Anatomy of a rare
Five lines of text. Some matter, some don't. Here's how to tell.
Turn this on first
Options → UI → Advanced Mod Display. Then hold Alt on any item to see prefix/suffix labels and tier numbers. Off by default. Turn it on now.
The five things
Item Level (ilvl): set on drop. Caps which mod tiers can roll. ilvl 82 ring can roll T1 Life; ilvl 50 cannot. Not the same as required level to equip.
Implicit(cyan italics at the top): the intrinsic property of the base type. Can't be removed by normal currency. Only Vaal corruption changes it.
Prefix: power mods: Life, ES, % Damage, Armour. Up to 3 per rare.
Suffix: stat mods: resistances, attributes, crit, attack speed, movement speed. Up to 3 per rare.
Tier: the bracket your roll falls in. T1 = best, T10 = filler. Body armour Tier 1 Life = +110-119; Tier 6 = +50-59. Same slot, different value.
Compare two rares fast
How many prefixes are useful for your build? How many suffixes? What tiers? Are the unused slots blocking better rolls, or open?
A magic ring with T1 Life and T1 all-res can beat a rare with the same two mods plus four trash, because the magic leaves slots open for crafting. Rarity isn't strictly better than quality.
What “good” looks like
- Single-element resistance (armour slot): T1 = +43%, T2 = +35-42%.
- Life: T1 = +110-119 on body, +70-80 elsewhere.
- % Increased Physical Damage (weapon): T1 = +155-179%.
- Movement Speed (boots): T1 = 30%, T2 = 25%. Below 15% = filler.
- Spirit (body, amulet, sceptre): roll it on sight if your build needs auras.
Three traps
Don't sell white bases without checking ilvl. An ilvl 82 white amulet is the seed of an endgame craft.
ilvl ≠ level requirement. ilvl 82 with required level 64 is a legit campaign drop. Read both.
Quality doesn't boost tier rolls in PoE 2. PoE 1 thing. Quality only raises base stats (armour, ES, damage).