How Does an Ancient Orb Work in Path of Exile?
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An Ancient Orb in Path of Exile is a currency item with a very specific and sometimes volatile function. It is used to reforge a unique item into another, different unique item of the same item class. Essentially, you are rerolling the identity of a unique item, while maintaining its base type. This means that if you use an Ancient Orb on a unique Leather Belt, it will transform into another random unique Leather Belt. This process also re-rolls all sockets, and removes all influences and enchantments from the item. It’s a powerful tool for chasing specific items, but it comes with significant risk.
Understanding the Mechanics
The core functionality of an Ancient Orb is based on the item class of the unique you are using it on. When you use an Ancient Orb on an item, the game randomly selects another unique item that shares the same fundamental type. Here’s a breakdown:
- Item Class Restriction: The most important factor is the item’s broad category. An Ancient Orb used on a Flask will only yield another unique Flask, regardless of its specific sub-type (e.g., Life, Mana, Hybrid, Utility). Similarly, a unique Two-Handed Sword can only be rerolled into other unique Two-Handed Swords. This is a key limitation to understand.
- Socket Reroll: All existing sockets on the item are completely rerolled. This means you could get any number of sockets, and any combination of links, in various color configurations.
- Influence Removal: Using an Ancient Orb on an influenced item will completely remove any influence affixes, returning the item to its base state before re-rolling the item into a new unique of the same class.
- Enchantment Removal: Any enchantments, such as those obtained from the Labyrinth or specific crafting methods, are also removed. This makes using the Ancient Orb a sort of “reset” button for a unique item’s identity and secondary traits.
Essentially, an Ancient Orb acts as a lottery ticket that can transform a unique item you don’t need into one you might want, although the odds aren’t always in your favor.
Risk and Reward
The inherent risk in using an Ancient Orb stems from the randomness of the reroll and the rarity of some specific unique items. While it can, for example, transform a low-value unique Belt into a highly sought-after Headhunter, it also has an equal chance of producing another low-value unique belt. This means that while the potential reward can be huge, the chance of failure is quite high, making it a significant gamble.
Strategic Use of Ancient Orbs
Given the risk involved, it is important to consider the most effective ways to use them. While chasing for very rare unique items, it may be more cost-efficient to simply purchase the target unique, as it can be extremely expensive to obtain a specific unique using Ancient Orbs. This is because you may need a very high amount of Ancient Orbs and even after a lot of currency is used, the chances of success are still relatively low.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Ancient Orbs
1. What happens when I use an Ancient Orb on a unique flask?
An Ancient Orb used on a unique flask will transform it into another random unique flask. It does not change the sub-type of the flask (e.g., it won’t turn a life flask into a mana flask). It will, however, remove any enchants, influence, or quality.
2. Can I use an Ancient Orb on a unique Jewel?
No, Ancient Orbs can no longer be used on Unique Jewels. This change was implemented to prevent abuse and excessive farming in some specific unique farming scenarios.
3. Will an Ancient Orb remove the influence from an item?
Yes, using an Ancient Orb will remove any influence mods on an item. The item will be reset to its base state, without any influences or enchants, before being reforged into another unique of the same type.
4. How rare is the Ancient Orb drop?
While not as rare as a Mirror of Kalandra or Exalted Orb, Ancient Orbs are still considered relatively uncommon. They drop from various monsters, chests, and containers, with a low but consistent drop rate.
5. Does quality affect the Ancient Orb reroll?
No, the quality of the item has no impact on the outcome of using an Ancient Orb. The quality is removed in the process of transforming the unique into another, as it removes enchants and rerolls sockets, which may reset or remove the quality.
6. Can I use an Ancient Orb on a corrupted unique item?
Yes, you can use an Ancient Orb on a corrupted unique item. The corruption status will not affect the reroll process. However, the new unique item that is produced from using the Ancient Orb can be, and very often is, corrupted.
7. What is the average amount of Ancient Orbs needed to get a Headhunter?
On average, it takes approximately 430 Ancient Orbs to reforge a unique leather belt into a Headhunter. However, this is still a gamble and some players will get the Headhunter before this, and others, much later.
8. Can you reroll a unique item into the same unique item?
No, it’s not possible to reroll a unique item into the exact same unique item you used the orb on. The Ancient Orb will always roll a different unique item of the same class.
9. How many sockets will the new unique item have?
The number of sockets and links are completely random. There is no guarantee that the new item will have the same number of sockets or links as the original item. You may get an item with a different number of sockets and links, with random socket colors, and with links that are different from the original.
10. Can you use an Ancient Orb on a map?
No, Ancient Orbs can no longer be used on maps. Like jewels, this is a balancing measure to prevent specific farming abuses.
11. What is the best use for Ancient Orbs?
The “best” use depends on your goals. Primarily, it’s for players looking to gamble for valuable unique items, but without risking more expensive currency options. It is most effective when you have a high amount of Ancient Orbs and you’re specifically looking for a target unique item, but be prepared to use a large number of them, with a high likelihood of failure.
12. Does an Ancient Orb re-roll implicit modifiers?
No, the implicit modifiers are not altered when using an Ancient Orb. Implicits are intrinsic to the base item and are kept during the process.
13. Are there specific item classes that Ancient Orbs should never be used on?
Due to the high randomness and very specific item types being targeted, it’s generally not efficient to use Ancient Orbs on less desired uniques. If you are going for specific valuable uniques, it is better to use the orbs on the relevant base item type. For example, using them on a common Unique Leather Belt could potentially result in a Headhunter.
14. What is the cost of an Ancient Orb in comparison to a chaos orb?
Ancient Orbs are usually less expensive than Chaos Orbs on the market, however, they still come at a certain price as some people are willing to gamble with them for a chance at valuable uniques. The price of Ancient Orbs will fluctuate due to market demands and economy conditions during a league.
15. Should I use Ancient Orbs if I only have a few?
If you only have a few, it is generally more optimal to save these until you have the needed amount to statistically have a chance of getting a good unique. Using only a few will have a low likelihood of yielding a good outcome.
By understanding these mechanics and considering the associated risks, you can make informed decisions about how to best utilize the Ancient Orb in your Path of Exile endeavors. Remember to approach its use as a calculated gamble and not as a guaranteed method for obtaining specific rare uniques.