Level Up Armour Quality: Best Practices for Max Efficiency
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Leveling up your armor quality in Path of Exile 2 is both a fundamental and economic part of maximizing your survivability and preparing your gear for advanced crafting. To achieve the best results with your Armourer’s Scrap and optimize every upgrade, follow these best practices for maximum efficiency.
Start with Normal Gear for Optimal Scrap Yield
The most important rule is to apply Armourer’s Scrap to normal (white) armor pieces before you upgrade their rarity. On a normal item, each Scrap grants 5% quality, meaning you only need four to reach the 20% maximum. In contrast, Scraps give just 2% on magic (blue) items and only 1% on rare (yellow) or unique (orange) items—so applying Scraps later costs you substantially more resources.
Always quality your armor first, before enchanting, socketing, or crafting modifiers.
Upgrade Only Gear You’ll Keep
Don’t waste valuable Scraps on armor that you’ll replace within a few levels. Focus Scrap usage on your chest piece first, since it has the highest base defensive value. Once you settle into your mid- to endgame setup, apply Scraps to other armor slots (helm, gloves, boots) only if the pieces are likely to stay with you through maps or major bosses.
Salvage and Vendor Trick for Extra Scraps
Efficient players maintain their poe 2 currency flow by salvaging quality gear they don’t use. Use the Salvage Bench early and often to dismantle low-tier or unwanted armor with quality. You can also visit vendors after leveling up, search for armor with visible quality, purchase those pieces cheaply, and salvage them for more Scraps.
This technique builds a reliable Scrap economy without depending solely on random drops.
Apply Quality Before Sockets and Links
Armourer’s Scrap does more than boost base defense—it also increases the success rate of socketing and linking. Whenever you plan to use Jeweller’s Orbs or Orbs of Fusing, always raise your armor to 20% quality first. This crafting synergy helps conserve other orbs and increases your odds of hitting the desired socket or link layout.
Manage Your Scrap Economy
Scraps are common, but that doesn’t mean you should apply them without purpose. In early game, use them to bolster defense when needed. But once you have strong gear, become selective. Always prioritize efficient use—applying to normal gear pre-upgrade and saving for core items in your build.
If you end up with surplus, consider trading excess Scraps for other crafting materials or resell them if cheap poe 2 currency becomes available on the market. Savvy players know when to spend—and when to store or flip for better value.
Ignore Unique Gear with Scraps
It’s easy to forget: Armourer’s Scrap does nothing on unique armor. If your build relies on orange-tier pieces (as many endgame builds do), don’t waste your Scraps. Reserve them strictly for non-unique items, especially rares you intend to craft or modify.
Timing and Focus
The key is timing. Use Scraps early to stabilize defenses, but as gear turnover slows, focus on efficiency and crafting prep. Think ahead: is this item temporary or permanent? Will it scale with your build? Quality should be a long-term investment, not a knee-jerk reaction to low armor values.
By following these best practices, you make every Armourer’s Scrap count—maximizing defense, increasing socketing efficiency, and conserving other valuable currencies. Prioritize quality on durable gear, apply it at the right time, and never waste resources on armor destined for a vendor.
Smart quality crafting is how you fully level up your armor and fortify your character for everything Wraeclast can throw at you—from the campaign to endgame content and beyond.