Complete Beginner’s Guide to Crafting in Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2’s crafting system had a massive overhaul compared to Path of Exile, even if there were only a few changes. These changes are quite game-changing and will also drastically affect the market. However, new players will find it easier to grasp since there are fewer concepts at play. Here’s a complete rundown of Path of Exile 2’s crafting system that will serve as a baseline for new and veteran players alike.

Complete Beginner’s Guide to Crafting in Path of Exile 2 | How to Use Currency Orbs

Path of Exile 2 has a unique crafting system that also heavily affects the global economy of the game in each league. This is because the main currencies used for trading are also used to craft the best gear in the game. The most basic crafting system uses Orb currencies. Before we tackle them one by one, here’s a table containing the orbs or currencies used for crafting:

There are several Orbs here, and you’ll use a combination of these currencies to craft your gear with the best possible outcome. 

When you are just starting off, you want to use a combination of Orb of Transmutations and Orb of Alterations to start crafting your most basic gear for the start of the campaign. You’ll get a white base item and use an Orb of Transmutation to turn it into a Magic item.

Once you transform it, it’ll have one extra affix or modifier. If it is a bad affix, just sell it and move to the next item. You can use the Orb of Alteration to add another affix or modifier if it is decent. You’ll repeat this process until you get two great affixes for your character. 

An Orb of Alchemy will turn that Magic item into a Rare, which adds another modifier or affix. Using this method, it’ll be extremely hard to hit three stats in a row, which is where the other currencies come in handy. For example, if Orb of Transmutations and Orb of Alterations are cheap, you can use those to get two perfect affixes on a Magic item. Since the next step will be risky, you want a more deterministic way to get another good affix. In this scenario, you want to use Essences, but this method is reserved for those with a lot of Essences, which is mostly attained in the endgame.

Related: Where to Sacrifice the Sacrificial Heart in Path of Exile 2

Basic Item Crafting Guide in Path of Exile 2

As a simple example, let’s say you want these stats on your helmet piece:

• % Increased Armor and Evasion
• % Chaos Resistance
• % Any Resistance
• Flat Maximum Life

You’ll want to get a normal rarity base item (good item level preferred) and do the following:

1. Use an Orb of Transmutation to turn the item into Magic and try to hit one of the Affixes above.
2. Use an Orb of Augmentation to add another Affix to your Magic item.
3. Use a Regal Orb to turn that Magic item to Rare and add another Affix.
4. Use an Exalted Orb to add another Affix to your Rare item.

This is the core of any Path of Exile crafting method, which shares similarities with the first game. However, Path of Exile 2 has two crucial Orbs missing: Orb of Scouring and Orb of Alteration. The Orb of Scouring cleans out all the Affixes while an Orb of Alteration rerolls the Affixes of a Magic item, and these two mechanics aren’t available.

Because of this, your crafting or farming cycle will revolve around finding good base item types (white items) and using these currencies to make your item. Once you don’t hit your Affixes in any of the steps, you throw away or sell your item.

Once you reach steps 3 and 4, you should exercise caution because these are “rarer” currencies. Even if you roll the correct Affixes, you might want to check if these Affixes have a “high” roll before proceeding.

It is also worth noting that crafting some items that aren’t good for you might be good for someone else. You should check the rolls out and sell them in the market. Remember, some good items out there are selling for one Exalted Orb or even less. In some ways, it is better to farm some Exalted Orbs and search the market for an item you want.

But, of course, it is a different feeling when you are crafting your own gear and hitting all those Affixes! If you are coming from Diablo 4, check out this PoE 2 guide.