For example, when melee builds fall out of POE2 Currency favor, the value of Essences tied to attack damage or melee crit tends to drop. Simultaneously, currency like Jeweller's Orbs, Chromatic Orbs, and Fusing Orbs spike as players regear spellcasters with different socket configurations.

Tracking these fluctuations can turn trading into a full-time job—or a highly profitable side hustle. Websites that log exchange rates are invaluable for timing your trades. For example, selling Orbs of Fusing before a melee nerf can net a higher return, while buying Chromatics immediately after a big skill balance patch often yields a profit in just days.

Safe Havens: What Holds Value During Nerf Cycles?

Not everything is a rollercoaster. Some items consistently hold value through meta shifts, making them “safe havens” for long-term traders. These include:

Chaos Orbs – Always in demand and used as the baseline trading currency.

Six-link armor and weapons – Independent of build, valuable for crafting.

High-resistance gear – Especially with life, energy shield, or dex/int requirements.

Generic support gems – Such as Increased Duration, Elemental Focus, or Empower, which remain useful across multiple build types.

Investing in these stable assets during times of market panic gives traders a cushion against the volatility of build-specific gear.

Long-Term View: Every Nerf is a Market Signal

Experienced traders don’t see nerfs as setbacks—they see them as data. Each patch offers insights into cheap POE 2 Exalted Orbs what GGG wants to steer the player base toward: more balanced archetypes, hybrid builds, or underused mechanics.