With this guide, you can traverse the endgame of PoE 2. The content structure segments into key topics, starting off with a TLDR (Too Long Didn't Read) section overviewing the insights. Following that are explanations of the most important aspects. Whether you want a refresher on certain parts or wish to approach them with learned strategies, it will enhance your PoE 2 endgame progress understanding and execution.

• The Basics
• Atlas And Endgame Progression
• Finding Corrupted Nexuses
• How to Find Unique Maps?
• Tablets and Waystones
• Early Atlas Passives
• How To Level Quickly (65-90)?
• Tips For Getting Atlas Points Quickly
• Atlas Passive Tree Ideas And Testing
• Pinnacle Points/Bosses
• Waystones/Tablets (Good Mods)
• Making Currency Through Item Rarity
• Making Currency Through Selling Items
• Character Tips: Damage vs. Defense

↖ The Basics

Upon defeating Doryani in Act 3 Cruel, you will find yourself at the Ziggurat Refuge. This location is pivotal for initiating your endgame journey. If you get lost, you can easily return to the Ziggurat Refuge via Act Three Cruel.

How to Begin?

• Awaken at the Ziggurat Refuge: Talk to Doryani  to receive your first map.
  
• Complete Your First Map: Cleanse the corruption as instructed.
  
• Set Up Your Hideout: Import a hideout using available resources online, Position your stash, Doryani , map device, salvage bench, and vendors close together for efficiency.

How to Management Items?

• Use control-click to identify all items in your inventory quickly.
• Organize your stash with a dump tab for seamless inventory management.
• Continuously cycle through maps by placing them in the map device after clearing inventory.

This structured approach ensures a seamless transition into the endgame, allowing for efficient gameplay and progression.

↖ Atlas And Endgame Progression

The Atlas is central to your endgame progression, starting from a small section near your home base. Your goal is to cleanse corruption and earn Atlas points through unique maps and corrupted nexuses.

Strategy:

1. Focus on Corrupted Nexuses: Quickly identify and cleanse these areas to earn points.
   
2. Complete Unique Maps: Each unique map grants additional Atlas points.
   
3. Optimize XP Gain: Stay within 5-9 levels of monster levels to avoid XP drop-offs.
   

Tips: Initially, transmute and augment maps until reaching tier 11. Consider regaling and aling maps at tier 13 or 14 based on currency availability.

Progressing Atlas passives enhances map juice and item level drops. Higher item levels lead to better item modifiers, crucial for maximizing currency gains. Prioritize T15 waystones for high-level item drops. Identify high item level items for potential market sales.

↖ Finding Corrupted Nexuses

Look for red branches or brambly structures on towers within the Fog of War. These indicate the proximity of a corrupted zone, suggesting a nearby Corrupted Nexus. 

Occasionally, the Corrupted Nexus can be directly observed in the fog of war as a structure with 3 claws emerging from the ground, surrounded by black mist. Recognizing this formation is vital for efficient navigation.

↖ How to Find Unique Maps?

Unique Maps are elusive yet rewarding. To increase your chances of discovery, consider the following:

Biomes Exploration: Unique Maps are likely associated with specific biomes. For example:

• Wildwood Map: Typically found in forest biomes.
  
• Megalith Map: Commonly located in grass biomes.
  
• Untainted Paradise: Often appears in water biomes.

Strategy: Regularly switch between unexplored biomes to enhance your chances of finding new unique maps, thereby earning additional Atlas points.

↖ Tablets and Waystones

During the initial stages of leveling from 65 to 80, players should prioritize exploration over tower setup. The early endgame progression encourages exploration to acquire nexuses and unique maps. While towers offer benefits, focusing on them too early can hinder your XP gain. Instead, aim to collect Atlas passive points and level up efficiently.

Tablet Slots: 

• Completing a tower grants one free tablet slot.
  
• Using a four-mod waystone provides two tablet slots.
  
• A six-mod waystone offers three slots, suitable for stronger characters.
  

Recommendations: Utilize boss tablets to increase tier waystones by defeating bosses. Consider Breach or Delirium tablets for increased monster density and XP gain.

↖ Early Atlas Passives

When embarking on your endgame journey, your initial 20 Atlas passive points are crucial. It is advisable to focus on passives that enhance monster density and item drops, which directly contribute to acquiring more waystones and items. Avoid delving into specific mechanics unless for personal enjoyment. As you accumulate more points, explore diverse passive ideas to optimize your progression.

↖ How To Level Quickly (65-90)?

