Threads are upgrades for mage armor in Ars Nouveau, and they add effects like extra speed, more mana or gliding to the armor you’re wearing. They’re made from a 
Blank Thread in the 
Enchanting Apparatus, and then added to a piece of armor using the 
Alteration Table.
Each piece of mage armor only has room for a few Threads, and the slots aren’t all the same, as bigger slots make a Thread stronger. So getting the most out of your armor is mostly about which Threads you put in which slots, and upgrading the armor so it has more of them.
Blank Threads and the Alteration Table
A Blank Thread is crafted from six 
Magebloom Fiber and three 
Gold Nuggets, with the Gold Nuggets going across the middle row. Every Thread starts as a Blank Thread, which is put in the middle of the Enchanting Apparatus with a few items on the Arcane Pedestals that match what the Thread does, like 
Feathers for the Feather Thread or 
Starbuncle Tokens for The Starbuncle.
The Alteration Table is crafted from a 
Scribe’s Table surrounded by four Magebloom Fiber. To add a Thread, you’ll need to place the armor on the stand of the table, and the tablet on it shows the Thread slots that armor has. Then use a Thread on the tablet to put it in a slot, and take the armor back off to apply it.
Threads aren’t lost once they’re in, as you’re able to put the armor back on the Alteration Table and use the tablet with an empty hand to take a Thread back out. That makes it easy to swap them around, for example putting Depths in for an ocean trip and switching back afterwards.
Thread Slots
Every piece of mage armor starts with one Thread slot, gets a second when it’s upgraded the first time, and a third when it’s upgraded again in the Enchanting Apparatus. The slots also come in three levels, and a Thread in a level 3 slot is a lot stronger than the same Thread in a level 1 slot, for example The Starbuncle gives 20% speed in a level 1 slot but 60% in a level 3 slot.
| Armor piece | Slots when fully upgraded |
|---|---|
| Sorceror’s Wrap and Sorceror’s Leggings | Level 2, level 2 and level 3 |
| Sorceror’s Collar and Sorceror’s Footpads | Level 1, level 2 and level 3 |
| Arcanist’s Robes and Arcanist’s Pants | Level 1, level 2 and level 3 |
| Arcanist’s Hat | Level 1, level 1 and level 3 |
| Arcanist’s Treads | Level 1, level 2 and level 2 |
| Battlemage’s Gambeson and Battlemage’s Legguards | Level 1, level 1 and level 3 |
| Battlemage’s Hood and Battlemage’s Boots | Level 1, level 1 and level 2 |
The Sorceror’s set has the weakest armor but the best Thread slots, whereas the Battlemage’s set is the other way around, with the most protection but the weakest slots. The Arcanist’s set sits somewhere in between, so it’s worth thinking about whether you’d rather have the defense or the stronger Threads before you pick a set.
Every Thread
There’s 19 Threads in Ars Nouveau, and most of them get stronger with every level of the slot they’re in. A few of them need a level 3 slot to work at all, or only unlock their best effect there, which is noted in the table below.
| Thread | What it does |
|---|---|
 The Starbuncle | 20% more speed per level |
 Magic Capacity | 10% more maximum mana per level |
 Spell Power | More spell damage per level |
 Life Drain | Spell damage heals you for 20% of it per level |
 Warding | Takes a flat amount off magic damage per level |
 Feather | Less fall damage, stacks with Feather Falling |
 Heights | Jump higher and fall further before taking damage |
 High Step | Step up one more block per level |
 Gliding | Glide like an  Elytra, needs a level 3 slot |
 Depths | Breathe underwater for longer, and never run out of air in a level 3 slot |
 Repairing | Repairs your magic armor and items with mana, and makes armor unbreakable in a level 3 slot |
 Undying | Saves you from death once per sleep, like a  Totem of Undying, needs a level 3 slot |
 Kindling | Damage spells set the target on fire, 5 seconds longer per level |
 Chilling | Damage spells freeze the target for 10 seconds per level |
 Immolation | Casting while on fire puts it out and makes fire spells stronger |
 The Wixie | Potions last 15% longer per level |
 The Whirlisprig | Food gives 30% more saturation per level |
 The Drygmy | An extra level of Looting |
 The Amethyst Golem | 15% knockback resistance per level |
For most spellcasters, Magic Capacity and Spell Power are the ones worth putting in the best slots, since more mana and more spell damage help with everything. Repairing in a level 3 slot is also a very popular choice, as it makes all of your magic armor unbreakable, so you never have to worry about it wearing out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Place the mage armor on an Alteration Table, then use the Thread on the tablet to put it into one of the slots. Taking the armor back off the table applies the Thread to it.
Upgrading a piece of mage armor in the Enchanting Apparatus adds a slot each time, so fully upgraded armor has three. The first upgrade needs two 
Blaze Rods and 2,500 Source, and the second needs two 
Ender Pearls, a 
Chorus Fruit and 5,000 Source.
Yes, put the armor back on the Alteration Table and use the tablet with an empty hand, and the Thread comes back out so you can use it again.
The Sorceror’s set has the best slots, with the Sorceror’s Wrap and Sorceror’s Leggings getting level 2, level 2 and level 3 slots when fully upgraded. It has the least protection of the three sets though.
