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Direct answers
When should I upgrade gear?
Upgrade your weapon whenever your damage feels low and your armour/rings whenever you miss resistance or life targets. In the campaign, vendor and craft upgrades every few levels rather than waiting for a perfect drop.
What is the crafting bench for?
The bench adds specific, guaranteed modifiers (resistances, life, attributes, defences) to fill the gaps your drops do not cover. It is the cheapest way to cap resistances before maps.
Before maps, hit these
Cap all three elemental resistances at 75%, have a real life pool, and keep your weapon DPS high enough to clear comfortably. Maps punish incomplete gear harder than the campaign.
Gearing targets at a glance
Crafting currency reference
Which orb to use and when. Early game favours the cheap ones; save Exalted and Divine for maps and endgame rares.
| Orb | Effect | Best stage |
|---|---|---|
| Orb of Transmutation | White item becomes magic (1 modifier) | Campaign |
| Orb of Augmentation | Adds a modifier to a magic item | Campaign |
| Orb of Alteration | Rerolls a magic item's modifiers | Campaign |
| Orb of Alchemy | Magic item becomes rare | Campaign+ |
| Chaos Orb | Rerolls all modifiers of a rare | Maps |
| Exalted Orb | Adds one modifier to a rare | Maps+ |
| Divine Orb | Rerolls numeric values of modifiers | Endgame |
| Vaal Orb | Corrupts an item (risk + possible bonus) | Endgame |
A Regal Orb turns a magic item into a rare with one extra modifier - useful when you have a good magic base you want to keep.
Campaign, bench, maps
The gearing loop has three phases. Pick yours.
Spend currency lightly and lean on the bench.
- Use Transmutation + Augmentation on good bases, then fill gaps at the bench.
- Upgrade your weapon first when damage drops; upgrade rings/chest for resistances.
- Equip every resistance and life roll you find.
Bench craft examples
Typical bench crafts that solve common gaps:
Resistance craft
Add a flat resistance to a ring, amulet, or chest to reach the 75% cap you are missing.
Life craft
Add maximum life to a body armour or helmet when your pool is thin.
Attribute craft
Add Strength, Dexterity, or Intelligence to meet a gem or gear requirement you are short on.
My gear feels stuck
Select what is holding you back. The tool gives the fix.
Gearing and crafting video guides
Spud the King
Why You're STUCK in PoE 2 (and How to Get OP FAST)
A gear-progression walkthrough from Act 1 through the endgame, showing when to craft, what stats to look for, and how to keep damage scaling into red maps.
What to watch for: Upgrade gear in steps each act, cap resistances, and keep weapon DPS scaling into maps.
Open source ↗Spud the King
ONLY Crafting Guide YOU NEED - PoE 2 (0.3)
A complete crafting guide for Path of Exile 2 covering bench basics, planning a craft, and high-value crafting for endgame rares.
What to watch for: Learn bench basics first, then plan a craft around the modifiers your build actually needs.
Open source ↗Frequently asked questions
Should I use Exalted Orbs in the campaign?
Usually no. Save Exalted and Divine for maps and endgame rares. In the campaign, Transmutation, Augmentation, Alchemy, and bench crafts get you further per orb.
How do I cap resistances without good drops?
Use the crafting bench to add the specific resistance you are missing on rings, amulets, or your chest. It is the cheapest, most reliable path to 75%.
When is my character ready for maps?
When all three elemental resistances are at 75%, you have a comfortable life pool, and your weapon DPS clears campaign bosses without struggle.
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