With every new expansion in Star Wars The Old Republic comes changes to the gearing system. One of the major letdowns with Game Update 7.0 was the lack of Item Modifications. With Game Update 7.1, Bioware has added Level 80 Item Modifications for select Item Rating Tiers. Here is a guide on how to get access to them.
Also included in this guide is a recommended Stat Section. Currently, it includes all the PvE and some Stats.
Table of Contents
- Important Information about Level 80 Item Modifications
- How to get Item Modifications at Level 80 in Game Update 7.1
- Level 80 Item Modifications Costs
- Level 80 Item Modifications Stats (328 and 330)
- How does the Level 80 Item Modifications Stat Budget compare to Unmoddable Gear?
- How does the Level 80 Item Modifications Stat Budget compare to Unmoddable Gear?
- Are Item Modifications Worth it in Game Update 7.1?
- Are Item Modifications Worth it in Game Update 7.1?
- What Level 80 Item Modifications Should I Get?
- What Stats Should I Have?
Important Information about Level 80 Item Modifications
There are a couple of things to note before you get started.
- There are certain requirements that must be met to gain access to the Item Modification Missions.
- Must have gear equipped at Item Rating 324 or higher.
- The missions and access to the vendor can bug out if you are in a group.
- It is intentional that only enhancements are artifact (purple) quality and every other modification type is only prototype (blue) quality (you can also get prototype quality enhancements).
How to get Item Modifications at Level 80 in Game Update 7.1
Item Modifications are now available at Item Rating 328 and 330 and can be purchased from a vendor with Credits. However, to gain access to the Item Modification Vendor, you have to complete Missions. Speak to Hyde who can be found in the Supplies Section of your factions Fleet to get started.
Level 80 Item Modifications Mission Access Requirements
In order to pick up the Missions from Hyde, you must meet the following requirements.
- Must have gear equipped at Item Rating 324 or higher.
- Do not be in a group while trying to do the missions or access the vendor, it bugs out and doesn’t work.
How to Complete the Item Modifications Missions
When you speak to Hyde, after goign through a bunch of tedious dialogue, you will eventually get to choose from four different missions.
- 328 Prototype Modifications
- 328 Artifact Modifications
- 330 Prototype Modifications
- 330 Artifact Modifications
You need to pick a mission that matches the gear you have ready to deconstruct. For example, if you have a 328 Thyrsian PvP Gear piece, you can pick the 328 Prototype or 328 Artifact Mission.
Deconstructing Gear
Once you pick your mission, deconstruct any piece of gear that matches or is higher than the required item quality and item rating. The mission description will give you more details. It does not have to be an armour piece. Deconstructing gear pieces such as an Earpiece will progress the missions as well.
Note: You cannot deconstruct Legendary Implants.
If you’re starting from the beginning, I would recommend picking a main gearing path (ie. content you enjoy) and focusing on that then doing some of the other paths as well to make gearing up faster. Do as many weeklies as possible for guaranteed upgrades.
Once you deconstruct the piece of gear that meets the requirements, return to Hyde and talk to them. Once you finish the conversation you will have access to the Item Modification Vendor, Zeek.
You will need to complete both missions at each Item Rating to get full access to the Modifications at that Item Rating Tier.
- Prototype Mission (328 & 330): this gives you access to all prototype (blue) item quality Mods, Armourings, Enhancements, Barrells and Hilts at both 328 and 330 Item Rating.
- Artifact Mission (328 & 330): gives you access to artifact (purple) item quality enhancements only (this is likely intentional) at both 328 and 330 Item Rating.
Level 80 Item Modifications Costs
Modifications cost Credits. You may need to select ‘All’ using the dropdown menu to see all the available Item Modifications.
The costs are as follows.
- Prototype Modifications – 100,000 Credits each
- Artifact Enhancements – 200,000 Credits each
Here is the full inventory of modifications available at 328 and 330 once all missions are completed.
Total Cost
Here is a breakdown of how many credits it will cost to fully equip one character with Item Modifications at both Item Rating 328 and 330.
- Armourings – 100,000 x 9 – 900,000 Credits
- Mods – 100,000 x 9 = 900,000 Credits
- Enhancements – 200,000 x 9 – 1,800,000 Credits
Total Cost = 3,600,000 Credits
Level 80 Item Modifications Stats (328 and 330)
Here is a look at the stats of the various Item Modifications.
Item Rating 328
Item Rating 330
Prototype versus Artifact Enhancements
Here is a comparison of Prototype (Blue) and Artifact (Purple) quality Enhancement stats.
Item Rating 328 Alacrity Enhancements
Item Rating 330 Alacrity Enhancements
As you can see from the above images, the artifact (purple) quality enhancements have more power and less endurance while the prototype (blue) enhancements have more endurance and less power. However, the Tertiary Stat (Alacrity) remains the same.
For DPS and Healers Artifact Enhancements are best in slot (BiS).
How does the Level 80 Item Modifications Stat Budget compare to Unmoddable Gear?
When you add up the Item Modifications stat budget versus static/unmoddable gear stat budget, the amount of stats you get from item modifications are identical to the BiS unmoddable gear of each tier.
328 Versatile Armouring (Blue)
- 592 Mastery
- 517 Endurance
328 Lethal Mod (Blue)
- 489 Mastery
- 398 Endurance
- 430 Power
328 Adept Enhancement (Purple)
- 363 Endurance
- 398 Power
- 543 Alacrity
Thyrsian 328 Med-Tech Chest
- 1081 Mastery
- 1278 Endurance
- 828 Power
- 543 Alacrity
Total Modification Stat Budget Combined
- 1081 Mastery
- 1278 Endurance
- 828 Power
- 543 Alacrity
At item rating 328, Thyrsian (PvP) and Rakata (NIM PvE) gear is the best static gear you can get. Rakata (NIM PvE) gear is the best static gear you can get at 330 Item Rating.
Are Item Modifications Worth it in Game Update 7.1?
Ultimately the modification system should be treated like a catch-up system for newer or returning players (assuming you have the credits) and an easy way to gear alts. It also provides a way to get gear for content you don’t do as much. For example, if you mainly PvP, you can get gear for PvE much faster than doing Nefra farms. All you need are two 330 Rakata pieces or one Columi or R-4 SM Piece and one Rakata Piece (one for each 330 Mission) then you get full access to all 330 Item Rating Level Modifications.
If you are a PvPer, gaining access to 330 item Modifications will allow you to BiS your gear while staying at 328 Item Rating. It is more optimal to have some 330+ gear on than to be in full 328. Bolster will only reduce your stats if you go to item Rating 329 or higher so you can ‘cheat’ the system by wearing some gear higher than 328 while remaining at Item Rating 328.
What Level 80 Item Modifications Should I Get?
What Item Modifications you should aim to get depends on the content you do and your role.
If you are a PvPer, it comes down to if you are willing to do some PvE content or not to access 330 Modifications. While level-sync/bolster in instanced PvP is capped at 328 Item Rating, PvPers can BiS using 330 Item Modifications (as mentioned above). If you are unwilling to do PvE content then wearing 328 Thyrsian gear or using 328 modifications is your best bet while upgrading your Implants.
If you do PvE content, you should aim to get 330 Item Modifications. You will need at least one Rakata Gear Piece to upgrade to 330 then deconstruct to access Artifact (Purple) Enhancements. Otherwise, you can get Prototype gear from a variety of sources such as HM/VM Operations and SM R-4 Anomaly (see table above for more sources) to get access to the Prototype Modifications.
What Stats Should I Have?
Stat Thresholds have not changed since Game Update 7.0 Launch. They are as follows. Click on a tab to see relevant information.
PvP will be added soon!
You do not need to worry about Mastery or Endurance. It is included by default on all of your Item Modifications. You should focus on getting your tertiary stats (Accuracy, Alacrity and Critical Rating) at the right thresholds.
For most DPS Combat Styles, these are the stats you should be aiming for.
| Stat | Descriptor | Raw Number |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy | 110% | 2694 |
| Alacrity | 1.4 GCD Guild Perk | 560 |
| Alacrity | 1.4 GCD No Guild Perk | 2054 |
| Critical Rating | Diminishing Returns | 4000+ |
All DPS MUST run 110% accuracy in PvE content this is your most important stat. Then most Combat Styles should go for a 1.4 GCD Alacrity (see the above numbers).
There are however some exceptions. Select Combat Styles have different Alacrity Thresholds due to Alacrity being present passively for these Combat Styles.
| Class | Alacrity | Descriptor |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal/Gunnery | 1123 | 1.4 GCD Guild Perk |
| Carnage/Combat | 1123 | 1.4 GCD |
| Lightning/Telekinetics | 1494 | 1.3 GCD Guild Perk |
| Virulence/Dirty Fighting | 1100 – 1300 | Guild Perk |
Then finally put the rest of your stat budget into Critical Rating. Diminishing returns start at 4000. If you end up with the stat budget to go over 4000 Critical Rating, then use Mastery Augments.
