Unlike POE 1, the equipment in Path of Exile 2 no longer has slots. Now the slots are transferred to skill gems. Each slot will be considered a Link.

There are three ways for players to increase the number of slots:

• Use Jeweler’s Orb
• Use Vaal orb
• Use Crafting Bench

It is not easy to find a Crafting Bench. For players in the early stage of POE 2, the best way is to get Greater Jeweler’s Orbs.

Greater Jeweler’s Orbs can upgrade three-slot skill gems to four slots. However, its cost is very expensive, almost twenty times that of Lesser Jeweler’s Orb.

And it is not easy for players in the early stage of Path of Exile 2 to encounter a suitable Crafting Bench. So is there any way for us to get a skill gem with 4 slots in the early stage?

Our option is only one left: Vaal orbs.

Vaal Orb

Let me first introduce the role of Vaal orb. Vaal orb can change the properties of items unpredictably and Corrupt items. The transformation of Vaal orb is completely random:

• The equipment may not change, but it will still show Corruption.
• It may add a Vaal affix in the place of fixed affixes and replace it if the item already has fixed affixes.
• It may change all affixes, number of slots, color, and number of links of the item.
• It may Corrupt legendary items into rare items.

Note: Although Vaal orbs can change all the items of equipment, and even make the affix values of legendary equipment exceed the original value range. But this is too risky. It is not recommended to use Vaal orb to rewash equipment affixes.

It is better to use POE 2 Exalted Orbs to add attributes to your equipment step by step, because this way you can reprocess it later. Equipment corrupted by Vaal Orbs cannot be processed again.

Next step is gambling with the corruption of Vaal gems to add an extra slot for your skill gems, so you need to prepare some Lesser Jeweler’s Orbs and Vaal orbs, as well as some low-level skill gems you plan to use for upgrading.

Get The 4-Slot Skill Gem

First, use your Lesser Jeweler’s Orbs to upgrade your 2-slot skill gem to 3-slot. Then leave the rest to luck and use Vaal orb to corrupt it. Generally speaking, it takes 6 to 8 tries to successfully bet on a 4-slot skill gem.

If you are lucky, you may succeed in one try. And from the cost point of view, even if it takes 6 to 8 times, it is much more cost-effective than making a Greater Jeweler’s Orb.

However, it is worth noting that items Corrupted by Vaal orb cannot be processed again. Basically, Corruption is your last step. So don’t use Vaal orb to gamble on your truly precious equipment.

If you want to get a 5-slot skill gem, the principle is the same as above. Use the 4-slot skill gem to be corrupted by Vaal orb, and you can get a 5-slot skill gem after a few more tries.

For those skill gems that failed to be corrupted, you can sell them to merchants and recover some POE 2 Currency.

Using Vaal orb to Corrupt skill gems have some risks, but the risks are nothing compared to the rewards. If you successfully gamble on a 4-slot skill gem, it can at least increase your DPS by 20% to 30% in the early stages. In any case, I hope this method can help you get the skill gems you need and let you have fun in the game. Enjoy Path of Exile 2.