Artificer’s Orb Explained: Mechanics, Uses & Tips

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The Artificer’s Orb is a special crafting cheap poe 2 currency in Path of Exile 2 that plays a key role in enhancing and customizing your gear through the Rune system. Runes are modular enhancements that can be socketed into gear, and the Artificer’s Orb allows players to add these valuable rune sockets to martial weapons and armor, increasing the potential power and versatility of their builds.
Using an Artificer’s Orb is straightforward: you right-click the orb in your inventory, then click on a martial weapon or armor piece to add a rune socket. The number of sockets added depends on the type of item—body armor and two-handed weapons can hold up to two sockets, while gloves, boots, helmets, shields, and focus items receive one socket each. It’s important to note that some gear types like caster weapons, quivers, jewelry, and belts cannot receive rune sockets. Once a rune is socketed into an item, it is permanently bound and cannot be removed, so careful planning is required to maximize the benefits.
Runes themselves provide a range of effects that differ depending on whether they are placed in a weapon or armor. For weapons, runes often boost damage or grant life leech, while in armor, they might improve resistances or increase maximum life. This flexibility makes the Artificer’s Orb vital for tailoring gear to specific build needs, whether prioritizing offense or defense.
Artificer’s Orbs are most effectively used on rare or unique items that form the core of your build, as these items are likely to be retained and upgraded over time. Using orbs early on lesser items can lead to wasted resources since rune sockets are limited and orbs are relatively rare. Combining these orbs with other crafting tools—such as Chromatic Orbs for changing socket colors or Jeweller’s Orbs for adding normal sockets—enables deep customization and fine-tuning of gear.
Players can acquire Artificer’s Orbs mainly by collecting Artificer’s Shards, which are crafted from salvaging socketed gear using the Salvage Bench, or by finding the orbs themselves as rare drops throughout the game. Efficient use and acquisition of these orbs are crucial in endgame content, where perfectly optimized gear often makes the difference in high-level encounters. Many players also prefer to buy poe 2 currency from trade networks to speed up progression and ensure consistent access to critical crafting materials like the Artificer’s Orb.
The Artificer’s Orb is a potent crafting item essential for adding rune sockets that unlock the full potential of gear customization in Path of Exile 2. Understanding when and how to use it—and which runes to socket—can significantly elevate build power and adaptability. Careful resource management and strategic planning ensure these orbs maximize their value in your progression and endgame success.