Efficient leveling from levels 65 to 90 requires strategic planning:

• Waste Tier Advancement: Aim to increase your waste tier rapidly, maintaining a 5-9 level difference between your character and the monster level.
• Map Augmentation: Begin augmenting and transmuting maps around tier 11. Focus on maps that offer increased experience and monster density.
• Tablet Utilization:
  • For levels 65-80: Use boss tablets in conjunction with breach or delirium tablets
  • For levels 81-90: Transition to using one radiated tablet for an XP boost, alongside breach and ritual tablets.
• Avoid Overemphasis on Expeditions: Currently, breach, delirium, and ritual offer more efficient progression opportunities.

↖ Tips For Getting Atlas Points Quickly

Acquiring Atlas passive points efficiently involves understanding the game's mechanics:

• Fog of War Strategy: Identify towers with red bramble branches in the fog of war, indicating nearby corruption. Locate the corrupted nexus, recognizable by its distinct appearance.
• Unique Map Exploration: Explore different biomes to find unique maps. Each biome may hold a specific unique map, such as Vidian Wildwood in forests or Megalith in grasslands.

↖ Atlas Passive Tree Ideas And Testing

↖ Pinnacle Points/Bosses

↖ Waystones/Tablets (Good Mods)

Optimal Modifiers

• Increased Rare Monsters: Prioritize this modifier for enhanced currency and loot drops.
  
• Quantity of Items: Despite nerfs, still valuable when combined with rare monster increases.
  
• Rarity of Items: Considered a secondary option, useful in conjunction with other modifiers.
  

Expedition Log Books: Focus on tablets that boost the quantity of log books dropped by Runic Monsters for a lucrative currency farming method.

↖ Making Currency Through Item Rarity

The rarity of items found plays a pivotal role in currency acquisition. While running maps with a mere 10-15% rarity, players may notice a scarcity of valuable drops such as exalted orbs and divine orbs. However, increasing this percentage closer to 100% yields a substantial improvement in currency drops. It is important to note that diminishing returns begin around 100%, so exceeding this threshold may not be as beneficial.

Key Observations:

• At 84% rarity, players can expect a noticeable increase in valuable drops, including perfect jewelers, raw divine drops, and exalted orbs.
• Achieving close to 100% rarity is highly recommended for maximizing raw currency acquisition.
• Players will experience a significant improvement in drop quality without needing to reach maximum rarity.

↖ Making Currency Through Selling Items

Selling items is another essential method for generating currency, especially during the early stages of the league. Efficiently identifying and pricing items can lead to significant profits.

Selling Tips:

• Identify and Organize: After completing a map, identify all items and place them in a dump tab for easy access.
• Use a Price Checker: For beginners, utilizing a price checker tool is invaluable for determining an item's potential worth.
• Set Initial Prices: Place items in a "one exalted" tab with set prices for quick sales.
• Adjust Prices: If an item does not sell within 30-60 minutes, consider lowering the price incrementally until it sells.
• Gamble Higher-Level Items: Once more currency is acquired, consider gambling on items with higher item levels (79 and above). This can potentially yield high-value items.
• Price Strategically: Set initial prices slightly above estimated value and adjust based on market response.

Example Scenario:

• Item: Breach Ring (Item Level 80)
• Initial Roll: Lightning resistance, max life, strength
• Outcome: Worth an exalted or two
• Action: Set price at 25 exalted and adjust based on sales performance

↖ Character Tips: Damage vs. Defense

In the current state of PoE 2's endgame, players may notice an imbalance in difficulty, particularly in maps where even regular monsters can pose significant threats. As you progress from levels 65 to 80, prioritizing damage and speed over defense is advisable in softcore trade leagues. This approach allows you to maximize experience gain despite occasional deaths, as the experience penalty remains minimal until level 85.

Early Levels Strategy (65-80)

• Focus on Damage and Speed: Prioritize offensive capabilities to clear maps quickly.
  
• Expect Deaths: Accept that occasional deaths are part of the process due to high damage from enemies.
  
• Experience Gain: Emphasize experience accumulation over defensive measures.
  

Transitioning Strategy (85+)

• Surplus Damage: As you acquire better gear and passive points, ensure you have excess damage capability.
  
• Shift Focus: Gradually transition towards enhancing speed and survivability.
  
• Minimize Experience Loss: As experience penalties increase, adjust your strategy accordingly.
  

Weapon Set Utilization

PoE 2 introduces a feature allowing players to swap weapon sets seamlessly, providing strategic flexibility.

Future Enhancements

Developers have announced plans to automate weapon set swaps, further streamlining the process. This feature will allow players to switch setups with a single button press, enhancing gameplay fluidity

Navigating the endgame requires a dynamic approach to character building. By initially focusing on damage and speed, players can efficiently progress through early levels. As challenges intensify, incorporating defense becomes essential to mitigate XP penalties. Optimizing weapon sets ensures preparedness for both regular mapping and boss encounters. Stay informed on upcoming features to further enhance gameplay efficiency.