Scarabs are the single most flexible way to farm currency in Path of Exile: you slot them into the Map Device before a map opens, and they inject extra league content, extra monsters, or extra rewards into that run. This guide explains exactly how scarabs work in 3.29 Curse of the Allflame (patched through 3.29.3b, 2026-09-04), how many you can use, and which scarabs give the best return per Chaos — whether you're a fresh mapper or juicing Tier 16s.
Quick answer: You can slot up to 3 scarabs in the default Map Device, or 4 once you upgrade it. Each scarab type has a Limit of 1–4 copies. The best all-purpose picks for currency are a mechanic scarab you specialize in (Expedition, Legion, Harvest, or the 3.29 Charts/Voyages loop) plus cheap "slot-fillers" like Cartography, Divination, and Reliquary Scarab of Vision. Verify live scarab prices on poe.ninja — they float every week.
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Key takeaways
- Slots: 3 by default, 4 with an upgraded Map Device. You add scarabs on the same screen where you insert your map.
- Limits: each scarab has a per-map copy limit from 1 to 4 (e.g. Bestiary is Limit 1, Anarchy is Limit 4).
- No more strict tiers: the 3.24 rework removed the old Rusted → Gilded → Winged tier ladder. Scarabs are now flat, named effects grouped by category (Expedition, Legion, Cartography, Divination, and ~24 others).
- Best value = specialize + fill: stack 2–4 scarabs of the one mechanic you're farming, then use any leftover slots on cheap universal boosters.
- 3.29 note: the Curse of the Allflame league loop (Charts and Voyages) drops scarabs generously, and the mechanic itself is one of the most profitable in the league.
What is a scarab in Path of Exile?
A scarab is a type of Map Fragment that "juices" a map — Path of Exile's word for adding difficulty and rewards. You place scarabs into the Map Device in your hideout (or on the Atlas' map stash) alongside the map you're about to run. When the portals open, whatever the scarabs promised is now baked into that map: an Expedition encounter, extra Rogue Exiles, more divination cards, doubled Harvest lifeforce, and so on.
Maxroll's resource guide sums up the design intent well: scarabs "add Mechanics and League content to your Maps, or modify the way in which you interact with them." That is the whole point — a scarab is a lever you pull before the map opens to decide what that run is about.
Scarabs are a global drop, so you accumulate them constantly while mapping. That means most of your scarab supply is free, and the paid ones you buy off the trade market are cheap relative to what they return. This is exactly why scarabs are the backbone of nearly every currency-farming strategy in the game.
How many scarabs can you use? Slots and limits
Two separate numbers matter here, and players constantly confuse them.
1. Map Device slots — how many scarabs fit in one map. The base Map Device holds 3 scarabs. Once you upgrade the Map Device (through Atlas/campaign progression), you unlock a 4th slot. So the practical ceiling is 4 scarabs per map for a fully progressed character. If you are early in the Atlas and only see 3 slots, that is normal — finish the Map Device upgrade and the 4th opens up.
2. Scarab Limit — how many copies of the same scarab you can stack. Every scarab has a Limit from 1 to 4 printed on it, capping how many identical copies you can use together. For example:
- Bestiary Scarab — Limit 1 (it adds Einhar; you only need one).
- Anarchy Scarab — Limit 4 (each adds Rogue Exiles, so four scarabs = up to 16 Rogue Exiles).
The two numbers interact: with a 4-slot Map Device you could run 4 copies of a Limit-4 scarab to go all-in on one mechanic, or mix a Limit-1 mechanic scarab with three cheap boosters. Reading the Limit is the first thing a good farmer does before buying a stack.
Scarab tiers are gone — here's what replaced them
If you played before Affliction (3.24), forget the old system. Scarabs used to come in strict tiers — Rusted, Polished, Gilded, Winged — where the "better" version was just a numerically bigger version of the same effect. That ladder was removed in 3.24 and has not come back in 3.29.
Today, scarabs are flat, named effects sorted by category. Instead of "Winged Expedition Scarab (best)," you now choose which effect you want inside the Expedition family:
- Expedition Scarab — adds an Expedition encounter (the baseline).
- Expedition Scarab of Runefinding — adds more Runic Monsters (more artifacts).
- Expedition Scarab of Archaeology — supercharges the encounter, adding affixes to each Remnant (bigger reward, bigger danger).
Every category works the same way: a baseline scarab that adds the mechanic, plus specialist scarabs that reshape how it pays out. As of 3.29 the live categories include Reliquary, Sulphite, Divination, Torment, Anarchy, Ritual, Harvest, Bestiary, Influencing, Harbinger, Abyss, Essence, Domination, Incursion, Betrayal, Blight, Breach, Cartography, Ambush, Expedition, Legion, Beyond, Ultimatum, Delirium, plus Titanic and Horned specialty scarabs. That's a lot of levers — the skill is picking the two or three that compound.
