Diablo 4 guide - How to salvage gear in the world of Sanctuary

Diablo 4 will overwhelm players with loot that varies wildly in quality. With that in mind, you need to use the Salvage system liberally. This gear will come with various rarities with different stats and abilities. Some of it will be useful to your current character, and others might be more valuable to your alts.

While you cannot start using the Salvage system right away, it will eventually become key to your overall growth in Diablo 4. If you’re confused or worried because you cannot immediately do this, do not fret. The important Salvage mechanic will unlock early into the main story.

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How can you salvage unneeded gear in Diablo 4?

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In Diablo 4, you must wait until you reach the first major city before you can unlock this feature. The first town will not let you do this because you have to unlock it in Kyovashad.

The first town you arrive in merely has a vendor - you need a Blacksmith. Once you’ve finished the Rite of Passage quest and get to Kyovashad proper, Diablo 4 will be a far more open experience. When in Kyovashad, just head to the Blacksmith, and you can begin salvaging gear immediately.

If you can’t find them, look for the Hammer and Anvil icon on your map. It is south of the waypoint. Interact with the Blacksmith and take a look at your inventory. Any gear piece with a pickaxe on the icon can use this feature.

When using the Blacksmith’s services in any town, you can get rid of these armor pieces individually or salvage everything in a particular rarity at once. The only exceptions are Legendary and Unique gear pieces and they must be salvaged separately. However, with Legendaries, you'll want to get their unique ability extracted to use on other gear, via the Imprint system.

Salvaging a piece of gear serves a few important functions. Any gear that’s salvaged can be used in the transmogrification system. You’ll be able to use these as cosmetics later throughout your playtime. In addition, you’ll receive crafting materials and any gems that are already slotted into the gear.

It’s also important to be careful when salvaging gear. You may not always want to get rid of every piece of gear in a particular rarity because it might be a useful upgrade or something useful for another character.

So make sure to look over your loot carefully. You will receive tons of loot throughout, so traveling back to Blacksmiths will be an important part of your overall gameplay loop.

Diablo 4’s early access beta is this weekend, and next weekend - March 24 to 26, 2023, the open beta will be available to all players ahead of the June 6, 2023 release date.