Early Game Crafting Strategies in PoE

Aug 6, 2024

Path of Exile University - Early Gearing

Introduction

  • Focus: Gearing options and strategies for early game
  • Applicable for both SSF (Solo Self-Found) and trade leagues
  • Emphasizes the fun and reward of self-crafted gear over purchased gear

Basic Gearing Principles

  • Progression: Aim for gradual gear improvement, not perfect final gear immediately
  • Leap Frog Gearing: Craft upgrades without replacing old gear until confident
  • Self-sufficiency: Ensures access to necessary items, crucial at league start

Crafting Basics

  • Currency Usage: Modify items with currency or crafting bench
    • Guaranteed Outcomes: Crafting bench (weaker but reliable)
    • Random Outcomes: Currency items (e.g., Chaos Orbs)
  • Essences: Guarantee one stat, bypass certain item level restrictions (e.g., +2 Bow Gems)
  • Fossils: Useful for blocking mods and achieving desired outcomes

Key Crafting Techniques

  • Crafting Bench: Can be used on white items
  • Leap Frog Strategy: Maintain multiple gear bases for safer crafting
  • Vendor Recipes: Useful for specific needs (e.g., Sapphire Ring for Merveil fight)

Leveling Gear

  • Modifiers: Focus on movement speed, life, and resistance stats
  • Item Pickup Strategy: Prioritize useful bases, e.g., rings and belts
  • Essences: Engage actively for crafting during leveling
  • Life and Resistance Goals: Aim for specific life per act, resistance capping by Act 2/3

Efficient Leveling Tips

  • Inventory Management: Avoid picking large/cumbersome items
  • Pre-prepared Gear: Switching gear at key level milestones can be counterproductive
  • Damage Rolls: Important for attack builds, less so for caster builds relying on gem levels
  • Life Flask: Aim for instant life recovery mods, bleed and freeze removal

Advanced Crafting

  • Metamods: Used for specific outcomes, e.g., ensuring +1 Gems on Bows
  • Eldritch Currency: Used for implicit modifiers (e.g., spell suppression on gloves)
  • Harvest Crafting: Less common, but still useful for certain reforges and augments
  • Splitting Items: Use bestiary for duplicating crafted items
  • Synthesis Items: Created via horticrafting bench, can reroll implicits with special beasts

Mid-Game Gearing

  • Essences: Continue to be crucial, especially in white maps
  • Influence Bases: Look for specific mods via fossils or reforging (e.g., Curse on Hit rings)
  • Spell Suppression: Highly valued, aim for 100% before red maps

Resources

  • Craft of Exile: Tool for simulating crafts and outcomes
  • Path of Building: Import/export gear for build planning
  • PoE Wiki: Reliable, community-updated resource

Summary

  • Engagement: Early and mid-game crafting can significantly enhance gameplay
  • Efficiency: Proper strategies and tips can lead to smoother progression and better gear

Q&A Highlights

  • Augments: Harvest augments add specific mods; reforges are cheaper alternatives
  • Tailoring Orbs: Used for adding high-tier mods with some risk
  • Splitting Items: Create duplicates using bestiary; useful for spreading good crafts
  • Curse on Hit Jewelry: Crafted using influence bases and specific fossils/reforges

Feedback: Provided in the description of the YouTube video for further improvements.

Conclusion

  • Enjoy the crafting process and try to die less!