this has been more or less accurately described by others earlier, but i’d like to inform that the bug persists…
How to replicate this bug for example:
when trying to equip a medusa’s gaze shield on a lvl 98 normal dificulty act3 merc.
the merc has 153 str originally medusa has 219 str req, but i used a etheral (-10 str) and punched a socket hole at Larzuk and socketed it with a rare jewel with -15% requiremets on that etheral shield lowering it’s str req to 177 I also equipped a3 merc with “Jewlerer’s Archon Plate of the Titan” for a +20 to str and an Jewlerer’s magic bone visage socketed among others with a rare jewl with +9 str as one of the atrtributes. so it’s
153 base srength + 20 from chest +9 from jewel in helmet = 182 str >177 str req for my etheral medusa’s gaze with socketed -15% requiremets jewl.
What happens: the shield (y) can be putten onto shield slot but it’s affixes do not instantly apply to the merc. the shield is also highlighted in red background instead of green in the merc’s shield slot. that is until i pick up the sword from the sword slot and put it back in. After this, the shield does apply it’s affixes to the merc and is highlighted in green background. That is until i pick up the shield from merc’s shield slot and put it back there agin. the shiled agin becomes red backlighted, and it’s affxes are not reflected in merc’s character sheet. Agin the way to go around this, is simply pickup the (x) sword ( or an other item (x) that is not the non working item in question, and does not contribute to going over minimum stat req for the (y) item) and put the (x) item back in. and presto the (y) item works like a charm agin. (alternatively it requires to quit the game and start a new one with the item (y) already equipped -provided enaugh attribute is present to equipp it- ).
the workaround is quite simple, yet some folks may freak out when they see such nuances, and may or may not discover this workaround.