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How to use scarabs (step by step)
- Progress the Atlas far enough to see 3 scarab slots on the Map Device, then complete the Map Device upgrade for the 4th slot.
- Pick your mechanic. Decide what this batch of maps is for — currency (Expedition, Harvest), pure clear-speed volume (Legion, Breach), or unique-item fishing (Reliquary).
- Build your Atlas passive tree around it. Scarabs multiply what your Atlas tree already emphasizes; running Expedition scarabs with zero Expedition Atlas points wastes most of the value.
- Slot 2–4 scarabs — usually a "guarantee the mechanic" scarab plus one or two "amplify the reward" scarabs of the same family, then fill any leftover slot with a cheap universal booster.
- Insert the map and run it. Preserve portals on juiced maps: a heavily-scarabed map can drop hundreds of items and scarabs, and it often takes 2–3 trips to loot it all.
- Sell in bulk. Scarabs, splinters and lifeforce sell fastest in full stacks on the Currency Exchange; the payout is usually raw Chaos and Divine Orbs.
Best scarabs to farm currency in 3.29
There is no single "best scarab" — the best setup is whichever mechanic your Atlas tree supports, stacked to its Limit. Below are the highest-return archetypes this league, grouped by what you're trying to do. Prices float weekly, so always check the current rate on poe.ninja before buying a stack.
Best for raw, deterministic currency: Expedition
Expedition took only minor quality-of-life changes in 3.29 and remains the reliable low-skill-floor money printer, because Tujen converts artifacts straight into raw currency with no crafting or trading step. The core scarab package:
- Expedition Scarab of Runefinding — triples artifacts and refreshes vendor currency; the income multiplier.
- Expedition Scarab of Archaeology — adds affixes to each Remnant for a bigger reward (at higher danger).
- A base Expedition Scarab to guarantee the spawn if you haven't specced it into your Atlas.
Run Logbooks at item level 81+, and prioritize the Dannig (Knights of the Sun) and Tujen (Black Scythe Mercenaries) factions. For the full setup, see our PoE Expedition farming guide.
Best for volume clearing: Legion
Legion became a top-tier mapping farm in 3.29 — it drops into normal maps with no Chart or Voyage needed and rewards fast clear-speed builds. The Maxroll-tested loot-tile setup uses 1 base Legion Scarab + 3× Legion Scarab of Treasures + 1× Legion Scarab of Eternal Conflict on an open-layout map so the whole army spawns. The Treasures scarab gives chests a chance to spread their rewards to released monsters, and it drops raw Divine Orbs, Stacked Decks, Scarabs and Timeless Splinters that sell fast. Our PoE Legion farming guide breaks down the full scarab-and-Atlas setup.
Best for consistent crafting income: Harvest
Harvest is the "office worker" grind — higher investment, scales hard, rock-solid income. The standout scarab is the Harvest Scarab of Doubling, which doubles the lifeforce you receive; you then sell lifeforce in bulk for Divine Orbs or use it to craft. See the full rotation in our PoE Harvest farming guide.
Best for chase uniques: Reliquary Scarab of Vision
The Reliquary Scarab of Vision is beloved because it needs no combo and no special Atlas build: slot it, then find the Nameless Seer that spawns in your map for a shot at valuable unique items. A great "set it and forget it" scarab for any leftover slot.
Best cheap slot-fillers (universal juice)
When you've built your mechanic and have a slot to spare, these are the community's go-to 1-Chaos boosters that improve almost any map:
- Cartography Scarab — more maps drop, sustaining your map pool for free.
- Divination Scarab — more divination cards, which stack into guaranteed currency/uniques.
- Torment / Domination Scarab — a chance for rare monsters to become Possessed, adding density and loot.
- A Delirium Scarab — often the best value you can get from a 1-Chaos scarab if it isn't already on your Atlas tree.
The 3.29 league loop itself
Don't overlook the league mechanic: Curse of the Allflame (Charts and Voyages) is one of the most profitable mechanics of 3.29 and is generous with scarab drops, so the loop partly funds its own scarab supply. Voyages out-earn Charts for raw profit — see our 3.29 Charts and Voyages currency guide and the best 3.29 currency farming strategies hub.
Where scarabs come from (so you stop buying them all)
You get most scarabs free as a global drop, but if you want to target them:
- Betrayal is the classic deterministic source — Immortal Syndicate members can offer "Drop a Scarab," Safehouses reward scarabs, and Catarina (the Mastermind) drops them on death.
- Legion, Ritual, Incursion and Maven's Invitations all have scarab rewards.
- Kirac sells scarabs from his map-vendor inventory.
- Atlas passives can increase how many scarabs you find and bias which types drop — the cheapest long-term way to keep your stash stocked.
FAQ
How many scarabs can you use in one map? