Do the 2 extra Blacksmithing sockets make that much of a difference?

Why are these sockets so popular?

Because they give something very valuable:

• flexibility
• fine tuning
• chance to tighten stat priority better

In the meta, this weighs a lot. But how much it weighs depends on the character's state.

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1. How much extra sockets change in practice

The gain is most noticeable when:

• the build is already organized
• the character is already past the most raw phase
• the role depends on refinement
• the player knows how to use gemming freedom well

In a messy character, the effect exists — but it is not the main bottleneck.

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2. Scenarios in which the bonus weighs more

• competitive endgame
• melee/plate characters refining setup
• situations where small stat gains make a real difference
• accounts that have already resolved weapon, trinket and base

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3. Comparison with bonuses from other professions

Sockets gain strength because:

• are flexible
• remain useful at various stages
• allow fine adaptation

But this always needs to be compared with:

• situational bonuses from other professions
• the cost of the BS itself
• your real focus

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4. Limits of this gain in different phases

Fresh 80

the impact exists, but it still doesn’t tend to be what changes your life the most

Middle of the progression

It starts to get a lot more interesting.

Endgame

the value grows because refinement matters much more

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5. When is it worth prioritizing Blacksmithing for this reason

It's worth more when:

• the character is already round
• your role takes advantage of refinement
• the rest of the profession also makes sense
• the goal is more serious performance

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Reading checklist

• [ ] Is my character already in a refinement phase?
• [ ] does my role really feel these sockets?
• [ ] Am I comparing with other professions fairly?
• [ ] does the BS cost offset this bonus?
• [ ] Is this gain my current bottleneck?

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Minimum recommendation

Yes, the 2 extra sockets make a difference, especially when:

1. the setup is already more evolved
2. the role values refinement
3. the focus is competitive

The bonus is strong. It only grows much more when the rest of the character is already in order.