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[PoE 3.28] How to Farm Ore & Kingsmarch - IN DEPTH Guide for Shipment + Atlas Strat - Path of Exile

By ronarrayWatch videoDuration: PT18M3S

Summary

  • Shift in Meta: In 3.28, Ore has replaced Crops as the primary resource for high-value shipments.
  • 50 Million Shipments: Aim for 50M value shipments to Pondium for a chance at Mirror Shards, requiring roughly 25M Ore/Bars and 25M Thaumaturgic Dust.
  • Farming Efficiency: Run 8-mod maps with high quantity (>110%) and specific Kalguuran scarabs to maximize ore per hour.
  • Dust Management: Use high-value uniques (e.g., Rakiata’s Dance) and quality currency to generate millions of dust quickly.
  • Atlas Strategy: Focus on Map Explicit modifiers, Quantity, and Niko (Sulphite-to-Ore conversion) to speed up resource gathering.

The Kingsmarch Economy in 3.28

In the current meta, Kingsmarch profit is heavily tied to Mirror prices. Unlike previous versions where crops were the focus, you now need to prioritize mining and smelting ore into bars. While shipping provides various rewards like tattoos and runecrafts, the “big play” is sending massive shipments for Mirror Shards. This is high-variance gameplay; profits can be astronomical or modest depending on RNG.

Maximizing Thaumaturgic Dust

To send efficient shipments, you generally want a 1:1 ratio of resource value to dust (e.g., 25M resource value and 25M dust for a 50M shipment).

  1. Disenchanting: Access the disenchanting menu via Rog in your hideout.
  2. Item Selection: Use the PoE Disenchant Tool to find the best dust-to-chaos ratio.
  3. Efficiency vs. Speed:
    • High Efficiency: Items like Eye of the Malice or Chainsaw offer better ratios but take longer to accumulate.
    • High Speed: Rakiata’s Dance is a reliable choice. Approximately 10 of these provide enough dust for a 50M shipment. Other options include Lioneye’s Glare or Echoforge.
  4. Quality Matters: Always apply Blacksmith’s Whetstones or Armourer’s Scraps to items before disenchanting; quality significantly increases the dust yield.

Optimal Map Setup for Ore Farming

Quantity is the most important stat for ore generation.

  • Map Tier: Normal 8-mod T16 maps are sufficient; T17s or Nightmares are not strictly required for ore volume.
  • Quantity Target: Aim for approximately 110% quantity on the map item itself.
  • Scarab Setup:
    1. Kalguuran Scarab: Increased ore frequency.
    2. Kalguuran Scarab (Duplicate): Stack for more frequency.
    3. Kalguuran Scarab of Enrichment: Increases ore by 15% for each deposit already completed in the area.
    4. Kalguuran Scarab of Refinement: Converts ore directly into bars. This is mandatory for fast farming to bypass the time-consuming smelting process in Kingsmarch.
    5. Flex Slot: Use a Mortal Fragment (10% Quant) or Sacrifice Fragment (5% Quant). Avoid the Scarab of Guarded Riches as it does not grant ore.

Best Maps and Run Strategy

To hit 50M shipments every 2–3 hours, you must complete maps in under two minutes.

  • Top Map Choices: Silo, City Square, Strand, Jungle Valley, or Mesa.
  • Speed Tips:
    • Ignore the map boss unless it is instantaneous (like City Square).
    • Skip league mechanics like Mirage unless they spawn directly on top of a Verisium node.
    • Focus exclusively on clicking ore nodes and moving to the next map.

In-Map Ore Mechanics

The Scarab of Enrichment creates a stacking bonus based on the order in which you click ores.

  1. Locate all ores in the map.
  2. Click “Basic” ores first (e.g., Crimson Ore, Orichalcum, Petrified Amber).
  3. Click “High Value” ores last (e.g., Bismuth and especially Verisium) to apply the maximum accumulated bonus.
  4. Verisium Note: Charging Verisium to 100% with enrichment stacks makes the monsters significantly harder. If your build struggles, stop charging at ~70%.

Atlas Passive Tree Configuration

The goal is to maximize map modifiers and utilize Niko for extra ore.

  • Niko/Sulphite: Take the Refinery’s Bargain node. This guarantees that Sulphite found in maps is converted into a random ore.
  • Quantity & Modifiers: Pick up all “Increased Effect of Explicit Modifiers” nodes and generic quantity nodes.
  • Altars: Use Eater of Worlds (Eldritch Gaze) for additional quantity altars.
  • Lost Shipments: The Lost in Transit node (6% chance for lost shipments) provides small map-based rewards. Skip this if you are strictly speed-farming for 50M shipments, as it replaces ore nodes.
  • Reference: Kingsmarch Ore Atlas Tree

Hybrid Strategies for Map Profit

If you find speed-running maps for ore alone too “dry,” you can integrate other mechanics:

  • Nightmare Maps: Run the ore setup in Nightmare maps to collect fragments from bosses. This is slower but provides consistent secondary income.
  • Maven Chisels: Add a Horned Scarab of Awakening to spawn Maven bosses. They drop valuable chisels and pay for the scarab over a long enough session (20+ maps).
  • The “Profit Maximalist” Setup: Combine Nightmare maps + Awakening Scarabs + Kalguuran Scarabs. Maps will take 3+ minutes, reducing your total shipments per day, but increasing the guaranteed profit per map.

Shipping Strategies and Port Management

Ensure your shipping crew is 6/6 and all are Level 5.

  1. The 50 Million Gamble (Pondium):
    • Send 25,000,000 in Bars/Ore and 25,000,000 in Dust.
    • Target Pondium for the highest chance at Mirror Shards.
    • Port Rerolling: Right-click the port to refresh “Favorite Resources.” Ideally, wait for a Verisium favorite with a high percentage bonus before sending.
  2. The Stable Profit Strategy (Ngakanu/Riben Fell):
    • Send smaller 4M value shipments (2M resources / 2M dust).
    • Ngakanu: Focuses on Tattoos.
    • Riben Fell: Focuses on Runecrafts.
    • This is much more consistent than the Pondium gamble.

Key References