Goal: Know which gear action you are using before you confirm it. Enhancement Reforge returns all Enhancement XP. Mastery Reforge returns only half of spent Forgehammers. Both reset progress on the selected gear; neither is an upgrade transfer to a replacement piece.
Hero Gear has two separate progression tracks. Enhancement XP raises the gear's base Level. Mastery Forging uses Forgehammers to multiply the stats of eligible Mythic gear. Reforge lets you reset either track on unequipped gear and recover materials, but the refund rules are different.
If you are deciding which gear slot deserves the next upgrade, use the Hero Gear priority guide alongside this mechanics guide.
The Four Gear Actions
Enhancement XP: Raise Base Level
Feed Enhancement XP Parts or eligible lower-rarity gear into the piece you want to level. Gear used as XP material is consumed.
| Gear Used as Material | Enhancement XP |
|---|---|
| Common (grey) | 10 |
| Uncommon (green) | 30 |
| Rare (blue) | 60 |
| Epic (purple) | 150 |
Mythic gear is reserved for Red Gear and high Mastery requirements rather than ordinary XP feeding.
Enhancement Reforge vs Mastery Reforge
| Result | Enhancement Reforge | Mastery Reforge |
|---|---|---|
| Track reset | Enhancement Level to 0 | Mastery Level to 0 |
| Main refund | 100% of Enhancement XP | 50% of Forgehammers |
| Gear requirement | Enhanced and unequipped | Mythic, Mastery above 0, and unequipped |
| Free-use cooldown | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| Use during cooldown | 100 gems | 100 gems |
| Gear result | Piece remains at reset Level | Piece remains at reset Mastery |
Important correction: There is no 200-gem “Enhancement Transfer” that moves all XP and Mastery levels to a replacement piece. Enhancement Reforge and Mastery Reforge reset the selected gear and refund materials under the rules above.
Verified Mastery Forging Requirements
| Target Mastery | Hammers for That Level | Mythic Gear for That Level | Gear-Stat Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| +1 | 10 | 0 | 1.1x |
| +5 | 50 | 0 | 1.5x |
| +10 | 100 | 0 | 2.0x |
| +11 | 110 | 1 | 2.1x |
| +15 | 150 | 5 | 2.5x |
| +20 | 200 | 10 | 3.0x |
The table shows the cost of the named level, not the cumulative cost. Reaching +10 from zero costs 550 Forgehammers; reaching +20 costs 2,100 Forgehammers plus 55 Mythic pieces in total.
For Red Gear, the first threshold is Mythic Enhancement Level 100 plus Mastery +10, followed by two additional Mythic pieces for Imbuement. Do not spend pieces reserved for that conversion on an unplanned Mastery push.
Safe Upgrade and Reset Process
Step 1: Choose the main-march piece you intend to keep and raise its base Level with Enhancement XP.
Step 2: At Mythic Level 20 and Town Center 20, add Mastery levels with Forgehammers.
Step 3: Before using Mythic pieces above Mastery +10, reserve what your next Red Gear target needs.
Step 4: To recover base-level XP, unequip the old piece and choose Enhancement Reforge. Confirm that all XP is listed in the preview.
Step 5: To reset Mastery, choose Mastery Reforge separately. Confirm the 50% Forgehammer return and any additional refund shown.
Step 6: Check whether the free reforge is available. Paying 100 gems only removes the cooldown; it does not improve the refund rate.
Upgrade Tips
- Concentrate Forgehammers: A focused core set gives more practical value than shallow Mastery levels across bench heroes.
- Reforge the correct track: Enhancement Reforge does not reset Mastery, and Mastery Reforge does not replace the separate XP reset.
- Protect hammer investment: Enhancement XP returns in full; half of reforged Forgehammers does not.
- Reserve Mythic fodder: Red Gear and Mastery +11 onward both consume Mythic pieces, so plan them together.
- Read the preview: The confirmation screen shows the reset, refund, cooldown, and gem cost before the action completes.
- Ignore old cost charts: Mastery costs rise by 10 hammers per level; +10 costs 550 hammers cumulatively, not 150.
Event Timing
Strongest Governor replaces Hall of Governors after a kingdom completes its first Kingdom of Power. Hero Development and some other Strongest Governor stages can score Forgehammer use, but the task mix can vary by edition.
- Open the live stage details before spending Forgehammers.
- Time a planned Mastery upgrade for a scoring window when practical.
- Do not Mastery Reforge solely to chase event points; half of the invested hammers still stays lost.
- Enhancement XP spending and Enhancement Reforge are not automatically scored just because Hero Gear appears in an event. Check the exact task wording.
Key Takeaways
- Enhancement XP raises base Level; Mastery Forging raises the gear-stat multiplier.
- Enhancement Reforge resets Enhancement to 0 and returns all spent XP.
- Mastery Reforge resets Mastery to 0 and returns only half the Forgehammers.
- Each reforge has a 24-hour free-use cooldown; bypassing it costs 100 gems.
- Mastery costs 10, 20, 30... up to 200 Forgehammers per level.
- Mythic gear is required from Mastery +11 onward and for Red Gear Imbuement.