PoE 1 · Cluster Jewels
Check the base before you roll the Cluster.
Match the Cluster size, passive count and small-passive enchant to your build first. Then check the minimum item level for every target mod. A higher item level is useful only when it helps the craft you actually want.
Three checks before buying a base
Two Large Cluster Jewels can look similar in a trade tab and still be wrong for the same craft. Read the full item before buying a batch.
| Check | What to match | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Size and passive count | Small, Medium or Large; the number of added passives | The jewel must fit your planned tree and point budget. |
| Small-passive enchant | The exact “Added Small Passive Skills grant” line | This identifies the Cluster type you are shopping for. |
| Item level | The level needed by all of your target modifiers | A base below a required mod level cannot roll that target. |
For a notable-focused setup, check the path to the notables and sockets in your build before deciding how many passives to buy. For a small-passive stacking setup, the value of extra small nodes can change that decision. There is no single passive count that is best for every Cluster build.
Do you always need an item level 84 Cluster?
No. Choose item level from the target list. PoEDB lists a level requirement and prefix or suffix type for each mod. Check the exact Cluster type, then check every modifier in the combination you want. See the Cluster modifier tables.
A higher-level base can add eligible modifiers to the pool. That may unlock a wanted high-tier small-passive roll, but it does not make every notable easier to hit. Do not pay an item-level premium just because another recipe used that level.
Write down the highest required level among your targets before opening trade. If you accept several different combinations, repeat that check for each one. A combination that is impossible on the base should never be in your keep list.
Build a trade search you can reuse
- Select your current league on PoE Trade.
- Choose the Cluster size and the exact small-passive enchant.
- Set the passive count and item-level range for your recipe.
- Check corruption and any special properties that might affect your crafting method.
- Inspect the actual item before accepting the trade, even if it came from your saved search.
Buy one base first when testing a new recipe. Once the base, target pool and crafting method agree, you can buy matching bases for a batch. Keep different passive counts and item levels in separate groups so a cheap outlier does not slip into the run.
Choose what you will keep before you start
Price-check the complete result, not just one desirable notable. Compare jewels with the same passive count and relevant mod combination. The cheapest unrelated Cluster is not a useful price reference.
Make a short keep list: the result you want for your own build, other combinations you would actually use, and combinations you are prepared to price and sell. A longer list is useful only if you genuinely want those outcomes.
Set a budget for the batch and include the bases in it. If you change the target list halfway through, note the change; otherwise you will not know which recipe produced the result you are comparing.
Use the checked base in Exile’s Foundry
Select the matching Cluster template, review its combinations, then test one jewel. Market Base Search can open the template’s base search, but you still need to check the league and listings.
The Cluster Craft setup guide covers editing templates and Chain Craft. For a real recorded session, watch the 91 Divine in 90 minutes breakdown. It includes price checks; the finished jewels were not sold in the recording.