Master the Art of Crafting in Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide

Introduction

Welcome to our Path of Exile 2 crafting guide! Here, we’ll explore the intricacies of the game’s crafting system, offering insights, strategies, and tips to help you create powerful items. If you’re ready to dive into one of the most engaging aspects of this ARPG, join us as we break down the complexity of crafting in PoE 2.

Path of Exile 2 boasts one of the most intricate and enjoyable crafting systems among ARPGs. With the ability to craft items starting from a blank base, players can use various currencies to modify modifiers. This system ensures that powerful gear is accessible to everyone without relying solely on endless farming for item drops.

Basics of PoE 2 Crafting

In Path of Exile 2, crafting begins with a base item. The base determines the types of affixes that can roll based on the item level and stat requirements. For instance, intelligence-based items can roll Energy Shield affixes, while dexterity-based items provide Evasion affixes. Hybrid bases, such as dexterity and intelligence, allow modifiers from both pools.

Normal items lack affixes, Magic items can have up to 1 prefix and 1 suffix, and Rare items can roll 3 prefixes and 3 suffixes. Crafting involves applying various orbs to the item, each with a unique effect.

Compared to Path of Exile 1, PoE 2 streamlines the crafting system, increasing the likelihood of finding useful upgrades from loot. Players can enhance or finish these items through crafting, especially in the early stages of the game.

Importance of Crafting in Path of Exile 2

Crafting is crucial in Path of Exile 2 due to the harsh environment of Oriath. Loot is often scarce, with most items picked up from the ground having poor modifiers. Since the power of a build heavily depends on a combination of gear and the passive skill tree, crafting becomes essential to tailor items to your needs.

Often, you’ll find items with both good and bad affixes. Crafting enables you to modify these items, offering a chance to either improve or ruin them, depending on the randomness of the process.

Can You Craft Items in PoE 2?

Yes, crafting is a core feature in Path of Exile 2. While you cannot forge a weapon or armor piece from raw materials, you can fully modify any non-unique item by altering its modifiers. Base items are common, so finding suitable items for crafting won’t be an issue.

When Can You Start Crafting?

Crafting in Path of Exile 2 begins as soon as you acquire your first piece of gear and crafting materials, typically early in the campaign. Currencies like Orbs of Transmutation and Orbs of Augmentation drop frequently in the first acts. These currencies allow you to upgrade normal items to Magic and add modifiers to Magic items with open slots, respectively.

PoE 1 vs PoE 2 Crafting

Crafting in Path of Exile 2 introduces a fundamentally different approach compared to its predecessor. While crafting in Path of Exile 1 is complex, RNG-heavy, and often relies on external tools, the developers aim to streamline the process in PoE 2. The goal is to reduce randomness and make crafting more enjoyable and accessible for players, while still retaining a sense of excitement and unpredictability.

In this section of the guide, we’ll compare the crafting systems of both games, highlighting key differences and changes.

Crafting in PoE 1

The crafting system in Path of Exile 1 is notoriously complicated, heavily reliant on RNG, and can be extremely time-consuming, especially for endgame items. A single misstep in the crafting process often requires players to restart from scratch or redo several steps.

The main focus in PoE 1 crafting is time and currency efficiency. The process typically involves:

• Locking in two prefixes or suffixes using currencies like Essences to guarantee certain affixes, then relying on RNG to get additional desirable affixes.
• Once these affixes are secured, players begin working on the other category (prefixes or suffixes) while using meta-mods like "Cannot change prefixes" or "Cannot change suffixes" to protect existing modifiers.
• Additional currencies, such as Exalted Orbs, are then used to add one or two more desirable modifiers.

This process requires meticulous planning, as each step must be carefully considered to save time and currency, making crafting a high-stakes endeavor.

Crafting in PoE 2

In Path of Exile 2, the developers aim to simplify crafting while retaining some of the luck factor. This approach makes crafting accessible to new players who may lack the time to study extensive guides while still offering veteran players the thrill of success and failure found in PoE 1.

While many basic crafting currencies from PoE 1, such as Essences, will return in PoE 2, the inclusion of crafting methods tied to league mechanics remains uncertain. For instance, while Essences will remain a core part of crafting, other methods like Harvest may either be excluded or reworked into less powerful versions.

