Path of Exile crafting guide (Beginner and Advanced)

Crafting in Path of Exile is one of the most common ways to acquire powerful gear. While you can use the items dropped by enemies as an upgrade, it’s almost impossible to get a perfect roll for the build you are using due to RNG. Different builds have different needs, and if relying on RNG is what all ARPGs are about, then crafting is a much faster way to get results.

To start crafting, you’ll need currency. There are several currencies in the game, and while you won’t need all of them, it’s good to know what they do. That’s the first half of what you need to know; the other half is learning about the items and using the currency on them.

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Basics of crafting items in Path of Exile

Path of Exile features a lot of currencies (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

If you’re starting from scratch or are new to Path of Exile, it’s better to start small and familiarize yourself with how crafting works in this game. Knowing how a currency interacts with an item is the most crucial part of the process of crafting it. However, before that, you’ll need to know about the items themselves. Each one has Affixes, also known as modifiers, that you can manipulate using different currencies.

There are two main types of modifiers: Implicit and Explicit.

Implicit modifiers

Good Implicit mods are hard to come by (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Implicit modifiers are easier to spot as they are separated from others by a divider. They are visible even before identifying an item and remain on them even when you use an Orb of Scouring. However, they aren’t present on everything. A good example is the elemental resistance on various rings.

Explicit modifiers

Explicit mods are not present on Normal items (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Explicit modifiers are present on two types of item bases, and themselves are of two types: Prefix and Suffix. The rarity of an item influences how many modifiers it can have. The item rarities in this game are Normal, Magic, and Rare.

• Normal items cannot have an Explicit modifier.
• Magic items can have up to two such modifiers: one Prefix and one Suffix.
• Rare items can have up to six such modifiers: three Prefixes and three Suffixes.

Note: Hold Alt on your keyboard to see the modifier details on an item.

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Beginner crafting in Path of Exile

Now that you know the basics, this section will teach you how to craft powerful items in the early stages of the game. They help increase your defenses and damage output as you progress through Acts and face more challenging enemies.

Using basic crafting currency in Path of Exile

An Orb of Transmutation can turn a Normal item into a Magic item (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

On a Normal item, use an Orb of Transmutation. This process will change its rarity to Magic, while adding random modifiers to the item. The maximum number of mods it can have is two: a Prefix and a Suffix.

An Orb of Alteration can change modifiers on a Magic item (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

To change the mods on a Magic item, use the Orb of Alteration. This orb makes random changes to the item and can be used on it until you get the desired results. Throughout the process, the item's rarity will remain the same.

An Orb of Augmentation can add a new modifier without changing the existing one (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

If the item only contains one mod, use an Orb of Augmentation to add another without changing the modifier that is already available. If there is a Prefix, the orb will add a Suffix, and vice versa.

A Regal Orb will change Magic items into Rare and add new modifiers (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Once a Prefix and a Suffix are present, you can add more only by transforming the item from Magic to Rare by using a Regal Orb. This process will add more random modifiers.

An Exalted Orb can add a new random mod to a Rare Item (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

The armor in the image received Dexterity as a new Suffix, but there are still three more mod slots available. Using an Exalted Orb will add a random modifier until the item has a total of six.

A Chaos Orb can re-roll modifiers on a Rare Item (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

If you don’t like the results, using a Chaos Orb will re-roll all of the modifiers randomly. The number of mods may not remain the same during the process.

An Orb of Annulment removes a random mod from a Rare item (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Instead of re-rolling the mods, you can use an Orb of Annulment to remove a random mod from the item. The process is risky as it might remove something you need.

An Orb of Scouring resets the item back to Normal (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

To start the crafting process again, use an Orb of Scouring to turn the item back to Normal. This process will remove all modifiers on the item.

This is what the basic crafting process will look like. Note that Rare items are not always the best. Good modifiers on a Magic item will be better than unwanted ones on a Rare. Besides, Chaos Orbs and Exalted Orbs are hard to find, so don’t waste them on an armor you’ll be replacing as you level up.

