When deciding when to use Regal Orbs, Chaos Orbs, and Exalted Orbs in Path of Exile, understanding their distinct crafting roles and value is essential for efficient progression and trading.

Regal Orbs
Use Regal Orbs primarily to upgrade Magic (blue) items to Rare (yellow) items by adding exactly one new random modifier while keeping existing affixes intact. They are best employed early in the crafting process on solid Magic bases that already have useful stats, setting the stage for further refinement. Regal Orbs are ideal when you want to transform a good Magic item into a Rare without rerolling the entire set of mods. They are less versatile as a general reroll tool but crucial for stepping up item tiers.

Chaos Orbs
Chaos Orbs reroll all modifiers on a Rare item randomly, making their use a gamble with high risk and potential high reward. They are best used after obtaining a Rare item base worth improving. Chaos Orbs enable "chaos spamming," where you reroll an item repeatedly to try and get desirable affixes. This makes them the core currency for mid-tier crafting, perfect for refining your gear when you want to find the best combination of modifiers but do not want to start from scratch. Chaos Orbs also hold great trading value and are central to the crafting economy for most players.

Exalted Orbs
Exalted Orbs add exactly one new random modifier to a Rare item without altering its existing affixes, representing a more controlled crafting step than Chaos Orbs. They are best used late in crafting once you have a desirable base and want to add additional powerful mods to further enhance the item. Because of their rarity and high value, Exalted Orbs are usually reserved for high-end or endgame gear crafting. Using Exalted Orbs is a more strategic, less risky way to improve gear compared to Chaos Orbs.

Regal Orb: Early crafting phase, upgrading Magic to Rare, when you want to add a mod without losing the existing ones.

Chaos Orb: Mid-tier crafting, rerolling all mods on Rare items to find the best affixes with an element of randomness.

Exalted Orb: Late-game or high-value crafting, safely adding additional mods on already optimized Rare items for maximum power.

Regal to transform Magic items, Chaos to reroll Rare mods, then Exalted for precise mod additions—maximizes crafting efficiency and economy. Each orb has its place in the crafting process, and knowing when to prioritize their use helps players build powerful gear and succeed in both gameplay and trading. This strategy is especially effective when combined with buy poe 2 currency and leveraging cheap poe 2 currency offers to optimize crafting investments.