Clear speed is essential when farming monsters in Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2). The faster you can kill monsters, the more monsters you can farm per hour, which means faster loot accumulation and EZNPC progression. In this article, we’ll focus on strategies that specifically enhance your clear speed, ensuring that you can farm monsters in PoE 2 as quickly as possible.
1. Build Focus: The Importance of Clear Speed
Your build has the largest impact on your clear speed. If your character isn’t optimized for clearing large groups of monsters quickly, you’ll find that farming becomes inefficient and slow. Let’s look at key aspects of a build that increases clear speed:
High AoE (Area of Effect) Skills: If your build doesn’t deal large amounts of damage in wide areas, you’re going to struggle to farm efficiently. Flameblast, Cyclone, Arc, or Blight are all solid choices for builds that want to clear multiple enemies at once. These skills target large areas, helping you mow through groups of monsters.
Projectile Builds: Many projectile-based builds are ideal for farming monsters quickly. Skills like Tornado Shot or Spectral Throw can cover a large area and hit multiple enemies with each projectile, making them great for farming.
Minion Builds: Minion builds can also be a great choice for farming, as minions can attack automatically, freeing you up to focus on moving through maps and collecting loot. They also can clear large groups of enemies quickly, especially when built to focus on damage and survivability.
2. Map and Area Selection: Find the Best Zones for Fast Farming
Once you’ve optimized your build for clear speed, you’ll want to focus on selecting the best maps and zones to farm in PoE 2.
High-Density Maps: Some maps have higher monster density than others, which can help speed up your farming process. Wasteland, The Atoll, and The Tunnel are popular examples of maps that feature packed, tight areas with monsters in abundance. These zones allow you to clear quickly and efficiently, ensuring that you maximize your kills per minute.
Tier 1 to 5 Maps: Lower-tier maps (Tier 1 to 5) often feature less resistance from high-level bosses and can be cleared more quickly. This makes them ideal for players who want to farm loot, level up, or gather crafting materials. They may not have the best drops, but they offer efficiency and consistent monster encounters.
Reduced Map Completion Time: When you’re farming for speed, it’s crucial that the map completion time is minimized. Skip maps that require long journeys or are riddled with unnecessary obstacles. Focus on maps with clear, open spaces to maximize movement and kill speed.
3. Increasing Your Movement Speed
Movement speed is directly tied to clear speed. The faster you move, the quicker you can reach the next pack of monsters and begin farming again. Here are some ways to increase your movement speed:
Movement Speed on Gear: Prioritize gear with bonuses to movement speed. Boots with Increased Movement Speed or Item Level Mods can significantly increase your farming efficiency, especially when combined with other speed-boosting effects.
Movement Buffs and Auras: Consider using auras that boost your movement speed, such as Haste or Onslaught. These skills can increase your speed and help you dash through maps more quickly. A Quick Silver Flask also provides an additional burst of speed that can be used strategically to zip across the map.
Flask Usage: Always have a Quick Silver Flask with the Increased Movement Speed mod for extra speed during farming runs. You can even pair it with The Topaz Flask for additional offensive bonuses, making your monster farming both faster and more effective.
4. Optimize Loot and Currency Farming
Efficient monster farming isn’t just about killing monsters quickly—it’s also about optimizing your loot drops. You can speed up your farming even further by focusing on high-value items and currency.
Loot Filters: Use a custom loot filter that highlights only the items that are most valuable to you. This will help you avoid picking up unnecessary loot and allow you to focus on items that will actually improve your character or provide a strong currency return.
Currency Farming: Certain types of monsters, such as those found in Rogue Exiles or Special Encounters, drop more currency or valuable items. Focus on these encounters to boost your farming efficiency, as well as look for mobs that drop rare crafting materials.