Quick Links
The Atlas Skill Tree in Path of Exile 2 is an essential endgame mechanic that becomes available after completing all six Acts of the campaign. By fulfilling objectives in the main quest, Cataclysm's Wake, assigned by Doryani, players earn Atlas skill point books, each providing 2 skill points. Strategically allocating these points is crucial for a seamless endgame experience. Here's how to optimize your Atlas skill tree in PoE 2 for both early and endgame phases.
Best Early Mapping Atlas Skill Tree in Path of Exile 2
In the initial Tier 1-10 mapping phase of PoE 2, the key challenge is maintaining a steady supply of Waystones to advance towards the true endgame. While enhancing maps for more monster drops can be appealing, it's a short-term strategy. The ultimate goal should be reaching Tier 15 maps, essential for those aiming to seriously farm in the endgame.
The first few points on the Atlas skill tree are pivotal. Here are the three most critical nodes to prioritize:
| Best Early Endgame Atlas Skills | ||
|---|---|---|
| Constant Crossroads | 20% increased Quantity of Waystones found in your maps. | |
| Fortunate Path | 100% increased rarity of Waystones found in your maps. | |
| The High Road | Waystones have a 20% chance of being a tier higher. | |
By the time you complete the Tier 4 map quest given by Doryani, you should have accumulated enough Atlas points to unlock all three of these essential nodes. Constant Crossroads directly boosts your Waystone drop rate, making it indispensable. Fortunate Path helps you conserve resources like Regal Orbs, Exalted Orbs, and Orbs of Alchemy that you would otherwise spend on Waystones. The High Road is arguably the most crucial, offering a 1 in 5 chance of acquiring higher-tier maps, facilitating smoother tier progression.
Ensure your character is well-prepared before venturing into Tier 5+ maps, as no amount of Atlas skill tree optimization can compensate for inadequate survivability.
Best Endgame Atlas Skill Tree in Path of Exile 2
Once you reach Tier 15 maps, the issue of Waystone availability diminishes, as there's no more tier jumping. This phase allows you to build a surplus of Tier 15 maps, effectively resolving the Waystone problem. The focus shifts to maximizing the number of rare monsters on your maps, which significantly enhance the profitability of your runs. Here are the nodes to prioritize:
| Best Endgame Atlas Skills | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadly Evolution | Gives 1 to 2 additional modifiers to Magic and Rare Monsters, drastically increasing the number and quality of drops. | ||
| Twin Threats | Rare monsters are the primary source of drops in maps, other than bosses, and increasing their number in a map is huge. That is why Waystones with 'Increased number of Rare Monsters' are the most sought after. Twin Threats adds a flat +1 Rare monster to every map, and you can grab Rising Danger along the way to get a 15% increased Rare monsters in your maps. | ||
| Precursor Influence | Precursor Tablets are instrumental in making the true endgame grind profitable. Beelining towards the Towers, putting in Tablets to juice the maps is the cheapest way to make runs profitable. Precursor Influence increases the drop chance of Tablets by +30%. | ||
| Local Knowledge (Optional) | Local Knowledge can have potentially huge rewards as it shifts the weighting of drops depending on the map biome. The only problem is that two out of the five map biomes it affects become worse instead of better (Mountain and Desert). Make sure you're paying attention to which biome you're stepping into if you have Local Knowledge activated on your Atlas tree, and respec if the result is not desirable. When not using Local Knowledge, put the points in the Higher Tier Waystone node (below Crystalline Growths) and Tablet Effect (next to Precursor Influence). | ||
If you notice a concerning drop in Waystone availability, consider respeccing back into the Waystone-focused nodes on your Atlas tree.
