PoE2 Endgame Progression Mastery Guide for Newers

Comprehensive PoE2 Endgame Progression

The Dawn of the Hunt endgame revolves around the Atlas of Worlds—a massive map network where you cleanse corruption, slay bosses, and chase loot. It's a mix of exploration, crafting and combat, with systems like towers and league mechanics to spice things up. This guide breaks it all down for beginners, with strategies to scale into veteran territory.

Getting Started: Ziggurat Refuge Basics

Your endgame kicks off after defeating Doriani in Act 3 Cruel (around level 65). You'll land in the Ziggurat Refuge, your hub for mapping. Here's the quick setup:

Talk to Doriani: He hands you your first Waystone and explains cleansing corruption. Pop it into the map device (center of the Refuge) and run your first map—easy stuff.

Hideout Setup: After, head to your hideout (waypoint or portal). Place your Stash, Map Device, Doriani, Salvage Bench, and Vendor close together—saves time.

Tip: Ctrl+click Doriani to auto-identify loot. Dump everything into a quad tab (your “dump tab”), then toss another Waystone in and keep mapping.

Lost? Find Ziggurat Refuge in Act 3 Cruel's waypoint menu.

Beginner Move: Focus on clearing that first map and setting up a cozy hideout. Don't think about mods yet - just get moving.

Atlas Progression: Earning your 40 points

The Atlas Passive Tree (Ctrl+U) is your end-game power-up, with 40 points to unlock through Corrupted Nexus zones and unique maps. Here's how to use them:

Corrupted Nexus (30 points):

Clear 15 Nexus zones (2 points each) in tier 1-15 maps with 4+ modifiers.

Finding Them: Scout towers in the Fog of War—look for red brambles or a three-clawed Nexus icon with black mist. These will appear even in distant fog, so zoom in.

Running them: Use Transmute + Augment on blue maps early; add Regal Orbs at level 11+. Avoid tough mods (e.g., reflect) unless your build's tanky—failing loses the Nexus.

Group play: Party up—everyone gets points, and Waystones stretch further.

Unique Maps (10 points):

Clear 5 different unique maps (2 points each).

Where to look: They're biome-linked—Vidian Wildwood (forest), Megalith (grass), Untainted Paradise (water). Try ice or desert biomes for others. Switch zones often to find them.

Beginner Strategy:

Prioritise Nexus zones over everything else - check every tower as you explore. Run safe maps (i.e. +monster life, not -regen) and try new biomes for unique maps. We nabbed 6 points in a day by chaining foggy tower hunts.

Map Sustain: Never Run Dry

Running out of Waystones is a buzzkill, but 0.2.0 makes it easy with Doriani and crafting:

Doriani's Vendor: Sells up to 10 Waystones, one tier below your highest cleared (e.g., tier 14s post-tier 15) for ~18,000 gold. Lower tiers are cheaper (tier 1s are ~2k).

Reforge Bench: Buy three Waystones, craft 3-to-1 into your tier. Gold's plentiful—sell junk gear to keep up.

Map drops: Every map drops a same-tier Waystone on the last rare kill; boss maps drop same-or-higher tiers.

Waystone Crafting Strategy:

Tiers 1-10: Transmute + Augment for blue maps - cheap and effective.

Tiers 11-13: Add Regal Orbs for rares if you've got spares.

Tiers 14+: Alchemy Orbs for maximum juice, but save them early - they are rare.

Pro tip: Set up a dump tab for loot, sell to vendors, and buy from Doriani after each run. We've sustained tier 12s with just blue maps and gold from trash rares.

Tier Up: Boss Maps and Tablets

Climbing tiers (1-15+) unlocks better loot and XP. Here's how:

Boss Maps: Only bosses drop higher-tier Waystones. Focus on maps with boss icons (1 in 4 zones) - clear them for higher tiers.

Tablets and Towers:

Clear Lost Towers to slot Precursor Tablets, modding nearby maps.

Irradiated (+1 level): Pushes level 15s to 16 (level 80) for more XP and level 80+ item drops.

Overseer (2-4 bosses in range): Spawns additional bosses for loot and leveling.

Slots: 1 slot by default, 2 for 4-mod waystones, 3 for 6-mod waystones. Early on, stick to 4-mod cards (alchemy orbs) for 2 slots.

Level Goals: Tier 15 = level 79; Irradiated tier 15 = 80; Corrupted tier 16 = 81. Stay 5-9 levels below for maximum XP (e.g. level 70-74 for level 15).

Beginner Strategy: Run boss maps whenever possible—buy from Doriani if needed. Use an Overseer Tablet for extra bosses and a Breach/Delirium Precursor Tablet for density. We reach level 14 by chaining level 13 boss maps with a single Overseer.

Early atlas tree: Beginner-Friendly Setup

Your first 20 points shape your grind—keep it simple:

Waystone quantity (2 points, bottom right): More Waystones—sustain insurance.

Precursor Influence (3 points, centre-right): 30% more Precursor Tablets—keeps towers stocked.

Enigmatic Intensification (3 points, left): Extra Waystone modifiers per tower (3-4 per zone), boosts loot.

Tablet Effects (2 points, centre left): Boosts tablet quantity/rarity—more bang per slot.

Rising Danger (3 points, top left): 15% more rare monsters—loot's lifeblood.

Why It Works: This skips traps like biome nodes (e.g., Local Nobility—too niche) or Azmeri Spirits (buggy, low loot). Focus on rares and tablets for XP and currency. Later, add Gorillan Journey (2% modifier effect per mod) at 18+ points if you're comfortable.

