Does removing sockets affect the base item at all? For example, if I have a superior ethereal item and remove sockets from it using the Hel + Tome of TP cube recipe, will the base item retain it’s superiority and etherealness as it was before I originally socketed it?
I think yes it retains original stats - but didn’t want to mess up my Superior Eth Kraken Shell if I unsocket with the bad Duress roll I just got…
That recipe doesn’t change sockets at all. Simply removes whatever was put into those sockets. Nothing on the armor (or any other socketed item) will change.
The recipe is designed to do exactly what you want to do with it - reroll rune words when the initial roll is a bad one.
Ok yes - i could have worded it more clearly. I meant removing the items in the sockets using the cube recipe (not removing sockets).
thanks for the answer though, sounds like it’ll be fine.
I’ve used it a ton since launch. More than any ladder I remember, as all of my Spirit and Insight rolls have been dreadful. RNGesus don’t like me much… 
Sucks man - I’m having a bit of that too… I rolled 2 Duress today. All 4 stats subject to rolling were in the lower 20% of the possible range of outcomes.
My characters aren’t rich, so those Um runes are setting me back…
I played this game looong time ago even before runewords existed. I didn’t play much after runewords were introduced. I’ve only made like 4 or 5 runewords, ever. hah