Path of Exile 2 Currency Guide

Dec-03-2024

 

Path of Exile 2 is a sequel of POE1, which early access launch will kick off on December 6, 2024. While the sequel introduces many changes, Currency Orbs can still be fundamental to crafting, trading, and upgrading items.

 

Understanding the different types of Currency, their rarity, and how to best use them will be crucial to progressing through the game and optimizing your gear. This guide will break down the various Currency items you can encounter, their functions, uses, and tips for efficient crafting. Let's dive right in!

 

 

The Components of Path of Exile 2 Currencies

Path of Exile 2 has streamlined its currency system by removing several outdated currencies from the original game and focusing on the essentials. Below is a comprehensive guide to the most important currencies you'll encounter in the game.

 

Gold

Gold is one of the core currencies in Path of Exile 2. You can also find it from the original Path of Exile, where it was introduced as part of the Settlers of Kalguur expansion.

 

You can buy items from town vendors. Surprisingly, Vendors now offer unidentified items, similar to Diablo II: Resurrected's Gheed. You can gamble your excess gold for a chance at rare and potentially powerful items. 

 

Moreover, Gold allows you to respec your skill points, giving you the flexibility to try different builds without the fear of locking yourself into a single path.

 

Note: Gold cannot be traded, but players can spend gold to upgrade gears and improve their characters.

 

Orb of Transmutation

The Orb of Transmutation is your go-to Orb for upgrading basic gear early in the game. It is used to upgrade a Normal (white) item into a Magic (blue) item, with one guaranteed modifier (prefix or suffix). Commonly used to enhance Flasks, or to add your first modifier to a weapon or piece of armor.

 

Unlike in PoE1, the orb could generate one or two random modifiers, in PoE2, the Orb of Transmutation guarantees a single mod, either a prefix or a suffix, not both. If you have an abundance of these, don’t hesitate to upgrade your Flasks to improve their properties early on.

 

Orb of Augmentation

After using an Orb of Transmutation, you can use an Orb of Augmentation to add a second modifier to a Magic item. This makes it useful for crafting Magic items with multiple modifiers early in the game. This can also be used to add a second modifier to a Flask, improving its effects.

 

Magic items can have a maximum of two modifiers (one Prefix and one Suffix). If you already have a good modifier from Orb of Transmutation, Orb of Augmentation can help you maximize the potential of your gear.

 

Regal Orb

The Regal Orb is used to upgrade a Magic item into a Rare (yellow) item, with three modifiers (two prefixes and one suffix). This orb is more commonly found than Exalted Orbs and is used to create Rare items from Magic items, allowing for more powerful affixes.

 

Once you’ve used an Orb of Transmutation and Orb of Augmentation to create a Magic item, you can use a Regal Orb to turn it into a Rare item with a third modifier.

 

When you have a Magic item with two useful modifiers, use a Regal Orb to add a third modifier and increase your chances of obtaining a well-rounded Rare item.

 

Exalted Orb

Exalted Orbs are now more common than in Path of Exile 1, and they add a random modifier to a Rare item. They can be used to enhance an existing Rare item with additional powerful mods.

 

After using a Regal Orb, an Exalted Orb is required to add more modifiers to your item. This orb is necessary for fully optimizing your gear, especially in the midto late-game.

 

Don’t hesitate to use Exalted Orbs on Rare gear that has a solid base but can benefit from an additional modifier. These Orbs are common enough in PoE 2 that you can use them during your campaign without feeling overly cautious.

 

Orb of Alchemy

The Orb of Alchemy upgrades a Normal item into a Rare item, but with a guaranteed four modifiers compared to a random number in PoE1. This guarantees higher quality and better crafted items.

 

This is a key item for crafting rare gear during the campaign, especially when you want to create better weapons, armor, and accessories.

 

Be cautious with Orb of Alchemy as its randomness can sometimes lead to undesirable results.

 

Chaos Orb

In PoE 2, the Chaos Orb has been upgraded. It now serves a combined purpose of an Orb of Annulment and Exalted Orb. Chaos Orb is used to re-roll a Rare item’s modifiers, randomly removes a bad modifier and adding a better one. It allows you to modify rare gear and can be crucial for optimizing your items.

