Dragon’s Dogma 2’s gear upgrades go deeper than you might expect. Enhancing your equipment in different regions alters your stat spread in unusual ways. This guide explains each of the regional variations for gear upgrades in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
There are a number of ways to optimize your Arisen and Main Pawn’s build in Dragon’s Dogma 2. The most obvious is by planning out your Augments but there’s another layer of minutia involved.
Regardless of which Vocation you want to end up with as your primary role, you’ll need to have an understanding of Dragon’s Dogma 2’s gear upgrades. There are ways to tailor your weapon and armor stats based on what region you smith your gear in.
The following is a guide on how specific regions in Dragon’s Dogma 2 impact your stats when upgrading gear.
Contents:
Vermund upgrades in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Upgrading your gear in Vermund will give you a balanced stat spread. Being the first region that you’ll explore in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you may not even be aware of the difference that using smiths in different locations will have.
Upgrading a weapon at a blacksmith in Vermund will increase both physical and magick damage at a near-equal rate. Most weapon types will naturally skew in one direction or the other but all weapons will also receive a minor reduction in carry weight when upgraded in Vermund.
In much the same way, the physical and magick resistance of armor smithed in Vermund will also increase by a similar value. Again, there will be a slight skew toward whichever stat the armor naturally prioritizes but it will also receive reduced weight.
Balance may work for your build but most vocations will want to specialize in a particular damage type. For that, you will have to travel.
Battahl upgrades in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Arisen should travel to Battahl for their smithing if they want to favor a more physical playstyle. If you’re unwilling to smuggle yourself across the border, you’ll have to follow the main quest to do so.
When upgrading a Weapon in Battahl, it will receive a minor boost to magick damage but the bulk of the upgrade allocation will go towards the strength stat. Armor will get a bigger boost to physical defense but only a nominal increase to magick defense.
Both types of gear will increase in weight when upgraded in Battahl so keep that in mind when choosing to do so. We’ve got a quick guide on methods to increase your overall carry weight Dragon’s Dogma 2 if you want to mitigate this.
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Upgrading your gear in weapons in Battahl is a must for the strength-focused vocations like Fighter, Warrior, Thief, Archer, and even certain Mystic Spearhand builds. Luckily, there’s also an option for the others.
Sacred Arbor upgrades in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Sacred Arbor or Elven upgrades in Dragon’s Dogma 2 will be a massive help for players who want to buff their magick-focused builds. Whether that’s for your Arisen or your Main Pawn. Keep in mind that you’ll need a Pawn that speaks Elven to read the menus here.
Upgrading a weapon in the Sacred Arbor will increase its magick stat and therefore, its magick damage. Likewise, armor upgraded in the Sacred Arbor will raise its magick resistance.
This comes at the cost of physical damage and resistance of course but there is another benefit. It also drastically reduces the weight of both types of gear. Moreso than smithing in Vermund.
You’ll want to come here to upgrade weaponry and staffs for Mages, Sorcerers, Mystic Archers, and – depending on their skill spread – Mystic Spearhands. There is one other place you can upgrade your weapons for a more specialized skillset.
Dwarven smithing in Dragon’s Dogma 2
We located a Dwarven smithing vendor while completing the questline to unlock the Magick Archer vocation. If the following type of upgrade appeals to you, make a beeline for that.
Dwarven upgrades function pretty similarly to those in Vermund by spreading your damage and resistance stats relatively evenly. The main difference is that weapons smithed in the Dwarven style will receive a huge boost to knockdown power and armor gets increased knockdown resistance.
This can be hugely useful for toppling monsters way more regularly and for the tankier Vocations that fight in the frontlines, Dwarven-upgraded armor is a must. Warriors with Dwarven smithed gear become almost invulnerable to interruption.
Much like Battahl upgrades, any gear you upgrade with Dwarven smithing in Dragon’s Dogma 2 will receive a higher carry weight as part of the bargain.
For more tips on how to make the most of your Dragon’s Dogma 2 playthrough, check out our other guides for the game:
How to make a new character in Dragon’s Dogma 2 | Best PC settings for performance | Best Dragon’s Dogma 2 vocation for beginners | Can you hide your helmet in Dragon’s Dogma 2? | Does Dragon’s Dogma 2 have multiplayer? | Can you lock-on in Dragon’s Dogma 2 combat? | Dragon’s Dogma 2 Fast Travel explained | Easiest Seeker’s Tokens to get in the early game | Does Dragon’s Dogma 2 have romance? | How to unlock Mystic Spearhand Vocation