Strategic application of Vaal Orbs is a cornerstone of risk-versus-reward gameplay in Path of Exile 2, and understanding which items to corrupt—and when—can mean the difference between incremental upgrades and game-changing leaps in power. Vaal Orbs can be used on a wide range of items, but the biggest impact comes from knowing the potential outcomes and aligning your attempts with your long-term goals, especially if you’re balancing your crafting budget alongside poe 2 currency farming.

Beginning with skill gems, corruption is one of the most reliable and impactful uses of Vaal Orbs. Corrupting a level 20 skill gem offers a chance for a level upgrade to 21, an increase in quality up to 23%, or even additional support sockets or a transformation into its unique Vaal version. Even if you miss the jackpot, most gems remain usable, so the risk is relatively low and the upside is massive, especially for core skills or popular auras. Persistent players often collect surplus gems and repeatedly roll the dice for that perfect level 21 gem.

Moving onto gear, corrupting unique items is a true high-stakes gamble. Unique weapons, armors, and accessories can gain powerful Vaal-only implicit mods, reroll their explicit stats beyond traditional limits, or simply become bricked irreversibly. Attempt this only when you can tolerate the loss or if you have backup items available. When successful, unique gear corruption can create power spikes and even “best-in-slot” equipment that would otherwise be unattainable, making it a staple late-game strategy for ambitious players who sometimes choose to buy poe 2 currency to accelerate their crafting goals.

For rare items, the risks generally outweigh the rewards. While it’s possible for Vaal Orbs to boost rare equipment with valuable implicits or higher stats, more often, they simply ruin items by rerolling mods to less desirable combinations, especially if the gear was already highly optimized. Reserve this tactic for expendable rares or duplicates that wouldn’t cripple your build if lost.

Corrupting maps is a common endgame practice, offering chances to upgrade a map’s tier, add modifiers, or make maps unidentified for bonus objectives. While corrupting can yield more challenging maps with enhanced rewards, it can also introduce mods that are dangerous or incompatible with your build. High-value or final bosses maps are where this tactic pays off, especially when chasing rare loot, league mechanics, or progression milestones.

One lesser-known use of Vaal Orbs is on Essences encountered in the world. Corrupting Essences before freeing a trapped monster can change the reward type—useful for targeting specific crafting needs and improving efficiency when farming for desirable mods.

There are also unique resources like Omen of Corruption, which guarantee a change during corruption but increase unpredictability, and double-corruption mechanics found in special endgame encounters—used only for your most ambitious (and expendable) attempts at elite gear.

The central principle to strategic Vaal Orb use is always risk management: finish all intentional crafting and socketing before corrupting, never use Vaals on irreplaceable items, and focus your gambles on items where the rewards far outweigh the potential loss. Approach each corruption with a plan, backup options, and an understanding of what can happen, and you’ll find yourself better positioned to reap the most from Wraeclast’s most unpredictable crafting tool.