Warning: This will destroy the gear permanently.
- The Aspect will also be automatically placed in your Codex of Power. This Aspect can then be used an unlimited number of times and will not be overwritten by an Aspect of the same name with lower power. So make sure to look for the highest version of the Aspect you can find.
- Talk to the town Occultist. Open the Imprint Aspect tab.
- Place the item you want to be imprinted with the Aspect.
- Choose the Aspect in the Codex of Power.
- Select ‘Imprint Aspect’ to commit.
Note that Imprinting Aspects can be expensive and require other resources apart from Gold. You can replace the Imprinted Aspect as many times as you can, provided you can afford it.
How to Farm Aspects in Diablo 4
By now you might have guessed it. You need as many Aspects as you can so you have options. Aspects also come in various stat rolls, so finding the perfect one is an endgame quest in itself.
You can increase your chances of getting Aspects with the following methods:
- Rushing to World Tier 3 or 4 and farming Helltides.
- General activities such as Helltides, Nightmare Dungeons, Infernal Hordes, etc.
- Farm Legendary gear, they’re the only ones that come with imprintable Aspects.
- Certain dungeons also reward base versions of Aspects.
