Orb of Augmentation: Unlocking New Mods for Your Gear
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The Orb of Augmentation is a vital crafting currency in Path of Exile, offering players the opportunity to enhance magic (blue) items by adding crucial new modifiers. This simple but effective currency is a cornerstone of the crafting process, turning serviceable gear into powerful assets that can carry your build from early quests to endgame challenges. If you're looking for a quick way to stock up on poe 2 currency, keep an eye out for opportunities to leverage the orb's potential.
How the Orb of Augmentation Works
Function: It adds a second, random affix—either a prefix or suffix—to a magic item that currently has only one affix. The result is a more versatile item, often boosting its stats, utility, or survivability.
Limits: You can only use this orb on magic items with exactly one affix. It cannot be applied to non-magic items or to magic items that are already fully affixed.
Randomness: The new affix is selected from the possible pool for the item type and may complement or simply supplement the existing modifier.
Step-by-Step Enhancement Process
Start with a Strong Base: Select a normal item with promising base stats for your build.
Transmutation: Use an Orb of Transmutation to convert it into a magic item with one random affix.
Augmentation: Apply an Orb of Augmentation to add a second, random affix, unlocking the item’s full magic potential.
Evaluate: If the resulting mods suit your build, use the item or continue crafting; if not, consider using an Orb of Alteration to reroll both affixes and repeat the process.
Strategic Uses for Unlocking New Mods
Gear Customization: Augment items that already have valuable first affixes—such as high life rolls on accessories or increased damage on weapons—to optimize the resulting gear for your needs.
Flask Enhancement: Early in the game, transforming and augmenting flasks creates utility mods like freeze or bleed removal, significantly improving survival rates.
Accessory Boosts: Rings, amulets, and belts benefit greatly from a second affix, often gaining crucial resistances or stat increases necessary for progression.
Advanced Crafting Setup: The orb is an important step in setting up rare (yellow) item upgrades. After augmenting a magic item, further upgrades (with orbs like Regal or Chaos Orbs) become possible, opening the door to more modifiers and powerful combinations.
Tips for Efficient Use
Target Valuable Bases: Only use Orbs of Augmentation on items you intend to keep for a while or that have high-value base stats.
Bulk Crafting: Craft several similar items to maximize your odds of desirable mod combinations, especially when seeking specific traits for your build.
Rerolls: Don’t hesitate to reroll with Orbs of Alteration if the results aren’t immediately useful—the crafting system is designed for iteration and refinement.
Inventory Management: Maintain your supply of Augmentation Orbs by farming monster-rich areas and disenchanting unwanted magic items at vendors.
When to Use – and When to Save
Use: Whenever you have a promising blue item with one good affix and want to push its power further, particularly for flasks, jewelry, and leveling weapons or armor.
Save: Avoid spending them on temporary, low-value, or quickly replaced items. Save for high-impact upgrades or preparation for advanced crafting recipes.
The Orb of Augmentation is more than just a supplemental currency in Path of Exile’s sprawling crafting system—it’s the bridge between ordinary and optimized magic gear. By judiciously applying this orb, you unlock powerful new mods, shape your equipment to your build, and lay the foundation for future upgrades. Knowing how and when to use it means unlocking more potential from every item you find, setting you on the path to greater power and customization throughout your journey.