In Path of Exile 2, Unique Strongboxes are special versions of Strongboxes, the large chests that are protected by hordes of monsters. Unlike their lesser variants, Unique Strongboxes contain rewards that are more valuable than some pinnacle bosses.

However, the mechanics pertaining to the Unique Strongboxes are, well, unique, and players may find themselves confused about what to do when they encounter one of them. Here is the breakdown.

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Path of Exile 2: How to Find a Corrupted Nexus

Clearing a Corrupted Nexus is the only way to earn the first 30 Atlas points in Path of Exile 2. Here is where to find them.

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Types Of Unique Strongboxes in PoE 2

Types Of Unique Strongboxes in PoE 2

There are only four types of Unique Strongboxes players can find in Path of Exile 2.

Unique Strongbox

Effect

Ventor's Contraption Researcher's Strongbox

Can be reopened 4 times. Gold cost increased by 950% to 1050% each time opened. Costs 200 Gold to open. Drops items from Ventor's Trove.

Ixchel's Torment Blacksmith's Strongbox

Guarded by 30-40 Packs of Monsters. Guarded by aberrations of chaos. Contains an additional Unique Item, Corrupted with an Enchantment.

Ogham's Legacy Large Strongbox

Revives the fallen monster 3–6 times. Fallen monster gains an additional Modifier each time it revives. Contains no other Items.

The Rain Festival Beetle Jeweller's Strongbox

Drops 5-7 Jewels. 50% more rarity of contained items.

Use a Scroll of Wisdom to identify a Strongbox before activating it.

Ventor's Contraption Researcher's Strongbox

Ventor's Contraption Researcher's Strongbox in Path of Exile 2

The first time a Ventor's Contraption Strongbox is opened, the cost is fixed at 200 Gold. Every subsequent attempt at spinning the wheel will increase the cost by 950-1050%. Here is what the Gold cost will actually look like.

Spin

Gold Amount

1st Spin

200

2nd Spin

1,900 - 2,100

3rd Spin

18,050 - 22,050

4th Spin

171,475- 231,525

You cannot spin more than four times, so at most, you can spend 255,875 Gold on a Ventor's Contraption (assuming you get the highest roll every time).

The Ventor's Trove refers to all the possible rewards players can get from this Strongbox. The rewards range from a simple Scroll of Wisdom or an Orb of Augmentation to 10x Divine Orbs, Level 20 Skill Gems, and Perfect Jeweller's Orbs. The result is completely random. The amount of Gold spent does not equate to better rewards.

Ixchel's Torment Blacksmith's Strongbox

Ixchel's Torment Blacksmith's Strongbox in Path of Exile 2

Works mostly the same way as regular Strongboxes, requiring you to defeat a horde of monsters before it opens. Upon completion, it drops a corrupted Unique item. The corruption always takes the form of an Enchantment. The Unique items in this Strongbox are pulled from the global pool; boss-exclusive Uniques cannot drop here.

Since the Unique from Ixchel's Torment is pre-corrupted, you can never add Quality or Sockets to it.

Ogham's Legacy Large Strongbox

Ogham's Legacy Large Strongbox in Path of Exile 2-1

Revives the monster that's splayed out on top of the Strongbox 3-6 times. Each time the monster is defeated, it will drop loot corresponding to its level and the amount of modifiers it has. This means that the best rewards will drop after it is revived for the final time. The box itself doesn't contain any items—the monster drops are the only reward.

The Rain Festival Beetle Jeweller's Strongbox

The Rain Festival Beetle Jeweller's Strongbox in Path of Exile 2

Transforms into a Festival Beetle (similar to the large beetle that appears in The Lost City in Act 2) that spawns a horde of smaller monsters to attack the player. It emits red lightning in an area around itself to damage characters in melee range. Opening the chest requires killing the beetle as it runs away. Dropped Jewels can drop at any rarity, but boss-exclusive Uniques like Against the Darkness are not available in the loot table.

To increase the rate at which Unique Strongboxes appear in your maps, path to the bottom-left corner of the Atlas passive skill tree.

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9 /10

Path of Exile II
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Action RPG
Hack and Slash
MMORPG
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
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Released
December 6, 2024
ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
Developer(s)
Grinding Gear Games
Publisher(s)
Grinding Gear Games
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Genre(s)
Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG