Welcome! In this guide we’ll break down everything you need to know about item terminology, gear progression, and the various crafting systems available in the game. Understanding these mechanics will be crucial as you build your character and push into higher-tier content.
Item Terminology
Every piece of gear in Path of Exile 2 is built around a series of modifiers that define its capabilities. In PoE2, the balance and interplay of these modifiers can make the difference between a passable piece of gear and something that perfectly complements your build.
- Prefix – These modifiers boost your core stats such as damage, life, mana, or movement speed.
- Suffix – These tweak secondary stats, like resistances or accuracy.
- Affix – A general term that covers both prefixes and suffixes.
- Implicit – Built-in stats that are always present on every version of an item.
- Explicit – Stats that are added through random modifiers generation or crafting (and are only present on non-normal items).
- Enchantment – Special modifiers applied through unique methods using an enchantment slot. For instance, you might see runes on weapons and armor or the Distilled Emotions modifier on an amulet.
- Corruption – A unique kind of enchantment that comes from using a Vaal Orb, permanently altering the item and potentially adding a powerful random modifier.
Normal Items, Magic Items… what’s up with the item rarity here?
Rarity plays a central role in determining what modifiers can appear on your gear. Let’s break down the four basic gear rarities you’ll encounter:
| Rarity | Color | Mods | Notes |
| Normal | White | None | Basic item with base stats only. |
| Magic | Blue | Up to 2 (1 prefix, 1 suffix) | A step up from normal; limited add potential. |
| Rare | Yellow | Up to 6 (3 prefixes, 3 suffixes) | Offers the most versatility for builds. |
| Unique | Orange | Fixed adds and special effects | Can define or completely enable a build. |
White items are unmodified, while blue items offer slight upgrades with a prefix and suffix. Rare items, the backbone of most builds, can roll up to six affixes, allowing for greater customization.
Unique items work differently, featuring powerful modifiers and exclusive effects that can redefine a build. For instance, a unique that adds extra explosions to Cluster Bombs can be a game-changer for a mercenary build. However, if a unique doesn’t fit your setup, its power may feel underwhelming.
Gear Progression
As you traverse the campaign, your weapon’s quality path will be as dynamic as the challenges you face. Early on, you might pick up a basic martial weapon like a Zealot Bow, which comes with standard stats and no adds. But as you progress, you’ll encounter more advanced versions—Advanced and eventually Expert variants—that will increase weapons quality.
The Three Tiers of Gear
We can organize gear in Path of Exile 2 into three main tiers:
- Basic Items: These are your starting gear. They come with the base stats and no adds.
- Advanced Items: These are upgraded versions that offer improved base stats.
- Expert Items: Found in the late game, these items have the best possible base numbers, allowing for high-tier modifiers to roll.
For example, consider the Zealot Bow:
- Basic Zealot Bow: You may find it in early game, its base physical damage between 31–47.
- Advanced Zealot Bow: Its base damage jumps to 46–69, even before any adds are applied.
- Expert Zealot Bow: Comes later in the game and is optimized to support high-end builds.
This progression is clear in level jumps—by Cruel difficulty Act 2, you might go from level 16 to 32. Later, leveling slows (e.g., 51 to 57–58), but the need for upgrades rises as enemies grow tougher and base stats matter more. Gear should align with Passive Skill Tree choices for damage, defense, and utility while ensuring elemental resistances match each act’s threats.
- Act 1: Cold resistance is crucial for the final boss.
- Act 2: Lightning resistance becomes the focus.
- Act 3: Fire resistance is paramount.
Early Game Resource Management
Since crafting materials are not infinite, it’s important to be smart with your resources. Here’s a brief list of tips to maximize your crafting efforts:
- Pick the Right Bases: Not every drop is worth upgrading. Focus on items that fit your build. For example, if you’re playing a Grenadier Mercenary, target belts, rings, and armor that bolster your resistances and life.
- Assess Before Investing: When you come across a white item with a promising base, use a Transmutation Orb and examine the first few rolls. If you see strong modifiers—say, a robust fire resistance on an Unset Ring—it might be worth committing further resources.
- Upgrade Wisely: Use your cheaper orbs (Transmutes and Augments) extensively until you get a solid base. Save your Regal Orbs and Exalted Orbs for items that already have strong potential.
A real-life example might be finding a belt with +160 maximum life and a charm slot. That’s a great start and usually worth upgrading. In contrast, if you stumble upon an Elite Greathelm of Magma with decent armor but then roll a disappointing +19 Mana, it might not be the best candidate for further investment.
The bottom line is that low-level gear simply can’t roll high-tier affixes. A level 35–40 item will always have a ceiling that prevents it from matching the potential of higher-level equipment, so eventually, you must commit to upgrades.
Increase Armor Quality with Crafting
Crafting in PoE2 is all about RNG. Whether you’re upgrading armor or looking to upgrade weapon quality, the right crafting materials can make a significant difference. Unlike PoE1, which featured a more intricate meta crafting system (with crafting benches, beast crafting, and fossils), Path of Exile 2’s crafting is largely dependent on orbs. Here’s how it breaks down:
| Orb Type | Function | When to Use |
| Transmutation | Turns a white item into a blue item | When you need to upgrade a basic item |
| Alchemy | Upgrades a blue item to rare (yellow) item | When a magic item has promising mods |
| Regal | Further enhances a blue item to rare | When the base item is strong and you want higher mods |
| Chaos | Rerolls all explicit affixes | When you need to change poor rolls |
| Exalted | Adds an extra affix | For high-level crafting on items with strong bases |
| Artificer’s | Adds sockets to items | When you need to insert runes or soul cores |
In essence, crafting is like pulling the slot machine repeatedly until you hit on a configuration that suits your build. This “random drop” nature of it means you must be strategic about which items to invest in and which crafting materials to use.
While the crafting system is fundamentally RNG, there are ways to tilt the odds in your favor.
- Essences — Essences allow you to force a specific modifier while the rest of the stats roll randomly. This is particularly useful if you have identified a key stat that your build needs. For instance, if your armor is lacking in a particular resistance, an Essence can guarantee that modifier. Resources like PoE2db provide a full list of possible mods with tags (attack, speed, crit, fire, etc.), helping you make informed decisions about which Essence to use.
- Expedition — Expedition encounters offer another method to manipulate crafting outcomes. By participating in these encounters, you can collect artifacts and use Exotic Coins to reroll vendor inventories. While Expedition crafting was far stronger in PoE1, it still has its place in Path of Exile 2. If you stumble upon an item with a solid base—say, boots with high armor—it might be worth trying to craft it into something more powerful. Just be mindful that you only have a limited number of crafts per item; if the item doesn’t look promising after a few tries, it’s best to move on.
- Gambling — Gambling is another way to obtain gear. In Cruel Act 3, Alva in the Secluded Refuge lets you spend gold on random items. While weapon gambling is unpredictable, it’s useful for acquiring jewelry or armor. You can’t choose the exact base type, but for rings and amulets, that matters less—you might land a Prismatic Ring for resistances or an elemental ring for specific protection. However, gambling is unreliable; defeating enemies remains the most effective way to secure strong upgrades.
Reforging Bench – A Handy Tool for Getting Good Gear
The Reforging Bench is a great way to upgrade gear, using a simple 3-to-1 system: combine three items (or Waystones) to get one new item. However, it inherits the lowest item level among them, so avoid mixing in low-level gear.
Unlike PoE1’s synthesis or recombinators, reforging doesn’t retain modifiers—only the base type, rarity, and item level, with affixes rolled randomly. Keeping a stash for potential upgrades and trading unwanted gear for crafting currency is helpful to refining your build.
Blacksmith’s Whetstone, Armorer’s Scrap, Arcanist’s Etcher and Adding Sockets
Upgrading weapon’s quality means increased damage, while upgrading armor’s quality translates to better defense through increased armor, evasion rating, or energy shield. Jewelry can also gain quality bonuses that enhance their stats. To raise an item’s quality, you’ll need specific upgrade materials:
| Item Type | Quality Currency | Effect |
| Melee Physical Weapons | Blacksmith’s Whetstones | Increase base physical damage output |
| Caster Weapons | Arcanist’s Etchers | Increase base spell damage |
| Armor | Armorer’s Scraps | Boost armor, evasion rating, and energy shield |
These currencies are typically acquired by remaking unwanted gear pieces on the Salvage Bench. With gold now being an actual currency in Path of Exile 2, you must strike a balance between selling gear and breaking it down for these valuable materials.
Sockets and Runes
Sockets in Path of Exile 2 have evolved from being solely for gems to a system that accommodates runes and soul cores. For example, a Glacial Rune might add extra cold damage to a weapon, or if socketed in armor, it could provide an additional +12% cold resistance.
Gear comes with a preset number of sockets. Larger pieces can have up to two, but most items have only one. You want an additional sockets to an item, you’ll require Artificer’s Orbs. They’re rare though, save these orbs until you’re certain.
Runes will be invaluable for patching up missing resistances or adding extra offensive capabilities, so keep an eye out for opportunities to upgrade armor and weapon quality through sockets.
Final Thoughts
Crafting, reforging, quality upgrades, and socket management shape the core of Path of Exile 2’s gameplay. Early on, basic gear lays the foundation for your build, but improving is essential.
Mastering item rarity, reforging, and crafting mechanics is key to progression. Look for gear that grants more spirit to sustain combat effectiveness. Experiment, adapt, and may your drops be legendary!