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Gems, Sockets and Enchants

When to follow socket colors, how meta gems work, and which enchants are worth the gold.

Socket bonuses

Many items have colored sockets and a small bonus for matching them. Match the colors only when the bonus is worth more than the stats you give up by not using your best gem. A small stat bonus is rarely worth putting a weak gem in two sockets, while a socket with a bonus of a stat you need often is.

Meta gems

A meta gem goes in the special socket on some helmets and gives one of the strongest effects in the game, but only if you meet its color requirement, for example a certain number of blue or red gems elsewhere in your gear. Plan those requirements early, because they decide which gems you use everywhere else.

Enchants

Enchant every slot that can be enchanted once a piece is going to stay for more than a week or two. Shoulder and head enchants come from reputations (the Aldor or Scryers and several factions in Outland), so they double as a reason to keep up with those reputations.