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Path of Exile (PoE) is known for having one of the most intricate and deep crafting systems in any ARPG. Unlike other games where crafting often feels like an afterthought, PoE's crafting is essentially the backbone of item progression. Everything from casual upgrades to min-maxing mirror-tier items revolves around the game's extensive pool of crafting Path of Exile Currency.

This guide will walk you through every type of crafting currency item in Path of Exile, explain how they work, and give you context on when to use them. Whether you're an early-game player looking to craft your first set of rares or an endgame veteran perfecting your bossing weapon, understanding your currency is the key to success.

1. Crafting Basics in Path of Exile

Before diving into the specific currencies, it's important to understand how items and crafting work in PoE:

Item Rarities:

· Normal (white): No modifiers, clean base.

· Magic (blue): Up to 2 modifiers (1 prefix, 1 suffix).

· Rare (yellow): Up to 6 modifiers (3 prefixes, 3 suffixes).

· Unique (orange): Fixed, special modifiers that define an item.

Modifiers (Affixes):

· Prefixes and Suffixes affect the stats of your gear.

· Implicit modifiers are built into the base type (e.g., a Steel Ring's flat physical damage).

· Explicit modifiers come from crafting or RNG rolls.

Sockets & Links:

· Gear can have up to 6 sockets (except certain gear types).

· Sockets can be linked for support gems to affect skill gems.

· Socket colors depend on item attributes (STR = red, DEX = green, INT = blue).

Corruption:

· Vaal Orbs can corrupt items, potentially adding powerful modifiers but preventing most crafting.

· Once corrupted, only Tainted currency or specific mechanics can modify them.

2. Basic Currency Items

These are the bread-and-butter crafting tools. You'll use them frequently for upgrading gear in the campaign and early endgame.

· Orb of Transmutation: Upgrades a Normal item to Magic.

· Orb of Alchemy: Upgrades a Normal item to Rare.

· Regal Orb: Upgrades a Magic item to Rare by adding one random modifier.

· Orb of Chance: Randomly upgrades a Normal item to Magic, Rare, or Unique.

· Orb of Binding: Upgrades a Normal item to Rare with 4 linked sockets.

· Orb of Alteration: Rerolls modifiers on a Magic item.

· Chaos Orb: Rerolls all modifiers on a Rare item.

· Orb of Augmentation: Adds a new random modifier to a Magic item (if space allows).

· Exalted Orb: Adds one random modifier to a Rare item.

· Orb of Scouring: Removes all modifiers from an item (returns to Normal).

· Orb of Annulment: Removes a random modifier from a Magic or Rare item.

· Armourer's Scrap: Improves armour quality (up to 20%).

· Blacksmith's Whetstone: Improves weapon quality (up to 20%).

· Glassblower's Bauble: Improves flask/tincture quality (up to 20%).

· Gemcutter's Prism: Improves skill gem quality (up to 20%).

· Cartographer's Chisel: Improves map quality (up to 20%).

· Jeweller's Orb: Changes the number of sockets on an item.

· Orb of Fusing: Randomly links sockets on an item.

· Chromatic Orb: Changes socket colors.

·Vaal Orb: Corrupts an item, potentially adding strong modifiers.

3. Rare and Specialized Currency Items

These are harder to obtain and are often tied to specific mechanics or endgame bosses.

· Essences: Reroll an item's modifiers, but guarantees a specific one based on the essence type.

· Veiled Chaos Orb: Rerolls a Rare item and adds a Veiled modifier.

· Veiled Exalted Orb: Replaces a modifier with a Veiled modifier.

· Instilling Orb: Adds an automation enchantment to a flask.

· Enkindling Orb: Adds a powerful flask enchantment but prevents charge gain during effect.

· Fossils: Used with Resonators to bias crafting toward specific mods.

· Blessed Orb: Rerolls implicit values.

· Divine Orb: Rerolls explicit numeric values.

· Sacred Orb: Rerolls base defences on armour.

· Tempering Orb: Adds/replaces a weapon enchantment.

· Tailoring Orb: Adds/replaces an armour enchantment.

· Awakener's Orb: Combines two influenced items into one with modifiers from both.

· Maven's Orb: Upgrades a modifier tier on influenced items.

4. League-Specific and Endgame Currency

Over PoE's many leagues, unique currencies have been added that still exist in the core game.

· Eldritch Currency (Searing Exarch & Eater of Worlds)

· Eldritch Ember/Ichors: Add Eldritch implicit modifiers.

· Eldritch Chaos Orb: Reforge Eldritch-modified rares.

· Eldritch Exalted Orb: Add Eldritch modifiers.

· Eldritch Orb of Annulment: Remove an Eldritch modifier.

Influence-Specific Currency

· Crusader, Hunter, Redeemer, Warlord's Exalted Orbs: Add influence-specific modifiers.

Tainted Currency (for Corrupted Items)

· Tainted Chaos Orb: Rerolls a corrupted rare.

· Tainted Exalted Orb: Adds a modifier to a corrupted rare.

· Tainted Fusing/Jeweller's/Chromatic: Modify sockets and links on corrupted items.

5. Best Practices for Using Crafting Currency

PoE's crafting is highly RNG-based, so efficient use of currency is key.

Early Game:

· Use Orbs of Transmutation and Alterations on utility items like flasks.

· Save Chaos Orbs for trading unless you specifically need to reroll gear.

· Use Essences liberally - they're strong early on.

Mid Game:

· Use Jeweller's Orbs and Orbs of Fusing to optimize socket setups.

· Apply quality currency before linking or coloring to save resources.

· Start experimenting with bench crafting from your hideout.

End Game:

· Reserve Exalted Orbs, Divine Orbs, and influence-specific currency for high-item-level bases.

· Use Fossils with Resonators for targeted crafting.

· Only use Awakener's Orbs or Maven's Orbs on items that are already strong.

6. Crafting vs. Trading

One important reality in PoE: sometimes it's cheaper to buy POE Currency than to craft.

· Crafting is gambling; the market might have exactly what you need for less than the crafting cost.

· However, crafting your perfect item can be satisfying and often yields the best-in-slot gear if you know the meta.

7. Final Tips

· Always check the item level before investing expensive currency. Higher item levels allow higher-tier modifiers.

· Don't waste high-end currency like Divines or Exalts on low-tier bases.

· For corrupted gear, remember that Tainted currency is your only option.

· Keep track of currency prices - PoE's economy fluctuates constantly.

Conclusion

Mastering PoE's currency system is less about memorizing every orb and more about knowing when and why to use each one. With over 80 types of crafting currency in the game, the possibilities for customization are nearly limitless - and that's what makes Path of Exile's crafting both thrilling and dangerously addictive.