Bench crafting is also expected to undergo significant changes. Developers have expressed dissatisfaction with its current state in PoE 1, where meta-mods like "Cannot change prefixes/suffixes" consume vast amounts of currency and are considered essential for crafting. We anticipate a rebalanced bench crafting system in PoE 2 to address these concerns.

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Currencies

Crafting currencies are the primary tools for modifying items in Path of Exile 2. With a wide range of currencies, each producing unique effects, players can achieve diverse outcomes when crafting. By combining these effects, you can create almost any desired item, opening up endless possibilities for customization.

Below is a list of basic crafting currencies in PoE 2 and their effects:

• Orb of Transmutation – Upgrades a Normal item to a Magic item with one modifier.
• Orb of Augmentation – Adds a random modifier to a Magic item.
• Orb of Alchemy – Upgrades a Normal item to a Rare item with four modifiers.
• Regal Orb – Upgrades a Magic item to a Rare item.
• Chaos Orb – Removes a random modifier and adds a new random modifier to a Rare item.
• Exalted Orb – Adds a new random modifier to a Rare item.
• Vaal Orb – Corrupts an item unpredictably, potentially improving or ruining it.
• Divine Orb – Rerolls the values of modifiers on an item.
• Orb of Chance – Upgrades a Normal item to a random rarity (Magic, Rare, or Unique).
• Orb of Annulment – Removes a random modifier from an item.

Item Modifiers in PoE 2

In Path of Exile 2, items utilize a modifier system consisting of various types of affixes. Each category of modifiers has a specific pool of available affixes. In this section, we’ll delve into the different categories of stats, along with how they can be modified or influenced by league mechanics or crafting currencies.

Implicits

Implicit modifiers are nearly always present on items and provide small bonuses depending on the item type. For example:

• Jewelry may offer elemental resistance.
• Gloves can grant increased attack or cast speed.
• Boots typically provide increased movement speed.

Implicits can be modified using specific currencies:

• Blessed Orb – Rerolls the range of stats on implicit modifiers.
• Vaal Orb – Corruption can add or replace implicit modifiers based on the item type.

Explicits

Explicit modifiers are the primary stats found on items and provide significant bonuses. These are divided into prefixes and suffixes, each with its own pool of modifiers.

Explicit modifiers are generated when an item drops or through crafting. The number of prefixes and suffixes depends on the item’s rarity:

• Magic items can have up to one prefix and one suffix.
• Rare items can have up to three prefixes and three suffixes.

Prefixes

Prefixes are a key type of explicit modifier, often associated with defensive stats or damage bonuses. Common prefixes include:

• Increased or flat armor, evasion, energy shield, and maximum life.
• Flat or percentage damage increases for physical, chaos, or elemental damage.

Suffixes

Suffixes are the second type of explicit modifier, typically providing offensive or resistance bonuses. Common suffixes include:

• Elemental and chaos resistances.
• Attack and cast-related bonuses such as increased attack speed, cast speed, critical strike chance, and critical strike damage.

Enchants

Enchantments function similarly to implicit modifiers but occupy their own dedicated mod slot and do not replace implicit modifiers. Most items can only hold one enchantment at a time.

Key points about enchantments:

• They have fixed values, making Blessed Orbs ineffective.
• Adding a new enchantment replaces any existing enchantment on the item (except for maps, which can only be enchanted once).
• Amulets, for instance, can be enchanted using Distilled Emotions.

League-Specific Modifiers in PoE 2

Beyond the standard crafting modifiers, Path of Exile 2 may reintroduce modifiers that are obtainable only through specific league mechanics or as random drops in particular areas. These modifiers are often more powerful versions of basic modifiers but are difficult to craft around due to the risk of RNG removing them during the crafting process.

In this section, we’ll explore league mechanics from Path of Exile 1 that could drop items with these special modifiers and consider their potential return in PoE 2.

Delve & Incursion Modifiers

Delve and Incursion modifiers share similarities, as both are exclusive to their respective league mechanics.

