A Beginner’s Guide to Artificer's Orbs: Socketing

[Tyler]

Artificer’s Orbs are a vital crafting currency in Path of Exile 2, enabling players to add sockets to gear, which is essential for inserting runes and soul cores. These sockets unlock powerful passive and active bonuses, helping players maximize damage, defenses, and utility. For beginners, mastering how to obtain and use Artificer’s Orbs early can greatly enhance your build’s customization and progression.

How to Obtain Artificer’s Orbs

There are two primary methods for acquiring Artificer’s Orbs:

Salvaging Socketed Gear
The most consistent method is through salvaging socketed equipment at the Salvage Bench, unlocked in Act One after completing the “Finding the Forge” side quest. Salvaging gear with sockets yields Artificer’s Shards, and 10 shards = 1 Artificer’s Orb.

More sockets = more shards

Focus on looting and salvaging weapons, armor, and accessories with multiple sockets

Random Drops
Artificer’s Orbs can also drop from enemies, chests, and destructible objects throughout the world—but these drops are rare. For most players, especially early on, salvaging remains the best source. However, as the economy matures, you can always buy poe 2 currency from in-game trade or markets to top off your orb supply when drops run dry.

How to Use Artificer’s Orbs

Using an Artificer’s Orb is simple:

Right-click the orb in your inventory

Left-click the gear item you want to modify

Each orb adds one socket per use, up to the item’s maximum socket limit:

Body armor / 2H weapons: up to 2 sockets

Helmets, gloves, boots, shields, rings: typically 1 socket

Sockets are essential because they let you insert Runes and Soul Cores, which enhance attributes like:

Physical or elemental damage

Resistances

Stat boosts (Dexterity, Strength, Intelligence)

Item rarity or drop rates

Socket Examples

Soul Core of Azcapa → increases item rarity (good for farming builds)

Soul Core of Citaqualotl → boosts elemental damage, great for spellcasters

Iron Rune → enhances physical damage, excellent for melee builds

Soul Core of Tacati → increases chaos resistance, helpful for defense

The socketing system adds build depth and flexibility, letting you personalize gear based on your role or preferred playstyle.

Tips for Beginners

Prioritize Salvaging Socketed Items: Build a steady supply of Artificer’s Shards from low-level zones. Don’t overlook whites and blues—they’re valuable scrap.

Use Orbs on High-Value Gear: Don’t waste sockets on gear you’ll replace soon. Wait for rare or upgraded items.

Farm Efficiently: Revisit cleared zones for socketed loot; some areas drop more multi-socket gear.

Plan Around Socket Limits: Know how many sockets your gear type allows before investing.

Buy Cheap PoE 2 Currency for Crafting: If you’re struggling with drop RNG, you can always get cheap poe 2 currency from other players to buy more socketed items or Orbs via trade—saving time while enhancing your build.

Artificer’s Orbs are a core part of character progression in Path of Exile 2. Adding sockets unlocks the ability to embed powerful Runes and Soul Cores, enabling massive stat boosts and unique effects. By salvaging gear and planning your crafting strategy early, you’ll gain a major edge in combat, flexibility, and build identity.

If you’re feeling behind or low on resources, it’s perfectly fine to buy poe 2 currency from trusted in-game sources to boost your orb supply and fast-track your socketing goals. Whether through farming or trading, smart use of Artificer’s Orbs will shape your path to endgame success.