Welcome to our PoE 2 Beginner's Guide. Here are 10 massive mistakes that both new and veteran players should avoid, especially at league start. This guide highlights the most common pitfalls and how to prevent them, so you can level faster, deal more damage, and enjoy a smoother campaign.
1. Not Upgrading Your Weapon Regularly
The first mistake is failing to keep weapons updated. In Path of Exile 2, your weapon is king. If you have a bad weapon, you're going to deal very low damage. So, what I recommend is checking vendors fairly regularly for new weapon upgrades.
For example, Wrapped Quarterstaff of Impact is low-level stuff. The base physical damage is 7 to 12. At level 11, this Gothic Quarterstaff of Menace suddenly becomes available. This thing has a base physical damage of 16 to 26. That makes a massive difference. On top of that, any modifiers that roll on the staff or weapon you get will multiply these base values.
💡 To boost your damage during the campaign, keep your gear up to date. Early crossbows like the Makeshift (level 1) have 15 base physical DPS, while the Sturdy (level 10) offers 29. If you're still using low-level gear, you're missing out on a lot of damage. If you lack resources for upgrades, consider farming or trading with PoE 2 Currency to speed up progression.
2. Ignoring Weapon Quality and Sockets
In PoE 2, upgrading your weapon is crucial. Use Blacksmith's Whetstones to boost weapon damage by up to 20%. You can get them by salvaging quality Marshall weapons or farming areas like Modern Quarry (Act 2). Another upgrade option is Artificer's Orbs, which add rune sockets to weapons—up to two. These orbs are rare, so use them wisely. If you find a weapon with two sockets, you can insert runes like Lesser Iron Rune for +15% physical damage. This can multiply your DPS significantly. If you salvage socketed items, you'll get Artificer's Shards—10 shards make one orb. Salvaging items with both quality and sockets gives you both Whetstones and Shards. Use these tools when you need a damage spike or want to upgrade a strong base weapon with weak modifiers. Don't neglect your weapon—it's one of the biggest power spikes in the campaign.
3. Forgetting to Upgrade Flasks
Early on in PoE 2, getting life recovery is really hard. One of the best ways to get your life back is with flasks. So every few levels, you find new flask bases that will increase the amount of mana and life recovered. We have a Lesser Mana Flask - recovers 50 mana, and a medium can recover 70 mana. Try to learn the new life masks because the difference in life recovered is massive.
4. Skipping Permanent Buff Quests
A common mistake is skipping permanent buff quests and missing guaranteed rewards scattered throughout the campaign. On your map overlay, look for skull icons—those with a plus sign indicate quests that grant permanent buffs. If the icon is gold, you haven't completed it yet. These buffs are crucial for power progression. For example, the "King in the Mist" quest grants +30 Spirit. Across the campaign, you can earn 24 passive skill points, large amounts of Spirit, hidden support gems, and other permanent upgrades.
Beyond these, there are uncut skill gems that unlock new abilities, Artificer's Orbs to add rune sockets to weapons, and Lesser Jeweler's Orbs in Act 3 that allow a fourth skill link—massively boosting damage output. Prioritizing these quests ensures your character stays powerful and efficient throughout the campaign. Don't overlook them.
5. Poor Gold Management
PoE 2 gold is very important early on. It'll allow you to buy new upgrades from the vendor, but a lot of people will waste a lot of their gold on Gambling.
Some players will use it to find regular weapon upgrades. I prefer to save it as a last-resort backup plan when all other avenues fail. If you have excess gold, feel free to gamble for upgrades, but only if you need to.
If the items I'm finding are not good, if the vendors are not selling me items I need, and if the currency that I have to use on my items is not giving me good results, this is my final resort: Gambling. But don't go here. However, you could check a vendor and see if there's a really cool weapon. This could be a massive upgrade for a lot of players. So, first check your vendors. Try not to waste all your gold on everything that you might not actually need.
6. Wasting Valuable Currency
A frequent mistake is the misuse of valuable PoE 2 Orbs on low-quality gear. While Orbs of Transmutation and Augmentation are common and safe to use early on, rarer items like Regal Orbs and Exalted Orbs should be used sparingly. These high-tier currencies are best saved for upgrading weapons, which have the biggest impact on your damage output during the campaign. Instead of Gambling on mediocre gear, focus on testing your weapon's performance first—if it's promising, then consider enhancing it.
Another powerful but uncommon currency is the Orb of Alchemy, which upgrades a normal item to a rare with four modifiers. This is especially useful for weapon upgrades. For example, if you're level 22 and expecting a new weapon base soon, save your Orb of Alchemy for that instead of using it on outdated gear. Smart currency management ensures you maximize your damage potential without wasting resources on gear that won't carry you forward. Prioritize weapon upgrades and avoid impulsive spending.