• Delve Modifiers: These often included powerful affixes related to minions or skill gems, such as “+1 to the level of all skill gems” or “+1 to the maximum number of raised zombies.” These modifiers made Delve items highly sought after for specific builds.
• Incursion Modifiers: These typically offered generic but enhanced affixes, such as “% increased maximum life & + to maximum life” combined into one. These were effectively upgraded versions of existing maximum life modifiers, providing substantial value.

Fractured Modifiers

Fractured modifiers were a key feature for crafting endgame gear. These could appear as random drops, from Delve nodes, or by using Fractured Orbs.

• Unique Attribute: Fractured modifiers are permanently locked onto the item. No crafting currency or method can remove them. This makes fractured mods invaluable for simplifying complex crafting processes, as they eliminate the risk of losing a rare modifier during crafting.

Veiled Modifiers

Introduced in the Betrayal league, veiled modifiers offered unique effects or combined two basic affixes into one. Examples include:

• “Chaos and fire resistance”
• “Increased attack speed & + strength”

Veiled modifiers could be obtained in several ways:

• On veiled items dropped by Betrayal NPCs.
• By using a Veiled Orb, which adds a veiled modifier to an item.
• After acquiring a veiled item, players could unveil it at Jun and choose one of three potential modifiers.

Veiled mods were commonly used to complete crafts, often filling the 5th modifier slot on an item.

Local & Global Modifiers

In Path of Exile 2, modifiers are classified as either local or global, depending on how their effects are applied.

• Local Modifiers: These affect only the item they are applied to. For instance, increased defense modifiers on armor pieces, such as "+20% increased armor," will only improve the armor value of that specific item.
• Global Modifiers: These impact your entire character. For example, "+10% increased physical damage" will enhance all physical damage dealt, regardless of the source.

If you want to distinguish between modifiers that apply globally and those limited to specific items, you can consult the Path of Exile 2 database. It includes detailed information on all modifiers, including those with the local tag.

Gear Rarities in Path of Exile 2

Items in Path of Exile 2 come in four rarities: Normal, Magic, Rare, and Unique. While players can fully modify Normal, Magic, and Rare items through crafting, Unique items are exceptions. Uniques provide powerful, often exclusive effects and affixes, making them irreplaceable in certain builds.

The rarity of an item determines the number of explicit affixes it can have, with Normal items lacking explicits altogether. Below, we’ll explore Magic and Rare items, both of which are crucial for crafting.

Magic Items

Magic items represent the second tier of gear and can be found as early as the first zone in the campaign. These items, considered beginner-friendly, can have up to two affixes—one prefix and one suffix—and are typically replaced by Rare items midway through the campaign.

Magic items also play a niche role in crafting. By repeatedly applying Orbs of Transmutation, Orbs of Augmentation, and Orbs of Annulment, players can isolate a desirable modifier on a Magic item. This clean base can then serve as a foundation for crafting powerful end-game gear.

Rare Items

Rare items are the cornerstone of Path of Exile 2 builds, used alongside impactful or build-defining Uniques. With the capacity for up to six explicit modifiers (three prefixes and three suffixes), Rare items offer immense versatility due to the wide variety of affixes available in the game. Their adaptability makes them essential across all builds.

Influences

In Path of Exile 2, items can carry various influences depending on the area or enemies they are obtained from. In Path of Exile 1, we saw influences tied to powerful bosses like the Elderslayers, Pinnacle bosses such as the Eater of Worlds, Searing Exarch, Shaper, and Elder. While PoE 2 is yet to unveil its lineup of bosses and enemies, there is speculation about whether their influence will affect the items found in Oriath.

Influenced items gain access to a unique pool of modifiers, offering powerful bonuses connected to the boss they are influenced by. For instance, if PoE 2 introduces a boss centered around necromancy or minions, items influenced by this boss might feature minion and summon-related affixes. This dynamic creates exciting opportunities for customization and specialized builds.

PoE 2 Item Crafting Restrictions

In Path of Exile 2, an item's base type and item level (ilvl) play a critical role in determining which modifiers can appear on the item. The base type defines the kinds of modifiers that can be rolled during crafting, while the item level serves two purposes: it limits certain tiers of modifiers and locks specific modifiers behind an ilvl requirement.

