Efficient waystone crafting forms the foundation of successful magic finding in Path of Exile 2. This comprehensive guide walks through a systematic approach to transform raw waystones into powerful magic finding tools, focusing on maximizing valuable modifiers while minimizing dangerous affixes. By employing strategic omen usage and careful crafting steps, you can create waystones that significantly boost your loot potential while maintaining safe mapping conditions.
Preparation and Material Costs
Before beginning the crafting process, proper preparation ensures maximum efficiency. Gather all necessary materials in bulk to streamline the workflow:
| Material | Purpose | Approx Cost (per 100 waystones) |
|---|---|---|
| Alchemy Orbs | Base rarity upgrades | Varies by market |
| Augmentation Orbs | Adding affixes to magic waystones | Moderate |
| Regal Orbs | Upgrading magic to rare | Significant |
| Exalted Orbs | Adding high-tier affixes | Major expense |
| Omen of Sinestral Alchemy | Prefix-only alchemy slams | 787 exalts (full set) |
| Triple Distilled Paranoia | Best magic finding anoint | Premium cost |
Step-by-Step Crafting Process
The crafting methodology follows a logical progression from basic waystones to optimized magic finding tools. Each step builds upon the previous one to maximize value while minimizing risk.
Initial Preparation
1. Filter dangerous Delirious maps – Remove any with over 50% Deliriousness as they become overly dangerous for magic finding.
2. Identify all unid waystones – Use wisdom scrolls or vendor recipes to reveal hidden potential.
3. Augment one-mod magic waystones – Focus specifically on those missing prefixes to avoid unnecessary suffixes.
Mid Crafting
4. Prefix-regal magic waystones – Use Omen of Sinestral Regal to guarantee prefix additions when upgrading to rare.
5. Double prefix-exalt valuable rares – For waystones with good base rolls still missing two prefixes.
6. Single prefix-exalt remaining rares – Target waystones with one good modifier needing one more prefix.
Advanced Crafting
7. Prefix-alch normal waystones – Transform white waystones directly into rare with Omen of Sinestral Alchemy.
8. Anoint with Distilled Paranoia – Apply to all waystones with two or more value mods.
9. Corrupt high-value waystones – Optional step for potentially boosting top-tier waystones further.
Value Modifiers
Quantity + Rarity – The gold standard for magic finding
Increased Rare Monsters – Directly boosts loot potential
Additional Modifiers – Underrated but powerful
Pack Size – Great for Breach/Expedition
Rarity of Items – Secondary good modifier
Omen Usage Strategies
Omens provide crucial control over the crafting process, particularly for managing dangerous suffixes. Their strategic use separates basic crafting from optimized magic finding preparation.
The omen hierarchy for waystone crafting prioritizes:
Omen of Sinestral Alchemy – Most cost-effective for normal waystones, creates rare with 3 prefixes and 1 suffix
Omen of Sinestral Regal – Essential for safely upgrading magic waystones without gaining unwanted suffixes
Omen of Sinestral Exaltation – Premium option for adding guaranteed prefixes to valuable rare waystones
Omen of Greater Exaltation – Budget alternative when combined with Sinestral for double slams
Advanced Techniques and Final Thoughts
For those seeking to push their magic finding further, several advanced techniques can extract additional value from waystones:
The atlas strategy synergizing with this crafting method focuses on Breach and Expedition content, prioritizing pack size and waystone chance. The reduced suffix count from omen crafting makes "increased effect of explicit modifiers" on the atlas tree particularly powerful.
While this guide presents a comprehensive approach, remember that magic finding efficiency ultimately depends on your specific build capabilities and risk tolerance. The methods shown here represent a balanced approach between safety and optimization, but can be adapted based on your character's power level and personal preferences.