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In Path of Exile 2, quality currencies are specialized items used to improve the quality of gear, thereby enhancing their performance. Among these, the Arcanist's Etcher stands out as the exclusive tool for upgrading the quality of magical weapons—wands, staves, and sceptres—while other quality currencies serve different gear categories. Understanding how the Arcanist's Etcher compares to other quality currencies like Blacksmith's Whetstone and Armourer's Scrap is essential for optimizing your crafting strategy.
Arcanist's Etcher
This currency item is specifically designed for caster weapons. It increases the quality of wands, staves, and sceptres by increments of about 2% to 4% per use, up to a maximum of 20%. Unlike martial weapons, which gain physical damage from quality, caster weapons benefit from improved base properties of the skill granted by the weapon, such as increased spell damage or mana efficiency. The Arcanist's Etcher is moderately rare and cannot be crafted, so players typically save them for mid-to-late game when quality upgrades have the most significant impact. Its use is straightforward: right-click the Etcher and left-click the target weapon. Players often look to buy poe 2 currency to ensure they have enough resources to invest in these upgrades without delay.
Blacksmith's Whetstone
This currency serves a similar purpose but exclusively for martial weapons—those that are not caster-oriented, including swords, maces, bows, and other physical damage-based weapons. Blacksmith's Whetstones increase weapon quality, which directly boosts physical damage output. Like the Arcanist's Etcher, each application adds roughly 2% to 4% quality, capped at 20%. These are also rare drops that players conserve until the endgame to maximize their weapon’s damage potential.
Armourer's Scrap
Distinct from the two weapon quality currencies, Armourer's Scrap is used to improve the quality of armor pieces—helmets, body armor, gloves, boots—and also caster focus items like shields. Increasing armor quality enhances base defense values, making it a versatile and widely used currency. Compared to the other two, Armourer's Scrap is generally more common and can be applied more liberally to improve survivability.
Comparative Summary
Arcanist's Etcher
This currency item is specifically designed for caster weapons. It increases the quality of wands, staves, and sceptres by increments of about 2% to 4% per use, up to a maximum of 20%. Unlike martial weapons, which gain physical damage from quality, caster weapons benefit from improved base properties of the skill granted by the weapon, such as increased spell damage or mana efficiency. The Arcanist's Etcher is moderately rare and cannot be crafted, so players typically save them for mid-to-late game when quality upgrades have the most significant impact. Its use is straightforward: right-click the Etcher and left-click the target weapon. Players often look to buy poe 2 currency to ensure they have enough resources to invest in these upgrades without delay.
Blacksmith's Whetstone
This currency serves a similar purpose but exclusively for martial weapons—those that are not caster-oriented, including swords, maces, bows, and other physical damage-based weapons. Blacksmith's Whetstones increase weapon quality, which directly boosts physical damage output. Like the Arcanist's Etcher, each application adds roughly 2% to 4% quality, capped at 20%. These are also rare drops that players conserve until the endgame to maximize their weapon’s damage potential.
Armourer's Scrap
Distinct from the two weapon quality currencies, Armourer's Scrap is used to improve the quality of armor pieces—helmets, body armor, gloves, boots—and also caster focus items like shields. Increasing armor quality enhances base defense values, making it a versatile and widely used currency. Compared to the other two, Armourer's Scrap is generally more common and can be applied more liberally to improve survivability.
Comparative Summary
- Target Gear: Arcanist's Etcher exclusively upgrades caster weapons (wands, staves, sceptres), Blacksmith's Whetstone upgrades martial weapons, and Armourer's Scrap upgrades armor and caster focus items.
- Effect of Quality: Arcanist's Etcher enhances spell damage and mana efficiency by improving the skill granted by the weapon; Blacksmith's Whetstone boosts physical damage on martial weapons; Armourer's Scrap increases armor defense stats.
- Rarity and Usage: All three currencies drop relatively rarely and cannot be crafted, encouraging players to save them for crucial upgrades, especially in the endgame.
- Stack Size and Application: Each currency stacks up to 20 and applies quality in small increments, requiring multiple uses to reach the maximum quality cap.
