A Rare item's modifier list in Path of Exile 2, the thing this five-step path builds
LearnCrafting
Early accessYour First RareVerified

Your first Rare, step 1: pick a base and an item level

Before you spend a single orb, choose the base type and check its item level. This step decides how good the finished item can be.

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Pick a base and an item level

3 sections

Pick a base and an item level

Know that crafting is one way

Path of Exile 2 has no Orb of Scouring. Once you add a modifier, you cannot strip the item back to plain. Every orb you use is a choice you keep.

So the most important step happens before you spend anything: picking the base.

Read it as text

This is step 1 of 5. By the end you will have a finished Rare. The example item is a body armour with Life and two resistances.

What you are doing

You are choosing the item you will craft on. Nothing here costs currency, and it is the step that matters most. Path of Exile 2 has no Orb of Scouring, so you cannot strip an item back to plain and try again. Crafting is a one-way trip, and you pick the road before you start.

What to do

  1. Pick the base type your build needs. The base type sets the item's own stats and its implicit modifier. Crafting orbs do not change those. For a body armour, choose the type that gives the defence your build uses.
  2. Check the item level. Hover the item and read its item level. Item level caps which tiers of a modifier can roll. A low item level can never roll the top tier, however much you spend.
  3. Aim for item level 82 or higher if you want endgame tiers. Community guides commonly cite 82 as the point where most top-tier modifiers open up. Treat it as a working target, not an exact cutoff. The breakpoint differs by modifier.
  4. Prefer a useful implicit. It is fixed by the base and no prefix or suffix craft can add it later.

What you will see

A plain white base with no modifier lines. That is correct. Your crafting starts in step 2.

Plan B

  • You find the item level is too low after you have started crafting. There is no way to raise it. Start again on a better base.
  • You are unsure which base to pick. Take the one that matches your build's main defence, with the highest item level you can get. You can always compare bases before you spend anything.

Try it on the bench

Open the craft bench, choose a base and set its item level, and look at the lines it can roll. The bench is in beta, so treat what it shows as a guide.

Next

Step 2 turns the base into a Magic item with an Orb of Transmutation. For how the pieces fit together, read How crafting actually works.

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