How to juice maps poe 2

Overview

In Path of Exile (PoE), 'juicing' maps refers to the process of enhancing a map instance to increase the density of monsters, improve the quality and quantity of item drops, and ultimately maximize the rewards obtained from running that map. This is a core endgame activity for many players, allowing for faster progression, more currency, and better gear acquisition. Juicing typically involves spending various currency items and utilizing game mechanics to make the map more challenging but significantly more rewarding.

What is Map Juicing in Path of Exile?

At its core, juicing is about making a map harder and more profitable. Players achieve this by altering the map's inherent properties, adding extra monsters, increasing the chances of rare drops, and introducing specific mechanics that funnel more content into the instance. The goal is to create a high-risk, high-reward scenario where the increased difficulty is compensated by a substantial increase in loot and experience.

Key Mechanics for Juicing Maps

Currency Items

Several currency items are central to the juicing process:

• Orb of Chaos: This is perhaps the most fundamental item for juicing. When used on a map, it rerolls all of its random modifiers. This is often used to obtain desirable modifiers (like increased monster pack size or specific monster types) or to avoid undesirable ones (like reduced player speed or elemental reflect). Players will often spam Orbs of Chaos until they achieve a satisfactory set of modifiers.
• Exalted Orb: An Exalted Orb adds a new, powerful modifier to a map. These modifiers are often very beneficial, such as increased item rarity or quantity, or specific league mechanics that spawn extra content.
• Scouring Orb: Used to remove all existing modifiers from a map, returning it to a 'normal' rarity. This is often a precursor to using Chaos Orbs or other currency to reroll modifiers from scratch.
• Alchemy Orb: Upgrades a normal map to a rare map and adds one random modifier. This is a basic step for preparing a map for further juicing.
• Eldritch Ichors and Embers: These currency items are used on Eldritch implicit modifiers found on certain gear types. While not directly used *on* maps, they are crucial for preparing gear that benefits from juiced maps, such as increasing item quantity or rarity found within juiced maps.

Scarabs

Scarabs are consumable items that, when placed in a map device alongside a map, add specific content or mechanics to the map instance. They are a major component of advanced juicing strategies. Examples include:

• Monster Scarabs: Such as Abyss Scarabs or Breach Scarabs, which guarantee the appearance of these league mechanics and often increase their density.
• Divination Scarabs: Increase the chance of finding Divination Cards.
• Currency Scarabs: Increase the chance of finding specific currency items.
• Reliquary Scarabs: Increase the chance of finding unique items.
• Boss Scarabs: Add extra bosses or increase the difficulty of existing bosses.

Players often use multiple scarabs on a single map to stack various forms of content and rewards.

Atlas Passive Tree

The Atlas passive tree, unlocked by completing maps, offers significant bonuses that enhance map juicing. Players can allocate points to:

• Increase the chance of certain league mechanics appearing.
• Boost monster pack size.
• Improve item drop rates (rarity and quantity).
• Grant access to powerful endgame bosses and encounters.
• Provide unique bonuses for specific map types or strategies.

Strategic allocation of Atlas passive points is crucial for optimizing any juicing strategy.

Map Modifiers

Maps have two types of modifiers:

• Implicit Modifiers: These are inherent properties of the map base (e.g., increased monster damage, specific boss encounters).
• Explicit Modifiers: These are the random modifiers applied by currency items like Chaos Orbs and Exalted Orbs. These are the primary targets for juicing.

Desirable explicit modifiers often include 'Increased Pack Size,' 'Increased Item Rarity,' 'Increased Item Quantity,' and modifiers that add specific monster types or league mechanics. Undesirable modifiers might include 'Players have reduced movement speed,' 'Monsters have increased critical strike chance,' or elemental resistances/reflects that hinder certain builds.

Consumables and Other Items

• Vaal Orbs: Can corrupt a map, potentially adding a Vaal-themed modifier or bricking the map.
• Fragments: Items like Sacrificial Garb or Timeless Jewels can be used in the map device to alter map properties or add unique encounters.
• Unique Maps: Some unique maps have inherent juicing potential due to their fixed mechanics and rewards.

Common Juicing Strategies

The specific strategy employed often depends on the player's build, available currency, and desired rewards. Some common approaches include:

• Chaos Spamming: Repeatedly using Orbs of Chaos until desirable modifiers are rolled. This is a basic but effective method.
• Scarabs + Sextants: Using a combination of Scarabs and Sextants (items that grant powerful map-wide effects when placed in the Atlas) to create highly dense and rewarding maps.
• Essence Spamming: Using Essences to add specific types of monsters and affixes to maps.
• Delve/Breach/Abyss Stacking: Focusing on mechanics that spawn large numbers of monsters and valuable loot by using corresponding Scarabs and Atlas passives.
• Boss Rushing: Strategies focused on killing bosses quickly for specific drops like Shaper or Elder fragments.

Is Juicing Worth It?

For players looking to maximize their endgame progression and currency gain, map juicing is generally considered essential. While it requires an investment of currency and time, the potential returns in terms of rare items, currency, and experience can be substantial. It transforms the act of running maps from a repetitive task into a strategic and potentially highly lucrative endeavor.