D2R Horadric Cube Gear Upgrade & Utility Recipes Guide

Jun-25-2025

 

Hey everyone! In the last guide, we covered how the Horadric Cube allows players to upgrade gems, runes, and add sockets for powerful runewords. Now, let's take it a step further.

 

In this guide, we'll break down how to upgrade the quality of gear, repair and recharge items, and use utility recipes that save time and enhance your gameplay. These recipes, especially after Patch 2.4, have become a key part of optimizing your character's equipment in Diablo II: Resurrected.

 

Upgrade Unique Items (Version 1.10 and later only)

These recipes upgrade a unique item's base type (Normal → Exceptional → Elite), improving its damage/defense while keeping modifiers unchanged.

 

Weapon:

Normal → Exceptional: 1 Ral Rune + 1 Sol Rune + 1 Perfect Emerald + Normal Unique Weapon

 

Exceptional → Elite: 1 Lum Rune + 1 Pul Rune + 1 Perfect Emerald + Exceptional Unique Weapon

 

Armor:

Normal → Exceptional: 1 Tal Rune + 1 Shael Rune + 1 Perfect Diamond + Normal Unique Armor

 

Exceptional → Elite: 1 Ko Rune + 1 Lem Rune + 1 Perfect Diamond + Exceptional Unique Armor

 

Upgrade Rare Items

Upgrades the base type of rare items, increasing damage or defense while retaining affixes.

 

Weapon:

Normal → Exceptional: 1 Ort Rune + 1 Amn Rune + 1 Perfect Sapphire + Normal Rare Weapon

 

Exceptional → Elite: 1 Fal Rune + 1 Um Rune + 1 Perfect Sapphire + Exceptional Rare Weapon

 

Armor:

Normal → Exceptional: 1 Ral Rune + 1 Thul Rune + 1 Perfect Amethyst + Normal Rare Armor

 

Exceptional → Elite: 1 Ko Rune + 1 Pul Rune + 1 Perfect Amethyst + Exceptional Rare Armor

 

Rare Item Re-Rolling Recipes

6 Perfect Skulls + 1 Rare Item → 1 Random Low Quality Rare Item of the same type

 

ilvl = int(0.4 * clvl) + int(0.4 * ilvl)  

(ilvl = item level, clvl = character level)

This recipe rerolls rare items, resetting all modifiers. While the item level decreases, it can still be high if both the item and character are high-level (e.g., a level 80 character using a level 80 item results in an ilvl 64 item).

 

Note: The Cube has only 12 spaces, and using 6 perfect skulls leaves no room for 2×4 items like large bows/crossbows, polearms, or spears.

 

1 Perfect Skull + 1 Rare Item + Stone of Jordan → 1 High Quality New Rare Item of the same type

 

This recipe rerolls rare items, resetting all modifiers. The resulting item level can remain high or even increase, allowing higher-level affixes to appear.

 

Example: A level 80 character using a level 80 item results in a combined ilvl of 105.6 (52.8 + 52.8), allowing any modifier in the game to spawn.

 

 

Upgrade Set Items (Patch 2.4+)

These recipes were introduced in Patch 2.4 and allow set items to be upgraded in the same way as unique items.

 

Weapon:

Normal → Exceptional: 1 Ral Rune + 1 Sol Rune + 1 Perfect Emerald + Normal Set Weapon

 

Exceptional → Elite: 1 Lum Rune + 1 Pul Rune + 1 Perfect Emerald + Exceptional Set Weapon

 

Armor:

Normal → Exceptional: 1 Tal Rune + 1 Shael Rune + 1 Perfect Diamond + Normal Set Armor

 

Exceptional → Elite: 1 Ko Rune + 1 Lem Rune + 1 Perfect Diamond + Exceptional Set Armor

 

You can use above upgrade formulas to upgrade the base type of a unique weapon or armor from Normal to Elite. The upgrade only applies to the item's base type and does not change its attributes. This formula can be applied to Ethereal items. Additionally, Runes, Jewelry, etc., that are already embedded in the item will still exist.

 

Add Socket to Rare Items

3 Perfect Skulls + 1 Rare Item + 1 Stone of Jordan → Adds 1 Socket to Rare Item

 

Only one socket will be added per item. If an item already has one socket, this recipe will not add a socket to the item. Additionally, it does not work on items that cannot have sockets, such as throwing weapons, boots, gloves, belts, or other restricted equipment.

 

Repair and Recharge Recipes

Repair Weapon: 1 Ort Rune + Weapon

Repair Armor: 1 Ral Rune + Armor

 

Using repair recipes, you can repair gears without visiting town NPCs. Useful for saving time or avoiding exorbitant repair costs.

 

Repair + Recharge Weapon: 1 Ort Rune + 1 Chipped Gem + Weapon

Repair + Recharge Armor: 1 Ral Rune + 1 Flawed Gem + Armor

 

Using repair + Recharge recipes, you can fully repair and recharge an item without visiting town NPCs. These recipes are useful for saving time or avoiding the high costs through NPCs.

 

⚠ These recipes do not work on Ethereal items.

 

 

Utility & Foraging Recipes

Great for emergencies or saving inventory space.

Ammo Conversions:

2 Quivers of Bolts → 1 Quiver of Arrows (random quantity)

2 Quivers of Arrows → 1 Quiver of Bolts (random quantity)

1 Spear + 1 Quiver of Arrows → Stack of Javelins (non-magical, random quantity)

1 Axe + 1 Dagger → Stack of Throwing Axes (non-magical, random quantity)

 

Potion Trick:

1 Strangling Gas Potion + 1 Healing Potion → 1 Antidote Potion

 

Conclusion

With these upgrade, repair, and foraging recipes, you can elevate your rare and unique items to elite status and keep your inventory lean and useful.

 

There are many more recipes in the Horadric Cube worth exploring. We’ll cover even more advanced recipes in future guides. Feel free to check back for more details!