Choose the Right Salvage Kit
Salvage Kit Guide
Use a Basic-tier kit for white and blue gear, and a Master's-tier kit for yellow gear at level 68 or higher. Check orange gear's sale price and installed rune or sigil first. You can sell unidentified gear unopened, but open it before salvaging.
What is salvaging?
Salvaging destroys equipment to produce crafting materials. Double-click a kit, then click the equipment. For bulk salvaging, right-click the kit → Salvage All and choose a rarity. Standard kits also salvage installed runes and sigils into materials; only specific kits return them intact.
① Chance of rarer materials: the chance of receiving higher-tier materials
② How upgrades are handled: standard kits salvage runes and sigils into materials; Black Lion and Ascended kits recover them intact
Salvage kit comparison
| Kit | Rarer materials | Upgrade salvage / recovery | Uses | Cost per use | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude Salvage Kit | 0% | ~5%: salvage into materials | 15 uses | About 2 copper | General merchants |
| Basic Salvage Kit | 10% | 20%: salvage into materials | 25 uses | About 4 copper | General merchants |
| Fine Salvage Kit | 15% | 40%: salvage into materials | 25 uses | About 12 copper | General merchants |
| Journeyman's Salvage Kit | 20% | 60%: salvage into materials | 25 uses | About 32 copper | General merchants |
| Master's Salvage Kit | 25% | 80%: salvage into materials | 25 uses | About 61 copper | General merchants |
| Mystic Salvage Kit | 25% | 80%: salvage into materials | 250 uses | About 10.5 copper + Forge Stone cost | Mystic Forge |
| Copper-Fed Salvage-o-Matic | 10% | 20%: salvage into materials | Unlimited | 3 copper from your wallet | Gem Store: 800 gems |
| Silver-Fed Salvage-o-Matic | 25% | 80%: salvage into materials | Unlimited | 60 copper from your wallet | Gem Store: 500 gems |
| Runecrafter's Salvage-o-Matic | 20% | 100%: salvage into materials | Unlimited | 30 copper from your wallet | Gem Store: 600 gems |
| Black Lion Salvage Kit | 50% | 100%: recover intact | 25 uses | 12 gems at the regular store price | 300 gems per kit, or rewards |
| Ascended Salvage Kit | - | 100%: recover intact | 1, 5, or 20 uses | Varies by vendor and number of uses | Fractal, WvW, PvP, and other vendors |
Which kit should you use for each rarity?
Match the kit to the equipment's rarity. There is no need to spend an expensive kit on white gear.
Handling unidentified gear
Sell unidentified gear unopened, or open it and salvage the resulting equipment. If you choose to salvage, open it first.
It can contain higher-rarity equipment. For example, blue unidentified gear can reveal a yellow rare item. Salvaging it unopened removes that opportunity.
Unidentified gear workflow
For stacks of unidentified gear, use this order: Use All → check prices → salvage by rarity. Right-click a salvage kit and select Salvage All for the desired rarity. Move valuable equipment to your bank or an invisible bag first. Items in invisible bags are excluded from bulk salvaging.
Mystic Salvage Kits: use your spare Forge Stones
These have the same performance as Master's kits: 25% rarer materials and an 80% chance to salvage upgrades, with 250 uses. Make them if you have spare Mystic Forge Stones from rewards. If you buy stones with gems, include that cost too.
They come from achievement-point reward chests and other sources. The Gem Store also sells them, but you do not need to buy stones just to make salvage kits. Start with Master's kits if you have no spare stones.
Infinite-use Gem Store kits: convenient for frequent salvaging
An infinite-use kit for white and blue gear that can also handle green gear. Each use deducts 3 copper from your wallet. Consider it when repeatedly buying replacement kits becomes inconvenient. The initial gem cost means Basic kits are fine for beginners.
Matches a Master's kit: 25% rarer materials and 80% upgrade salvage chance. Use it mainly for yellow gear at level 68 or higher. Check orange gear's sale price and upgrade value first.
An infinite-use kit with a 100% chance to salvage installed runes and sigils into materials. Use it for large amounts of green gear if you already own it.
The runes and sigils are converted into materials. To keep an upgrade intact, use a Black Lion Salvage Kit or an Upgrade Extractor.
This kit combines 100% upgrade recovery with 50% rarer materials. Save its expensive charges for equipment containing valuable runes or sigils. It can also come from Black Lion Chests. Infusions are excluded from recovery; installed runes and sigils are recovered intact.
- Example: salvaging an exotic while keeping its expensive Superior rune or sigil. Legendary runes and sigils can be removed freely without a tool.
- Save these kits instead of using them for ordinary salvaging.
Getting ectoplasm from rare equipment
Salvaging level 68+ rare equipment with a Master's-tier kit can produce Globs of Ectoplasm. Ectoplasm is a key material for ascended and legendary crafting and has value on the Trading Post.
Level 68+ rare gear + Master's / Mystic / Silver-Fed = 0–3 possible ectoplasm
Before salvaging a rare item, compare its sale price with the expected salvage return. Compare the equipment's sale proceeds after Trading Post fees with the expected material sale proceeds minus the kit cost.
Removing runes, sigils, and infusions: two extraction tools
Salvaging destroys the equipment. Extraction tools preserve both the equipment and its upgrades. Use them when you want to keep equipment containing valuable upgrades.
| Tool | Extracts | Price | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upgrade Extractor | Runes, sigils, infusions, and enrichments | 250 gems for 3 | Gem Store; 2 Black Lion Statuettes each; Wizard's Vault for 35 Astral Acclaim | Preserves both, but extracting from tradable equipment makes it account bound |
| Infusion Extraction Device | Infusions and enrichments only | 24 Silver | INFUZ-5959 NPC (Mistlock Observatory / Mistlock Sanctuary) | Requires the Follows Advice mastery; does not extract runes or sigils |
- If you only need to remove infusions, the 24-silver Infusion Extraction Device is an inexpensive option.
