Venturing into Path of Exile 2’s Atlas of Worlds can feel daunting at first, but with the right strategies, you can sustain your waystones, master the Atlas passive tree, and progress efficiently toward the endgame. Whether you’re slaying bosses or clearing towers, this guide will ensure you’re equipped to maximize your mapping experience.
Understanding Waystones
What Are Waystones?
Waystones are consumable items required to unlock and run maps in the Atlas of Worlds. You’ll first acquire a free waystone after defeating Doryani’s machine during the campaign, and more can be found as random drops in Cruel difficulty or higher.
- One Use Per Waystone: Each waystone allows a single map attempt. Whether you clear the map or perish, it’s consumed.
- Modifiable with Currency: Like gear, waystones can have prefixes (bonuses) and suffixes (downsides). Downsides often increase waystone drop rates, making them worth considering.
Waystone Tiers
Waystones range from Tier 1 to Tier 15, corresponding to the map’s monster level. Higher tiers bring tougher challenges but better rewards. Completing maps of a given tier earns you Atlas skill points to spend on the Atlas passive tree.
The Atlas Passive Tree
The Atlas passive tree allows you to tailor your mapping experience, boosting waystone drops, monster density, and other rewards. Here’s a recommended progression:
Early Priorities
- Constant Crossroads
- Your first goal is to reach this node, which boosts waystone drop quantity by 20%. Take the travel nodes for rarity if needed—this buff is worth it.
- Teeming Horde & Precursor Influence
- Focus on nodes that increase the chance of higher-tier waystones.
- Choose Teeming Horde to increase monster density or Precursor Influence for extra precursor tablets.
- Bountiful Bloodlines
- Grab the 6% waystone quantity nodes and head toward magic monster density bonuses. Consider Deadly Evolution for enhanced loot from rare and unique monsters.
Mid to Late Atlas Progression
- Rising Danger: Boosts rare monster drops, which are your primary source of waystones.
- Lost Towers Nodes: Clear towers to reveal parts of the Atlas map and unlock slots for precursor tablets.
Maximizing Waystone Sustain
Tower Strategy
- Clearing Towers: Use lower-tier waystones to clear towers—they’re less demanding in terms of monsters and mechanics.
- Tablet Placement: Slot precursor tablets into completed towers to boost nearby maps with additional waystone drops, loot, and monster levels. Overlapping tablet effects create high-reward farming zones.
Efficient Farming
- Use your highest-tier waystones on maps with bosses and multiple tablets for optimal rewards.
- Focus on maps where modifiers increase monster quantity and loot.
Additional Tips and Tricks
- Doryani’s Map Shop
- Doryani sells unlimited Tier 1 waystones and limited higher-tier maps. Always buy his inventory, as it refreshes when you level up.
- Combine Waystones
- Use the reforging bench to combine three waystones into one of a higher tier. This is especially useful when you have an abundance of lower-tier stones.
- Optimize Waystone Rolls
- Use currency to enhance waystones. Start with Orbs of Transmutation and Augmentation, and later progress to Regals for powerful modifiers.
- League Content
- Challenges like Breach and Expedition can yield great rewards but are dangerous. Clear the main map first, then tackle these zones for extra loot.
- Full Clears (With Caution)
- Fully clearing a map is only worth it on high-reward runs. Otherwise, prioritize speed and efficiency to farm more maps and bosses.
Conclusion
Mastering the Atlas of Worlds in Path of Exile 2 requires careful planning, strategic resource management, and the right build for your playstyle. By sustaining your waystones, leveraging the Atlas passive tree, and optimizing your mapping routes, you’ll push through to Tier 15 maps and beyond.
Start small, build smart, and soon you’ll conquer the Atlas with a wealth of loot and waystones at your disposal. Good luck, Exile!
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