loot-mechanics · July 18, 2026
How to Read a Diablo IV Item Grade (S/A/B/C/D/F)
Learn what makes an item S-tier vs. junk in D4 S14 — affixes, Greater Affixes & IP. Get instant grades free at StatVerdict.
You just cleared a Pandemonium Rupture, a Realmwalker dropped a fat stack of loot, and now you're staring at a chest piece wondering: keep it, craft it, or salvage it? Item grades exist to answer that question fast. But a letter grade only helps if you understand what's behind it. Let's break down exactly what makes a Diablo IV item S-tier versus vendor trash in Season 14 — and how to stop second-guessing every drop.
What the S–F Scale Actually Measures
A grade isn't a single number — it's a verdict that blends three things together:
- Affix quality — Are the stats on the item ones your build actually wants, and how high did they roll? A chest with three defensive affixes when you need offense is a low grade no matter how "big" the numbers look.
- Item Power (IP) — Higher IP means higher affix roll ceilings. An 800 IP item can't compete with a 925 IP Ancestral of the same type, even with identical affixes.
- Build fit — This is the one people forget. +Ranks to Bone Spear is an S-tier roll for a Necromancer and literally useless for your Rogue. Context matters.
So when you see an S, it means the item has near-perfect affixes, top-tier IP, and slots cleanly into a real build. A D or F means the opposite — off-stats, low rolls, or a base that's already outclassed. Everything in between (A/B/C) is the messy middle where most of your loot lives, and where knowing why matters most.
Greater Affixes and Why 2-GA Rares Are Keeper Crafting Candidates
Greater Affixes (GAs) are the single biggest factor in whether an item is worth your time. A Greater Affix rolls at a boosted value — noticeably higher than the normal max — and is marked in-game so you can spot it instantly. One GA is nice. Two GAs on a single item is where things get serious.
Here's the Season 14 twist that changes how you should treat your bags: Magic and Rare items with Greater Affixes are prime Horadric Cube crafting candidates. If a Rare rolls with two GAs on stats your build wants, do not salvage it. Even if the third affix is garbage, the Cube lets you work with that foundation, and Enchanting can fix the weak slot.
Think of a 2-GA Rare as raw material, not a finished product. On its own it might grade a B because that third affix is dead weight — but its crafting potential is what makes it a keeper. When you scan an item at statverdict.com, the verdict flags these GA candidates specifically so you don't accidentally shred a future best-in-slot.
Quick rule of thumb:
- 2 GAs, both useful stats — always keep, high craft priority.
- 1 GA on a key stat — keep if IP is high; situational.
- 0 GAs — salvage unless it's a genuine upgrade right now.
The 2 Guaranteed Unique Affixes and How They Factor Into Grading
Uniques got a real glow-up in Patch 3.1.0. Every Unique now drops with 2 guaranteed affixes on top of its signature power, which makes them far more consistent than the old lottery rolls. That consistency directly affects how they grade.
When grading a Unique, the unique effect itself is usually fixed — what separates a good Tibault's Will from a great one is those affix rolls and the item's IP. Two strong guaranteed affixes on a Unique push it up the scale; weak ones drag it back down even when the core power is identical.
Then there's the game-changer: Enchanting now works on Uniques and Mythic Uniques. If one of those two affixes is mediocre, you can reroll it. And here's the part that should make you save every high-IP Unique — any 850+ IP Unique can be crafted into a Mythic Unique in the Horadric Cube (the output always stays the same gear slot). On a Mythic, Enchanted affixes come out max-rolled automatically. That means a scuffed Unique with the right base can become a perfect Mythic with a little crafting investment.
The practical takeaway: a Unique's grade isn't just about what it is now — it's about what it can become. That's a lot to hold in your head mid-farm, which is exactly why letting a tool weigh the affixes and IP for you saves so much time.
Item Power Caps: Know Your Ceilings
IP determines how high your affixes can roll, so knowing the caps tells you instantly whether an item has room to grow or is already maxed:
- ~850 IP — the practical ceiling for non-Ancestral gear. Solid, but not endgame.
- ~900 IP — the Ancestral ceiling. This is what you want on every slot for a finished build.
- Mythic Uniques — always roll at maximum IP. No IP anxiety here; they're capped by design.
This is why an 830 IP item might grade lower than you expect: it's a non-Ancestral piece near its ceiling, so it simply can't match an Ancestral roll. When you're comparing two items with the same affixes, IP is the tiebreaker — and it's the reason that shiny drop with great stats sometimes still can't beat what you're wearing.
Stop Memorizing Breakpoints — Just Scan It
You could memorize every affix range, GA threshold, and IP cap for your class. Or you could screenshot the item, drop it into statverdict.com, and get an instant S/A/B/C/D/F grade with a plain-language explanation of why — including whether it's a 2-GA craft keeper or a Mythic candidate. It's free, it's fast, and it reads your actual item instead of a generic template.
The Quick Version
An item grade combines affix quality, Item Power, and build fit into one honest verdict. Greater Affixes are king — protect your 2-GA Rares as crafting fuel. Uniques now come with 2 guaranteed affixes, and thanks to Enchanting plus Mythic crafting, even an imperfect high-IP Unique can become perfect. Keep the IP ceilings in mind (~850 non-Ancestral, ~900 Ancestral, max on Mythics) and you'll know a keeper on sight.
Next time a Realmwalker dumps loot at your feet, don't guess — screenshot it and let statverdict.com grade your gear in seconds.