 

Be cautious about using this Orb on important items, as it can sometimes replace a good modifier with a worse one. Avoid using them on perfect items unless you are willing to take a risk.

 

Divine Orb

The Divine Orb retains its function from PoE1, rerolling the numerical values of item modifiers within their given range. For example, if an item has a modifier that grants +100 to +120 HP, the Divine Orb will only roll between 100 and 120, but never outside that range.

 

Save Divine Orbs for high-end items or Unique items where you want to perfect the values of modifiers. Best used on items with good modifiers that you want to fine-tune. Don’t use them on items that are already near-perfect.

 

Vaal Orb

Vaal Orbs can be used to add powerful enchantments, increase socket count, or reroll item modifiers. However, Vaal Orbs are risky. Using one can result in a bricked item, especially if used on a Unique item. Corruption often results in permanent changes, such as adding extra sockets or modifiers, but it can also lock an item in a corrupted state, preventing further modification.

 

Use Vaal Orbs carefully and only when you’re willing to risk the potential downsides of corruption. It’s best to use these on high-value items you can afford to lose or that have the potential for huge rewards.

 

Mirror of Kalandra

Mirror of Kalandra is an extremely rare items, you can use it to create a copy of a non-Unique item. It is rumored to create a perfect copy of an item, which is especially valuable for players who craft highly optimized gear. (Unconfirmed)

 

Be cautious when handling this item as its rarity makes it incredibly valuable. If you’re lucky enough to obtain a Mirror of Kalandra, consult the community or guides before using it to ensure you get the most out of this rare item.

 

Essences

Essences allow you to craft gear with one guaranteed modifier depending on the type of Essence used. For example, the Essence of Hate guarantees a movement speed modifier on boots, while the Essence of Body guarantees a life modifier on body armor.

 

Types of Essences

Normal Essence: Upgrades a Normal item into a Magic item.

Greater Essence: Upgrades a Magic item into a Rare item.

 

Omens

Omens in PoE2 are used for meta-crafting. They add specific modifiers after crafting, making them essential for fine-tuning your gear. For example, the Omen of Sinistral Exaltation adds only prefix modifiers after using an Exalted Orb.

 

Omens are a unique addition in PoE2 and can be activated by right-clicking them in your inventory, activating their effect for your current crafting project.

 

Runes & Soul Cores

In PoE2, gear has sockets not for gems, but for Runes and Soul Cores. These items offer additional modifiers that enhance your build.

 

Runes: Provide useful effects such as elemental damage or resistances.

Soul Cores: Provide powerful effects like additional critical damage, increased Spirit, or Magic Find (MF).

 

Important Note: Once inserted, Runes cannot be removed, so be sure to carefully choose which gear to modify.

 

Artificer's Orb

The Artificer's Orb is a new currency that allows players to add sockets to their gear without corrupting the item, unlike the Vaal Orb, which also adds sockets but corrupts the item in the process.

 

You can use Artificer's Orbs on your items that have sockets, providing you with more customization options for your gear without worrying about losing future modding opportunities.

 

Blacksmith's Whetstone & Armourer's Scrap

These two currencies are used to improve the quality of weapons and armor, respectively.

 

Blacksmith's Whetstone: Increases the quality of weapons, which boosts their damage output.

Armourer's Scrap: Increases the quality of armor, enhancing its defensive value.

 

Currencies Removed in Path of Exile 2

GGG has streamlined the currency system in PoE2, which means many currencies from PoE1 have been removed. Some notable exclusions include:

 

Orb of Scouring: Used to remove modifiers from an item (now replaced by a different crafting approach).

Orb of Alteration, Chromatic Orb, Eldritch Currencies: These have been removed to simplify crafting.

Awakener's Orb, Sacred Orb, Fracturing Orb, and others: These are no longer in the game to make the crafting process less complex.

 

Path of Exile 2 has introduced significant changes to its currency system. By understanding these currencies and their uses, you can efficiently craft the best gear for your character, improve your build, and maximize your power as you journey through Path of Exile 2.

 

For more PoE2 guides, tips, and tricks, stay tuned to our main page!