The introduction of Astrolabes, the Mirage league mechanic, and sweeping changes to fossil sourcing, scarab availability, and map tiers have reshuffled which strategies print currency and which ones are completely dead on arrival. Whether you are planning your league start or plotting your late-game grind, knowing where to invest your time makes the difference between a profitable league and a frustrating one. This guide breaks down every major farming method, ranked from the absolute best to the strategies you should avoid entirely.
What Makes PoE 3.28 Mirage Farming Different?
The Mirage league mechanic is the single biggest factor reshaping farming value this league. Any mechanic that benefits from a second encounter per map, such as Harvest, Expedition, and Ultimatum, receives a significant passive buff just by running Mirage-enabled maps. Pair that with Astrolabes adding juice to tier 16 maps, and the baseline profitability of a well-constructed strategy is higher than in recent leagues.
At the same time, borrowed power from the previous Keepers league has been stripped back. The Genesis tree no longer hands out powerful gear on day one, six-links from that source are nerfed, and the easy early-game power creep that defined recent cycles is gone. Expect a rougher league start and plan accordingly.
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Fossils are now exclusively sourced from Delve. Every other drop source has been removed. This single change has the largest economy-wide impact of any adjustment in 3.28 and should inform your early-league planning.
Delve is the only fossil source
PoE 3.28 Mirage Farming Tier List Overview
S-Tier Strategies: What Should You Run?
Why Is Delve the Best Farm in 3.28?
Delve has quietly become the most impactful farm of the entire league. Since fossils now drop exclusively inside the mine, every crafter who needs Corroded, Pristine, Jagged, or any other fossil type must go through Delve or the trade market. Demand will outpace supply significantly in the early weeks, and the price of fossils is expected to reach highs not seen in roughly five years. Even moderate Delve investment will return strong profits, and dedicated Delve builds will find this league exceptionally rewarding.
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You do not need a specialized Delve build to profit early. Even a standard map-clearing character can descend to moderate depths and collect fossils that sell immediately for strong returns in the first week.
Delve depth and fossil nodes
Legion, Destructive Play, and Kalguuran Maps
Legion holds its traditional day-one crown with an added bonus this league. Six-links from the Genesis tree have been nerfed, which directly increases the value of six-links that drop from Legion encounters. A brand-new scarab also adds loot tiles to enemies near broken chests, giving Legion additional density and reward. For anyone who can get their build functional quickly, Legion remains the most reliable early currency generator.
Destructive Play has arguably never been stronger. A new void stone causes final map bosses to drop exceptional gems, and maps being standardized to a single generic tier means invitation running no longer requires collecting ten different specific maps. Pick ten good tier 16 maps and run them. For pure blasting, Silo remains the recommended map choice.
Kalguuran Map Farming received a direct buff to crop shipments, letting you interact with crimson ores more actively and spawn additional mobs. This is primarily a map farm, with shipment rewards and the chance at a Svalinn as bonuses on top.
How Does Mirage Affect Harvest and Ultimatum?
Both Cornucopia Harvest and Inscribed Ultimatum benefit enormously from the Mirage mechanic's ability to spawn a second encounter within a single map. For Harvest, this is transformative since the mechanic normally only fires once per map. The removal of the competing Imbued Harvest farm (via the Awakening Scarab deletion) further concentrates life force profits into Cornucopia runs.
For Ultimatum, the double-dip mechanic stacks on top of a brand-new catalyst that increases the values of either all prefix or all suffix modifiers on an item. This catalyst is expected to carry significant trade value in the early weeks. The primary downside is that Cast When Stunned, the dominant Ultimatum farming build, was heavily nerfed, so finding a capable replacement build is essential before committing to this strategy.
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Do not invest heavily into Ultimatum farming without first confirming your build can clear the encounters efficiently. The raw profit ceiling is high, but the floor drops sharply if your character struggles with the encounter mechanics.
New Mirage Ultimatum catalyst UI
What About Expedition in 3.28?
Expedition earns its S-tier spot early in the league through Rog crafting. With the Genesis tree nerfed and gambler rares weakened, Rog becomes the premier source of high-quality crafted items in the first weeks. A new Expedition scarab increases both loot quantity and logbook modifier difficulty, meaning higher rewards but also harder content. The Mirage mechanic spawning a second Expedition encounter per map pushes this strategy above where it sat in previous leagues.
Be aware that Expedition drops significantly in value as the league progresses and supply catches up to demand. Plan to transition away from it around the end of week two or three.
A-Tier Strategies: Consistently Profitable Options
Breach Fortress Farming is the most exciting new addition this league. Using the Marshall scarab to convert Abyss encounters into fortresses and the Hive scarab to spawn Breach, you can guarantee Ailith as your breach spawn through Atlas passives. This leaves three open scarab slots for general loot amplifiers like Wisps, Risk, or Nemesis. If Mirage allows a second fortress encounter, this strategy could push into S-tier with more testing.
Delirium Orb Farming benefits from the removal of low-value marbs, which raises the average quality of drops. Mania and Paranoia scarabs boost encounter density, and Mirage adds a second encounter opportunity. Stacked Deck Farming through Ritual and Cloister scarabs remains a perennial steady earner, and Unstable Breach with resonance stacking offers strong early Divine drop potential.
F-Tier: What Is Dead in 3.28?
Harbinger has been removed from the game entirely for this league. Do not build around it or invest in related scarabs.
Magic Blight received severe nerfs to explosion mechanics and is not expected to recover this league cycle. Imbued Harvest is functionally gone with the Awakening Scarab deletion, and Tormented Legion Unique Farming has been removed from the league entirely.
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Alva Temple Farming is rated F-tier in the early league but climbs to S-tier around month one and a half when double-corrupt demand peaks. Timing your entry into this farm is everything.
Alva temple corrupt timing
Early League vs. Late League Farming Priorities
The gap between early and late league strategy value is wider in 3.28 than in recent cycles because borrowed power has been pulled back. Here is how to structure your approach:
Days 1 to 3: Legion for six-link value and raw currency. Delve as soon as possible for fossil profits. Expedition with Rog crafting for item value.
Week 1 to 2: Transition into Cornucopia Harvest, Ultimatum, or Destructive Play depending on your build. Kalguuran Map Farming for map sustain and bonus shipment rewards.
Month 1 to 1.5: Begin evaluating Alva Temple timing. Nightmare Boss Rushing for Uber fragments. Breach Fortress if the strategy proves out.
Late League: Alva Temple for double-corrupt demand. Expedition falls off. Legion drops to C-tier as card and unique demand fades.
Crafting in 3.28: Back to Basics
With the Genesis tree nerfed and Keepers-era power sources removed, crafting in Mirage returns to essence, fossil, and Rog crafting as the primary avenues. Well-rolled rares from shipments and gambler sources have been toned down, meaning the crafting ecosystem is more player-driven than it has been in several leagues. This makes Delve doubly valuable since it supplies the fossils that feed this crafting economy.
The Follow-Through Notable Cluster Jewel Passive also received an adjustment worth noting: it now grants projectiles 20% increased damage with hits and ailments for each remaining chain, up to a cap of 100% (previously 15% with no cap). With five jewels carrying this passive, you reach the 100% cap, and any additional jewels provide no further benefit.
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Plan your Cluster Jewel investment around the 100% cap on Follow-Through. Five jewels with this passive reach the ceiling. Spending currency on a sixth provides zero return on that specific modifier.