You do not need to worry about Mastery or Endurance. It is included by default on all of your Item Modifications. Your focus should be on getting your tertiary stats (Alacrity and Critical Rating) at the right thresholds.
| Stat | Descriptor | Raw Number |
|---|---|---|
| Alacrity | 1.3 GCD Guild Perk | 3209 |
| Alacrity | 1.4 GCD No Guild Perk | 2054 |
| Critical Rating | Diminishing Returns | 4000 |
I would recommend running 1.3 GCD if your Guild has the Alacrity Perk. Going a little bit higher is fine, you do not need to be exact. If you play at a higher ping, it is beneficial for you to go 100-200 above the threshold anyway. Put the rest of your tertiary Stat Budget into Critical Rating.
If your Guild does not have the Alacrity Perk (or you are not in a Guild) then at the bare minimum run 1.4 GCD. I would highly recommend, however going up to around 3000 Alacrity. Put the rest of your tertiary stat Budget into Critical Rating.
As a tank, the main tertiary stats you need to worry about are Shield and Absorb. Your first priority is to reach the suitable Shield threshold for your class then put the rest of your stat budget into Absorb.
| Class | Stat | Raw Number |
|---|---|---|
| Powertech/Vanguard | Shield | 6000 – 6500 |
| Juggernaut/Guardian | Shield | 5500-6000 |
| Assassin/Shadow | Shield | 5000-5500 |
| Absorb | the rest of your tertiary stat budget |
You do not need to worry about Mastery or Endurance. It is included by default on all of your Item Modifications. Your focus should be on getting your tertiary stats (Alacrity and Critical Rating) at the right thresholds.
| Stat | Descriptor | Raw Number |
|---|---|---|
| Alacrity | 1.4 GCD | 2054 |
| Alacrity | 1.3 GCD | 5431 |
| Critical Rating | Diminishing Returns | 4000 |
For PvPers, it’s not possible to get to a 1.3 GCD (5431) with current gear levels. You need to get to 1.4 (2054) then from there, you can increase your Alacrity until you feel comfortable. I would recommend going 200-400 over the threshold at the bare minimum but do not go above 3000.
As for Critical Rating, this is where you will put the rest of your stat budget. You can go up to ~4000 before diminishing returns set in. However, it is okay to go 100-200 higher.
With Item Modifications, augments working and the increase of Bolster to 328 Item Rating, it is possible for healers to get over 4000 Critical Rating and around 3000 Alacrity.
You do not need to worry about Mastery or Endurance. It is included by default on all of your Item Modifications. You should focus on getting your tertiary stats (Accuracy, Alacrity and Critical Rating) at the right thresholds. Keep in mind that Guild perks do not apply in PvP.
| Stat | Descriptor | Raw Number |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy | 105% (some classes) | 1080-1085 |
| Alacrity | 1.4 GCD No Guild Perk | 2054 |
| Critical Rating | Diminishing Returns | 4000+ |
The first stat DPS have to consider is Accuracy. But not all Classes need it in PvP. To understand if you need accuracy, you need to first understand damage types.
| Ability Type | Damage ‘Type’ | Accuracy Needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Force or Tech | Yellow Damage | No |
| Melee and Ranged | White Damage | Yes |
If your class uses mostly melee or ranged damage abilities (white damage) then you will need 105% accuracy. If your class rotation has majority force or tech abilities (yellow damage), then you do not need any accuracy. To see what abilty type an ability is, just hover over it and read the detailed tooltip that pops up.
105% Accuracy = ~1080-1085 Accuracy
Two 328 Enhancements will net you 1086 Accuracy and put you at 105.02%. Two 330 Initiative (Purple) Enhancements will get you 1108 Accuracy which is 105.09%. Since you’re going to be wearing two enhancements anyway, you may as well just use 330 (Purple) Enhancements (if you have access to them) for the extra Power.
Next stat to worry about is Alacrity. Most classes just need to run 1.4 GCD. Going an extra 100 over 2054 won’t hurt and may be beneficial for those who play at higher latency’s. Some classes can run less Alacrity (Carnage/Combat). See the PvE tab for specfics.
Then finally you can put the rest of your stat budget into Critical Rating up to 4000. You can go a couple of hundred over if you like. If you still have stat budget left, use Mastery Augments.
Typically in PvP, most tanks are skank tanks. This means the run with mostly DPS stats while using tanking relics and high endurance armourings. If you want to run full mitigation, refer to the PvE Tank Tab for stat thresholds. (More to come).
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