HOME Path of Exile 2 Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide

Crafted items are known to be one of the best in any game, and Path of Exile 2 Crafting System only proves this idea. The essential aspects of Crafting in PoE 2 include Crafting Currencies, their types, and usage, the Basics of the Crafting System explained, Crafted Items Rarity, means of finishing an Item, and last but not least Crafting Methods. In our comprehensive PoE 2 Crafting Guide we provide reliable information about all of the points mentioned above. Read also our Path of Exile 2 Currency Guide to learn about all of the usable currencies.

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Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide 4.9

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Basics

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide

Ever wondered “How to craft items in PoE 2?” Well, this question is a bit complicated, regarding all of the upcoming changes and unconfirmed information. But our team has gathered all the avaliable information in this guide to provide you with the most complete image of the Path of Exile 2 Basics of Crafting.

So first of all, the Crafting System in Path of Exile 2 is expected to be easier than it used to be in PoE 1, which makes it more beginner-friendly. We do not know for sure how it was achieved, but lots of testers have proved this fact to be true. Yet, the system will be intricate, so the crafters will be occupied more than enough. For now, you can start planning your finances, and obtain some Divine Orbs for your future crafts in advance from our pro team.

Implicit Modifiers

With Explicit Modifiers, Implicit Modifiers (Prefix Modifier and Suffix Modifier) are back in Path of Exile 2, which means that some related currency should sooner or later appear in PoE 2. For now, there’s no information about this exact point, except that Vaal Orb should probably be that currency to add Implicits. We are going to keep you updated.

Crafted Items Rarity

Firstly, let’s outline the Path of Exile 2 Items Rarity:

  • Normal — White; No Modifiers);
  • Magic — Blue; From 1 to 2 Modifiers: 1 Prefix, 1 Suffix;
  • Rare — Yellow; From 1 to 6 Modifiers: 3 Prefixes, 3 Suffixes;
  • Unique — Orange; Specific Modifier; Can not be changed with the majority of Currency.

As you can see, the more Modifiers you add, the more “rare” your item becomes. Normal Items (or White items) have no modifiers at all, meaning you can add whatever you wish to improve them. Magic Items have several inbuilt Modifiers (Affixes or Preffixes), which grant them extra powers. Rare Items are even better with 1-6 Modifiers. Lastly, Uniques are the best items in the game, which have Specific Modifiers. They grant you if not superpowers, then something really close. A perfect example of a Unique Item is Kalandra’s Touch, which is extremely hard to get, but our team is experienced in this uneasy task.

White Bases matter a lot in Path of Exile 2. It means that you will likely save Items with no modifiers for later, as they give you the possibility to craft from scratch and add only those modifiers that you essentially need. This is an advantage, as with a lack of Orb of Scouring / Orb of Alteration you’ll be unable to reset crafted gear.

Crafted Items Attributes

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide

In Path of Exile 2 any crafting will start with an item base, which dictates what Modifiers (Preffixes + Suffixes) can potentially be rolled. The types of Modifiers available will change depending on the level and, in some places, attribute requirements of an item:

  • Dexterity-based gear generally has Evasion-based modifiers;
  • Intelligence gear may include boosts to Energy Shield;
  • Some items, such as certain Jackets, are hybrid items drawn both from Dexterity and from Intelligence pools. For this, they get to roll a mix of Evasion and Energy Shield modifiers.

The rarity of items, as you remember, also affects Modifier possibilities: Normal items have none; Magic items can hold up to one Prefix and one Suffix, while Rare items allow up to three Prefixes and three Suffixes. You will be adding, removing, or changing these Modifiers with currency Orbs throughout the crafting process, turning this into a powerful item over time.

Finishing an Item

In Path of Exile 2 Finishing an Item is typically referred to as those last changes that make gear go from great to awesome. Quality upgrades, minor modifier tweaks, and enchantments can all play a part in making an item fully optimized. So let’s outline how to finish items in PoE 2.

In PoE 2, quality upgrades are accomplished using Chaos Orbs, Exalted Orbs, and Orbs of Annulment. These latter can enhance the effectiveness of an item, whether it be more damage or better protection. Keep in mind that the effect is random. Primal Vaal Orbs give items powerful, added effects and modifiers for those high-risk, high-reward kinds of strategies. You can obtain any if the required Orbs, like Exalted Orbs, from our team and start crafting without delay.