If you still want to use a Rare item, using an Orb of Alchemy is the fastest way without losing other currency. The results will be random, but the armor may turn into something you need.

Modifying item sockets in Path of Exile

Adding new sockets and links to an item (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

In addition to adding modifiers, you’ll often come across the need for more sockets on an item or to link the existing ones. To do that, you’ll need Jeweler’s Orbs and Orbs of Fusing.

• A Jeweler’s Orb reforges the number of sockets on an item.
• An Orb of Fusing links the existing sockets on an item.

The maximum number of sockets depends on armor and weapon; for example, boots can only have a maximum of four sockets, while armor can have six. However, the item's level also makes a difference. If the armor is less than Level 25, it is also limited to four sockets.

Changing socket colors using Chromatic Orbs (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Changing the color of item sockets in Path of Exile is also necessary to equip related Skill and Support gems. To change the color, you’ll need a Chromatic Orb, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

• Strength-based equipment will prioritize red sockets.
• Intelligence-based equipment will prioritize blue sockets.
• Dexterity-based equipment will prioritize green sockets.

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Advanced crafting in Path of Exile

As we have seen above, the basic currencies in this game provide random outcomes. However, as you reach the endgame, you’ll find currencies and other crafting methods that can add a higher tier of modifiers with more favorable RNG.

Adding or replacing Implicits

Adding an Implicit through Lesser Eldritch Ichor (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

As mentioned, Implicit mods are not available on all items. However, you can add them using special currencies. The simplest example is the Eldritch currency, Ichor and Ember, which can add or re-roll an Implicit mod to an item. You can find them within Eater of the Worlds or Searing Exarch-influenced maps.

Enchanting

Enchant flasks using Instilling Orbs (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Enchanting adds a unique modifier to an item that influences other mods. It doesn’t do anything to benefit the damage and defensive capabilities directly, but sets a condition that benefits other Explicit mods.

The Tempering Orb can be used to enchant weapons, while armor pieces can be enchanted by using the Tailoring Orb. For flasks, you can use an Instilling Orb and an Enkindling Orb to add enchantments for conditional activation.

Horticrafting (Harvest crafting)

Horticrafting station in Path of Exile (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Horticrafting uses Crystallised Lifeforce to reforge a Rare item with specific conditions. For example, you can reforge an item only to have Prefixes and then use Exalted Orbs to add Suffixes. The crafting bench contains a variety of modifier options for you to choose from.

Essence crafting

Essences can guarantee a modifier (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Essence can add a guaranteed modifier to an item. The Essences you find during the campaign can only add low-tier mods, but as you reach the endgame, some of them are capable of reforging a Rare item with a specific high-tier mod.

You can remove the unnecessary mods using an Orb of Annulment. If the RNG works in your favor, use the crafting bench to add more modifiers to the item.

Delev crafting (Fossil crafting)

Resonators and Fossils can result in good modifiers (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Delve crafting uses Fossils and Resonators found while exploring the mines. The Fossils can be installed within a Resonator, which can then be used as a currency to reforge a Rare item.

If the Fossil says “More Defence modifiers, No Life Modifiers,” then the resulting item will contain no life mods, but will add random defense mods like increased energy shield or armor. There are several Fossils in the game, each with a different mod description.

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There are several other ways to craft an item in Path of Exile, many of which include combining multiple methods. Each new League has a good chance of adding new ways to craft powerful gear, so we recommend trying out everything to find out which one suits you the best.

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Check out our other guides on Path of Exile:

• Path of Exile: 5 coziest one-button builds (League 3.26)
• Path of Exile 3.26: Mapping tier list for Mercenaries League
• Top 3 Atlas strategies for currency farming in Path of Exile 3.26
• Path of Exile tier list: All Classes and Ascendancies ranked