Crafting an Elemental Bow in Path of Exile (PoE) can be a complex process, but with the right approach, creating a powerful weapon for your arsenal is possible. Here's a detailed guide on how to craft an Elemental Bow in PoE 3.23.
Understanding the Basics
Before diving into the crafting process, it's essential to understand the basics of what makes an Elemental Bow powerful. The key is to focus on modifiers that increase elemental damage, attack speed, critical strike chance, and additional arrows. These stats synergize well with skills like Lightning Arrow or Tornado Shot, which can deal massive area-of-effect (AoE) damage.
Step 1: Choosing the Right Base
The first step in crafting an Elemental Bow is selecting the appropriate base item. For an Elemental Bow, you'll want a high attack speed base like a Thicket Bow or a high critical strike chance base like a Harbinger Bow. Ensure the item level (ilvl) is at least 86 to access the best modifiers.
Step 2: Obtaining the Base Modifiers
Once you have your base, you'll need to start rolling for the desired modifiers. You can roll the mods with fossils, essences, or chaos orbs. Look for mods that provide "+1 to Level of Socketed Bow Gems" and "+2 to Level of Socketed Elemental Gems" as these will significantly boost your damage.
Step 3: Crafting the Prefixes
After obtaining the base modifiers, focus on crafting the prefixes. You'll want to aim for high flat elemental damage and percentage-increased elemental damage with attacks. Using Deafening Essence of Rage can help achieve these mods. If you roll unwanted prefixes, you can use an Orb of Annulment to try and remove them, but this comes with the risk of removing a desired mod.
Step 4: Perfecting the Suffixes
Suffixes are equally important. You'll want to look for increased attack speed, critical strike chance, and additional arrows. These can be obtained through various crafting methods, including using Exalted Orbs or Harvest crafting. If you're lucky, you might roll a mod that grants "Bow Attacks fire 2 additional Arrows," which is highly sought after for AoE skills.
Step 5: Meta-Crafting
Meta-crafting involves using master crafting to lock in certain modifiers while rerolling others. This is an expensive process that requires the use of Exalted Orbs and the crafting bench. You can use the "Prefixes Cannot Be Changed" or "Suffixes Cannot Be Changed" meta-crafting mods to protect parts of your item while you work on the rest.
Step 6: Final Touches
Once you're satisfied with the modifiers, it's time to add the final touches. This could involve using Divine Orbs to perfect the numerical values of your mods or adding quality to your bow with Perfect Fossils. Quality increases the effectiveness of the modifiers on your bow.
Step 7: Linking and Coloring
The last step is to link and color your bow correctly. You'll want a 6-linked bow for maximum skill effectiveness, and the colors should match the requirements of your chosen skill gems. Use Chromatic Orbs to roll the correct colors, and if you're linking the bow yourself, use Orbs of Fusing to achieve the 6-links.
Tips for Success
● Always check the current meta and patch notes for any changes to crafting or the effectiveness of certain skills.
● Practice crafting on a simulator or with cheaper bases before attempting it on an expensive base.
● Be patient. Crafting can be a long and RNG-dependent process.
● Consider alternative crafting methods, such as Harvest crafting, for more control over the outcome.
● Keep an eye on the trade market for potential bases or completed bows that might be cheaper than crafting one from scratch.
Conclusion
Crafting an Elemental Bow in PoE 3.23 is a rewarding process that can result in a powerful weapon for your character. By following the steps outlined above and utilizing the various crafting methods available, you can create a bow that will serve you well in your adventures across Wraeclast. Remember to adapt your strategy based on the current game meta and your personal playstyle. Happy crafting, Exile!