Here’s a short check-list with Tips for PoE 2 Finishing an Item:

  1. Check the applied Modifiers and decide whether some more can be applied. For instance, if your item has several nice Modifiers, an Exalted Orb can be a good source of an extra Modifier.
  2. Check whether all of the Modifiers are useful. If yes, then well done! If no, try to remove the unwanted Modifier with Orb of Annulment. Keep in mind, that it will delete a random Modifier, so save some Orbs in advance and hope for a bit of luck.
  3. Do not want to completely erase the Modifier? Use Chaos Orb instead of the Orb of Annulment from Tip 2 to replace the random Modifier.

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Tools

Path of Exile 2 Dawn of the Hunt update has brought new PoE 2 Crafting Tools. Fine-tuning your gear is much easier now, not to mention it became more convenient. Here’s a list of the PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt crafting tools:

  • Fracturing Orbs;
  • Recombinators;
  • Azmeri Runes (Socketable);
  • Corrupted Essences;
  • New Rune Tiers;
  • Talismans (Socketable).

Fracturing Orbs

The first thing that the Dawn of the Hunt league has brought to Path of Exile 2 is Fracturing Orbs. Fracturing Orbs are PoE 2 currency items that allow you to lock a specific modifier on a rare item with at least four modifiers. Once you fracture a modifier, it becomes permanent and enables further crafting without the risk of altering the locked modifier. You can obtain these orbs from monsters in Cleansed areas during endgame activities.

Recombinators

Path of Exile 2 Recombinators offer a method to merge two items of the same type. It helps to combine desirable modifiers from both into a single item. For example, merging boots with high movement speed and fire resistance with another pair with, for instance, cold resistance, will make your boots feature all these attributes. However, the process carries the risk of destroying both items if unsuccessful. Recombinators are available through the Expedition mechanic.​

📌 Note: The more modifiers you select to attempt to merge, the lower your chances of success.

Azmeri Runes

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide

In Path of Exile 2 Azmeri Runes are socketable items providing more potent effects than standard runes. You can acquire this instrument by defeating beasts influenced by Azmeri Wisps. These runes offer more flexibility in gear customization, so you can benefit from various character builds, including spellcasters and minion-focused classes.​

Talismans

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide

Talismans are new PoE 2 socketable items, and they grant significant offensive and defensive bonuses. Unlike regular runes, you should place each talisman into a specific gear slot to activate its effects.

New Rune Tiers

The Dawn of the Hunt league in PoE 2 adds additional tiers for standard Ezomyte Runes. They include both lower and higher versions. This new improved tool is excellent for more nuanced gear customization throughout the game.​

Corrupted Essences

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide

With patch 0.2.0 in Path of Exile 2, you can use Vaal Orbs on essences to potentially increase their tier from Normal to Greater or transform them into Corrupted Essences with unique modifiers. While these essences improve the abilities of monsters they affect, successfully defeating such monsters can reward you with essences that can add powerful modifiers to their gear.​

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Methods

So far, Path of Exile 1 furthermore introduced several other crafting methods beyond the simple use of currency, such as the aforementioned Crafting Bench, Essences, Beastcrafting, Fossil Crafting, Eldritch Implicit, Harvest Crafting, and Rog Crafting.

Many of those would likely make their way into PoE 2, but Grinding Gear Games has plans to streamline crafting in PoE 2 while keeping it engaging. Because of this, some of the deeper and more powerful crafting options, such as Harvest, may not make an appearance in PoE 2. This shift in design aims for a balance, providing deep crafting options without overwhelming players with too many mechanics.

Salvage Bench

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide

Basically, the Path of Exile 2 Salvage Bench can be used for one good purpose: salvage the items and get the currency.  In the early access, we can find this unusual bench after completing the Finding The Forge quest in Act One. This bench is nothing like the Crafting Bench we used to know in the Original PoE 1. In fact, it’s not exactly a crafting instrument, but an addition to PoE 2 Disenchanting system.

A normal and common way to get rid of unnecessary items is to sell them to vendors and get some Gold. But Gold is not that useful for gearing. Therefore, you can use Salvage Bench to break down your items and receive valuable resources:

Salvaged ItemsObtained Resources
Any Armor (higher than Normal quality)Armourer’s Scrap
Martial Weapons (higher than Normal quality)Blacksmith’s Whetstone
Caster Weapons (higher than Normal quality)Arcanist’s Etcher
Items with Rune SocketsArtificier’s Shard

✏️ Tip: Collect 10 Artificier’s Shards to create an Artificier’s Orb.

