Path of Exile 2: The Essential Currency & Crafting Beginner Guide

Let’s cut to the chase: if you’re new to Path of Exile 2, the currency and crafting systems will either make you a god or break your spirit. I’ve watched too many players burn through their Chaos Orbs on garbage gear or waste Exalts on low-tier bases. Don’t be that guy. This guide’s here to turn you from a clueless exile into a crafting savant. No luck, no magic—just cold, hard strategy.

POE 2’s Currency System: What Actually Matters

Forget the wiki deep dives. Here’s the stuff you need to know, ranked by usefulness:

1. Orb of Transmutation

What it does: Turns white items into blue (magic) gear with 1 random affix.
Why you care: Early-game MVP. Slap this on a white weapon or armor piece to get a quick damage or survivability boost.
Pro tip: If the affix sucks, don’t sweat it—just toss the item. You’ll drown in these orbs by Act 3.
See more in the Orb of Transmutation Guide.

2. Orb of Augmentation

What it does: Adds a second random affix to blue gear.
Why you care: Pair this with Transmutation to turn “meh” gear into something usable. Got a blue sword with +15% fire damage? Augment it and pray for attack speed.
Don’t: Waste these on gear you won’t use in 2 levels. Save ‘em for rare bases like two-stone rings or high-armor helmets.
Get the full guide in the Orb of Augmentation Guide.

3. Orb of Alchemy

What it does: Upgrades white items directly to rare (yellow) gear with 4-6 affixes.
Why you care: Mid-game gamechanger. Use it on ilvl 50+ bases (check with ALT) for gear that’ll carry you to maps.
Gotcha: Alchs are rare early on. Don’t blow them on a level 20 leather belt.
Read more in the Orb of Alchemy Guide.

4. Regal Orb

What it does: Upgrades blue gear to rare, adding 1 affix (total of 3).
Why you care: Turns your godly blue item (like a +2 minion helmet) into rare gear without losing the good mods.
But…: Regals are scarce. Only use them on bases you’ll keep for at least 10 levels.
Check out the Regal Orb Guide for more info.

5. Chaos Orb

What it does: Rerolls all affixes on a rare item.
Why you care: The ultimate gamble. Great for fixing gear with 1-2 trash mods.
Reality check: Beginners always overuse these. Only chaos-spam items with:

• High item level (ilvl 70+).

• Good base type (e.g., Sorcerer Boots, Vaal Regalia).

• At least 2 decent mods already.
  Get all the details in the Chaos Orb Guide.

6. Orb of Annulment

What it does: Deletes 1 random affix from rare gear.
Why you care: Salvage gear ruined by a bad chaos roll. Got a chest with +90 life but also +8% fire res? Annul the fire res and pray. Warning: This orb’s a troll. It’ll nuke your best mod 70% of the time. Use sparingly.
Find out more in the Orb of Annulment Guide.

7. Vaal Orb

What it does: Corrupts an item, adding wild (often game-breaking) mods.
Why you care: Turns good gear into greatness… or bricks it. Corrupted blood immunity? Yes. Your 6-link chest becoming a rare 4-link? Also yes.
Rule #1: Never vaal your only good item. Have a backup.
Learn more in the Vaal Orb Guide.

8. Exalted Orb

What it does: Adds 1 new affix to rare gear (up to 6 total).
Why you care: Endgame crafting essential. Use it to finish near-perfect gear.
Harsh truth: You’ll find maybe 5 of these in your first 100 hours. Don’t waste them.
Learn more about it in the Exalted Orb Guide.

9. Divine Orb

What it does: Rerolls the values of existing affixes (keeps the mod types).
Why you care: Turn a “+18% chaos res” into a “+35%” roll.
Pro move: Use these on uniques with variable rolls (e.g., Taste of Hate).
For a full breakdown, check out the Divine Orb Guide.

10. Orb of Chance

What it does: Upgrades a normal (white) item into a random rarity (magic, rare, or unique, if applicable).
Why you care: Your lottery ticket for high-value uniques. Best used on specific bases that can roll powerful uniques.
Golden rule: Don’t spam these on random gear—target items with chase uniques, like league-defining weapons or meta armor pieces.
Discover more in the Orb of Chance Guide.

11. Essences

What they do: Craft blue gear with guaranteed mods (e.g., “Essence of Horror” adds +30% elemental damage).
Why you care: No RNG. Slam these on high-ilvl bases for instant upgrades.
Golden rule: Never use a Screaming Essence of Greed (+life) on a weapon. That’s what armor/helmets are for.
Find out more in the Essence Guide.

