U4GM - PoE 2’s Greater Essence of the Body: Strengthening Your Defensive Build
In Path of Exile 2, character survivability is more crucial than ever, especially as the game introduces deeper mechanics and deadlier encounters. For players looking to craft a truly tanky build, the Greater Essence of the Body is an essential tool that shouldn’t be overlooked. This powerful essence empowers gear with significant defensive stats, allowing players to push their limits against the toughest bosses and endgame content.
Understanding the Greater Essence of the Body
The Greater Essence of the Body is one of the mid-tier essences that can be obtained through various means, including essence monsters and crafting encounters. When used on a piece of equipment, it guarantees a defensive modifier, often related to flat life, increased armor, or enhanced energy shield. These stats are foundational to any build focused on survivability, making the essence a prized asset in any player's crafting arsenal.
Building a Defensive Setup
When crafting a defensive build, life and mitigation are the cornerstones. Using the Greater Essence of the Body on body armor, helmets, or shields can result in powerful rare items with stats that directly enhance your character’s ability to absorb and reduce damage. For example:
Flat life bonuses can push your life pool significantly higher
Increased armor or evasion ratings can improve your ability to tank physical hits
Energy shield buffs are ideal for hybrid or ES-based characters
Pairing these enhancements with synergistic gear and passive tree nodes can create a nearly unkillable character.
Greater Essence of the Body and the PoE 2 Currency Economy
Like many valuable crafting items, the Greater Essence of the Body plays a crucial role in the PoE 2 currency economy. These essences can be sold or traded to other players for different currencies, gear, or crafting components. Their demand typically spikes at league start or during specific meta shifts when tanky builds dominate. Savvy players can farm essence encounters or use Remnants of Corruption on lesser essences in hopes of upgrading them to Greater or even higher tiers.
Best Gear to Use the Essence On
The essence shines most on body armor and shields due to the defensive stats it guarantees. However, it can also be valuable on helmets and gloves, especially when combined with influence mods or Eldritch crafting. Smart crafting involves isolating desired prefixes or suffixes, then using bench crafts to round out the item.
For example, a rare body armor rolled with the Greater Essence of the Body might include:
+120 to maximum life (from essence)
+x% increased armor
+x% to all elemental resistances
Open suffixes for crafted mods
Such an item can become the core of your character’s defensive gear.
Conclusion
Whether you’re crafting the perfect tank or selling to high-end players, the Greater Essence of the Body is an indispensable part of the PoE 2 currency landscape. It empowers players to build defensive monsters capable of surviving Wraeclast’s harshest trials. Keep your stash stocked, and don't underestimate the power of this essence—it might just be the key to your next successful build.