Not every player in Path of Exile 2 starts with a full stash of Divine Orbs or a Mirror of Kalandra. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy powerful gear. In fact, there are several affordable PoE 2 items that can help you crush content without breaking the bank. Whether you’re new to the game or just starting a fresh league, here’s how to stretch your budget and still dominate.
1. Focus on Strong Base Items with Good Implicits
One of the smartest ways to save currency is by buying PoE 2 items with strong base types. For example, a Royal Bow or Titan Gauntlets can offer excellent base stats even before crafting. These bases often come with powerful implicits, like increased elemental damage or life regen, making them much more valuable than their price suggests.
Look for these bases early and upgrade them using Essences or Alchemy Orbs to roll solid rare items. It’s a cheap way to build powerful gear before considering expensive Uniques.
2. Use Essences for Targeted Crafting
Essences are underrated and surprisingly affordable. They let you roll specific affixes onto items, which is ideal when you know what stat you need. For example:
- Essence of Wrath for added lightning damage
- Essence of Greed for flat life
- Essence of Spite for cold damage
Buying a few of these PoE 2 items and using them on a good base item can give you a big performance boost for just a few Chaos Orbs. You can often find them on marketplaces like U4GM for cheap if you want to buy PoE 2 items directly.
3. Consider Cheap but Effective Uniques
Some Uniques aren’t just affordable—they’re meta-friendly. Here are a few examples that perform extremely well for their price:
- Goldrim (Helmet) – Insane elemental resistances for early leveling
- Lifesprig (Wand) – Great for caster builds starting out
- Tabula Rasa (Body Armour) – A six-link chest without worrying about colors
- Wanderlust (Boots) – Movement speed and freeze immunity for new characters
You can buy PoE 2 items like these early and use them until you get a proper rare replacement. They’re widely used for leveling and low-tier maps, saving you precious crafting currency.
4. Trade Smarter, Not Richer
Instead of saving up for one expensive item, you can buy PoE 2 items in pieces and build your way up. For example, use Jeweller’s Orbs, Fusing Orbs, and Chromatic Orbs to turn a solid 4-link into a 5-link or 6-link. Or grab a cheap corrupted 6-link item and adapt your build around it.
Trading platforms like U4GM often offer bundles of currency or gear sets that are cheaper than the official trade site prices. Use filters to spot undervalued gear or snipe deals when new players underprice items.
5. Maximize Flasks and Jewels
Don’t underestimate the power of PoE 2 items like flasks and jewels. A well-rolled Granite Flask or Diamond Flask can make a huge difference in survival and damage. Similarly, jewels with life, resistances, or increased damage for specific skills can be dirt cheap and give massive bonuses.
If you’re low on currency, avoid RNG-heavy crafting and just buy PoE 2 items like these from other players or trusted platforms. It’s faster and more efficient.
Final Tips
- Don’t waste Divine Orbs early—save them for endgame gear
- Always keep Chaos and Alchemy Orbs for essential upgrades
- Use Vaal Orbs to corrupt leveling gear for surprise upgrades (but not expensive stuff!)
Budget gear doesn’t mean bad gear. With smart planning, a bit of trading, and targeted crafting, you can push through acts and into endgame maps with ease. So if you can’t afford “god gear,” don’t worry—there’s plenty of power in the items that cost far less.