One of the most important systems unlocked after completing Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred is the Horadric Cube, and it is not only useful for reshaping your gear. It can also create some of the strongest gems in the entire game. The catch is that the game does not explain this particularly well: through Amalgamation, Grandiose Gems can be turned into Horadric Gems, and those can then become Flawless Horadric Gems, a major power jump for any serious build.

After finishing the Lord of Hatred expansion, Diablo IV players gain access to the Horadric Cube, which is available through Themis. This device allows you to modify almost any piece of equipment to extreme levels, and it can even replace certain affixes or unwanted characteristics, provided you have the required resources. That alone makes it one of the most important endgame tools, but it also hides a lesser-explained function that becomes especially valuable once you start chasing stronger character optimization.

That function is Amalgamation. The in-game tooltip describes it as a way to transmute several items of the same type into an improved version, and the system is limited to consumables, dungeon keys, and socketable items. In other words, gems. The confusing part is that if you try to use it on many of the game’s common gem types, the system simply will not let you. That does not mean the mechanic is useless. It means its real purpose is tied to the more advanced and exclusive gem tiers: Horadric Gems and Flawless Horadric Gems.

What Is Horadric Cube Amalgamation?

Amalgamation is essentially a trade: several items from the same category are sacrificed to create a stronger version. Diablo IV explains this in such a minimal way that it is easy to miss the point, especially if your first instinct is to test it with ordinary gems and you immediately run into restrictions. The key is not the basic gem pool. It is the higher-tier gem structure introduced through Lord of Hatred progression.

If you combine five Grandiose Gems of the same type, you receive a Horadric Gem from the category you choose, whether that means amethysts, rubies, emeralds, diamonds, skulls, or another compatible gem type. The next step is even more important: combining five Horadric Gems creates a Flawless Horadric Gem, currently the strongest and most powerful gem type in the game. This is not a tiny bonus hidden in the background. It is a meaningful stat jump that can noticeably strengthen a properly built character.

Flawless Horadric Gems push those values even higher: on armor, they grant +150 to the stat associated with the gem; in weapons, they provide a 32% damage multiplier; and in jewelry, they add +4375 resistance to the element linked to that gem. That is why the system matters. These gems are not small finishing touches. They can become a serious power source for late-game builds.

How To Create Horadric Gems

The process is straightforward, but expensive. First, you need five Grandiose Gems from the same category, which can be combined into one Horadric Gem. Then five Horadric Gems can be combined into one Flawless Horadric Gem. The problem is that finding even a single Grandiose Gem as loot is extremely rare. Dungeon bosses and elite enemies can drop them, but the drop rate above Torment V is reportedly below 1%, and even at higher levels around VIII to IX, it only reaches roughly 8%.

That means most players should not build their plan around luck. They will need to craft the Grandiose Gems they want. Creating one requires 5 million fragments of the chosen gem type, 1000 Soul Fragments, and 50 million gold. This is a steep cost, especially because Soul Fragments are also needed for other equipment upgrades, including tempering and enchanting. In other words, if you want Flawless Horadric Gems, knowing the recipe is only the beginning. You need targeted farming, a lot of gold, and a huge amount of gem fragments.

Infernal Tides Are The Best Target For Soul Fragments

For Soul Fragment farming, the best plan is to focus on Infernal Tides. These recurring activities are one of the strongest sources of Soul Fragments per hour, and they usually last exactly that long. Soul Fragments frequently drop from events inside the tides, from defeating the Infernal Tides boss, and from Mystery Chests, which can be opened with Aberrant Fables. On average, collecting 100 to 200 Soul Fragments from a single tide is a realistic target.

For gem fragments, Seer’s Reach is one of the dungeons players have identified as a useful farming spot. It is relatively quick to complete, and the boss inside reportedly drops two real gems in roughly two out of every three kills. Each dismantled gem only gives 10,000 fragments, but those fragments can be exchanged at the city jeweler for fragments of another gem type you may need. That means the important thing is not always getting the exact gem you want as loot, but maintaining a stable flow of fragment income.

The gold requirement looks intimidating at first, but it is manageable with regular play. Activities such as War Plans can generate several million gold per hour, and that does not even include the extra income from selling equipment instead of dismantling it. Nightmare Dungeons can also help if you run sigils that include the word “Gold” in their description. Starting at Torment V, these dungeons typically yield 2 to 4 million gold in profit, which becomes useful when you are funding repeated Grandiose and Horadric Gem crafting.

Source: 3DJuegos