12. Mirror of Kalandra

What it does: Creates an exact duplicate of a non-corrupted, non-mirrored item. The copy is mirrored, meaning it cannot be modified.
Why you care: The ultimate flex. Only use it on the most god-tier gear, as mirrored items cannot be changed.
Golden rule: Never waste a Mirror of Kalandra on anything but a perfect item—use a Mirror Service instead to copy proven best-in-slot gear.
For detailed information, refer to the Mirror of Kalandra Guide.

13. Jeweller’s Orb

What they do: Changes the number of sockets on a piece of gear. Comes in three tiers: Lesser (rerolls 1–2 sockets), Greater (rerolls 3–4 sockets), and Perfect (adds a Support Gem Socket to a Skill Gem with 4 Support Sockets).
Why you care: Essential for optimizing gear setups. Perfect Jeweller’s Orb is a must-have for maximizing Skill Gem potential.
Golden rule: Don’t waste a Perfect Jeweller’s Orb on a weak Skill Gem—use it on your core damage or utility skills.
Check out the Perfect Jeweller's Orb Guide for detailed information.

14. Quality Currency

What they do: Improves the quality of different item types—Blacksmith’s Whetstone (Weapons), Arcanist’s Etcher (Wands & Staves), Armourer’s Scrap (Armor), Gemcutter’s Prism (Skill Gems), and Glassblower’s Bauble (Flasks).
Why you care: More quality means better performance—higher damage, defense, or effectiveness. Maxing out quality before crafting is always a smart move.
Golden rule: Always use quality currency on normal (white) items first—they get the most quality per use.

15. Fracturing Orb

What it does: Permanently locks in one random modifier on a rare item, letting you safely reroll the rest.
Why you care: It's your best friend when crafting high-end gear—preserve a god-tier mod and reroll the rest for perfection.
Golden rule: Use only on rares with one standout mod worth keeping—wasting it on mediocre gear kills its massive potential.

Learn more in the Fracturing Orb Guide.

Crafting 101: From Trash to Treasure in 3 Steps

Crafting in POE 2 isn’t about luck—it’s about working smarter. Here’s how to turn a junk base into something legendary:

Step 1: Start with the Right Base

• Prioritize item level: ilvl determines tier of mods. ilvl 75+ bases can roll T1 mods.

• Base types matter: Need ES? Use Hubris Circlet. Attack speed? Jeweled Foil.

• Pro tip: Farm the Blood Aqueduct in Act 9 for ilvl 55+ bases early.

Step 2: Essence Crafting (Cheat Code for Newbies)

1. Get a Screaming Essence (e.g., Essence of Woe for +% energy shield).

2. Slam it onto your white/blue base.

3. If the other mods suck, use a Regal Orb to make it rare.

4. Bench-craft a missing mod (e.g., +70 life at your hideout).

Step 3: Chaos Spam (For the Bold)

1. Get a high-ilvl rare with 1-2 good mods.

2. Slam Chaos Orbs until you hit 3-4 usable mods.

3. Bench-craft the last mod.

4. Divine Orb the values if needed.

5 Deadly Sins Newbies Commit (And How to Avoid Them)

1. Using Exalts on Low-ilvl Gear

Fix: Save Exalts for ilvl 80+ bases only.

2. Vaal Orb Addiction

Fix: Corrupt duplicates, not your main gear.

3. Ignoring Item Filters

Fix: Install Filterblade.xyz—it hides trash bases so you don’t waste time.

4. Hoarding Currency

Fix: Spend Transmutes/Alchs freely. POE 2 showers you with them.

5. Trading Without a Plan

Fix: Use poe.trade to check prices before selling a “meh” rare for 2 Chaos.

When to Say “Screw It” and Buy Gear

Let’s be real—crafting’s fun, but sometimes you just need that 6-link chest or +1 curse amulet now. That’s where SSEGOLD comes in. Their POE 2 marketplace lets you:

• Buy Chaos Orbs for 1/10th the grind.

• Snag pre-crafted endgame gear (no RNG).

• Get leveling kits to blast through Acts 1-6.

👉 Check SSEGold’s POE 2 Deals Here

Final Word: Craft Like a Pro, Not a Gambler

POE 2’s crafting isn’t about throwing currency at the wall. It’s about targeted upgrades. Follow these rules:

• Early Acts: Use Transmutes/Augs on weapons for +damage.

• Maps: Essence craft gear with guaranteed mods.

• Endgame: Chaos spam/Exalt only on meta bases (check poe.ninja for builds).

Remember: The difference between a noob and a pro isn’t luck—it’s knowing when to craft, when to trade, and when to let SSEGold do the heavy lifting. Now get out there and make Kitava regret ever spawning.