Facets are not free bonuses

A facet gives an item an identity by pairing an advantage with a cost. Together Patch 1 rebalanced multiple facets in response to player feedback. Read both lines and test the resulting resource loop before treating the item as an upgrade.

Unlike a general tier label, a facet can be excellent for one build and destructive for another. A Focus penalty barely matters to a build that never uses rune attacks; the same penalty can collapse a caster.

Current weapon tradeoff families

Build 22928553 localization exposes examples such as:

  • Quick: attack speed increased, damage reduced.
  • Rapid: attack speed increased, stamina regeneration reduced.
  • Heavy: damage increased, attack stamina cost increased.
  • Mundane: damage increased, Focus gain reduced.
  • Clumsy: damage increased, attack speed reduced.
  • Nimble: stamina cost reduced, Focus gain reduced.
  • Keen: critical chance increased, poise damage reduced.
  • Blunt: poise damage increased, Focus gain reduced.
  • Indestructible: durability removed as a concern.

These descriptions establish the direction of the trade. The live item shows the actual current roll and is the authority for the specific piece.

Current armor and elemental families

Armor facets include tradeoffs such as more armor with more weight, more armor with less poise defense, more poise defense with less stamina regeneration, or more movement speed with less stamina regeneration.

Elemental facets can grant Fire, Ice, Lightning, or Plague infusion while reducing damage. This can enable a coherent elemental plan, but it can also conflict with a gem or other source. Check the final item preview and character panel.

Five-question facet test

  1. Does the benefit support the weapon's safe normal loop?
  2. Does the downside damage stamina, Focus, speed, poise, or Equip Load that the build relies on?
  3. Can gear elsewhere cover the downside without creating a second weakness?
  4. Does the facet overlap or conflict with the intended gem and enchantments?
  5. Would the base still be worth using if the enchantment rolls are average?

If the answer to the last question is no, the item is a high-cost project, not a safe upgrade.

Examples by archetype

A slow Strength weapon may accept Heavy if its stamina pool and punish windows already support the added cost. A fast Dexterity weapon may reject Rapid when reduced stamina regeneration eliminates the exit. A magic build may value Mystic Focus gain but must re-test the stamina-regeneration loss. A heavy armor plan may welcome more armor but reject added weight if it crosses the chosen movement class.

The point is not to label one facet best. It is to show the entire before-and-after combat loop.

Modification boundary

Decide whether the facet is acceptable before spending deeply on Enchantments, Gems, or Exalting. Those layers can improve the item, but they should not be used to rationalize a permanent tradeoff the build cannot afford.