You can also add a slot to the weapon, but only one Awaken Slot Upgrade can be added. If you want another slot upgrade, go for the normal Augmentation. The Awaken weapon can also gain potential level if you use it during the Saffi’jiiva Siege. If you already had a decent weapon, make sure to bring it in the Siege! The next guiding lands area will bring an extra slot upgrade level. This means a health augment 1 and affinity can fit on a rarity 12 hopefully. Rarity 10 will get a bit insane, but augments are only augments. If the weapon is pretty average, it can really only boost raw by a bit. Each augment level diminishes in quality. Using a Chrome Drill III, for example, the first elemental/status upgrade required 1 augment slot while the second required an additional 2 augments slots for a grand total of 3 augment slots.

Read this Monster Hunter World: Iceborne guide on Equipment Augmentation, how to unlock it, how to augment weapons and armor, requirements, & more!

Table of Contents

Currently Updating ICEBORNE Info!

MHW: ICEBORNE Feature Articles
Staring MR - Tips	MR Break Guide
All Monster List	Recommended MR Build

Downgrade Equipment Guide

What Is Augmenting Equipment?

Upgrading Weapons & Armor to Full Potential

Augmenting is a form of upgrade that allows you to further upgrade weapons & armor past their limits, further improving their stats.

Weapon Augments Adds Stat Boosts & Other Bonuses

For Weapon Augments, you can choose to boost stats such as Attack, Affinity & Defense or add an extra slot to the weapon. You can also add a Health Regen stat to your weapon.

Augmenting Armor Allows You To Upgrade More

Augmenting Armor removes the upgrade level cap, increasing the number of times you can upgrade the armor. This allows you to raise the defense stat past its default cap.

How To Unlock Equipment Augmentation

How To Unlock Augmentation Procedure

No.	Procedure
1	Reach Hunter Rank (HR) 30 to unlock encounters with Tempered Monsters.
2	Collect Tempered Monster traces, defeat Tempered Monsters and obtain a 'Streamstone'
3	Talk to the Smithy which will trigger a dialogue to unlock 'Augment Equipment'

Raise Your HR to At Least Level 30

Raising your HR to level 30 will unlock encounters with Tempered Monsters. The required item 'Streamstones' can only be found from Tempered Monsters.

How To Raise Hunter Rank After Story

Hunt & Defeat a Threat Level 2-3 Tempered Monster

After raising your HR, launch a Tempered Investigation quest to hunt a monster with at least Threat Level 2. Streamstones will only drop from these types of monsters, & will be appraised to a 'Warrior Streamstone' or 'Hero Streamstone' after completing the quest.

What Is An Investigation Quest - Tips, Guide & Rewards

Why You Should Augment Equipment

Make Your Weapons Much More Powerful

At the end-game, you will fight far stronger monsters than before, and you'll need higher damaging weapons to quickly take them down. Augmentation greatly improves end-game viability of high rarity weapons!

Relevant Guides On Stats

What Is Attack Power

What Is Affinity

Strengthen Armor To Take On Challenging Hunts

At the end-game, monsters, especially Tempered & Arch Tempered forms, will hit harder, and are vastly more challenging than normal hunts. You'll need the best equipment as possible to take on these hunts.

How To Augment Weapons

Only Rarity Level 6 to 8 Can Be Augmented

Only Level 6 and above weapons can be augmented. As the weapon rarity increases, the less augmentation slots you get.

Rarity	Augmentation Slots
Rarity 6	3 Slots
Rarity 7	2 Slots
Rarity 8	1 Slot

Available Weapon Augment Options

Augmentation	Description
Attack Increase	Increases attack power. Stacks with other upgrades. Increase in value depends on the weapon
Affinity Increase	Increases affinity by 10%. 2nd upgrade is 5%
Defense Increase	Increases defense by 10% and reduces the damage taken each time you receive damage
Slot Upgrade	Adds an extra Jewel Slot. Stack with another Slot Upgrade to increase the slot's level
Health Regen	Regain health as you land attacks

Materials Needed For Weapon Augments

Augmentation requires rare materials & a lot of zenny to equip. Although Augmentations are not permanent and can be changed, the materials are rare and costly.

Streamstones Required

Rarity	Materials Required
Rarity 6	Warrior's Streamstone x 1 Streamstone Shard x 3
Rarity 7	Warrior's Streamstone x 2 Streamstone x 3
Rarity 8	Hero's Streamstone x 1 Gleaming Streamstone x 3

Check Out How To Farm Streamstones Here!

Monster Material Required

Augment Slot Upgrade Mhw Guide

Augment	Rarity 6	Rarity 7	Rarity 8
Attack Increase	Rathalos Plate x2	Rathalos Ruby x1	Teostra Gem x1
Affinity Increase	Odogaron Plate x2	Odogaron Gem x1	Daora Gem x1
Defense Increase	Bird Wyvern Gem x2	Wyvern Gem x1	Elder Dragon Blood x2
Slot Upgrade	Legiana Gem x2	Legiana Gem x1	Vaal Hazak Gem x1
Health Regen	Anjanath Plate x2	Anjanath Gem x1	Nergigante Gem x1

Augment Slot Upgrade Mhw Xp

How To Augment Armor

Augment Armor To Raise Upgrade Limit

Armor Augmentation allows you to raise the upgrade limit of your armor, further boosting its defense stat. At the Smithy, select an armor to Augment, and select 'Upgrade Limit Removal'.

Effect of Augmenting Armor

Removing the upgrade limit allows you to raise the armor level further. Unlike weapons, even low rarity armor can be augmented.

Materials Needed For Armor Augmentation

Augment Slot Upgrade Mhw Shara

Rarity	Materials Needed	Cost
1 to 4	Streamstone Shard x1 Fucium Ore x3	3000 z
5	Streamstone Shard x1 Dragonbone Relic x1	5000 z
6	Streamstone Shard x1 Bird Wyvern Gem x1	10000 z
7	Streamstone x1 Wyvern Gem x1	20000 z
8	Gleaming Streamstone x1 Elder Dragon Bone x1	30000 z