Path of Exile is widely known for its intricate crafting systems and deep item customization, where rare currencies often dictate the meta. Among these, the Warlord’s Exalted Orb stands out as a highly valuable and specialized currency item. Used to influence rare items with specific mods from the Warlord influence pool, it plays a crucial role in endgame crafting. Understanding how this orb functions, how it differs from other Exalted Orbs, and how players can maximize its potential is essential for anyone serious about PoE’s advanced mechanics and economy.
What Is the Warlord’s Exalted Orb?
Basic Description
The Warlord’s Exalted Orb is a currency item that adds a Warlord modifier to a rare item with the Warlord influence. It was introduced in the Conquerors of the Atlas expansion and remains a central part of influenced item crafting. This orb cannot be used on non-influenced gear and is limited to rare items only, making it a tool for advanced and targeted builds.
How It Works
When used on a rare item that already has the Warlord influence, the orb adds a new affix from the Warlord’s exclusive modifier pool. These modifiers can significantly enhance an item’s power, offering boosts that are often tailored toward specific builds, especially those focusing on warcries, physical damage, or defenses.
Influence Mechanics and Item Requirements
What Are Influenced Items?
Influenced items are special rare items that bear the mark of one of the Conquerors of the Atlas. Each Conqueror adds its own unique set of modifiers. Warlord-influenced items have a golden crown symbol and are associated with the Warlord, Drox, who represents strength, resilience, and martial might. These items are necessary if you want to apply a Warlord’s Exalted Orb.
Applying the Orb
To use a Warlord’s Exalted Orb:
- The item must be rare (yellow rarity).
- The item must already be Warlord-influenced.
- The item must have an open affix slot (either prefix or suffix, depending on what mod is added).
If the item has no room for additional modifiers, the orb cannot be used. It is therefore crucial to understand your item’s current affix status before attempting to use the orb.
Crafting Strategies with Warlord’s Exalted Orb
Targeting Powerful Mods
One of the main uses of the Warlord’s Exalted Orb is to obtain powerful, influence-exclusive modifiers that are unavailable through regular crafting methods. Examples include:
- Enemies you Kill Explode, dealing 3% of their Life as Physical Damage – for clearing maps efficiently.
- +1 to Maximum Endurance Charges – excellent for tanky builds or endurance charge generation.
- Socketed Attacks have -15 to Total Mana Cost – extremely popular for mana-free attack builds.
These modifiers are highly desirable and can dramatically increase both the value and effectiveness of an item, making the use of this orb a high-reward gamble.
Using Fossils, Essences, or Harvest Beforehand
Many players combine crafting methods to increase their chances of getting optimal mods before applying the Warlord’s Exalted Orb. For example:
- Fossil Crafting – Helps to limit the mod pool and create an ideal base.
- Essence Crafting – Guarantees a specific affix before adding a Warlord mod.
- Harvest Crafting – May allow for targeted mod removal or addition before using the orb.
This preparation increases the chance of landing a strong Warlord mod and avoids wasting valuable currency on poorly rolled bases.
Acquisition and Trading Value
How to Obtain Warlord’s Exalted Orb
There are several ways players can obtain a Warlord’s Exalted Orb in-game:
- Map Boss Drops – Drox, the Warlord, has a chance to drop the orb when defeated in his Citadel.
- Delirium and Ritual – Occasionally obtainable from reward choices.
- Trade Market – Can be purchased from other players through trading platforms or in-game via third-party tools.
Due to its powerful crafting applications, it remains one of the more expensive currency items, especially in the early and mid-league economy.
Market Trends and Demand
The price of Warlord’s Exalted Orbs fluctuates based on league progression, patch notes, and meta builds. When Warlord modifiers are in demand for popular builds, the price rises. If a patch nerfs certain mods or shifts the meta, prices can dip accordingly. Smart players monitor these changes and stockpile or sell their orbs based on demand.
Common Uses in Endgame Gear
Crafting High-End Gear
Players often use Warlord’s Exalted Orbs to finalize high-end gear. After preparing an item through Chaos spamming or Fossil crafting, one or two Warlord mods can elevate a piece from decent to top-tier. This is especially common with:
- Helmets with Socketed Attacks have -15 Total Mana Cost
- Rings or gloves for endurance charge stacking
- Chest armor with explosion mods
Hybrid Influence Crafting
In advanced meta crafting, players often combine multiple influence types. For example, pairing Warlord influence with Redeemer to access two pools of unique mods. This is done through Awakener’s Orb crafting, where two influenced items are merged into one, and then a Warlord’s Exalted Orb can be applied to try adding the ideal mod. These combinations create incredibly powerful hybrid items for niche and meta builds alike.
Risks and Limitations
High Risk, High Reward
Using a Warlord’s Exalted Orb is a gamble. There is no guarantee that the added mod will be useful or synergistic with your build. Some mods may be irrelevant or even detrimental depending on your intended use. This is why many experienced crafters prepare their item bases carefully and use crafting benches or Harvest modifiers to manipulate affix slots before applying the orb.
Cannot Be Used on Non-Warlord Items
Remember, the orb only works on Warlord-influenced rare items. Attempting to use it on normal, magic, or non-influenced rares will result in no action. For this reason, proper base item preparation is essential to get value from the orb.
The Warlord’s Exalted Orb is one of the most potent and specialized crafting tools in Path of Exile. Its ability to add exclusive mods to rare influenced items opens up a wide range of possibilities for creating powerful, customized gear. While it carries inherent risk due to its randomness, with the right preparation and strategy, it can become a cornerstone in crafting some of the most valuable and build-defining items in the game. For players diving into the endgame economy and crafting system, understanding the mechanics, use cases, and market value of the Warlord’s Exalted Orb is essential for mastering the world of Wraeclast.