A Practical Crafting Guide for the Gemini Bow in POE2 (Self-Use & Selling)

If you've searched for a Gemini Bow crafting guide, you've likely found dozens of tutorials focused on creating mirror-tier behemoths. They all preach the same sermon: start with the suffixes, fracture "+2 additional Arrows" or "+% to Critical Strike Chance," and prepare to spend a fortune.

For crafting a mirror-worthy item or for pure profit, that method is valid. But for personal use? It's often impractical and overkill. What if you need a bow that can carry you through the endgame, grow with your investment, and still be sold for a good profit if you decide to switch builds?

This guide presents a different philosophy: a prefix-first approach designed for the everyday exile. We'll show you how to craft a powerful Gemini Bow that serves you well and holds its value, without needing a mirror-tier budget from the start.

The Core Principle: Why We Craft Prefixes First

Before we touch a single orb, we must understand a key concept: a bow's value floor is determined by its prefixes, while its value ceiling is raised by its suffixes.

A bow with perfect suffixes but weak physical damage prefixes is nearly worthless. Nobody can use it. Conversely, a bow with two or three high-tier physical damage prefixes is an incredibly powerful weapon, even with no suffixes at all. It can be sold as a crafting base or used immediately.

By focusing on prefixes first, we guarantee that every currency orb we invest is building upon a solid, valuable foundation.

The Crafting Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

Our goal is to create a Gemini Bow with high-tier physical damage prefixes. Here is the flowchart we'll be following:

A flowchart detailing the prefix-first crafting process for a Gemini Bow.

Step 1: The Foundation - A Fractured Physical Mod

Start by acquiring a Gemini Bow base. Your first goal is to lock in a core physical damage modifier. You have two primary targets:

  • T1 % increased Physical Damage
  • T1 Adds # to # Physical Damage

Buy a bow with one of these mods and use Fracturing Orbs to attempt to lock it in. This is the first major hurdle, but securing this foundation is essential.

Step 2: Crafting the Prefixes - The Path to Power

With a clean base and one fractured T1 physical prefix, we begin crafting the other prefixes.

  1. Use Exalted Orb: Use the combination of Omen of Sinistral Exaltation + Omen of Greater Exaltation + Exalted Orb. This gives you two prefixes.
  2. Use annul(optional): If you don't hit another T1 Physical mod, you have a choice. You can use an Omen of Greater Annulment + Annulment Orb to remove the two prefixes. Now You're back to a clean base to try again.

Step 3: Crafting the Suffixes - The Finishing Touches

Once your prefixes are done (ideally with two or three high-tier physical mods), it's time to work on suffixes. The most sought-after suffixes are Critical Strike mods, additional Arrows, and Attack Speed.

  1. First Suffix Attempt: Use two Exalted Orbs to add two suffixes at once.
  2. Analyze and Reset: If you are not satisfied with the two suffixes you hit, it's time to reset. Here, we use a cost-effective strategy: the combination of Omen of Dextral Annulment + Annulment Orb.
    • Why this method? An Omen of Dextral Annulment guarantees an Annulment Orb removes a suffix. However, a single Omen can be expensive. Using two Omen of Whittling to target and remove two specific suffixes is often even more expensive. The Omen of Dextral Annulment combo provides a powerful and often cheaper way to reset your suffixes for another attempt.
  3. Final Slam: If you hit one great suffix (e.g., T1 Critical Strike Chance), you can then use a single Exalted Orb to try and add a second, hoping for the best.

The "Grow-With-You" Philosophy & Advanced Options

This prefix-first method creates a bow that is powerful at every stage. A bow with just T1 Fractured Phys % and T1 Flat Phys is already a fantastic weapon. You can use it like this for a long time, and its value is high.

If you accumulate more currency later, you can always decide to tackle the suffixes or even use an Omen of Whittling to perfect a single modifier if you have one good prefix/suffix and want to target the other. The flexibility is up to you.

This guide provides a roadmap to crafting a bow that grows with you. By starting with a strong prefix foundation, you ensure your investment is never wasted and you always have a powerful weapon in your hands or a valuable asset to sell.

Happy crafting, exile!