PoE 2 Farming Divine Orbs in Expedition: The Explosive 0.2g Strategy Guide!

The guide highlights that Expedition farming has become exceptionally viable and potent due to specific favorable tuning introduced in recent game patches, notably mentioning patch 0.2.0g as a key version change. The core reason it’s effective now is its unique mechanic: the ability to densely pack a massive number of monsters, especially valuable Rare monsters, into a single concentrated area via strategic explosive placement. This saves immense time and effort compared to mechanics that require chasing enemies across large map areas, meaning your build doesn’t necessarily need top-tier screen-clearing speed, although it certainly doesn’t hurt efficiency. This concentration of valuable targets, combined with the specific adjustments made in the new patches, positions it as potentially the most effective budget farming method available right now in the current challenge leagues.

Profit from this strategy is derived from multiple key sources, creating a robust income stream. Firstly, Logbooks are consistently high-value drops that sell for a significant amount in bulk, providing a reliable floor to your earnings and allowing you to potentially buy Divine Orbs directly with the proceeds. Secondly, Expedition Currency (Artifacts), particularly Exotic Coinage, are quite valuable, often fetching over half an Exalted Orb each, and drop frequently (10+ per encounter isn’t uncommon), providing quick liquid wealth through vendor sales, especially to Dannig. Lastly, the sheer volume of juiced monsters (particularly rares) and the highly rewarding Buried Chests targeted by explosives drop Raw Currency and Items including the coveted Divine Orbs, Exalted Orbs, Chaos Orbs, and valuable rare equipment. The strategy maximizes these direct drops by concentrating and enhancing the targets that yield them.

The guide strongly emphasizes that the unique tablet ‘Forgotten by Time’ is “nearly essential” for this strategy. Its effects are incredibly powerful and foundational to the high efficiency. It crucially duplicates Runic Monsters, effectively doubling the number of high-density targets you interact with. Furthermore, it reduces the life of Expedition monsters by half, making even monsters with tanky or dangerous powerful affixes modifiers significantly easier and quicker to defeat. Placing this tablet strategically in a central location on your Atlas grid is paramount to ensure its benefits apply to as many maps within its radius as possible, vastly enhancing every encounter. Using this tablet also has the specific benefit of making the “Runic Monsters are Duplicated” Remnant modifier redundant, as its effect won’t stack.

The Atlas tree configuration is designed to amplify both the general map environment and the Expedition mechanic specifically. You should first invest in general map bonuses, prioritizing small nodes that grant increased Pack Size globally, as this provides a strong multiplicative effect on monster counts within Expedition encounters, essentially like adding a free map prefix. Also, grab nodes that increase the overall number of rare and magic monsters in your maps. For the Expedition-specific nodes, the guide outlines two main paths on the tree: the Upper Branch includes nodes like Disturb the Rest, Detailed Records (boosting Logbook implicit value), Time Detonations (more artifacts), and Legendary Battles (more Rare Expedition Monsters and Exotic Coinage). This path is often favored initially for its direct, consistent increases to density, rare count, and specific high-value currency drops. The Lower Branch focuses on enhancing Remnant effects (Way of History, Unearthed Anomalies). While made more viable by patch buffs, the Upper Branch is generally recommended for its more reliable baseline boosts before specializing into Remnants. Nodes such as Extreme Archaeology are typically avoided due to how the developer designed them to function in PoE 2, often leaving too much potential value untapped compared to more direct boosts.

Tablet modifiers are vital for supercharging individual map areas and stacking bonuses. Beyond securing your unique Forgotten by Time and at least one Irradiated Tablet (for base quantity/rarity), you should fill remaining slots with Expedition-specific tablets carrying potent modifiers. Prefix priorities are Quantity (direct loot increase), Pack Size (exceptionally impactful for Expedition monster density), Rarity (boosting chances for better items and raw Divine Orbs), and Rare Monsters (more high-value targets). Crucially, Suffixes include the “Absolutely Vital” Increased Explosive Radius – aim for 2-3x or more total across your area, as this dramatically expands your blast zones to hit more Runic Markers, Remnants, and Buried Chests. Other valuable suffixes include Increased Explosive Placement Range (flexibility), More Runic Monster Markers (density), Quantity of Logbooks (direct Logbook drops), and More Rare Expedition Monsters (more rares within the encounter). The guide explicitly lists and ranks these for clarity.

Careful map selection and preparation are key to optimizing returns. Begin by choosing map bases with strong explicit modifiers that enhance Quantity, Rarity, Pack Size, and the Number of Rare Monsters or Monster Packs. The guide suggests crafting methods using Ritual Omens, specifically mentioning Omens of Sinestral Alchemy for white maps, which allow you to re-roll modifiers to achieve a high count of beneficial prefixes, often involving the use of a Regal Orb assuming certain conditions are met with the Omen. Corrupting well-rolled maps is presented as another option for potentially even better outcomes and hitting a new range of potential outcomes, though this comes with risk. Further enhancing maps with Oils is also recommended: Distilled Paranoia provides a substantial flat +45% increased rare monsters, significantly boosting overall rare density, while Distilled Guilt is a cheaper budget alternative adding Pack Size for more monsters.

Running valuable maps within Cleansed Areas on your Atlas provides significant free benefits that align perfectly with this strategy. Cleansed maps automatically grant extra monster packs, often contain a hidden value modifier boosting loot, and critically, apply strong item rarity modifiers (like Obelisks of Cleansing or Mounting Greed). The guide specifically notes that these rarity modifiers from Cleansed areas were not diminished in recent patches and kept their mods intact, offering substantial free buffs to your overall loot conversion and increasing the likelihood of valuable rare item drops from the many monsters you kill. It reinforces the “vertical” stacking philosophy by adding another layer of monster/loot enhancement.

Upon entering the map and locating the Expedition site, first clear the immediate surrounding area to prevent interruptions during setup. When placing your explosives, the core principle is to use your increased Explosive Radius effectively to hit the most valuable targets possible with each detonation. The guide lists the key targets in order of importance for hitting with your blasts: Runic Monster Markers (your main source of concentrated monsters), Rare and Magic Chest Markers (highly potent sources of Divine Orbs, Exalted Orbs, Logbooks, Chaos Orbs, and valuable high value items like rare equipment), and Remnants (apply modifiers to subsequent explosions and targets within their radius). Prioritizing hitting chests and high-value markers is essential, especially in later detonations if you must choose.

Hitting beneficial Remnants early is crucial because their effects apply to the explosion that hits them and all subsequent explosions within their radius. The guide lists several high-priority Remnants: “Runic Monsters Drop Extra Logbooks” (common, significant Logbook source), “Monster Pack Size” (more monsters to kill), “Increased Monster Drop Quantity / Increased Item Quantity” (straightforward loot multipliers applying to all drops), “More Rare Monsters” (adds valuable rare targets), “Increased Monster Item Rarity” (boosts chances for valuable items including raw Divine Orbs), “Quantity/Rarity for Chests” (makes chest drops even better), and “Monsters cannot drop Weapons/Armour” (can shift drop weight towards currency and Logbooks, a cool new modifier feature). Hitting these beneficial Remnants early in your explosive sequence maximizes the number of monsters and chests that benefit from their positive effects throughout the encounter.

Yes, the guide advises generally avoiding certain Remnants. These include those granting Increased XP, Artifact Quantity (as most artifacts, except Exotic Coinage, are less valuable now), and those focusing purely on Magic Monsters, as the strategy primarily targets rares. You should also avoid any “Downside Modifiers” that significantly hinder your build, such as monster immunities or severe damage buffs, unless the Forgotten by Time tablet effectively neutralizes them (like half-life making immunities less threatening). A key Remnant to avoid if you are using the Forgotten by Time unique tablet is “Runic Monsters are Duplicated,” as the guide explicitly states it does not stack with the unique tablet’s duplication effect and thus provides no benefit.

The “vertical” farming philosophy, as presented in the guide, is about intense focus. Instead of spreading Atlas passive points and tablet bonuses thinly across many different mechanics (“horizontal”), you heavily stack bonuses for one primary mechanic, in this case, Expedition. This involves allocating a significant portion of your Atlas tree points to amplify Expedition nodes and filling your tablet slots primarily with potent Expedition-specific tablets after your essential unique and irradiated ones. The guide argues that this hyper-focused approach on a heavily buffed mechanic like Expedition, especially when complemented by other monster-boosting layers like Oils and Cleansed areas, yields significantly higher and more consistent currency returns per map compared to a more diversified approach, allowing you to achieve a certain amount of wealth much faster.

One of the key selling points highlighted by the guide is that this strategy is “surprisingly budget-friendly,” often cited as potentially the best budget farm currently available. It suggests that getting the necessary core setup operational efficiently might only require an initial investment of around 10 Exalted Orbs or even less. The strategy provides consistent wealth generation through readily sellable Logbooks and valuable Expedition currency like Exotic Coinage, which can then be used to either fund further investment into the strategy itself (better maps, more tablets) or directly purchase expensive items or raw currency like single Divine Orbs, making it highly accessible for players looking to build their wealth from a modest starting point in challenge leagues.

