Crafting in Path of Exile is a complex mixture of skill, strategy, and luck. Orbs like the Orb of Transmutation and Orb of Alchemy reroll items, while other crafting methods like Fossils, Catalysts, and Annulment Orbs let players target specific modifiers for more deterministic outcomes. Unique Fossils add build-defining mods like abyssal sockets and gem level boosts, while catalysts give players more ways to fine-tune their equipment.
What Is Crafting?
In crafting, players can modify existing items with various modifiers. Some of these can be acquired through random drops and other methods like the Crafting Bench or fixed vendor recipes, while others require a more precise process such as Fossil-Crafting. Modifier influence can be influenced by the item’s base stats, as well as other factors such as the wand’s weapon damage or socket links’ attribute requirements. Catalysts can help to increase the chance of getting a specific mod, and some fossils even offer unique benefits such as abyssal sockets or gem modifiers.
The crafting bench is a special station that lets players add crafted modifiers to items for a more precise and predictable outcome. It doesn’t directly use basic currency such as orbs, but it is fueled by them. This is where many players will take their first steps into crafting, setting the stage for more advanced techniques. It’s also where you can find a number of special essences that grant unique modifiers such as a life leech effect on a wand. Adding a crafted mod requires a non-essence item that has a random affix slot open, then combining it with the desired essence. The result is a magic item with that mod, while the rest of the affixes are still rolled randomly.
Using the bench is one of the best ways to improve gear while leveling, and it’s especially useful for improving resistances. To do this, a player needs a white item that’s been upgraded to magic with the desired mod. Then they can re-roll the modifiers with a transmute orb and scouring orb, or improve the quality with a blacksmith’s whetstone or leatherworker’s scraps.
Modifiers
Modifiers are the craft of exile that appear on items and affect their stats. Each affix has a specific effect that it can have and a modifier pool that it can draw from. The pool of modifiers is largely determined by the item level, and certain modifiers can only be found at higher item levels. In addition, some affixes can only be applied to certain item types such as weapon weapons. There are a number of ways to modify items, including rerolling, changing the value of existing affixes or adding new ones. Some of these methods can be expensive and require a lot of currency, especially when they involve using the Chaos Orb or Fossils.
The faceted fossil is a very useful crafting method that allows players to add specific modifiers to an item, such as increased gem levels. This can be very helpful when trying to craft a particular piece of gear, and is often cheaper than other crafting methods. Modifiers can be tagged with various tags, and a non-exhaustive list can be found here. Some of these tags interact with the Catalyst, Fossils, Harvest crafts and Heist enchantments, while others do not. Modifiers with the Tag of Spellcraft can not be augmented by Caster or Heist enchantments, and they also do not work when reforging an item with a Heist Orb or the Chaos Orb.
The Reforge with Modifiers that include a (Tag) modifier craft can be used to completely reforge an item while guaranteeing that at least one of the selected modifiers will have the specified tag. This can be a useful way to remove unwanted affixes on an item, or to fill gaps in resistances. However, it is important to note that Reforge with Modifiers cannot be used on items crafted with the Awakener’s Orb or Fossils, which will not respect this metamod.
Bases
There are a variety of bases in path of exile, including helmets, body armor, gloves, and accessories. Each base can roll a different pool of modifiers, and some are unique to that type of item. Understanding the various base types is essential for crafting powerful gear for your build. Some mods require a specific base to unlock, and others can be obtained through other means. For example, a player can use an Orb of Alteration to add two wanted modifiers onto an item, or they can use the faceted fossil method to get specific gem modifiers. Other ways to gain a particular modifier include purchasing it through a vendor or using a catalyst.
Crafting can be expensive and time-consuming, but it can also yield great results. Using the crafting bench and reforging can help players save money, and using certain methods can increase the chances of obtaining a desired item. For example, chaos spam can result in powerful shields for spellcaster builds, and reforging can help players get a high life ring for their build.
It’s also important to know how to manipulate item affixes to improve the odds of creating a desirable weapon, and to understand the different types of modifiers. This can be done by utilizing fossils, the harvest mechanic, and the crafting bench. It is also important to know which items are worth buying in poe trade, as this can make the crafting process much more cost-effective.
Tags
When crafting an item, you can add or remove a mod from it. This is known as metacrafting and can be done on any item in the game. Using this technique can change the stats of an item dramatically, but it is very expensive. It is also risky, as it may be impossible to replace the modified item if you are unsuccessful. Some items have special tags that influence the mods that are able to be added to them. These tags can be useful or detrimental depending on the build. For example, a spell damage increase can be very valuable on certain builds. On the other hand, a physical damage reduction can be very bad for others.
Other items have special modifiers that prevent specific types of mods from being added to them. This is a useful way to limit the number of mods that can be applied to an item, especially for high-end items where the cost of adding or changing all of the sufixes and prefixes can become very expensive quickly. For example, a wand can be crafted with a +1 chaos wand base, but only if the item has the magic tag. This is because the +1 chaos wand base has a low base physical damage, which would cause the wand to be too specced for its intended role.
Fossils can also be used to create unique items with specialized modifiers. For example, a Corroded Fossil can make a wand with both a physical and a damage reduction. This is a useful combination for wands, as a physical damage reduction can help reduce the overall cost of an item by reducing its spawn weight.
Currency
As the name suggests, currency is a form of in-game money that can be used to create or modify items. It can be obtained in a variety of ways, including through the in-game market and by using items that have the ability to generate currency. In addition, currency can also be purchased with real-world money. This makes it a popular method of obtaining items in the game. It is important to understand the different types of currency in Path of Exile before starting to craft items. Each type of currency has its own uses and can greatly affect the outcome of a craft. For example, a Regal Orb can upgrade a blue item to a rare item with three prefixes and three suffixes. This can increase the overall strength of the item and improve its defensive characteristics. However, it is important to note that not all Regal Orbs will result in a good craft.
Similarly, the Maven’s Orb can increase the tier of an influence modifier on an existing item. This can significantly improve the power of an item, making it a valuable tool for crafting. It is recommended to save chaos and exalted orbs for high-level items and end game maps.
Conclusion
The key to maximizing your profits in Craft of Exile is to understand the market and learn what items will sell well. This will help you avoid spending too much currency on items that will not sell well. Generally, you will want to sell items that have a low base cost and a fairly static price, such as Essences, Scarabs, Fossils, or Stacked Decks. This will allow you to make the most profit from your time investment in the game.
