Which Mods Should You Fracture in POE2? A Crafter's Guide

The Fracturing Orb has become one of the most powerful tools in any serious crafter's arsenal in Path of Exile 2's "Dawn of the Hunt" league. We see it everywhere: fracturing T1 flat lightning damage on rings, "+% to Critical Strike Chance" on bows, or "+3 to Skill Gems" on amulets.

But while many guides show the results of using a fractured base, they rarely explain the crucial decision made at the very beginning: Why these specific mods? What makes a modifier worthy of the immense cost and risk of using a Fracturing Orb?

This guide will demystify that initial, critical step. We will explore the strategic framework behind selecting a mod to fracture. The answer isn't about finding the "best" mod, but about understanding what role you want the fractured mod to play in your craft.

Generally, a modifier worth fracturing falls into one of two categories.

Condition 1: The "Enabler" Mod - Low Tier, But Essential

The first category includes mods that might not have high tiers or impressive numbers, but are absolutely essential for a build archetype to function. These are the foundational mods that "enable" the entire item.

Why fracture these? By fracturing an enabler mod, you remove a layer of RNG from your crafting process. You guarantee the item has its most basic required stat, allowing you to focus your more valuable currency (Essences, Chaos Orbs, Exalted Orbs) on rolling the high-tier damage, defense, or utility modifiers.

Examples:

  • +% to Critical Strike Chance on Weapons: For any critical strike-based build, having a high base crit chance on the weapon is non-negotiable. While this mod has tiers, even a decent fractured crit chance provides a solid foundation to build upon, saving you from countless failed attempts later.
  • +# to maximum Energy Shield on Boots or Helmets: For Chaos Innoculation (CI) or Low-Life builds, every piece of gear needs to contribute to the Energy Shield pool. Fracturing even a modest flat ES roll ensures the item is viable from the start, letting you focus on rolling high-tier % increased Energy Shield and resistances.

Fracturing an "enabler" mod is a defensive strategy. It's about ensuring your craft doesn't fail because it's missing a single, mandatory component.

Condition 2: The "Anchor" Mod - Rare, Powerful, and Value-Defining

The second category is the opposite: these are the high-tier, exceptionally powerful modifiers that are often the most difficult to roll due to their low weighting (rarity).

Why fracture these? Fracturing an "anchor" mod is an offensive strategy that accomplishes two things simultaneously:

  1. Overcomes the Hardest Step First: You conquer the most difficult part of the craft at the very beginning. Instead of spending hundreds of Divine Orbs hoping to hit that T1 mod, you secure it upfront.
  2. Sets a High Value Floor: An item with a fractured T1 anchor mod is inherently valuable. Even if the rest of your craft fails, the base itself can often be sold to other crafters for a significant profit, mitigating your losses. It’s a form of insurance.

Examples:

  • T1 Adds # to # Lightning Damage to Attacks on Rings: As we've discussed in other guides, this mod has the highest damage ceiling. It's also very rare. Fracturing it guarantees your ring has top-tier damage potential, making it a premium crafting base.
  • +3 to Level of All [Type] Skill Gems on Amulets: Hitting a +3 gems mod naturally is exceedingly rare. Securing it with a Fracturing Orb is the standard first step for creating any high-end, spell-based amulet.
  • Bow Attacks fire 2 additional Arrows on Bows: This is perhaps the most famous example. It's a build-defining, rare, and incredibly powerful suffix. Fracturing it is the starting point for nearly every mirror-tier bow craft in the game.

Conclusion

So, which mods should you fracture? The decision should always be strategic. You are investing a significant amount of currency to lock in one modifier, so ask yourself what you want that mod to achieve for your crafting process.

To summarize, you should fracture a mod that is either:

  1. An "Enabler": A common or low-tier mod that your build absolutely cannot function without. This is about managing risk.
  2. An "Anchor": A rare, high-tier mod that is difficult to roll naturally. This is about securing value and conquering the biggest crafting challenge upfront.

As a final note, I will be releasing more detailed guides that break down the best specific mods to fracture for each item slot in the near future. Stay tuned!

We hope this framework helps you make smarter decisions at the start of your crafting projects. Happy crafting, exile!