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Should You Farm Strongboxes in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt (Patch 0.2)?

Strongboxes in Path of Exile 2 Dawn of the Hunt (Patch 0.2) are one of those mechanics that seem like a goldmine, but are they really? Early in the league, some players hit a Divine Orb from a Strongbox and thought, "Wait… this might be broken!" Naturally, we did what any currency-hungry Exile would do—going all-in on testing them.

In this guide, we’re cracking open the truth behind Strongbox farming. We ran 60 maps with a fully juiced Atlas, tracked every box, counted every drop, and broke down exactly what’s worth your time… and what’s just clickbait loot.

If you’re wondering whether to spec your Atlas into Strongboxes or leave them locked forever, this is the only guide you need.

Let’s find out if these loot lockers are divine-printing machines or just glorified clutter.

Why Test Strongboxes in PoE 2 at All?

With the Atlas overhaul in Patch 0.2, a lot of tried-and-true farming strats—Essences, Rogue Exiles, even Shrines—took a hit in efficiency or consistency.

That left many players scrambling for new ways to make Divines, especially in a league where PoE 2 Currency generation feels more grindy than ever.

Enter Strongboxes.

Early in the league, we cracked open a Stormbox and boom—Divine Orb. That kind of luck makes anyone raise an eyebrow, and we weren’t alone.

Across Reddit and Discord, a few others were reporting similar "streamer luck" moments. But was there actually something to it? Or were we just seeing confirmation bias?

That’s why we ran this deep-dive test: 60 maps, full Strongbox investment on the Atlas tree, tracked drop rates, box types, and total currency haul.

The goal was simple—figure out if Strongboxes are a legit, scalable farming strategy or just another bait mechanic that feels good when RNG favors you.

Spoiler: It’s not black and white. The results might surprise you.

The Atlas Tree Setup for Strongboxes in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt

To give Strongboxes a fair shake, we committed hard. We allocated every relevant Atlas passive that boosts box density, value, and frequency.

This wasn’t a half-measure test; it was full turbo-box mode.

Here’s the setup we used:

Core Strongbox Nodes

Core Strongbox Nodes to Pick in PoE 2

+320% Chance to Spawn Strongboxes – Practically guarantees at least one box per map, sometimes even two.
Faith in Luck – Gives Strongboxes a 15% chance to be openable twice. Yep, double dips on loot. Think of it like getting a second roll at your favorite slot machine.
Research Plunder – This one’s the MVP. It boosts Research Strongbox chance by 150%, and let’s be honest: those are the only boxes that really pay out consistently.

I intentionally avoided boss-related nodes to isolate Strongbox performance. No loot-skirting RNG from boss drops.

This was all about the boxes—how often they spawn, what they drop, and whether they’re worth a dedicated Atlas route.

Over the course of 60 full maps, we tracked:

Total box count
Research box frequency
Unique box appearances
And most importantly—how much raw currency these boxes kicked out

This wasn’t just a vibe check—it was a proper stat-heavy trial.

And what we found might make you think twice before blowing all your Atlas points chasing box-shaped dreams...

Strongbox Results Breakdown

After running 60 maps with a fully juiced Strongbox Atlas Tree, here’s what the data looked like:

Totals

99 Strongboxes opened – That’s roughly 1.65 per map, which is very solid in terms of spawn rate.
29 Research Strongboxes – A ~30% hit rate. These are the only ones that felt truly rewarding.
3 Unique Strongboxes – That’s just 3%, which is low, but expected given their rarity.

Loot Highlights

Research Strongboxes were the MVPs, consistently dropping 1 Exalt or more each. These were the boxes you wanted to see pop.
Non-research boxes? Mostly worthless. Sometimes completely empty. They slowed down your clear speed without offering meaningful returns.
Monsters guarding the boxes did drop gear and currency, but it was mostly junk rares or minor currency. Nothing game-changing.

Despite the frequency and consistency of spawns, this setup only netted around 0.5 Exalts per map. That’s... decent. Not amazing.

Definitely not on par with top-tier strategies like Ritual farming or Omens flipping.

Quantity doesn't equal quality

While you’re guaranteed boxes nearly every map, only a fraction of them drop anything worth writing home about.

