Upgrade priority

What should I upgrade first in PoE2?

Start with a ranked fix list: the first upgrade to inspect, the second option, and the reason each one matters.

This page is for the common moment where you have some currency, your character is not finished, and random trade browsing is starting to waste time.

Find upgrade prioritiesRead upgrade guide
Intent
The player wants a spending order and practical next action, usually with budget pressure.

Intermediate players with currency who need slot priority before item shopping.

What upgrade priority means
1The most important issue to fix before spending on luxury upgrades
2The gear slot, gem setup, or defensive gap most likely to move the build forward
3Whether a fix is cheap, moderate, expensive, or better deferred
4Trade searches or slot details when the recommendation is concrete enough
Example report

Example build check report

A real exiles.build report showing build tier, weak pillars, practical fix rows, and a shareable summary.

Build tierDamage and survival pillarsTop fixesTrade-ready upgrade rows
Start with PoB
Current workflow: paste a Path of Building 2 export, pick the goal that matches the problem, then read the first fixes before drilling into item details.

How to use it

The page is built around a short build-help flow: import the character, name the pain, then act on the first fixes before over-optimizing.

  1. 1

    Tell the report your goal

    General progression, boss damage, survival, sustain, and clear speed should rank upgrades differently.

  2. 2

    Treat the first fix as triage

    The top fix is the issue most likely to block progress. It is not always the most expensive item.

  3. 3

    Drill down only after ranking

    Once the report names a slot or setup, inspect the trade link, current item, and expected impact.

When this helps

Use the Improve flow when the question is about a current character and a practical next action.

You have 5, 20, or 100 divines and do not know where the next spend belongs.
You are deciding between a weapon, jewellery, boots, jewels, or support-gem changes.
You want a report you can rerun after making one upgrade.

What exiles.build checks

The report starts from concrete build data and keeps the short answer separate from deeper inspection.

Gear

Slot coverage, bases, requirements, defenses, damage stats, and trade-search direction when the slot is specific enough.

Skills and supports

Main skill setup, support links, gem levels, and support alternatives that can change damage, clear, sustain, or utility.

Passives and stats

Notables, keystones, stat pillars, and calculation-backed deltas where the imported build can be evaluated.

FAQ

Short answers for the search intent behind this page.

Should I always upgrade my weapon first?

No. Many builds care heavily about the weapon, but uncapped defenses, missing support gems, bad jewellery, or sustain problems can be a better first fix.

Can the report handle a budget?

The product direction is budget-aware upgrade priority. When price data is incomplete, the report should label effort conservatively instead of inventing exact prices.

Should I compare to a guide instead?

If you are checking against a specific guide, use Compare after the first check. Upgrade priority is best when you need triage before target-specific inspection.

PoE2 build checkStart with the broad build-help report.PoE2 gear checkDrill into weak item slots and trade-search direction.Why am I dying?Bias the report toward defensive blockers.Low damage buildBias the report toward damage and support setup.Upgrade guideRead the manual upgrade-priority framework.

Find your next fixes

Start with Improve when you want a practical answer for the character you already have.

Find upgrade priorities