Maximize Crisis Fragments in PoE2 Citadels

Time: 2024-12-31 by mmojugg Game: Path of Exile 2 Guide

In Path of Exile 2, maximising your Crisis Fragment drops from Citadel bosses is crucial to progressing through the endgame. Here's a comprehensive guide to getting the most out of your Citadel encounters:

Understanding the chance of a Waystone drop

Atlas Map Legend: The Atlas map legend explains that increased Waystone drop chance can result in additional Crisis Fragments from Citadel bosses. This is indicated by modifiers on your maps that affect how many fragments you can receive.

Map modifiers: A high Waystone drop chance is key. For example, increasing the number of waystones found in an area by over 1,000% can significantly increase your fragment drops.

Atlas Tree Optimization

Modifier Effect Nodes:

Focus on nodes that increase the effect of explicit modifiers on waystones. Nodes such as 3% Increased Effect of Explicit Modifiers and Grueling Journey (which scales with the number of explicit modifiers on your Waystone) are crucial. These nodes can increase your Waystone drop chance from 500% to over 700%.

Waystone Drop Chance Nodes:

Choose nodes that directly increase your Waystone drop chance.

Build Considerations:

If your build isn't robust, consider not speccing into boss difficulty nodes to avoid making the fights too challenging, especially if you're juicing your maps for higher fragment drops.

Map Modifiers and Waystones

Suffix Modifiers: Only suffixes on Waystones contribute to increasing the Waystone drop chance. These modifiers make monsters stronger, but are necessary for higher fragment drops.

Look for:

- High monster damage

- Increased elemental damage

- Status effect buildup like freeze or shock

Prefix vs. Suffix: Prefix modifiers on maps boost rewards but don't affect Waystone drop chance. Thus, your strategy should focus on securing Waystones with many suffix modifiers.

Corrupted Waystones:

Corruption can convert all modifiers on a Waystone to either prefixes or suffixes. A six-suffix Waystone can dramatically increase your drop chance, but this also makes the map much more dangerous.

Strategies for Fragment Farming

Difficulty Level:

Running at zero difficulty can be safer, especially with highly juiced maps. However, testing at higher difficulties might yield even better results if your build can handle it.

Map Choice:

Aim for maps with around 300-350% increased Waystone drop chance for a guaranteed two fragments. For three or more, you'll need to push to 700-1,000%, but this requires a strong build due to increased map difficulty.

Unstable Energies:

This node can randomly boost either your prefix or suffix modifiers by 25%, adding unpredictability but potentially great rewards.

Locating Citadels

Stone Citadels: Look for pyramid-like structures.

Iron Citadels: Gothic or village-like areas.

Copper Citadels: Recognizable by desert biomes with tent-like structures.

Exploration Strategy:

Following the edge of water bodies seems to increase Citadel spawn rates. This strategy will also help you find unique map encounters such as Untainted Paradise or Nameless Seers.

Thanks for Reading

Securing multiple Crisis Fragments from Citadels in Path of Exile 2 involves a strategic approach to your Atlas tree and map modifications. Balancing risk with your build's capabilities is key to maximising rewards without compromising your progress.