Understanding the Basics of Early Crafting
In Path of Exile 2 early crafting is a vital step for boosting your character’s power before acquiring high-end gear from trade or drops. Players who want to gain an advantage in the early stages of a league need to understand how to efficiently use their limited currency to craft functional and effective gear. Early crafting does not require Divine Orbs or Exalted Orbs. Instead, it primarily relies on affordable and accessible orbs like Orbs of Transmutation, Orbs of Alteration, Orbs of Augmentation, Orbs of Alchemy, and Chaos Orbs. These can quickly turn a white item into a magical or rare one with useful stats for leveling.
Choosing the Right Bases to Craft On
Before investing any currency into crafting, players must learn to identify strong item bases. In the early game, this means looking for items with high item levels that allow for better mod rolls, as well as bases that complement your build. For instance, if you are using a spell-based build, wands or scepters with implicit spell damage are ideal. Similarly, armor bases with high evasion or energy shield should be targeted based on your character's needs. Using Essences or Alchemy Orbs on poor bases is a waste of resources, so base selection should be one of your first priorities when crafting.
Using Essences for Controlled Mod Crafting
Essences are one of the most useful tools for early crafting success because they guarantee a specific affix when used on a white item. These are particularly effective for crafting weapons or armor with a needed stat like increased physical damage or flat elemental damage. Even low-tier Essences such as Screaming or Wailing versions can create very usable leveling gear. Since Essences drop early in the campaign and during early mapping, they are an ideal way to start crafting without spending Chaos Orbs. Save your higher-tier Essences for stronger item bases once you reach yellow or red maps.
Chaos Spamming and Bench Crafting
Once you have a good rare item that is not quite perfect, using Chaos Orbs to reroll its mods—commonly known as Chaos spamming—can help generate better stats. This is a gamble, but early in the game, when rare gear is scarce, it can pay off. After you have a decent item, you can use the crafting bench in your hideout to add a final missing mod. For example, if you have a rare pair of gloves with life and resistances but no attack speed, you can craft attack speed at the bench using a small amount of currency. Bench crafting is cost-efficient and extremely powerful early on, especially when used to patch weak spots in your gear.
Orb of Binding and Imprinting Techniques
Orb of Binding is another underrated currency that can turn a normal item directly into a fully linked rare with four sockets, making it great for early four-links. This allows you to skip using a Jeweller’s Orb or Orb of Fusing altogether in the early game. Additionally, for those who want to experiment a little more with safety nets, Imprint mechanics using Eternal Orbs or specific Bestiary crafts can be used to save a version of an item before trying risky crafting like Regal Orb upgrades. While this is more mid-tier crafting, learning how these systems work in the early game will prepare you for more advanced methods later.
Selling Crafted Gear for More Currency
If you get lucky with a craft and make an item that is more valuable than what you currently need, consider selling it on the trade market. This allows you to grow your currency pool and reinvest in either better bases or crafting materials. Many players use this strategy to generate Chaos Orbs during early progression, which can then be turned into more crafting attempts or key items. A well-crafted early-game item can sell quickly because many players look for upgrades during the first few days of a league. Understanding market demand will let you turn early crafting success into economic momentum.
