Augment
The Augment System was introduced with Update 1.8 “The Venetian Agenda”. It allows players to further develop and personalize your character’s abilities.
Contents
Augment System basics
Augments have to be attached to equipped active abilities to work. Three of them increase your statistics (attack power, heal rating and health), all the others modify the ability they are attached to. This is done by either increasing the effect of the ability (increased critical rate, barrier duration, …) or by triggering an effect every time the ability is used.
There are four types of augments: Damage, Support, Healing and Survivability. Only one augment can be attached to an ability, although they can be freely exchanged. An augment can only be attached to one ability at one time. What type of augments can be attached to a specific ability is indicated by the empty augment slot above the ability. The type correlates with the function of the ability. A damage ability such as Bloodshot only allows Damage Augments. Other abilities allow two or even three different types of augments. Auxiliary weapon abilities cannot be augmented.
Activating the Augment System
The Augment System is activated during the mission The Machine (finishing the mission is not a requirement). Issue 8 is not necessary to activate the system and neither is progressing the story up to the point that you enter the Sunken Library.
The Augment System requires a large amount of AP and SP, so players who have all the abilities they wish and are not interested in completing any additional decks are recommended to make a quick trip to Venice and activate the system.
The fastest way is to jump down next to the Agartha entrance to Seoul; you will end up right in front of the entrance to The Sunken Library. The console that grants the The Machine mission is at the end of the Library. You will have to activate a scenario (if you do not have issue 8 only “The Hotel” will be available) at the console. Next you will have to enter one of the special rooms; once you do the augment system will be available.
Augment Skills
The Augment System adds 4 new skill lines to spend Skill points on, corresponding to the different types of augments.
Each skill line has 5 tiers, each of them requires 30 points to unlock, requiring a total of 600 SP to clear completely.
Each time you buy a skill you maximum AP will increase. With a first tier skill maximum AP is increased by 5, the second by 15, the third by 30, the fourth by 55 and the final by 85. This means that with all Augment Skills purchased you will be able to have up to 515 AP.
Getting the first Skill tier allows you to learn all the Augments of that type. Further tiers are necessary for upgrading Augments. Tier two for upgrading Augments to QL2, tier three for QL3,...
Augment Abilities
Learning Augment Abilities
Augments are not progressive, so you do not need to learn the lower augments to access the higher ones. If you want to you can start by learning epic or heroic augments and forget about the uncommon and rare ones. To learn (harmonize) an augment you need the attuned resonator far that specific augment. Attuned resonator for the uncommon abilities drop from bosses and crates in the scenarios. All other attuned resonators have to be assembled with an Augment Attuning Kit and the specific unattuned resonator, plus several other pure quality materials and several uncommon attuned resonators.
The Augment Attuning Kit can be purchased from Minister of Ca' d'Oro for 10 Aurei of Initiation The unattuned resonators drop in scenarios. The Augment Attuning Kit, all attuned resonators, and all unattuned resonators can be bought in the Auction House.
Once you have the attuned resonator and he required Augment Skill you can learn the Augment by clicking on it and paying the required quantity of AP points. The Augment will then be added to the Augment Wheel from where you will be able to assign it to and equipped active ability.
Upgrading Augment Abilities
Each augment you acquire starts at QL1 but it can be upgraded up to QL5, increasing its effect. Upgrades have to happen in a consecutive order, so you cannot directly upgrade to level 5. To upgrade an augment you need the attuned resonator with the QL you are upgrading it to. In order to get this resonator you need a specific number of QL1 attuned resonators of the augment you want to upgrade and an Augment Amplifier Kit for that level.
For a QL 2 you need 2 QL1, for QL 3 you need 3 QL1, etc… So to reach QL 5 you need 15 QL1 attuned resonators. The Augment Amplifier Kit can be bought from the Minister of Ca' d'Oro for Aurei of Initiation or from the Auction House, or you can buy the level attuned resonator you need directly from the Auction House.
Once you have the Attuned Resonator of the level you need and the required skill level you can click on the Resonator and, after paying the AP cost, you augment will upgrade.
AP Requirements
The AP necesary to harmonize and upgrade Augments are listed below, plus the AP necessary to upgrade one augment to QL5.
| Rarity | QL1 | QL2 | QL3 | QL4 | QL5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uncommon | 115 | 155 | 195 | 235 | 275 | 975 |
| Rare | 190 | 230 | 270 | 310 | 350 | 1,350 |
| Epic | 265 | 305 | 345 | 385 | 425 | 1,725 |
| Heroic | 340 | 380 | 420 | 460 | 500 | 2,100 |
Augment System and game progression
According to the developers, the Augment System is aimed at high end long term players, completing the augment system is in no way necessary to be able to access and beat content released after issue 8.
