One of Path of Exile 2’s defining features is the sheer amount of items players are inundated with right from the get-go. From the dozen different currency types to the hundreds of unique pieces of gear to the many different unique currencies needed for specific scenarios, if there is one thing PoE 2 is not lacking, it’s items. Naturally, understanding and remembering what each and every single item in the game does is not an easy task, especially for beginners venturing into the world of Wraeclast for the very first time.
A great example of this is Soul Cores. These are items that are introduced very late into the campaign, and players are given no guidance on what these items are, what they do, and how to get more of them. This guide covers everything there is to know about Soul Cores in detail. Here’s the rundown.
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Path of Exile 2: Catalysts Explained
Catalysts are a relatively abundant resource in the Endgame of Path of Exile 2 but can be confusing for new players.
What Do Soul Cores Do?
Soul Cores are a special type of Rune in Path of Exile that function exactly the same as regular Runes, i.e., being placed in empty gear sockets to add fixed stats to the items. They can be socketed inside empty rune slots just like Runes and can replace already placed Runes as well.
Like Runes, each type of Soul Core offers a different benefit to the player. The comprehensive list is detailed in the table below.
Soul Core |
Weapon Effect |
Armor Effect |
---|---|---|
Soul Core of Tacati |
15% chance to Poison on Hit |
+7% to Chaos Resistance |
Soul Core of Jiquani |
Recover 2% of Life on Kill |
2% increased maximum Life |
Soul Core of Zalatl |
Recover 2% of Mana on Kill |
2% increased maximum Mana |
Soul Core of Citaqualotl |
30% increased Elemental Damage with Attacks |
+5% to all Elemental Resistances |
Soul Core of Azcapa |
+15 to Spirit |
10% increased Rarity of Items found |
Soul Core of Quipolatl |
5% increased Attack Speed |
10% reduced Slowing Potency of Debuffs on You |
Soul Core of Opiloti |
15% chance to cause Bleeding on Hit |
10% increased Charm Charges gained |
Soul Core of Tzamoto |
20% increased Freeze Buildup |
+1% to Maximum Cold Resistance |
Soul Core of Puhuarte |
30% increased chance to Ignite |
+1% to Maximum Fire Resistance |
Soul Core of Xopec |
30% increased chance to Shock |
+1% to Maximum Lightning Resistance |
Soul Core of Topotante |
Attacks with this Weapon Penetrate 15% Elemental Resistances |
15% increased Elemental Ailment Threshold |
Soul Core of Ticaba |
+12% to Critical Damage Bonus |
Hits against you have 10% reduced Critical Damage Bonus |
Soul Core of Cholotl |
Convert 20% of Requirements to Dexterity |
Convert 20% of Requirements to Dexterity |
Soul Core of Atmohua |
Convert 20% of Requirements to Strength |
Convert 20% of Requirements to Strength |
Soul Core of Zantipi |
Convert 20% of Requirements to Intelligence |
Convert 20% of Requirements to Intelligence |
Even though they are harder to obtain than Runes, Soul Cores are not necessarily better. They just offer more options to add on to gear.
How to Get Soul Cores
Unlike Runes, Soul Cores do not drop from regular monsters in Path of Exile 2. There are three main ways for players to get Soul Cores. They are:
- Trial of Chaos: Soul Cores regularly drop as a reward for completing floors in the Trial of Chaos. Regardless of the level of the Inscribed Ultimatum, players are guaranteed to obtain at least one Soul Core per run.
- Currency Exchange: Soul Cores can be purchased via the Currency Exchange by talking to Alva in your Hideout. The exact price of individual Soul Cores is always fluctuating.
- Trade With Other Players: Players can sometimes put Soul Cores up for sale on the official PoE 2 trade site for cheaper than the going price on the Currency Exchange, though this only happens very rarely.
Failing in the Trial of Chaos before reaching the end will result in all rewards that were earned up to that point being lost, including Soul Cores.
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