Pure disenchanting is easier than salvaging, though. It is available from the start of the game and is used to disenchant Magic and Rare items into Transmutation Shards and Regal Shards. Just like Artificier’s Shards, these two types can be collected to create an Orb of Transmutation or a Regal Orb.

Crafting Bench

📌 Note: This method has not been added to the game due to the game developers’ decision. Please, use alternative crafting methods described in our guide to ensure smooth and easy crafting. 

Before the early access, we expected Crafting to start with the Path of Exile 2 Crafting Bench, where you could apply modifiers, eventually increasing the rarity of items, and using currencies to perform said processes. The very essence of this process more or less looks like this: you pick an item and then select the modifiers that you feel will be right for you, and then apply currencies to get those stats.

✏️ Tip: Path of Exile 2 Crafting Bench is now replaced with Runes that allow you to add extra modifiers to your items without taking modifiers slots.

For example, a Normal item would get a basic modifier from an Orb of Transmutation, whereas a Regal Orb would upgrade a Magic item to Rare and thus unlock a powerful mod slot. The Crafting Bench could be the basic centerpiece of PoE 2 Crafting, where players could refine items using currencies with specified modifiers. As your crafting skill increases, so too does the station’s capability to accomplish more intricate customizations among items with varying levels of strength.

This system was in the original PoE game, and some players might actually remember it and revoke the knowledge of how to use the Crafting Bench. However, if you are a newbie, and want to master the art of crafting, our professional team can assist you with Gear Crafting and teach you all tricks of the trade.

Essences

Path of Exile 2 Essences came from the original PoE. However, this time the Essences received a rework. Now we have two types of Essences:

  • Regular Essences that upgrade Normal items into Magic ones with a mod of a certain type (Life, Speed, Cold, etc.);
  • Greater Essences that upgrade Magic items into Rare ones also add a modifier.

Sockets and Runes

Path of Exile 2 Runes are used to improve your items when you socket them into the appropriate gear piece. If your item has a socket, you can put a certain Rune into it. Normally, items have 1 Rune socket, but 2H Weapons and Chest gear can have 2 sockets. To enhance your gear even further, use Soul Cores, or add extra sockets with Vaal Orbs, that our team can easily provide you with.

Keep in mind that once socketed, the Rune can not be removed. Always think about your build and gear perspectives and what you want to achieve with this or that Rune. To make it easier for you to decide which Rune suits you, we have compile d a full list of Path of Exile 2 Runes:

ItemEffect
Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide
Body Rune
Weapon: Leeches 3% of Physical Damage as Life
Armour: +25% to maximum Life
Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide
Desert Rune
Weapon: Adds 7 to 11 Fire Damage
Armour: +12% to Fire Resistance
Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide
Glacial Rune
Weapon: Adds 6 to 10 Cold Damage
Armour: +12% to Cold Resistance
Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide
Inspiration Rune
Weapon: Gain 10 Mana per Enemy Killed
Armour: 15% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide
Iron Rune
Weapon: 20% increased Physical Damage
Armour: 20% increased Armour, Evasion, and Energy Shield
Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide
Mind Rune
Weapon: Leeches 2% of Physical Damage as Mana
Armour: +20 to maximum Mana
Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide
Rebirth Rune
Weapon: Gain 20 Life per Enemy Killed
Armour: Regenerate 0.3% of Life per second
Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide
Stone Rune
Weapon: Causes 25% increased Stun Buildup
Armour: +40 to Stun Threshold
Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide
Storm Rune
Weapon: Adds 1 to 20 Lightning Damage
Armour: +12% to Lightning Resistance
Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide
Vision Rune
Weapon: +100 to Accuracy Rating
Armour: 10% increased Life and Mana recovery from Flasks

Soul Cores

In fact, many players call Path of Exile 2 Soul Cores “improved Runes”, as they work the same way. The main difference between Runes and Soul Cores is that the latter provides better modifiers. Just like Runes, Soul Cores can not be removed after you place them into the socket.

Omens

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide

Another interesting resource that allows you to alter your gear and modify it is Path of Exile 2 Omens. Omens are also reffereted to as meta-modifiers, as they work not directly on your items, but on the Orbs that you are going to use on this item. 