- Use an Upgrade Extractor when you need to remove a valuable rune or sigil without destroying the equipment.
- Upgrades in legendary equipment, and legendary runes and sigils themselves, can be removed without an extraction tool.
Salvaging ascended equipment
Standard kits cannot salvage ascended gear. An Ascended Salvage Kit / Tool returns installed runes, sigils, infusions, and enrichments. Crafted gear marked Salvage: Research can instead be processed with a Research Kit, but that yields Research Notes and destroys upgrades. The table below assumes an Ascended kit.
Main salvage results
| Equipment | Main results | Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons / armor | Ball of Dark Energy + Lesser Vision Crystal for most armor, or Vision Crystal for chest armor and weapons. Aquatic headgear and some special items can differ. | Ball of Dark Energy: a material for legendary weapons |
| Rings | 2–42 Stabilizing Matrices; attuned and infused rings give additional drops | Stabilizing Matrix: fractal infusions and Trading Post sales |
| Other trinkets | 0–5 Stabilizing Matrices, rarely 10 or 20; a low chance of Ball of Dark Energy | - |
- Spare ascended rings can yield Stabilizing Matrices. Check whether their value covers the salvage-kit cost. Attuned and infused status affect the quantity received.
- Weapons and armor yield Balls of Dark Energy, so keep those materials if you plan to craft legendary equipment.
Buying Ascended kits: compare currencies and charges
Among the WvW options, the 20-use kit has the lowest currency cost per use. However, Skirmish Claim Tickets also go toward legendary equipment, and Memories of Battle are tradable. Choose based on spare currencies and how many items you need to salvage.
Costs for 20 salvages. The Fractal Reliquary is an exception: its available products vary each day.
| Vendor | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WvW Vendor | 25 Skirmish Claim Tickets + 250 Memory of Battle | 1.25 Tickets + 12.5 Memories of Battle per use |
| Fractals: BUY-4373 | 40 Fractal Relics + 20 Gold | 2 Relics + 1 gold per use; tools can be exchanged and kits combined |
| Fractal Reliquary | 25 Fractal Relics for the day's single-use tool or 20-use kit, when offered | Requires the Fractal Reliquary item. Buy one product per day; the selection changes daily. |
| Raids | 40 Magnetite Shards + 20 Gold | 2 Shards + 1 gold per use |
| PvP League Vendor | 20 PvP League Tickets + 5,000 Shards of Glory | - |
| Kit size | Tickets per use | Memories of Battle per use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 use | 10 | 20 |
| 5 uses | 3 | 15 |
| 20 uses | 1.25 | 12.5 |
Luck and Magic Find
Salvaging blue or green equipment, or ectoplasm, yields Essence of Luck. Consuming it increases Magic Find, which affects your chance of higher-quality loot from defeated enemies. This bonus is shared across your account.
Checking your Luck progress
Open the Hero panel (H) → Achievements to check the Luck progress bar. It turns green at 300% Magic Find from Luck. The displayed account Magic Find also includes achievement bonuses; hover over it to see the breakdown.
How high can Luck go?
Total Luck required to reach 300%: 4,295,450
The first increase from 0% to 1% costs 100 Luck. The increase from 299% to 300% costs 30,000 Luck. Each later step takes more.
Ways to gain Luck
- Salvage Fine and Masterwork equipment: the standard source of Essence of Luck.
- Salvage Globs of Ectoplasm: this also yields Luck, and a better kit does not improve the Luck yield. Ectoplasm is valuable, so beginners do not need to salvage it just to raise Magic Find.
- Bags and containers: some event rewards and champion boxes also contain Essence of Luck.
- Condense Essence of Luck: Artificers can turn lower-rarity essences into higher-rarity ones. The total Luck stays the same, but the essences take less space.
Other sources of Magic Find
Other bonuses can add to your Magic Find. The total cap is 750%.
| Source | Bonus / examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Luck: consuming Essence of Luck | +300% | Permanent account bonus |
| Achievement-point rewards | Accumulates through achievement rewards | Permanent account bonus |
| Ascended amulet enrichment | +20% | With a Magic Find enrichment equipped |
| Guild upgrades | +10% | Join a guild and activate its buff |
| Food | +20~40% | Temporary; duration varies |
| Utility consumables | +30% | Temporary; duration varies |
| Black Lion / Celebration boosters | +100% | Black Lion: 30 minutes; Celebration: 1 hour; Birthday: 24 hours |
| Limited-time event buffs | Varies by event | Example: PvP Rush gives +200%, only inside PvP |
Where Magic Find applies
Magic Find primarily affects loot dropped directly by defeated enemies. It has no effect, or only limited exceptions, for the following:
- The contents of champion loot bags
- Meta-event reward chests
- World boss reward chests
- Items purchased from the Trading Post
What should you do with Essence of Luck after 300%?
You can still consume it after reaching the Luck cap, but it no longer increases Magic Find. Save it for other uses:
- Generation 3 legendary weapons: a Gift of Research requires 250 Exotic Essences of Luck. Condense and save them if you plan to craft one.
- Condense and store: use Artificer crafting to combine essences up to Exotic rarity, saving space for future use.
Before reaching 300%, consume the Essence of Luck you get from salvaging equipment.