In this Expedition farming strategy, the raw Divine Orbs, Exalted Orbs, and Chaos Orbs drop directly from both the slain monsters and the opened Buried Chests within the encounter site. The strategy is deliberately designed to maximize the number of these targets, especially the valuable rare monsters, and to juice them with modifiers from Remnants and map explicit modifiers. The sheer volume of monsters killed and chests opened under the influence of these powerful affixes and quantity/rarity bonuses from Atlas, Tablets, and map rolls creates a high probability of these valuable raw currency drops occurring frequently.

Logbooks are presented as a cornerstone of the strategy’s profitability and consistency. The guide describes them as “incredibly consistent high-value drops” that provide a “solid profit floor.” They sell for a significant amount in bulk (the guide provides an example range of 12-17 Exalted Orbs per piece, though market values fluctuate) and can be easily traded to other players. The guide suggests averaging around one Logbook per Expedition is quite achievable, meaning they contribute substantially and reliably to your currency gains, offering a parallel path to acquiring Divine Orbs by selling the Logbooks and buying the currency directly.

While the value of some artifact types (like Gwynin) has decreased, others (Black Scythe, Sun) still retain good value. However, Exotic Coinage is specifically called out as being particularly valuable, often trading for over half an Exalted Orb per coin according to the guide. It’s also noted that getting a certain amount, such as 10 or more, from a single juiced Expedition is not uncommon. These artifacts, especially Exotic Coinage, provide considerable liquid wealth quickly when sold via the appropriate vendor, such as Dannig, effectively acting as a reliable vendor recipe income source.

The guide explicitly states that the core strategic goal is to maximize the number of Rare monsters included in the encounter, even targeting modifiers that specifically increase their quantity and quality. This is because Rare monsters are the primary carriers of “the big ticket items” like Divine Orbs and Exalted Orbs – they have the highest drop rate for these valuable currency items. By focusing your Atlas tree nodes, Tablet selection, and in-map explosive placement on hitting and enhancing Rare monster markers and modifiers, you directly increase your probability of dropping the most valuable raw currency and high value items from the encounter.

The guide labels “Increased Explosive Radius” as “Absolutely Vital!” for successful Expedition farming. It is arguably the single most impactful modifier for in-map execution. Dramatically expanding the radius of your explosive detonations allows you to hit far more Runic Monster Markers, Remnants, and the now-buffed Buried Chests with each charge. Aiming for multiple sources of this modifier (2-3x or more total) across your farming area means you can activate more targets per explosion, leading to significantly higher monster density and accessing more potential loot sources (from chests and monsters buffed by Remnants), directly contributing to higher currency gains and more valuable rare item drops.

The two Expedition branches offer distinct focuses. The Upper Branch primarily boosts the fundamental elements of the encounter itself: increasing Runic Monster markers (density), improving Logbook value (Detailed Records), generating more artifacts (Time Detonations), and adding more Rare Expedition Monsters and Exotic Coinage. This path is generally recommended initially for its consistent baseline increases to the core sources of value. The Lower Branch, on the other hand, focuses on increasing the potency (effect) and potentially quantity (Extra Remnant) of the Remnant modifiers found within the Expedition site (Way of History, Unearthed Anomalies). While patch buffs have made Remnants more powerful, the Upper Branch often provides a more reliable foundation for consistent monster density and specific currency/Logbook gains, though the Lower Branch is presented as a strong alternative focus depending on how you want to leverage Remnant power under certain conditions.

The guide suggests that the Expedition boss, Oroth, is typically less challenging than other major endgame bosses. He is often cited as one of the easier pinnacle bosses. His main mechanic mentioned is freezing attempts, which can be readily countered with a simple item like a Thawing Charm. While the developer may implement upcoming difficulty adjustments for Expedition bosses, the guide implies that currently, Oroth is generally manageable and not the primary hurdle compared to effectively clearing a heavily juiced Expedition encounter itself with its multitude of rare monsters and dangerous powerful affixes.

The guide explicitly stresses that the difference is absolutely immense, stating “potentially a thousand percent or more loot difference, without exaggeration!” This huge difference is not just from doing Expedition, but from doing it correctly with an optimized setup. This means carefully tuning your Atlas tree, strategically placing tablets to maximize key modifiers like Explosive Radius, meticulously rolling maps for beneficial explicit values, and executing the in-map encounter by prioritizing valuable targets and hitting beneficial Remnants early. A slapdash approach will yield minimal returns, whereas a properly tuned setup transforms the encounter from mere dirt piles into incredibly lucrative treasure troves, demonstrating the power of focused game knowledge and setup in Path of Exile 2 challenge leagues.