The addition of the Raven-Touched Shard into the game adds another major key layer to the end-game crafting in Path of Exile 2. At the same time, there is a certain risk to adding this shard, as it can easily mess up the build and waste this precious item for nothing. Here I am going to go through all the information you need to know about the Raven-Touched Shard, from where to obtain this item to installing the shard in Path of Exile 2.
Where to Farm the Raven-Touched Shard in Path of Exile 2
The Raven-Touched Shard has a 3% drop chance on defeating Tangmazu, the Raven Trickster, in the Paracosm map via Withered Willow. However, access to the Paracosm map can only be gained by getting your hands on an item titled “Raven’s Reflection”.
Then the question becomes how to get this Raven’s Reflection; well, there are two ways to acquire Raven’s Reflection in Path of Exile 2: either by farming in the Simulacrum (Clearing Wave 7) or buying it for 1 or 2 Divine Orbs off the trade market.
Note: The drop chance of Raven’s Reflection in the Simulacrum stands at 2% to 3% per run.
Once you have a Raven’s Reflection in your possession, head to Withered Willow, talk to Elder Madox, and finally place the Raven’s Reflection into the mirror (By just dragging and dropping from the inventory to the mirror). Then you will have the option to Activate; click on it to enter Paracosm. The mirror is located next to the Decanter of Madness, the machine used to instill or anoint powerful effects, such as the Thaumaturgic Generator, on the amulets.
Farming Raven-Touched Shard
After a cutscene later, you will be transported into the boss area, facing head-to-head against the Raven Trickster boss fight. Defeat the boss, and you are looking at a 3% chance to receive the Raven-Touched Shard per kill. This easily sums up why the item is so darn expensive in the trade market compared to most items. It is the most sought-after item in the market, as it sits at the end-game crafting to perfect the build with higher number stat details.
The boss farming method is effective, as you need to spend a couple of Divines to get the Raven’s Reflection item, but the cost could easily be offset by grinding for the shard. A single shard will list for over 70 to 80 Divines in the current market. So buy Raven’s Reflection in bulk and then hit the farming zone to grind the boss for the drop.
How to Install the Raven-Touched Shard
Raven-Touched Shard doesn’t add passives to your helmet; it just allows the helmet to be ready for anoint or instill. Meaning, after adding the Raven-Touched Shard, we will then need to use the Decanter of Madness to add the passive to the helmet, just like we do with an amulet anoint or instill.
Adding Raven-Touched Shard
First, drag the Raven-Touched Shard from your inventory directly into the helmet (even if equipped), and you will get a notification stating Raven-Touched Shard can’t be replaced or removed, basically saying the effects will be permanent. Press Yes to modify the helmet. Once modified, the helmet will have the word Raven-Touched written under the Level Requirement of the helmet. Now the helmet is ready for the next phase of crafting: instilling or anointing.
Instilling the helmet
The process for helmet instilling just stays the same as the steps that need to be followed for amulet instilling.
Head to Withered Willow and interact with the Decanter of Madness to start the instilling process. There are no new mechanics here; just drag the helmet to the box at the bottom of the Instilling screen and Liquid Emotions to the three boxes on the top. Once everything is ready, press the Instill button at the bottom to start the process.
Note: You can press the Alt key on your keyboard on the passive skill tree to see the Liquid Emotion requirement for the passive nodes.
Read Before Instilling
The very last thing you want to do is waste the unique items for nothing. Here are some tips before you decide to Instill the helmet.
- Don’t ever add Raven-Touched Shard onto the Corrupted Helmets. While the game does allow you to add Raven-Touched Shard into the corrupted item, the Decanter of Madness will not accept the item. The process of Instilling can only be done to non-corrupt items. If you add the shard into a corrupt helmet, it will stay useless.
- Save the shard rather than wasting it on low-level gear; it is better to be preserved for end-game crafting than just wasting it away on common helmets.
- You should know that the effects of the shard are permanent; it can’t be replaced or removed. Once you add the Raven-Touched Shard to your helmet, you won’t be able to pull it out of the helmet like common sockets.
- But there is good news at the end: once you have completed the Instilling on the helmet and didn’t like the passive buff for the build. You can change the passive buff by adding a new Raven-Touched Shard into the helmet.
That’s it, keep these points in mind before heading down the Instilling route. If you don’t see any bright future for the helmet, you can think about putting the item on the market and making a good Divines in return.
Should you keep or trade the Raven-Touched Shard?
I would recommend you sell the Raven-Touched Shard rather than keep it; a single shard goes for 80 to 100 Divines any day. If you are just not too sure about the build, or planning to change parts of the build, including the helmet, then it makes zero sense to anoint the helmet or work on any gear with expensive material. I highly advise selling the shard for the Divines to get a better helmet than to waste it on a subpart item.
Getting into the cycle of buying Raven’s Reflection, then using it to farm Raven-Touched Shard, is a profitable venture, and you will earn plenty of Divines by the end of the run by trading the shard for Divines in Path of Exile 2.
