There’s 5 different type of equipment enhancements, the very in-game tutorial explains it as such:
“There are several styles of smithing used in enhancement, and each one produces a different result, such as moderate, all-around improvement, or a significant increase to Magick or might. Choose the style that is most compatible with your preferred equipment and appproach to combat“.
Yet many don’t know that the ‘different styles of smithing‘ is not just flavor text, it refers to the various in-game NPCs that allow for different stats to be upgraded for your equipment.
- Vermund Upgrades.
- Battahl Upgrades.
- Elvish Upgrades.
- Dwarven Upgrades.
And the fifth type of enhancement, which requires a secret NPC and a different type of resource.
- Dragonforged’s Wyrmfire Upgrades.
・Vermund: Evenly Upgrades.
Enhancing your gear via Vernworth‘s Shops/NPCs will give you well-rounded stat upgrades while lowering the item’s weight.
- Weight: –
- Physical: ++
- Magick: ++
It will add the Vermundian Shield icon to the upgrade slot.
・Battahl: Physical Upgrades.
Enhancing your gear via Bakbattahl‘s Shops/NPCs will give you Physical stats upgrades while raising the item’s weight.
- Weight: +
- Physical: +++
- Magick: +
It does upgrades its Magick attributes, but slightly.
It will add the Battahli Fire Shrine symbol to the upgrade slot.
・Elven: Magick Upgrades.
Enhancing your gear via Sacred Arbor‘s Shops/NPCs will give you Magick stats upgrades while lowering the item’s weight.
- Weight: Less.
- Physical Def/Att: +
- Magick Def/Att: +++
It does upgrades its Physical attributes, but slightly.
It will add the Elvish Sacred Tree symbol to the upgrade slot.
・Dwarven: Knockdown Upgrades.
Enhancing your gear by talking to Gautstafr in Agamen Volcanic Island will give you well-rounded stat upgrades, like Vermund‘s, but while also raising the item’s weight and upgrading the Knockdown stat.
- Weight: +
- Physical: ++
- Magick: ++
- Knockdown Power:++
- Knockdown Resistance: ++
It will add the Dwarven Smithy symbol to the upgrade slot.
・Dragonforged’s Wyrmfire.
You can find the Dragonforged at Bay Wayside Shrine, hidden in a cave besides the Riftstone of Remembrance.
He’s a prior Arisen that will provide you with lore insights and a store and enhancement service that requires Wyrmlife Crystals (WLC).
You need to have three regular enhancements in a gear to proceed to Wyrmfire your gear.
And if you’re dissatisfied with the enhancements you’ve used (Lots of people put things like Magick upgrades on Phys weapons without knowing what they’re doing), you can access a new option that allows you to reset a weapon’s upgrades by talking to the Dragonforged during NG+.