Beginner's tip: Respec costs gold on Doryani - stick with this core until you get to 20 points, then experiment (e.g. Breach Nodes at 25+).

League Mechanics: Breach, Ritual, Expedition, and More

Endgame maps mix in league content, each with Atlas nodes to boost rewards. Here's a rundown for beginners:

Breach: Rings of mobs dropping shards.

Nodes: “Frantic Invasion” (center tree) ups splinter density.

Strategy: Run open maps with Breach Tablets—300 splinters make a Breachstone for Xesht fights (T0-T3 for 8 points, T4 for uniques). Great for early currency.

Starter pick: Slot Breach Tablets for density, pairs well with rares.

Ritual: Altars with tribute for loot.

Nodes: Boost tribute and uniques (bottom tree).

Strategy: Defer high-value items (e.g., “Audience with the King” for points) if tribute's 1,600+. Sell for divines early.

Beginner Pick: Add Ritual precursor Tablet to Run Rituals in every map—safe XP and gear.

Expedition: NPC digs for artifacts/logbooks.

Nodes: More rares and logbooks (right tree).

Strategy: Sell logbooks or craft with Rog. Level 79+ logbooks spawn bosses for points (RNG-based).

Beginner Pick: Skip heavy investment till tier 15—use Expedition Precursor Tablets for casual loot.

Delirium: Fog with splinters (300 for Simulacrum).

Nodes: Splinter boosts (left tree).

Strategy: Clear fast with Delirium Tablets—Simulacrums are tough but T0-T3 give 8 points.

Beginner Pick: Great for XP; wait for strong builds for Simulacrums.

Beginner Strategy: Stick to Breach or Ritual Tablets early on - they are forgiving and loot-heavy. Spec into one (Breach is safest) after 20 points for consistent gains. We've got 5 divines in the bank selling Ritual Uniques from random altars.

Currency and loot: Making Bank

Endgame's about stacking gold, divines, and gear. Here's how to cash in:

Item rarity Progress:

Aim for ~100% rarity (diminishing returns kick in after that). At 84%, we've seen triple Exalted drops, divines, and Reliquary Keys—15% rarity was dead quiet.

Tip: Grab +rarity on gear or charms early - huge for cash.

Identify Everything:

High-level maps (tier 14+, item level 79-81) drop sellable rares. ID all loot, check with a pricing tool (such as the in-game market), and drop a 1-Exalted dump tab.

Example: Found an item level 80 ring, Alched it to +life, strength, and T9 fire damage—sold for 25 Exalted after pricing 10% above market.

Gambling Later:

Got some extra cash? Roll magic items (level 79+) with Exalts - aim for 2-3 good mods, then sell. Don't roll below item level 79—wastes orbs.

Pricing Trick: Set high (e.g., 25 Exalted), drop to 15 after 30 minutes, then 5. If it flops, dump for 1 Exalted and move on.

Beginner Currency Strategy:

ID and sell everything early—don't gamble till you've got 5-10 Exalted banked. Rarity is your friend; we doubled our drops, jumping from 20% to 80%.

Character Tips: Surviving the Grind

Endgame mobs hit hard—here's how to stay alive and thrive (softcore focus):

Levels 65-80: Go all-in on damage and speed - XP penalties are minimal. One-shot packs to avoid one-shots yourself. Stack movement speed and DPS nodes.

Levels 85+: Penalties shift to defence. Aim for:

Life: 5,000+ (gear + passives).

Resists: Cap at 75% elemental, 50%+ chaos.

Rarity: ~100% for loot.

Weapon swap trick: Use two weapon sets (red/green lines):

Mapping (set 1): Speed + defense (e.g., life, resists, movespeed passives). You don't need max DPS for rares.

Bossing (Set 2): Pure damage—stack crit, multipliers, and Spirit Skills (e.g., Cast on Shock). Swap before bosses.

Future-Proof: GGG's adding auto-swap; prepare now with dual setups.

Example: Our level 87 Huntress maps with +speed/life, swaps to a DPS spear for T3 Xesht—clears like butter. Beginners: Focus on damage early, then layer health at 80+.

Advanced strategies: Juicing and Farming

Ready to crank it up? Try these once you're level 10+:

Tower Stacking: Slot Irradiated + Overseer Tablets—tier 16s with 4 bosses drop item level 81 gear and divines.

Rare modifiers: Tablets with "+rare monsters" are gold - most currency (Exalted, Divine) comes from rares.

Cleansed Maps: Post-Nexus, these drop Fracturing Orbs-lock T1 mods, roll for market bangers.

Mechanic Focus: At 30+ points, max Breach or Ritual nodes—Breach splinters sell for divines, Ritual uniques fund builds.

Pro Tip: Run tier 15s with +rare monsters and 100% rarity - our last hour dropped 3 Exalted, a Divine and a Reliquary Key. Team up with friends to share costs and Nexus points.

Why This Endgame Rocks

Dawn of the Hunt's endgame is a playground—Atlas points let you shape your grind, towers add strategic depth, and mechanics like Breach keep it chaotic. Beginners can hold maps with minimal effort, while veterans can juice level 16s for the bank. There's less RNG than in previous leagues, rewarding planning and persistence. We're hooked, chaining T15s and eyeing up T4 Xesht soon.

Thanks for Reading

This PoE 2 endgame guide should set you up to conquer Dawn of the Hunt—from your first Nexus to a fat currency stash. Wraeclast's always evolving, so keep an eye on MMOJUGG for what's next!