To put it simply, you can use an Omen of Dextral Annulment, and your next Orb of Annulment will only remove a Suffix Modifier, and Affix will remain untouched.

NameUse
Omen of AmeliorationWhile this item is active in your inventory will prevent 75% of Experience loss when you die
Omen of CorruptionWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Vaal Orb will be more unpredictable
Omen of Dextral AlchemyWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Orb of Alchemy will result in the maximum number of suffix modifiers
Omen of Dextral AnnulmentWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Orb of Annulment will remove only suffix modifiers
Omen of Dextral CoronationWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Regal Orb will add only suffix modifiers
Omen of Dextral ErasureWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Chaos Orb will remove only suffix modifiers
Omen of Dextral ExaltationWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Exalted Orb will add only suffix modifiers
Omen of Greater AnnulmentWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Orb of Annulment will remove two modifiers
Omen of Greater ExaltationWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Exalted Orb will add two random modifiers
Omen of RefreshmentWhile this item is active in your inventory will fully recover your flask and charm charges when you reach Low Life
Omen of ResurgenceWhile this item is active in your inventory will fully recover your Life, Mana and Energy Shield when you reach Low Life
Omen of Sinistral AlchemyWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Orb of Alchemy will result in the maximum number of prefix modifiers
Omen of Sinistral AnnulmentWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Orb of Annulment will remove only prefix modifiers
Omen of Sinistral CoronationWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Regal Orb will add only prefix modifiers
Omen of Sinistral ErasureWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Chaos Orb will remove only prefix modifiers
Omen of Sinistral ExaltationWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Exalted Orb will add only prefix modifiers
Omen of WhittlingWhile this item is active in your inventory your next Chaos Orb will remove the lowest level modifier

Catalysts

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide

Path of Exile 2 Catalysts are used to modify primarily Jewelry. Catalysts add quality that can increase an item’s modifiers, e.g. Life or Mana, to a certain percentage. Here you can see a full list of PoE 2 Catalysts used for crafting:

NameUse
Flesh CatalystAdds quality that enhances Life modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types
Neural CatalystAdds quality that enhances Mana modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types
Carapace CatalystAdds quality that enhances Defence modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types
Uul-Netol’s CatalystAdds quality that enhances Physical modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types
Xoph’s CatalystAdds quality that enhances Fire modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types
Tul’s CatalystAdds quality that enhances Cold modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types
Esh’s CatalystAdds quality that enhances Lightning modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types
Chayula’s CatalystAdds quality that enhances Chaos modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types
Reaver CatalystAdds quality that enhances Attack modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types
Sibilant CatalystAdds quality that enhances Caster modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types
Skittering CatalystAdds quality that enhances Speed modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types
Adaptive CatalystAdds quality that enhances Attribute modifiers on a ring or amulet;
Replaces other quality types

Fossil Crafting

📌 Note: In Early Access you can try to get some fossils from the Delves. However, this crafting method is not yet proved to be 100% working. We will keep this section of our guide updated.

We expect the Path of Exile 2 Crafting System to use Fossils in the same fashion as we use Orbs — to add specific Modifiers (like an Orb of Augmentation or an Exalted Orb do) or to Reroll this or that Modifier (similarly to the way Divine Orbs do).

Have a look at the list of PoE 2 Fossils that will appear in the game. We list Fossil Types and their Modifier Types in this table:

Fossil TypeModifier Type
JaggedPhysical
AethericCaster
ShudderingSpeed
BoundMinion
DeftCritical
DenseDefense
FrigidCold
ScorchedFire
MetallicLightning
PrismaticElemental
AberrantChaos
LucentMana
ClaretLife
HeavyStrength
BrilliantIntelligence
SharpDexterity
GoldenRarity

We also provide a table with Quality Tiers and Modifier Tiers. This table categorizes Fossils by their quality and the Tier of Mods they can affect. Higher-quality Fossils generally apply to Higher-Tier Mods, thus making them more effective for powerful crafting outcomes.