7. Neglecting Defenses
The importance of resistances and defenses during the campaign is often overlooked in PoE 2. To survive comfortably, aim to raise your elemental resistances—Cold, Fire, and Lightning—toward the 75% cap as early as possible, and keep your flasks updated. In Act 1, prioritize Cold Resistance to handle Geonor's heavy cold damage; items like Sapphire Rings offer a natural boost. In Act 2, start with Fire Resistance for the Modern Mine boss, then shift focus to Lightning Resistance for the rest of the act. By Act 3, expect a mix of Fire and Chaos Damage, especially in areas like the Temple of Copek.
Following a build guide can help you understand what defensive layers to prioritize—whether it's armor, evasion, or spell suppression. As the game progresses, especially with the expected release of Act 4 in Patch 0.3, maintaining high resistances and adapting to incoming damage types becomes even more critical. Smart gear choices and resistance planning will make your campaign much smoother and prevent sudden deaths from elemental spikes.
8. Not Reading Tooltips & Descriptions
Many rush through the game without understanding their skill gems, support gems, ascendancy choices, or passive tree nodes. This leads to poor decisions, weaker builds, and unnecessary deaths. Slowing down and reading tooltips, gem descriptions, and item modifiers can dramatically improve your gameplay. Knowing what each point in your skill tree does helps you build smarter and deal more damage.
The game also offers helpful tools to support this. If you see dotted lines under gear or passive nodes, hold Alt and hover to reveal detailed descriptions—like a built-in mini wiki. You can even pin these tooltips for easy comparison between items or stats. For example, pinning "Strength" or a gear modifier lets you track how it affects your build. Taking time to read and understand these mechanics will make your campaign smoother, your character stronger, and your decisions more informed. Don't rush—read, learn, and play smarter.
9. Overlooking Powerful Jewellery
Rings and amulets come with implicit modifiers that provide valuable bonuses regardless of other stats. These can help fill gaps in your resistances, accuracy, cast speed, or attributes. For example, a Sapphire Ring offers cold resistance, which is crucial before fighting Geonor in Act 1. In Act 2, lightning and chaos resistance become more important, and the right jewelry can make a big difference.
Amulets also have attribute-based implicits like Strength, Dexterity, or Intelligence, which can enable you to equip higher-level gems or support gems earlier than expected. Keep an eye on vendors and loot drops for useful jewelry pieces, and don't hesitate to swap them in as needed. These small upgrades can significantly improve survivability and damage output during the campaign, especially when your gear options are limited.
10. Delaying Your Ascendancy
A major mistake is skipping Ascendancy Trials, which provide powerful bonuses crucial for progression. Ascendancy points offer massive boosts to damage, survivability, and utility. For example, the Deadeye class gains Tailwind on skill use, increasing skill speed and evasion—hugely impactful early on. Additional nodes can grant extra projectiles or damage reduction, making Ascendancy choices game-changing.
Your first trial is available in Act 2, in Tracer's Passage, where defeating Balbala rewards a Jin Barrier to unlock Ascendancy. The second trial appears in Act 3, inside the Temple of Chaos, found after the Chimera Wetlands. Don't delay these trials until the endgame—doing so slows your progress and weakens your build. Completing them as you go ensures your character stays strong and efficient throughout the campaign. Prioritize Ascendancy progression to unlock your class's full potential early.
Bonus Tip: Join a Community and Have Fun
One of the most overlooked aspects of PoE 2 is simply having fun and not isolating yourself. While many players choose to play solo, that doesn't mean you have to go it alone. Joining a community, whether it's a Discord server, forum, or group of friends, can dramatically improve your experience. Experienced players can offer advice, help with tough bosses, or guide you through confusing mechanics. Having someone to ask, "What am I doing wrong?" or "Can you help me with this fight?" makes the game more enjoyable and less frustrating.
Another major mistake is taking the game too seriously—trying to perfect every build, rushing to endgame, and feeling disappointed when things don't go perfectly. PoE 2 is complex and challenging, but it's still a game. Don't let perfectionism ruin the fun. Slow down, enjoy the journey, and celebrate small victories. Whether you're theorycrafting or casually exploring, the most important thing is to have fun. That's what keeps players coming back.
Conclusion
Avoiding these 10 mistakes will set you far ahead of most exiles in PoE 2. From managing resources wisely to prioritizing weapon upgrades and permanent buffs, every choice makes a big difference in your journey. These insights are based on tips shared in Lolcohol’s video. Take these lessons to heart, enjoy experimenting with builds, and remember—the most important part is to have fun.
