A Complete Guide to Path of Exile 2 Grand Expeditions and Logbooks

The Path of Exile 2 0.5 Runes of Aldur league introduces players to advanced endgame systems through Logbooks and Grand Expeditions. Unlike the standard Expedition encounters encountered in everyday maps, a Grand Expedition covers an entire region. These massive maps are densely packed with Runic Remnants and allow players to chain together 15 or more Explosives to unearth valuable loot, crafting materials, and rare POE2 Currency.

To begin exploring Grand Expeditions, travel to the Ruins of Kingsmarch, located southeast of The Ziggurat Refuge.

The Kingsmarch Questline and the Triskelion Flame

Entering the Ruins of Kingsmarch initiates a story questline involving Rog’s missing wife, Gwennen, who has gone in search of an ancient enemy. Ensure that Quest Tracking is toggled on in your settings menu to keep track of your progress.

While this guide focuses on mechanics rather than story steps, completing this questline is strongly recommended before attempting higher-tier Logbooks. The narrative culminates in a series of Pinnacle boss fights that award the reassembled Triskelion Flame—a vital asset for late-game content.

How Uncharted Waters and Logbooks Function

When exploring the Expedition section of the endgame, you will encounter boat-shaped icons on the map labeled Uncharted Waters.

Unlocking the Expedition Network

Activating Maps: Interacting with an Uncharted Waters node while carrying a Logbook consumes it to unlock a network of interconnected maps, including regular Maps and specialized Grand Expeditions.

Identifying Encounters: Grand Expedition nodes are identified by a Triskelion Flame Icon. These zones contain a single, huge Expedition encounter featuring elevated Runic Remnant counts and extra Explosive Charges.

Deciphering Rumours and Map Types

Hovering over an Uncharted Waters icon opens a summary pop-up listing several Rumours. These Rumours indicate which map variants and exclusive encounters can be revealed within the chain.

Pro Tip: Keep an eye out for dynamic zone features. Hidden bosses, breakable secret walls, and X Marks on the minimap indicate extra rewards that trigger when hit by explosives.

Manipulating Chains with Logbook Omens

Logbook Omens alter the Rumours and map paths revealed when activating a Logbook:

Boss Omens (Vorana, Medved, Uhtred, Olroth): Guarantee a Grand Expedition featuring that specific boss fight.

Aldur's Saga Omen: Drastically buffs Grand Expeditions, applying powerful area modifiers that ensure Remnants yield additional Rune Slots.

Saga Omens: Reroll active Rumours on Uncharted Waters, helping you target specific reward tables.

Step-by-Step Guide to Running Grand Expeditions

Once an Uncharted Waters route is selected and activated, the target zone will open. Upon entering a Grand Expedition, you receive 15+ Explosives to chain across the zone. Because only detonated tiles spawn rewards, scout the region carefully before starting your chain.

Navigating UI Icons and Identifiers

When you enter the area, the minimap reveals key points of interest marked by specific icons:

Runic Remnant Icon: Highlights interactive Remnants that apply buffs or modifiers to nearby monsters and chests.

Regular Currency Icon: Denotes standard currency drops. Variant icons specify reward types such as Maps, Unique Items, Weapons, or Armor.

Gold Currency Icon: Indicates a high-value or rare currency drop.

Special Mechanic Icon: Marks mechanics unique to that specific Grand Expedition layout.

Underground Area Icon: Leads to sub-areas that contain crafting recipes.

Red Flag Icon: Marks the precise locations where monsters will unearth once explosives detonate.

Detonator Icon: Marks the central control station used to initiate the explosion sequence.

After laying out your explosive line, a Checkpoint Icon appears on your interface. Clicking this instantly teleports you to the Detonator so you can begin the sequence.

Warning on Revives: Grand Expeditions share revive limits similar to Waystones. The total number of permitted deaths scales directly with the map modifiers applied to your Waystone.

Advanced Mechanics: Runes, Transferring, and Modifiers

Maximizing your gains in Grand Expeditions requires a solid understanding of how Remnant modifiers stack throughout the explosion chain.

Rune Effects and Golden Borders

Every Rune attached to a Remnant applies buffs to the monsters unearthed by that explosion. Some Runes increase monster damage and rarity, while others grant defeated enemies a chance to respawn as higher-tier rare monsters.

Pay close attention to Golden Bordered Runes. Any modifier on a Rune surrounded by a golden frame persists down the explosive chain, carrying over to every subsequent monster pack. By placing Golden Bordered Runes at the beginning of your line, the final monster waves become extremely challenging while dropping significantly higher quantities of valuable items.

Map Modifiers, Tablets, and Liquid Verisium

Map modifiers and Tablets that increase Item Rarity boost drops from unearthed monsters, but they do not affect static loot tiles like Chests, Strongboxes, or Runic Remnants.

If you have allocated the Feeling Lucky? passive node, you can purchase Liquid Verisium from Farrow. This item allows you to reroll a Runic Remnant's modifiers once. In Grand Expeditions, you can reroll multiple Remnants across the map before placing your explosives, helping you optimize your runs for lucrative POE 2 Orbs.

By planning your explosive routes carefully, prioritizing persistent Golden Border Runes, and rerolling weak Remnants with Liquid Verisium, you can maximize your returns on high-level Logbook runs. Gathering high-value POE 2 Orbs through these strategies will provide the resources needed to craft top-tier endgame gear.

The U4N Team