The Horadric cube in Diablo 4 is an endgame crafting system that you can use to improve your gear by adding new affixes and even turn them into a legendary item. To access this system, first you must own the Lord of Hatred DLC and complete the campaign’s third chapter.
Once you have access to the cube, you just need to select a recipe from the ones available and place the item along with the required materials in the cube to craft yourself a brand-new item. The possibilities are endless and understanding how to use the cube is fundamental as you start the endgame grind.
To help you, we list five tips on how to use the Horadric cube in Diablo 4 below.
The cube is useless before hitting endgame
Although in theory, the Horadric cube is an endgame feature, you unlock it by the end of the “When Sun and Moon Converge” chapter in the Lord of Hatred campaign. Since you’re near the end of the campaign, you may want to use the cube to improve your gear, but you actually can’t.
Most recipes require materials that can only be obtained through endgame activities like the War Plan and the Tree of Whispers. Besides, one of the few options for improving gear that you have access to before unlocking these activities is the Add Affix recipe, which essentially does the same as tempering your gear at a blacksmith. However, when you temper a piece of equipment, you can choose the affix you’re adding, whereas using the cube requires a special material called Tuning Prism to influence the transmutation. So, if you haven’t finished the campaign, stick to the traditional blacksmith.
Save copies of strong items
Recipes like “Unique Power Reroll” and “Upgrade to Unique” might catch your attention as soon as you unlock the cube, but don’t let them distract you from a pretty good (and financially viable) option: “3 to 1 Transmutation.”
As the name implies, you can use this recipe when you have three copies of the same item to merge them into a new one. Dropping multiple versions of the same weapon is about as common as picking up potions from the ground. Instead of simply turning them into materials, you can use these items to craft a new version of them that might come with the affixes and attributes you want.
‘3 to 1 Transmutation’ is a bit different when it comes to seals and charms
When using the “3 to 1 Transmutation” recipe in the Horadric cube, you usually need to have three copies of the same weapon or piece of equipment to craft a new one. However, this rule doesn’t apply to seals and charms. These are divided into the usual rarity tiers, but they can also carry unique names or belong to a set. When transmutating three charms or three seals, all that matters is the rarity. For example, you can transmute three different magic seals into a new one, whether they have the same name or not.
The same applies to charms. You may find a rare Harmonious Charm of Greed and two rare Frigid Charms of the Unbound. Although they don’t have the same name, since they are all rare charms, you can transmute these three into a new charm. It’s not different when it comes to charms from the same set. You can transmute a new charm of the Practiced Technique set by merging one of each part of the set (phoba, mer, and mlor charms).
Avoid removing affixes with tuning prisms
You can use a tuning prism when crafting most recipes in the Horadric cube to influence the result and increase your chances of getting the bonuses you’re looking for. Using certain recipes like “Chaotic Reroll” and “Upgrade to Legendary” without a turning prism can be as fun as opening a booster pack of your favorite TCG: the anticipation of maybe getting a hit, if the odds are in your favor. However, when it comes to removing an affix, you should never do so without a tuning prism. The only time you want to remove an affix is when you know exactly which one you can afford to lose in order to make room for a new (and hopefully better) one. If you don’t use the prism, you run the risk of losing an item’s best affix and turning your gear into trash in seconds.
Transmutating a piece of gear is gambling
While Blizzard has designed the Horadric cube to make every transmutation feel worth the risk by giving you the tools to influence the final result, using the system is still a gamble. You can’t know for sure the final outcome and some recipes, like “Transfigure Item,” can turn your item unmodifiable after the process. In other words, you can try to fix it if you roll a bad affix. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use the cube, but keeping this in mind will help reduce the inevitable frustration that comes with crafting items.
