Grinding Gear Games' ARPG sequel, Path of Exile 2, has been in early access for a couple of months now, and players are already working out the best routes, maps, and bosses to farm. The game does a reasonable job of telling new players where they'll get unique boss rewards, but it doesn't make clear exactly how to repeatedly farm bosses, or even whether that's a good idea.

Players can farm bosses at any stage in the game by creating a new instance of an area. Console players hold the button to move to a new map instead of clicking it. PC players have the option when selecting a map icon or map transition to shift-click. Players who are still going through the campaign should only resort to this if they're in serious need of a gear upgrade or more skill gems though, as scaling drop rates mean farming at length isn't worthwhile until the endgame.

If players are feeling under-equipped or under-leveled, though, re-running the last map that was easily clearable is usually the most efficient way to farm early game. Once the player has access to the waypoint device in the endgame, this is where the opportunities for boss farming and target farming of unique occur. This topic will discuss the best bosses to farm in Path of Exile 2, focusing mostly on the endgame.

1. Accessible Mini-Bosses

Location: Most Maps

Potential Rewards: Skill/Support Gems, Gear, Currency

Overview: For early-level farming, the most effective strategy is to target the easily clearable Mini-Bosses on the map. These bosses drop useful loot such as gear, skill gems, and Path of Exile 2 currency orbs. Some examples include:

The Executioner in Ogan Village

The Queen of the Kabbalah Python in Kes

The Mighty Silver Fist in Jungle Ruins

These are very useful for leveling up and accumulating resources, but the loot isn't as specialized as the end-game bosses.

2. Curtain Bosses

Location: Ogan Manor / Fearless Vanguard / Black Chamber

Potential Rewards: Skill Gems, Gear, Currency

Overview: While Curtain Bosses are important milestones in the game, their loot tables are fairly generic, which means you need to consider how quickly you can clear them. They don't have unique drops, but can yield decent loot and can be useful for some farming if you need extra resources or experience.

3. The Lord of the Mists

Location: Altar in Frethorne (endgame version)

Potential Rewards:

Beetle Bite, Unique Boots

Ingenuity, Unique Belt

Burden of Shadows, Unique Scepter

Pragmatism, Unique Body Armor (Difficulty 2 and above)

From Nothing to Something, Unique Gem (Difficulty 4 only)

Overview: The Lord of the Mists is a side quest boss in Act I, but its endgame version is where the real farming value lies. To access this boss, you need to interact with the altar in the endgame. Completing the altar will allow you to purchase an item, the Audience with the King, which is required to initiate the boss fight. Increasing the difficulty through the Atlas skill tree increases the chance of obtaining the boss's unique items.

4. Oros, the Fallen Source

Location: Start an Expedition with a level 79+ log, find Danig

Potential Rewards:

Ark Guardian, Unique Helmet

Orowathara, Unique Mace (One-Handed)

Svalin, Unique Shield

Heroic Tragedy, Eternal Gem

Oros's Resolve, Unique Vial of Life

Overview: Oros is the top boss in the Expedition event. To spawn him, you need to start an Expedition with a level 79+ log and find Danig on the map. Danzig controls the logs, and once you have the right log, Oros has a chance to spawn. This makes him more RNG-based than some other bosses, but the rewards are well worth it if you're looking for an Eternal Gem or a Unique Shield.

5. Trial Master (Lord of Chaos)

Location: Chaos Trial (Ultimatum with level 75+ inscription)

Potential Rewards:

Glimpse of Chaos, Unique Helmet

Forge of Hatred, Unique Gloves

Mathusot's Plot, Unique Shield

The Dresser, Unique Gem

Zephi's Origin, Unique Belt

Overview: Trial Master is one of the most intriguing final bosses associated with the Ultimatum challenge. To fight him, you need to have completed the Chaos Trial with an Ultimatum with a level 75+ inscription. After completing the Trial, you will unlock a boss fight filled with chaos and difficulty. Unique Path of Exile 2 items from this boss are highly sought-after, especially for final gear farming. This boss is part of a multi-stage process that involves collecting Fate Fragments from other mini-bosses throughout the Trial.

6. Zarok, the God of Time and Space (Boss of the Trials of Sekhma)

Location: Complete the Trials of Sekhma (with a Djinn Barya at level 75+)

Potential Rewards:

The Burden of Leadership, Unique Relic

Seasons of Change, Unique Relic

The Last Flame, Unique Relic

Desperate Alliance, Unique Relic

A Tale of Memory, Unique Relic

Potion of the Peacemaker, Unique Relic

Overview: Zarokh, The Temporal, is found at the end of the Trial of the Sekhemas, which requires a level 75+ Djinn Barya to open. The trial itself involves multiple floors, and the final boss provides guaranteed drops of unique relics, with each relic offering specific effects. The process is multi-step, but farming Zarokh can yield specific unique relics with relatively high certainty, making this boss an excellent choice for players targeting specific Path of Exile 2 items.

7. Arbiter of Ashes (True Final Boss)

Location: Use the fragments of the castle on Atlas and place them in the Burning Monolith

Potential Rewards:

Ab Aeterno, Unique Boots

Morior Invictus, Unique Body Armor

Sine Aequo, Unique Gloves

Solus Ipse, Unique Helmet

Faith Prism, Unique Gemstone (Difficulty 4 Only)

Holy Flame, Unique Scepter (Difficulty 4 Only)

Overview: Arbiter of Ashes is the final boss of Endgame, and as such, it offers the most powerful loot in the game. To fight this boss, players will need to collect fragments from three castles and combine them into the Burning Monolith. While this is a long and involved process, defeating Arbiter is a rewarding challenge for those looking for some of the best gear in the game. This boss is tough to take on, so be prepared to invest a lot of time in preparation and farming.

8. Xesht, We Are One (Lord of the Rift)

Location: Use a Riftstone in a Realmgate (300 Rift Fragments)

Potential Rewards:

Beyond the Range, Unique Quiver

Chorus of the Storm, Unique Amulet

Blood of Xoph, Unique Amulet

Hands of Wisdom and Action, Unique Gloves

Hide of the Loyal, Unique Body Armor (Difficulty 2 and above)

Controlled Transformation, Unique Gem (Difficulty 4 and above)

Overview: Xesht is the boss at the end of the Riftstone encounter. To summon the boss, players need to collect 300 Rift Fragments and craft them into a Riftstone. The Rift mechanic is a great source of endgame farming, and it is one of the faster ways to collect shards if you optimize your map layout with way stones that facilitate rift farming.

9. Simulacrum Bosses (Kosis and Omniphobia)

Location: Use Simulacrum in Realmgate (300 Simulacrum Fragments)

Potential Rewards:

Assailum, Unique Helmet

Perfidy, Unique Amulet

Melting Maelstrom, Unique Vial

Struggle Scream, Unique Amulet

Collapsing Horizon, Unique Staff (Difficulty 2 and above)

Megalomaniac, Unique Gem (Difficulty 4 only)

Overview: Similar to Breachstone farming, players will need to collect Simulacrum Fragments from the Delirium Rift. Once 300 Fragments have been collected, you can use them to enter the Simulacrum encounter in Realmgate. This fight will pit you against Kosis and Omniphobia, two powerful bosses with high potential rewards.

These bosses provide a variety of loot and farming strategies, ranging from quick minor bosses to more involved and rewarding endgame challenges. Depending on your playstyle, you can target specific bosses for their unique drops or farm multiple bosses for general endgame progression.

MMOexp POE 2 Team