What is the Atlas?
The Atlas is Path of Exile’s endgame. It’s a vast system that expands upon the story mode, offering a world of possibilities and challenges. Once you finish the main campaign, you’ll be directed to Zana in the Templar Laboratory (located on the right side of Oriath). Zana will provide you with a selection of four tier-one maps to begin your Atlas journey.
The Atlas is entirely made up of “maps.” These maps aren’t just concepts; they’re physical items in your inventory. You obtain maps through exploration, and to run a map, you insert it into the map device, which consumes it and grants access to six portals leading to that specific zone. Maps range in tier from one to sixteen, and some of the higher tier maps can be incredibly expensive, making them among the most valuable items in the game.
How do I get maps?
There are two primary ways to acquire maps. Firstly, simply playing the game will reward you with maps as drops from defeated monsters. Secondly, Zana will offer a selection of maps for purchase as you level her up or complete her daily mission. This is a great way to fill in any missing maps you might have.
To obtain higher tier maps, you have two options. First, there’s a chance for any monster within a map you’re running to drop another map. The dropped map can be the same tier, a lower tier, or even one tier higher. The boss monster can potentially drop maps up to two tiers higher, provided you have those maps unlocked on your Atlas. This means that if you’re running a tier three map, any monster on the map could drop maps from tiers one to four, with the boss having a chance to drop a tier five map.
However, the only maps that will drop are the ones you’ve already unlocked by running them and defeating the boss or maps directly connected to the one you’re currently running on the Atlas. To illustrate, if you start with the Graveyard tier-one map, the only possible map drops are tier ones and the tier twos physically connected to it on the Atlas, such as Marshes. This allows you to focus on obtaining specific maps, but it can also create a situation where your maps are concentrated in a single area of the Atlas.
Another method for acquiring maps involves selling them to vendors. By selling three of the same map to a vendor, you’ll receive a map one tier higher. This is an effective way to progress your Atlas, especially if you’re only missing a few specific maps. While there are some maps that cannot be obtained through this method, they’re relatively rare.
What strategy should I use to complete my Atlas?
There are two main approaches players commonly use to shape their Atlas. One is to complete everything, which is straightforward and provides access to the most content. The other is the “shaped” strategy, where you only complete a few specific maps. This approach optimizes experience but limits you to running a limited set of maps.
Complete Everything
As the name suggests, this strategy is simple. Just run maps as you obtain them and progress through your Atlas. Purchase any missing maps and continue pushing forward. Completing every map allows you to accumulate an Atlas bonus quickly, granting you access to even more maps. This approach is ideal for casual players who want to explore the content or those who aim to reach the guardian bosses at the end of the Atlas.
Although this strategy might involve running some maps you don’t enjoy, it’s recommended for newer players. It allows them to experience the most content and fully appreciate the game’s depth.
Shaped Strategy
The shaped strategy focuses on completing a small selection of high-tier maps. Instead of completing every map, players focus on running maps from tier one to nine and then stop. By this point, you will have encountered Shaper Orbs, which allow you to upgrade a map by five tiers. The core of this strategy revolves around acquiring Shaper Orbs from tier five to ten and then removing the maps you ran to obtain those orbs. A map can be removed by selling three Sextants of the map’s color and one Scour to a vendor.
Once you have your Shaper Orbs from tier five to ten and no maps completed at tier ten or higher, you’re ready to proceed. Choose your favorite maps from tiers five to ten and upgrade them on your Atlas using the Shaper Orbs. This will create a set of “shaped” maps that become your only options from tiers ten to fifteen. Start running these maps continuously, as they’re not connected to any other maps of a similar tier. This means that when a shaped tier eleven map attempts to drop a higher tier map, it will search for a connected map, realize there aren’t any, and instead grant you another one of your shaped maps.
This strategy is highly effective for optimizing experience, as it allows you to run desirable map layouts repeatedly. Both strategies are viable, but if you’re considering the shaped strategy, it’s best to implement it first. Switching to a shaped strategy after completing everything will cost you a significant amount of red sextants, which can be very expensive. If you start with the shaped strategy and decide you don’t like it, you can simply switch to completing everything without much hassle.
Wrap-Up
Navigating the Atlas can be daunting, but with a well-defined strategy, you can conquer the endgame of Path of Exile. Whether you choose to complete every map or focus on shaping your Atlas for maximum efficiency, remember to experiment and find what suits your playstyle best. The Atlas offers a wealth of opportunities for both casual and hardcore players, so dive in, explore its depths, and enjoy the journey. And if you need a little boost along the way, don’t hesitate to Buy POE Currency to enhance your experience.
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