Complete Guide to Citadel Farming in Path of Exile 2

Citadel Farming

The Citadel Farming Strategy focuses on quick map completions and optimal Atlas pathing to maximize the number of Citadels you can find per hour. Since it doesn't require specific Precursor Tablets to work, it pairs well with other currency farming strategies. Learn how to drop multiple Fragments per Citadel to significantly boost your profit, and find them faster by using various tips and tricks.

Citadels drop Ancient Crisis Fragments, Faded Crisis Fragments, Weathered Crisis Fragments, Maps, and Currency.

Requirements

Citadels require you to be capable of taking down Tier 15 Waystone Bosses. Running 6 Suffix Modifier Corrupted Waystones greatly increases profits, but also makes the fight significantly more difficult. Start with easier Waystones until you accumulate enough currency from them to run the more profitable ones. Alternatively, you can find someone to carry your kills when you reveal a Citadel on your Atlas. If it’s not a favor from a friend, don’t agree to split the loot—offer them a flat fee instead.

You must progress to Tier 15 Waystones as they are required to run Citadels. If you haven’t reached this point yet, you can still use the discovery strategies outlined below and "save" Citadels until you are able to run them for a significant income boost.

Optional: A substantial amount of Atlas Passive Points to further increase your chances of gaining additional Fragments by scaling Waystone Modifier Effect and Waystone Drop Chance Bonus.

Mechanics

When combined, Ancient Crisis Fragments, Faded Crisis Fragments, and Weathered Crisis Fragments allow access to the Arbiter of Ash fight in the Burning Monolith. As the Arbiter's items are highly sought after, these Fragments are in demand for entering the fight. To acquire the Fragments, you need to defeat the Bosses residing in Citadels you discover while traveling through your Atlas.

Stone Citadel

The Stone Citadel is a massive Aztec pyramid, surrounded by smaller Aztec pyramids. Within this structure, you will face the Boss Doryani.

Iron Citadel

• Description: A black fortified walled city found in Forest and Grass Biomes, surrounded by wooden houses with straw rooftops.
• Boss: Count Geonor

Copper Citadel

• Description: Green metal tents found in Desert Biomes, surrounded by smaller green metal tents.
• Boss: Jamanra, the Abomination

Citadel Farming Tips

Now that you know how to identify each Citadel, it’s time to improve your chances of finding them. Here are three things that will help you farm more Citadels per hour:

1. Reveal as much new area as possible per map you run
   Try to explore a lot of new ground with each map you complete.
2. Generate as many new tilesets as possible by not lingering in the same area for too long
   Towers are great for revealing large portions of your Atlas.
3. Pick a direction and stick with it
   Similar to strip mining in Minecraft, try to focus on one direction to maximize efficiency. Follow coastlines when they reveal enough new area.

Additional Tips:

• Citadels may have higher spawn rates when adjacent to water (unconfirmed).
• Avoid backtracking or following coastlines that don't provide a lot of new information.
• This strategy also helps you generate more Nameless Seer and Untainted Paradise maps as they spawn on coasts.
• Look for the small buildings that surround the Citadels at the edge of the fog.
• Don’t waste too much time searching for tiny hints of a building—run more maps instead!

"Surrounding buildings of a Stone Citadel visible at the edge of the fog"

Increase Your Citadel Loot

After discovering a Citadel, you have two options: you can either take note of it and continue revealing more Citadels or run it immediately. The quantity of Crisis Fragments dropped is influenced by your Waystone Drop Chance. With an increase of roughly 300-400% Waystone Drop Chance, you will begin dropping 2 Fragments instead of just 1. At 900%+, you may drop 3 Fragments, with a chance for 4. The exact breakpoints are still being tested, but they will be updated here as soon as they are confirmed. To maximize your profits, use these tricks to increase your Waystone Drop Chance:

1. Roll your Waystone properly
   Only Suffix modifiers affect Fragment Drop Quantity.
2. Acquire 6 Suffix Waystones
   Use a Vaal Orb on 6-mod Waystones, as one of the possible corruptions will convert all your mods into suffixes.
   Alternatively, buy 6 Suffix Waystones from other players via the Trade Site.
3. Be Careful: 6 Suffix maps can be VERY difficult. Only run these when your build can handle them!
   Amplify your mods with a specialized Atlas Passive Tree setup
   This is only worth doing when aiming for 3+ Fragments or when clearing a lot of Citadels in a row.
   Focus on nodes that grant Explicit Modifier Effect and Waystone Quantity.
4. Switch back to your primary farming strategy Atlas Tree
   After completing your Citadels, respec back into your regular farming setup.

Beware: Certain modifiers can become dangerous when scaled by increased effect. For example, the mod "Players have 60% less Recovery Rate of Life and Energy Shield" is generally manageable. However, increasing its effect can turn it into 100% less, effectively disabling all recovery.

Atlas Passive Tree

Loot Breakdown

Citadel Specific

• Ancient Crisis Fragments
• Faded Crisis Fragments
• Weathered Crisis Fragments

Generic Loot

• Various Currencies
• High-tier Waystones

Summary

Begin farming Citadels, which occasionally appear on your Atlas, in order to acquire desired Boss Fragments that can be sold to other players for large sums of Currency. Familiarize yourself with the mechanics that help you find more Citadels, and increase your loot by properly rolling your Waystones. Maximize your profits by optimizing your setup with a specialized Atlas Passive Tree.