How to Find and Farm Ancient Crisis Fragments in PoE 2 Endgame

Farming Ancient Crisis Fragments in Path of Exile 2 is a crucial step for players aiming to unlock the Arbiter of Ash, the game’s pinnacle boss located in the Burning Monolith. These fragments are rare and valuable items dropped by specific bosses found within unique endgame content called Citadels on the Atlas. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to find and farm Ancient Crisis Fragments efficiently.

What Are Ancient Crisis Fragments?

Ancient Crisis Fragments are one of three types of Crisis Fragments required to access the Arbiter of Ash encounter. Specifically, the Ancient Crisis Fragment drops from the boss Count Geonor, who resides in the Iron Citadel. The other two fragments—Faded and Weathered—drop from bosses in the Copper and Stone Citadels, respectively. Collecting all three fragments is mandatory to open the door to the Arbiter of Ash in the Burning Monolith.

Locating Citadels on the Atlas

Citadels are special map nodes that appear randomly on the Atlas during endgame mapping. They are distinct from regular maps and are marked by unique visual cues, such as colored beams or specific architectural styles visible through the fog of war. The Iron Citadel, where the Ancient Crisis Fragment drops, typically appears in grassy or forested biomes and resembles a large city with imposing black walls.

To find Citadels more reliably, players often explore the edges of water bodies on the Atlas or follow biome-specific landmarks. Some players recommend moving in a straight line across the Atlas to uncover multiple Citadels in succession, as they tend to cluster after certain progression points.

Farming Strategy for Ancient Crisis Fragments

1. Progression Requirements: You need to have progressed far enough on the Atlas to unlock Tier 15 Waystones, as these are required to run Citadels. If you haven’t reached this point, focus on advancing your Atlas and character level first.

2. Waystone Drop Chance: Increasing your Waystone drop chance through passive skills, gear, and map modifiers significantly boosts the number of Citadels you discover and can run. Higher Waystone drop rates correlate with more frequent Citadel spawns, increasing your fragment farming potential.

3. Efficient Clearing: Citadels are challenging encounters with tough bosses and modifiers. Use builds capable of fast clearing and high survivability to maximize the number of Citadels you can complete per hour.

4. Multiple Fragments Per Run: It’s possible to obtain more than one Ancient Crisis Fragment from a single Citadel run by maximizing your Waystone drop chance and clearing efficiently. This strategy greatly accelerates farming.

5. Group Play: Running Citadels in a party can speed up clearing times and improve survivability, though loot rules should be agreed upon beforehand to avoid conflicts.

Alternative Acquisition

If farming Citadels directly is challenging, the Ancient Crisis Fragment can also be acquired through the Currency Exchange NPC available after reaching Cruel difficulty (post Act 3 Normal completion). This provides a fallback for players who struggle with Citadel content but still want to progress toward the Arbiter fight.

To farm Ancient Crisis Fragments effectively, focus on exploring the Atlas to locate Iron Citadels, increase your Waystone drop chance, and develop a build capable of quickly clearing these challenging zones. Patience and persistence are key, as Citadels and their bosses are rare and difficult, but the reward—the ability to challenge the Arbiter of Ash—is well worth the effort. Combining strategic map progression, optimized farming routes, and possibly group play will maximize your fragment acquisition and prepare you for one of Path of Exile 2’s toughest challenges.