- Upgrade weapons in Arkheron by collecting duplicate eternal hero pieces — greens cannot be upgraded
- Press F1 on PC anytime to check what your items do and whether they are upgradeable
- Set bonuses unlock at two pieces of the same eternal hero; four pieces let you transform
- Fractured builds mixing pieces from different heroes often outperform forced full sets
- Consumables and anchors turn fights more reliably than raw gear upgrades
How Weapon Upgrading Works in Arkheron
In Arkheron, upgrading weapons is not about visiting a blacksmith or paying gold. Instead, the system is driven by the game's lore: the eternal heroes were fractured into pieces, and their powers are scattered throughout the tower. When you collect and reforge those pieces, duplicates of the same item automatically upgrade the one you are wearing. There are four equipable slots: your crown, your amulet, and your two weapons.
Arkheron separates gear into two fundamental tiers, and knowing which tier you are holding determines whether upgrading is even possible:
| Item Tier | Color | Upgradeable? | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic items | Green | No | Solid starting gear, still very usable in fights |
| Eternal hero pieces | Purple | Yes, via duplicates | Set bonuses, transformation, upgradable effects |
If you find a second green bow, you cannot combine or upgrade it. Green items are the base level — strong enough to win fights, but their stats and effects are fixed. Only purple eternal hero pieces upgrade.
Video Highlights:
- Full walkthrough of item types, quality, and the four equipable slots
- How duplicate hero pieces upgrade cooldowns and effect durations
- Why consumables and anchors matter as much as gear
- Fractured build strategy versus forcing full hero sets
To check whether a weapon is upgradeable, press F1 on PC. This opens a quick descriptor of every item you are carrying, showing its effects and whether it can be upgraded. Get in the habit of checking new drops this way before deciding what to keep.
Upgrading Eternal Hero Pieces
When you find a duplicate of an eternal hero piece you already wear, the upgrade applies automatically and improves the item's effect rather than inflating raw damage. For example, the Baton crown starts with "reflect all damage types for 3 seconds." Upgrade it by finding a second crown — or having a teammate pick one up — and the cooldown drops to 12 seconds while the duration extends to 5 seconds. Similarly, upgrading the serpent staff reduces its cooldown to 12 seconds and makes its pillars last 2 seconds longer.
This design is intentional. Upgrades tend to improve cooldowns and durations, not raw damage numbers, which keeps gear creep in check — a tier-three weapon does not simply obliterate a tier-one opponent.
A duplicate found by a teammate can also upgrade your equipped piece. Communicate what pieces your build needs so your squad feeds you duplicates instead of leaving them on the ground.
| Hero Piece | Base Effect | Upgraded Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Baton crown | Reflect all damage, 3 seconds | Cooldown to 12s, duration to 5 seconds |
| Serpent staff | Summons pillars | Cooldown to 12s, pillars last 2 seconds longer |
Step-by-Step: Upgrading Your Weapons in a Match
Start with greens and test every weapon
Greens drop first, so try every weapon type early. You cannot guarantee the bow will drop, so get comfortable with all of them, plus a few amulets and crowns.
Check drops with F1
Press F1 to read item effects and confirm whether a purple piece is upgradeable before committing a slot to it.
Equip eternal pieces that fit your playstyle
Pick hero pieces whose effects match your build — a support wants Kar's protective totem crown, while melee players benefit from slows like Arenia's mace.
Hunt duplicates to trigger upgrades
Keep grabbing duplicates of the pieces you wear. Your own pickup or a teammate's will reduce cooldowns and extend effect durations automatically.
Complete the set for transformation
With all four pieces of one eternal, you gain the hero's transformation ability — an extra invulnerability-style cast on top of your weapon skills.
Equipping just two pieces of the same eternal grants a set bonus. Two Tubu pieces deal 100% more damage at low health; a full Vaton set increases healing from items and abilities by 50%. The two pieces can be any combination — a crown plus one weapon, or both weapons.
Support Your Upgrades: Consumables and Anchors
You will regularly lose fights with better weapons simply because you ignored consumables and anchors — and win fights with green gear when opponents make the same mistake. Shrines sell healing wards, fortitude shards, and health potions. You can carry four of one type.
| Consumable | Effect | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Fortitude shard | Refills your shield bar instantly | ★★★★★ |
| Health potion | Refills your health | ★★★★ |
| Healing ward | Deployable beacon healing health and shields for the team | ★★★★★ |
Anchors offer powerful activated buffs and demand a bit more skill to time well:
Last Wish
- If knocked down while active, you become phased and revive with 100 health
- Pop it before diving into a losing fight
Summon Shrine
- Creates a shrine anywhere so the whole team refills consumables
- Ideal right after winning a fight
Rescue
- Teleport to a downed teammate for a clutch save
Mending Hands
- Damage dealt is converted into healing for 2 seconds
- Short window, strong when timed with an all-in
Until you learn the game, just grab four fortitude shards at every shrine. Instant shield refills win the morale fight in extended engagements.
Fractured Builds: The Smarter Upgrade Path
The biggest trap in Arkheron is tunnel-visioning on one hero's full set. Chase only Kari pieces all game and you may end with two pieces against an opponent with a complete, coherent build. Fractured builds — mixing strong pieces from multiple eternals — are among the best setups in the game.
| Build Type | Example | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Melee fracture | Arenia's slowing mace + Dala's throwing knives (blade barrier) | Slow, then burst enemies inside the barrier |
| Support fracture | Kar's totem crown + Tubu's wolf companion + Hollow's darkling staff | Mitigation, a summoned ally, and a wall to isolate divers |
| Full set | All four Vaton pieces | 50% increased healing plus hero transformation |
Green crowns deserve special mention — every green crown has a genuinely useful effect, from damage reduction and cooldown refresh to health and fortitude recovery. Learn the color coding: blue is fortitude, white is health, pink refreshes cooldowns, and green reduces damage.
If your target hero's pieces drop, great — play that build. But never pass on strong fractured pieces while waiting for a dream set. Flexibility wins more matches than loyalty to one eternal.
Match Goals for Weapon Upgrading:
- Test at least three green weapon types in the early tower floors
- Press F1 on every purple drop to check upgradeability
- Secure a two-piece set bonus before the mid-game
- Grab four fortitude shards at the first shrine you pass
- Complete or outperform a full set with a fractured build
FAQ
Q: How do I upgrade weapons in Arkheron?
Weapons upgrade automatically when you collect duplicate eternal hero pieces. Finding a second copy of a piece you already wear — or a teammate picking one up — improves its effect, typically reducing cooldowns and extending durations. Green basic items cannot be upgraded at all.
Q: Can green weapons be upgraded?
No. Green items are fixed at base level. They are still perfectly viable — a green amulet granting immunity, for example, remains valuable inside a full build — but duplicates cannot improve them.
Q: What does upgrading actually improve?
Upgrades focus on cooldowns and effect durations rather than raw damage. The Baton crown goes from 3 seconds of damage reflection to 5, and the serpent staff's pillars last 2 seconds longer, keeping fights skill-driven instead of gear-driven.
Q: Is a full hero set better than mixed pieces?
Not necessarily. A full set grants the hero transformation ability, but fractured builds combining the best pieces from multiple eternals — matched to your playstyle — are among the strongest setups in the game.