Quality TierModifier Tier
Crude FossilTier 11+
Dull FossilTier 9+
Jaded FossilTier 7+
Prospective FossilTier 5+
Pristine FossilTier 3+
Exquisite FossilTier 2+
Perfect FossilTier 1

And finally, let’s have a look at Resonators, which serve to amplify the effects of Fossils and allow multiple Fossils to be used at the same time:

  • Chaotic Resonator: Alters fossilized monsters in Delve content, sometimes transforming them into challenging mini-bosses. Rare resonators can drop from high-level bosses and deep Delve content.
  • Prime Resonator (2 Slot): Holds two of the same Fossil. Using this prevents one Fossil from re-rolling another Modifier on the item.
  • Pristine Resonator (2 Slot): Allows two Fossils to be applied to the same body armor simultaneously, maximizing customization for that slot.
  • Primordial Resonator (2 Slot): Allows combinations of Perfect Fossils to create unique items with exclusive affixes.

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Currencies

Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide

Different types of Path of Exile 2 Crafting Currencies are the lifeblood of the crafting mechanics in the game. They fuel every upgrade and transformation that you do to gear. These items actually serve different purposes, whether it be altering the properties of an item or even upgrading its rarity. You might use them together in various ways to create strong equipment.

Crafting Orbs

In Path of Exile 2, you will find a selection of Currencies, and we call them Orbs. There’s a vast and complex system of Orbs in PoE 2 in our dedicated guide. For example, the Alchemy Orbs turn normal items into rares by adding new modifiers. In the meantime, Chaos Orbs reroll rare item mods in your favor for stat control. Then, there is an Exalted Orb that provides an addition of a random affix to a Rare item, thus making or breaking an item’s power.

It should be mentioned that one of the most wanted types of Orbs are the Chaos Orbs. They have Uncommon Rarity, thus they are quite rare and not easy to obtain. Aside from that, they are extremely useful due to their effect, so you might consider asking our team to get you any amount of Chaos Orbs to allow smooth crafting.

Each of these different types of PoE 2 Crafting Currency has a different role in crafting:

ImageOrbRarityDescription
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideScroll of WisdomVery CommonIdentifies an item.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideTransmutation OrbVery CommonTransforms a Normal item to a Magic item with 1 Affix.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideAugmentation OrbVery CommonAdds 1 Affix to a Magic item.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideAlchemy OrbCommonTransforms a Normal item into a Rare item with 4 Affixes.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideOrb of Chance*Common / UncommonRandomly transforms a Normal item into a Magic, Rare, or Unique item.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideRegal OrbVery UncommonUpgrades a Magic Item to a Rare Item, adding 1 Affix.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideExalted OrbVery RareAdds 1 random Affix to a Rare item.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideOrb of Annulment*RareRemoves 1 random modifier from a Magic or Rare item.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideChaos Orb*UncommonRemoves 1 random modifier and replaces it with another random modifier.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideDivine OrbVery RareRerolls the numerical values of an item within its modifier tiers.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideVaal Orb*Unknown (most likely Uncommon)Unpredictably changes the item and may prevent the item from being crafted further.
Path of Exile 2 Crafting GuideOrb of Regret*UncommonGrants a Passive Refund Point on the Passive Skill Tree

📌 Note: Orbs marked with * are said to appear in PoE 2, but none of the up-to-date details about their rarity or function have been shared. The description provided in our guide will be updated as soon as we get the latest news.

If you are an experienced player, you probably remember which Orbs were present in the original PoE. However, some of the Orbs are not present into Path of Exile 2:

  • Orb of Scouring;
  • Orb of Alteration;
  • Jeweller’s Orbs;
  • Chromatic Orb;
  • Orb of Fusing.

If currency management is not your cup of tea, feel free to ask our team to get you the needed Currency. We will take care of the required Orbs and deliver them ASAP.

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Path of Exile 2 Crafting Guide 4.9

All in all, the Path of Exile 2 Crafting System is yet to be explored and mastered. In this Path of Exile 2 Crafting guide, we discussed how to craft with fundamental crafting currencies and the mechanics of crafting basics, item rarity, finishing touches, and advanced methods. This guide gave you a chance to have a deep look at Fossils, Resonators, and crafting options taken from PoE 1 so that the players can craft powerful and personalized gear in Path of Exile 2. Crafting in Path of Exile 2 is an endless process, and mastering these systems will be the key to maximizing your build in Wraeclast.

Changelog

13 Nov. 2024 Guide added.
28 Dec. 2024 Guide updated for Early Access.
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