I’m writing this guide as I see a lot of questions flashing around in general chat, and sometimes even in guild chat, about the use and crafting of these items. I’m only going to make one assumption, and that is that you already know what augments are.
Augment slots are a special, extra slot on equip able gear. It holds augments of varying grade, less than or equal to the grade of the augment slot. Augment slots can be purchased on the GTN, or crafted, but are not loot items. They are automatically added to certain types of craftable item when the crafter rolls a crit while creating the item. Since augments are item modifications, the items that don’t qualify are other item modifications, such as barrels and enhancements, which grant an additional item when a crit is rolled.
A special crafting material, “Augmentation Slot Component”, is required to create an Augmentation Slot Kit. You get the component by RE’ing any crafted premium (green) or better, non-modification item, i.e. generators and gloves, hence all crafting skills can create slot components. Basically, if it can be augmented it will yield a component when reverse engineered. This “component” is in addition to, and does not replace, the normal material you might receive from the RE process.
Slot level is determined by the level, or MK number, of the components used in assembly. They range from MK-1 to MK-6. The level of the component, and therefore the slot, is determined by the level of the item that was reverse engineered, as follows:
1. Up to level 16
2. 17 thru 24
3. 25 thru 32
4. 33 thru 40
5. 41 thru 46
6. 47+.
Augmentation slots can accept augments of up to the level of the slot. Therefore a MK-3 Augmentation Slot, when installed in a piece of gear, can accept an Augment of up to level 32, at level 33 it requires a MK-4 or better slot. I want to emphasize this is based on the levels of the slot and the augment, not the armor or the wearer.
To create an Augmentation Slot kit, you must be a Synthweaver, Armstech, or Armormech. You can obtain the schematics from your crew skills trainer. At this point they are just another item in your crafting list, and it takes 10 Augment Slot Components, along with other items based on crew skill type to create 1 Augment Slot Kit.
Installing the Kit, or upgrading an existing slot, now that you have one, requires the use of the previously useless Item Modification Table. Installing the Augmentation Slot Kit will consume the item and bind it to you and may only be installed on items of Premium (Green) or better quality. Right click on the table and it will open up the item modification window. Click the indicated area at the top of the window and select the item to be modified. At the bottom of the window will be 1 of 2 things, either a previously existing augmentation slot with a button to upgrade, or a button to add one. Pressing the button will bring up a dialog box, select the one to install from the list of available kits. You must also have sufficient credits “to cover the installation fee, which varies based on item level, quality, and equipment type” (quoted from the 1.3 patch notes). Once you are finished modifying the item, click the “Apply” button. At Item Modification Tables only, if there are more items to be modified, click the area with the item name to select the next item. Special note: Relics must be equipped during the installation procedure, all other items can be in inventory.
From here it’s just like any other modification slot, with the exception that it may require upgrading to accommodate higher level augments as you level.
The available augments in-game as of update 1.3 and the crew skills that can make them are as follows:
1. Armormech – Aim, Cunning, Shield, and Absorb
2. Armstech – Accuracy, Critical, Endurance, Power, and Surge
3. Synthweaving – Alacrity, Defense, Presence, Strength, and Willpower.
The schematics for augments are, to the best of my knowledge and as of update 1.3, only obtainable through Slicing(BoE) or the GTN.
Now that you have read the above, let me state that I’m far from perfect, so if you spot any errors or updates, please let me know so that I can correct and/or change this guide. BTW, I’m a noob to MMOs, so if I don’t use the appropriate terminology, or incorrectly use it, please have pity and grant me leniency. I’m also not an English Major (or Minor for that matter) so please restrict your comments and criticism of grammar and spelling to the people in your immediate vicinity, as they may care, but I don’t.