Base Item Restrictions

The base item determines the pool of modifiers through two main factors: equipment type (armor, weapon, jewelry, etc.) and stat requirements (dexterity, strength, or intelligence).

• Weapons: Have attack-related modifiers.
• Armor: Feature defensive modifiers.
• Jewelry: Include a mix of both.

Stat requirements further refine the available modifier pool:

• DEX-based items: Focus on evasion and attack-related modifiers.
• STR-based items: Feature armor and attack-related modifiers.
• INT-based items: Contain spellcasting and energy shield-related modifiers.

Hybrid items with dual-stat requirements can roll modifiers from both pools. Selecting a base with stat requirements that align with your build is essential to avoid cluttering the modifier pool with useless affixes or blocking desirable ones.

Item Level Restrictions

Item level (ilvl) is a critical stat for determining which modifiers can roll. It restricts both the maximum tier of modifiers and locks certain affixes behind specific ilvl thresholds.

Each modifier has multiple tiers, with each tier requiring a specific item level. Additionally, some modifiers are completely locked unless the item meets the ilvl requirement. These factors are vital when crafting:

1. Selecting the Right Base: Ensure the item level allows for the desired modifiers to roll.
2. Using ilvl to Narrow Modifier Pools: Lower ilvl bases can reduce the modifier pool, making it easier to obtain rare modifiers, provided it doesn’t interfere with other aspects of your craft.

How to Benchcraft in Path of Exile 2

The crafting bench in Path of Exile 2 is expected to be a crucial tool for item creation. While the crafting bench has not yet been released, the developers have confirmed its inclusion during the game's development. Based on its functionality in PoE 1, it will likely serve as a method to finalize items during crafting.

Using the Crafting Bench

Benchcrafting is straightforward:

1. Visit your hideout and interact with the crafting bench.
2. A list of available crafting modifiers will appear.
3. Place an item with an open explicit modifier into the crafting window and select a desired affix.
4. Pay the required crafting currency to apply the chosen modifier.

Benchcrafting Modifiers

The crafting bench is expected to offer a range of modifiers, typically weaker versions of affixes found naturally on items. Common options will likely include bonuses like maximum life, defenses, increased damage, or attack speed, but it may exclude powerful meta-mods seen in PoE 1.

While more potent modifiers can be achieved through other crafting methods, benchcrafting provides a reliable way to fill gaps in your build or complete items. The differences in strength are often minimal, making the bench a safer option for finalizing your gear.

How to Unlock Bench Crafts

Currently, there is no confirmed information about how bench crafting will be unlocked in PoE 2. However, it is expected to follow similar mechanics to the first game.

• Crafting Recipes: Players will naturally discover crafting recipes during the campaign, with the strongest recipes locked behind specific maps or endgame content.
• Progression: Recipes will be shared across all characters within the same league. However, in a new trade league, you will need to collect them again.

Most recipes can be acquired within one to two weeks of a new league or game launch by progressing through the campaign and exploring endgame activities at your own pace.

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Methods

This section covers crafting systems and currencies from PoE 1 that are likely to reappear in Path of Exile 2, with similar or identical effects. These crafting methods provided significant advantages, particularly at the start of a craft. However, certain methods, like Harvest crafting, were useful throughout the entire process due to their flexibility and outcomes.

Harvest Crafting

Harvest was one of the most powerful crafting methods in PoE 1, and a toned-down version is expected in PoE 2. Harvest offered diverse crafting options, such as guaranteeing specific modifiers, converting elemental resistances, or adding a modifier of a type while removing an unrelated one.

While overpowered crafts like "add & remove" and quality enchants may not return, guaranteed crafts and elemental resistance swaps are expected to reappear.

To use Harvest crafts, players farmed lifeforce, a currency obtained by entering the Sacred Grove and defeating mobs. Three types of mobs spawned, each tied to specific crafts. Powerful crafts required significantly more lifeforce. As lifeforce was tradeable, players were not forced to engage directly with the mechanic to benefit from Harvest crafting.

Fossil Crafting

Fossils were another popular crafting method in PoE 1, often used at the start of the crafting process. While their return in PoE 2 is uncertain due to their connection to the Delve league, the unique mechanics of fossil crafting may prompt developers to retain this feature.