It’s a lottery—and most of the tickets aren’t winners.

Want the full breakdown on how to boost the value? Check the tips below.

Are Strongboxes Worth It in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt?

In short? Not really—at least not as your primary farming strategy.

Let’s break it down:

The Pros

Easy to scale: The nodes are clustered and cheap on the Atlas tree. You don’t need to invest a ton to start seeing boxes in every map.
Passive and consistent: Once set up, Strongboxes will appear almost automatically without needing special map mods or gear.
Better than Rogue Exiles or Essences: These two mechanics are currently underwhelming. Strongboxes at least do something in most maps.

The Cons

Non-research boxes are a trap: Basic Strongboxes (Armor, Weapons, Jewelry, etc.) are almost always disappointing. Many drop literally nothing.
Unique box drop rate is low: At just 3% across 60 maps, Unique Strongboxes are too rare to build a strategy around.
Time sink: Every click triggers a spawn event. That means extra mobs, extra fights, and often… very little to show for it.

Even if you’re opening 1–2 boxes per map, the value return is capped unless you hit a Research box, and that only happens in about 1 out of 3 maps.

When Could Strongboxes Be Worth It?

There are some fringe scenarios where box-farming could make sense:

If GGG buffs Research Strongbox spawn rates to 50%+-, this alone would double your value and make the strategy competitive with Ritual/Breach.
If you stack Strongbox map mods, some maps naturally spawn more boxes. Combine this with box Atlas nodes and you'll see better returns.
Use Odd Pyro’s Trick — Certain map manipulation tricks (like chaining waystones or abusing specific layouts) can spawn extra boxes. This takes effort, but it can pay off.

Strongboxes feel like they’re one tweak away from being amazing.

But in 0.2, they’re best treated as bonus loot, not your primary farming strategy.

Throw a few nodes in if you love cracking boxes—but if you're serious about Divine farming, Ritual and Breach are still the kings of currency.

PoE 2 Strongbox Farming Tips

If you're still set on farming Strongboxes—or just want to squeeze max value out of them while mapping—here’s how to do it right.

Must-Take Atlas Nodes

Research Plunder
The entire build revolves around this. It cranks up the odds of Research Strongboxes, which are where the real currency lives.
Faith and Luck
Gives Strongboxes a 15% chance to open twice. That’s double the loot, double the monsters, and sometimes—double the Exalts.
Hidden Horrors
Adds +50% chance for rare monsters to spawn around Strongboxes. Rare mobs = higher loot pool. This one’s a sleeper node that really boosts ROI.

Skip These Atlas Points

Basic Strongbox Nodes
If the node doesn’t offer something spicy (like Research boost, double-open, or monster packs), skip it. You don’t need “5% more chance to spawn Jewelry boxes.”
Nodes that sacrifice Quantity/Pack Size
Quantity and monster count still outperform Strongboxes overall. Don’t weaken your map density just to chase underwhelming boxes.

Smart Playstyle Tips

Prioritize High-Value Boxes Only
- ✅ Research Boxes – These are your bread and butter
- ✅ Currency Boxes – Obvious pickup
- ✅ Unique Boxes – Rare, but can be great
- ❌ Armor/Weapons/Jewelry – 90% of the time, they’re bait unless stacked with juicy mods like "Contains Currency" or "Reinforced"
Be Efficient
- Don’t waste time on trash-tier boxes. If it’s not Research or doesn’t come with notable mods, skip and move on.
- Use Movement Skills or Quickclear Builds to streamline the process.
Open in Open Areas
- Avoid box traps. Open Strongboxes in wide spaces where you can safely kite or escape the triggered mob packs.

Credit to Ronarray for this amazing Strongbox insight:

Short Verdict

Strongboxes are decent, but not divine-tier. If you're looking for the best currency strategy, this isn't it. However, Strongboxes are currently the most consistent loot-spawning mechanic compared to Rogue Exiles or Essences. That said, use them as a bonus mechanic, not your main money-maker.

Final Thoughts

Strongboxes are… fine. Not amazing. Better than most filler mechanics, but not top-tier. If you want to print Divines, Ritual, and Breach still outperform. But if you're mapping anyway and your Atlas has a few spare points, Strongboxes make a nice side hustle.