In Path of Exile 2 patch 0.5.0 Return of the Ancients, Expedition System has become the most reliable and convenient way to acquire loot. Unlike other methods, it operates efficiently on the base white map and requires minimal preparation.
The reason Expedition System is so efficient in patch 0.5.0 is due to the new Runes of Aldur mechanic and the high density of Verisium Remnants on Grand Expedition maps. These Remnants can drop raw Divine Orbs, valuable runes, rare alloys, and powerful unique items.
This guide will explain in detail how players can efficiently farm maps and acquire loot in PoE 2 Patch 0.5.0 Expedition system. Whether you are a novice or experienced player, POECurrency.com’s content will surely be helpful.
About Expedition
First, we need to understand how Expedition encounters work. Upon entering the map containing Expedition, you’ll find four NPCs: Dannig, Tujen, Rog, or Gwennen, one of whom will stand next to a detonator. Around them, you’ll see various markers on the ground, representing buried rewards and dangers.
The most important of these are Verisium Remnants. If they explode, they apply powerful buffs to subsequently appearing monsters and chests. These effects can be positive (increasing the quantity and quality of loot) or negative (making monsters harder to kill).
You have a limited number of explosives, usually five. Each explosive pack has a circular radius that can dig up everything within its area. The explosives detonate in the order you place them, so careful planning is crucial.
The main sources of valuable loot are runic monsters and excavated chests. Runic monsters have a much higher chance of dropping Expedition artifacts, exotic coinage, and logbooks than other monsters. Chests not only contain artifacts but sometimes also large amounts of PoE 2 Currency.
Farming Map Strategies
Step 1: Complete Expedition Questlines
To maximize your Expedition farming efficiency, POECurrency.com recommends unlocking the entire system first. Once you reach level 7 or 8, check the bottom right corner of Atlas screen. You’ll see a series of islands representing Expedition questlines. You need to complete the logs to explore these areas and defeat the island bosses.
After defeating all the island bosses, you’ll challenge the final boss, Olroth, Origin of the Fall. Defeating him will unlock the full Expedition system. While you can farm maps before completing the questlines, you might miss out on the most lucrative parts of the system.
Step 2: Only Farm Grand Expedition Maps
After completing the main questline, your goal should be to only farm Grand Expedition maps. You can find these map nodes on the atlas; their icons have prominent, visible spikes around the edges. Grand Expedition maps generate far more Verisium Remnants than regular Expedition encounters, meaning significantly more loot opportunities.
For efficient monster farming, a dedicated speed-farming build might be necessary. If you don’t have one yet, you can buy cheap POE2 currency from POECURRENCY.com to acquire unique items and create your own speed-farming build. This will provide you with the fastest and safest way to obtain them.
Step 3: Scout Before Placing Explosives
After entering the map, don’t rush to place explosives. Take some time to walk around the entire area and carefully examine each Verisium Remnant. Briefly hover your mouse over the icon to see the specific rewards. Below, POECurrency.com has compiled a list of some high-value reward items:
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Raw Divine Orbs
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Exalted Orbs
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Runes (especially high-tier ones)
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Alloys
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Valuable unique items
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Stacked Decks
If you see a Verisium Remnant with six, seven, or eight rune slots, it has the highest chance of triggering a large-scale loot explosion. These high-slot Remnants can drop multiple Divine Orbs in a single explosion, so observation is crucial.
Step 4: Strategic Explosive Placement
If your scouting reveals no valuable rewards, simply place a small explosive to quickly clear Verisium Remnants and move on to the next map.
Once valuable Remnants are identified, careful planning of explosive placement is crucial. Remember, Remnants only affect monsters and chests detonated after their explosion. Therefore, detonate valuable Remnants first, then detonate explosives that will yield rune monsters and chests.
Common Mistakes
Ignoring Expedition Questlines
Some players start farming Expeditions directly without completing Expedition Questlines in Patch 0.5.0. This is a mistake, as the questlines unlock Grand Expedition map, Aldur’s Saga, and the complete Runes of Aldur system. Complete the questlines first, then farm Expeditions.
Farming Poor Map Layouts
Some map layouts are indeed terrible and will waste a lot of your time. Skip the bad layouts and only farm the good ones; the time saved will significantly increase your hourly earnings.
Detonating everything without scouting first
POECurrency’s investigation revealed this to be the most common mistake new players make when farming maps in Expedition system. Randomly placing explosives or detonating all remnants without considering their reward value only wastes time and reduces hourly earnings. Therefore, always scout first, identify valuable remnants, and skip maps with poor rewards.
This concludes the article on how to efficiently farm maps and obtain loot in Expedition system of Path of Exile 2: Return of the Ancients. This system offers stable income and has a low barrier to entry, so players are encouraged to give it a try. We hope you enjoy the content brought to you by POECurrency.com.