Fossil crafting required two components: fossils and resonators.

• Fossils: Influenced crafting outcomes with positive and negative effects. For example, they could increase the chance of rolling specific affixes while reducing or eliminating others.
• Resonators: Allowed players to combine up to four fossils, maximizing desired outcomes and reducing unwanted modifiers.

Fossils were obtained by mining during the Delve league, which required collecting sulphite to explore the depths of Oriath. Rewards and difficulty scaled with depth.

Essence Crafting

Essences are a crafting method we expect to return in Path of Exile 2. In PoE 1, essences provided powerful crafting options by rerolling modifiers on Rare items and guaranteeing a specific modifier among the newly rolled ones.

Essences varied by type and tier:

• Type: Determined the guaranteed modifier, which changed based on the base item type.
• Tier: Dictated the strength of the modifier, with higher tiers providing stronger affixes.

Essence crafting was often the first step in crafting, as it guaranteed a specific high-tier modifier. Players would spam essences on an item until achieving a desirable combination of affixes alongside the essence modifier.

Beast Crafting

Beast crafting, one of the earliest crafting methods introduced in PoE 1, is highly likely to return in PoE 2. While not the most powerful or weakest method, it offered unique and versatile options.

This method involved collecting beasts and using them to craft items via recipes. Most recipes required one rare beast and three common beasts, with the rare beast determining the craft's outcome.

Popular crafts included beast imprints and add/remove crafts. While these are expected to reappear in PoE 2, they may come with additional drawbacks to balance their power.

FAQ

How does crafting work in Path of Exile 2?

Crafting in Path of Exile 2 revolves around combining crafting currencies and league mechanics to modify items. Typically, you either apply a currency to an item or place it in a crafting window to reroll, add, or remove modifiers.
The general approach is to create a base item with 1-3 strong modifiers, then use deterministic methods to finish crafting while minimizing currency usage.

At what level should I start crafting in PoE 2?

There’s no specific level to begin crafting, but starting early is beneficial for improving your gear and easing campaign progression. Simple crafts, such as using an alchemy orb for a rare item or adding a modifier to a Magic item with an augmentation orb, enhance your character’s power and gameplay.

How to get more crafting recipes in Path of Exile 2?

Although the crafting bench is not yet released, crafting recipes are likely obtained passively by completing the campaign and exploring. They may appear as interactable objects, such as tablets, totems, or ancient texts, scattered across Oriath, each teaching a specific recipe.

How do you craft items in Path of Exile 2?

Crafting involves selecting a base item and using crafting currencies or league mechanics to modify its affixes until the desired outcome is achieved.

What is the best item level for crafting in Path of Exile 2?

The ideal ilvl depends on the affixes you need. Higher ilvl items unlock stronger or exclusive modifiers, while lower ilvl items limit the modifier pool, making it easier to target specific affixes.

Where is the crafting bench in Path of Exile 2?

The crafting bench is located in your hideout. If it’s not visible, use the edit menu to place it and interact with it.

How does the PoE 2 crafting bench work?

Similar to PoE 1, the crafting bench in PoE 2 is expected to let players add specific affixes to items in exchange for crafting currency.

What is PoE 2 essence crafting?

Essence crafting guarantees a specific modifier while rolling additional affixes on an item. It is especially useful early on for creating strong leveling gear or for crafting a solid base for high-end equipment.

How to craft using essences in Path of Exile 2?

Essence crafting is simple: right-click the essence and apply it to the desired item. This adds the essence modifier along with up to five random modifiers. Players often aim to roll a second desirable affix and refine the item using orbs of annulment.

Can I upgrade essences in Path of Exile 2?

Yes, you can upgrade essences by trading three lower-tier essences for one of the next tier with a vendor. Premium essence stash tabs also offer a direct upgrade function.

How to get essence modifiers in PoE 2?

Essence modifiers are obtained by applying a high-tier essence to an item. These modifiers are marked with an "essence" tag, indicating their origin.

Conclusion

Our PoE 2 Crafting Guide was created to help you navigate the crafting system and understand the currencies and league mechanics that enhance crafting. With the tips and tricks shared in this guide, you'll be equipped to create powerful items and fully enjoy this engaging aspect of the game.