How to Get and Use the Polished Iron Passive in Path of Exile 2

Polished Iron is a Notable Passive in Path of Exile 2 that significantly boosts survivability for tanky builds, especially for the Warrior class. Below, we break down its effects, acquisition methods, and strategic value in the current meta.

Polished Iron Passive Effects

25% increased Armour: A straightforward boost to your physical damage reduction, making it ideal for melee builds or those stacking armor.

50% of base Armour from Equipment also added to Stun Threshold: This unique effect makes you more resistant to stuns by converting half of your armor’s base value into stun avoidance. For example, if your gear provides 1,000 base armor, you gain +500 Stun Threshold, drastically reducing the chance of being interrupted by enemy attacks.

Why It’s Valuable:

Hardcore Viability: Essential for builds prioritizing defense and uninterrupted attacks.

Synergy with Armor Stacking: Works exceptionally well with high-armor bases like Plate Armor or Tower Shields.

How to Get Polished Iron

1. Progress Through the Passive Tree

Warrior Class Priority: The Warrior’s passive tree provides the shortest path to Polished Iron. Focus on Strength and Armor nodes early, then allocate points toward the Notable as you level up.

Leveling Tip: If you’re struggling with survivability, prioritize Polished Iron over pure damage nodes like Skullcrusher in the early game.

2. Slot a Megalomaniac Diamond Jewel

What It Does: This jewel randomly allocates 2–3 Notable Passives when slotted into a Jewel Socket. Polished Iron can be one of them.

How to Farm: Defeat Kosis, the Revelation in endgame Delirium content. Kosis has a chance to drop the Megalomaniac Diamond, though the exact Notable passives it grants are randomized.

3. Anoint Your Amulet with Distilled Emotions

Recipe: Combine Distilled Paranoia + Distilled Guilt + Distilled Despair at the Distillation Bench to anoint your amulet with Polished Iron.

How to Farm Distilled Emotions:

Engage in Delirium encounters and fill the emotions bar to high levels.

Higher-tier Delirium content (e.g., Tier 16+ maps) increases the drop rate of rare emotions like Distilled Paranoia.

Strategic Tips for Using Polished Iron

Warrior Build Synergy: Pair with Made to Last (recoups 15% of prevented Physical Damage as Life) for a tanky setup. This combo is recommended for Hardcore or boss-fighting builds.

Hybrid Defense: Combine with Resolute Technique (guaranteed hits, no crits) if your Accuracy Rating is low, ensuring consistent damage while staying tanky.

Endgame Scaling: Use high-ilvl armor bases (e.g., Astral Plate) to maximize the Stun Threshold bonus.

Alternatives if Polished Iron Isn’t Dropping

Temporary Substitutes:

Sturdy Metal (Small Passive): Grants +12% Armour and +3% Stun Avoidance.

Relentless (Notable Passive): Increases Armour and reduces enemy Stun Recovery.

For more details of exploring Warrior build, you can read our warrior build guide.

May your armor be unyielding, Exile!