Greetings, exiles! If you are new to Path of Exile (POE) and confused about the craft system, don't worry. This guide is meant to make clear some of the concepts behind it in order to transform you into a skilled craftsman.

• Item Rarity and Structure
• Affixes: Prefixes and Suffixes
• Implicit Mods
• Shaper and Elder Items
• Advanced Mod Descriptions
• Affix Tiers and Item Level
• Crafting with Currency Orbs
• Crafting Bench in Hideout
• Crafting Bench Applications
• Advanced Crafting Tips

↖ Item Rarity and Structure

Items in POE fall into categories based on their rarity, color-coded as follows:

• Normal (White): These items have no mods.
• Magic (Blue): They may have up to two affixes – one prefix and one suffix.
• Rare (Yellow): They may have up to six affixes – three prefixes and three suffixes.
• Unique (Orange): These are special items with predetermined affixes that can break the normal rules.

Non unique items will be the main focus for this article since they provide more room for crafting.

↖ Affixes: Prefixes and Suffixes

The properties that an item possess other than its basic ones include affixes. Mods such as maximum life are examples of prefixes while suffices often involve resistances or attributes like DEX or INT. Note that rare items cannot go beyond three prefixes or suffixes.

↖ Implicit Mods

Implicit mods differ from those indicated by affix icons but arc determined by the base type of an item such as Two-Toned Boots which persists even if upgraded in rarity.

↖ Shaper and Elder Items

Affixed directly to these entities' constructs are exclusive Shaper/Elder influenced items which take craftsmanship deeper.

↖ Advanced Mod Descriptions

For detailed item information turn on Advanced Mod Descriptions under game settings so that you see what tiers an affix belongs to, its name and item level which is important to know while crafting.

↖ Affix Tiers and Item Level

Tier 1 attributes are the strongest mods. The item level determines which tiers can roll on an item. The higher the item level, the better tier of affixes you can get.

↖ Crafting with Currency Orbs

Currency orbs are used in almost all POE crafts and these are their quick summaries:

• Quality Orbs: Armourer's Scraps, Blacksmith's Whetstones, Glassblower's Baubles and Gemcutter's Prisms improve quality.
• Upgrade Orbs: Orb of Transmutation (normal to magic), Orb of Alchemy (normal to rare), Regal Orb (magic to rare), Orb of Chance (random rarity).
• Modification Orbs: Blessed Orbs (re-roll implicits), Orb of Augmentation (add an affix to magic items), Orb of Alteration (re-roll affixes on magic items), Orb of Annulment (remove an affix from rare items).

↖ Crafting Bench in Hideout

After Act 2 quest have unlocked your hideout you will gain access to the crafting bench. It allows you to add a specific mod into a free slot on an item. There are recipes for it sprinkled throughout the game content.

↖ Crafting Bench Applications

The bench is like a controlled environment wherein one mod can be added onto a piece at a time. For instance, there could be a ring which has open prefix that may call for some flat damage or mana cost reduction – depending on how it suits your build.

↖ Advanced Crafting Tips

While crafting in POE can be taken to more complex levels with meta-mods and manipulating sockets or links, these topics are not within the scope of this beginner’s guide. As you gain more skill in crafting, you will be able to experiment with these advanced techniques.

Conclusion:

Crafting is a massive and complex system in POE that can greatly boost your gameplay. Starting from this guide, try out various methods of crafting and find those which suit your playstyle best. Every exiles start somewhere, and before long you will be making gear that would rival the most potent treasures of Wraeclast through practice.