Best PoE 2 Automation Weapon Tips | U4GM Finished PoE 2 Totem builds look smooth in showcases. The awkward part is getting there: a weapon with the right socket may be weaker than the one you already use, while replacing it can consume resources you needed elsewhere. If you are weighing upgrades against your Path of Exile 2 Currency budget, Jiquani's Soul Core of Automation raises a specific question: will one extra level on your Totem Skill Gems improve the build enough to justify the weapon you must use to hold it? Start With the Weapon You Would Actually Equip Automation, introduced in the 0.5.5 Forbidden Rites update, grants +1 to the level of all Totem Skill Gems when socketed in a weapon. It requires level 50 and is limited to one. That sounds like an easy upgrade until the available socket is attached to a weapon that makes everything else feel worse. Compare the complete setups, not the Soul Core in isolation. If changing weapons costs a large amount of your regular damage, useful defenses, or a comfortable combat rhythm, the extra Totem level has a real price. A close comparison between two otherwise useful weapons is where Automation becomes compelling. It can tip the decision without forcing the rest of the build to compensate for a poor base choice. Count How Often Your Totem Does Its Job The skill level matters most when the Totem is active through a meaningful share of each fight. A Totem placed once in a while for minor support is unlikely to justify the same weapon compromise as one you use throughout ordinary combat. Watch a few encounters and ask what actually happens. ◆ Place the Totem early enough to contribute before enemies are already gone. ◆ Check whether its position lets it keep working while you move or attack. ◆ Notice how often you need to place it again during longer fights. These observations are more useful than judging the setup from a single damage number. If the Totem spends much of the fight idle or out of position, improve how you use it before paying for a weapon built around its gem level. The gain only has value during the time that skill can contribute. Separate Fast Clears From Long Fights Mapping exposes awkward timing quickly. When packs fall before a Totem has much time to act, a faster-feeling weapon may do more for your clear than Automation. You still need enough mobility and dependable damage to move between fights without stopping to rebuild your position at every turn. A boss encounter gives a well-placed Totem more time to contribute. That makes sustained performance a better test than the first burst of damage. Still, do not assume it will remain useful for the entire fight: movement and repositioning can interrupt its contribution. Judge the Soul Core against the encounters you spend time on, not an ideal stationary target. Make the Socket Decision Last Before committing resources, narrow the choice to weapons you would be willing to use without Automation. Then consider what portion of your damage or utility comes from Totems and whether the extra gem level addresses something you can feel in play. This keeps a scarce upgrade decision tied to your build rather than to the appeal of a new item. For a Totem-focused PoE 2 character, Automation can add useful value to an already sound weapon. For a setup where Totems are occasional support, another socket option may deserve priority. Even if you plan to buy POE 2 Divine Orbs to fund an upgrade, compare the full weapon setup first; the socket is worthwhile only when the Totem contribution earns its cost. Totem players can make the weapon slot work harder with Jiquani's Soul Core of Automation, adding +1 to Totem Skill Gem levels for stronger map clears and steadier boss damage. Need Path of Exile 2 currency for the next upgrade? Visit https://www.u4gm.com/path-of-exile-2/currency U4GM offers 24/7 support and a quick way to keep your build moving.