PoE 2: Expedition Mastery - A Guide

Time: 2025-02-10 by mmojugg Game: Path of Exile 2 Guide Tags: PoE 2 Expedition Guide

Understanding the basics of expeditions

Expedition encounters are indicated by a special icon on the atlas, and can spawn naturally or be added using Expedition Prep Tables. Within the map, you'll discover a dig site where one of four NPCs will be present: Tuan, Gwonn, Raj and Dannig. Meeting these NPCs in the field will unlock them in your hideout, allowing you to trade artefacts for items.

Each excavation site will present you with five explosives. Your goal is to strategically place these explosives to maximise the number of rune monsters killed and chests unearthed. Runic monsters, indicated by flagpoles, will spawn when a nearby explosive is detonated. Banners mark chests, with the icon colour indicating rarity (white, blue or yellow).

Remnants, which contain modifiers, add another layer of strategic depth. The top half of a remnant usually has a negative modifier, while the bottom half has a positive modifier. These modifiers apply to anything detonated during or after the explosion that triggered the remnant. Careful planning is key: modifiers for rune monsters are useless if there are no such monsters within the blast radius. Aim for a balance, prioritising rune monsters unless your remnants significantly boost chests or, crucially, expedition logbooks.

Yellow remnants require special attention, as some can have serious implications for your build (e.g. immunity to certain types of damage). The 'Undo' button allows you to adjust the placement of explosives if necessary. Once you're happy, a yellow arrow will guide you to the detonator.

Maximising your expedition loot

After detonating the explosives, make it a priority to kill any spawned monsters. Once the area is clear, loot any chests, artefacts and logbooks. Artefacts can be traded with the four NPCs in your hideout or sold to other players.

Each NPC specialises in different types of items

Tuan: Belts and jewellery (Black Scythe artefacts)

Gwonn: Weapons (Broken Circle artefacts)

Raj: Armour (Order artefacts)

Dannig: Artefact exchange (all types)

Maximising your expedition loot

Each NPC specialises in different types of items

Tuan: Belts and jewellery (Black Scythe artefacts)

Gwonn: Weapons (Broken Circle artefacts)

Raj: Armour (Order artefacts)

Dannig: Exchange artefacts (any type)

Your inventory will remain static regardless of your level, and you can refresh your inventory with Exotic Coin (another Expedition drop). Purchased items can be upgraded with additional artefacts, with the option to add, re-roll or remove prefixes/suffixes.

Expedition Logbooks: Unlock greater rewards

Expedition Logbooks, earned during regular expeditions, can be given to Dannig to initiate larger expeditions. These provide more explosives and access to underground areas (indicated by a special icon) containing additional monsters and chests. Crucially, these larger expeditions can lead to encounters with the Pinnacle boss, Olroth.

Olroth: The Pinnacle Boss Battle

Olroth appears in Logbook expeditions of area level 79 or higher (although clever use of Atlas passives can increase the area level of lower-level Logbooks). He's considerably easier than some other Pinnacle bosses. Maximising cold resistance and freeze immunity is recommended.

Olroth's attacks are telegraphed, making them relatively easy to dodge. Key moves to watch out for include

Sword Slam: Olroth raises his sword before slamming it down, creating a damaging AOE and leaving a patch of frozen ground.

Boomerang Sword: Olroth throws his sword, which returns to him, dealing AOE damage on its return.

Cold Pillars: Pillars form in a circle, dealing cold damage.

Charge: Olroth charges forward with a glowing sword.

Ice Waves: Olroth swings his sword, sending out waves of ice.

During the battle, an Expedition-themed creature will circle the room, firing ice beams. At low health, Olroth will heal briefly and enter a slightly more chaotic second phase with faster, more frequent attacks. Later battles of increased difficulty may also include portals spawning additional enemies.

Unlocking all 8 Expedition Skill Points

Prioritise your Expedition passive tree as follows

Disturbed Rest: Increases rune monsters by 50%.

Detailed Recording: Increases total loot and logbook drop chance.

Timed Detonations: Increases artefact drops from monsters and speeds up detonations.

Legendary Battles: Increases rare expedition monster drops and exotic coin drops.

This progression maximises your loot, logbook acquisition, and ability to update vendor inventories.

Thank you for reading

Mastering the expeditions in Path of Exile 2 requires a mixture of strategic planning, efficient execution and a bit of luck. By understanding the mechanics, optimising your explosive placement, and prioritising the right passive skills, you can significantly increase your rewards and unlock the full potential of this compelling content. Remember to adjust your strategy based on the available remnants and your specific goals.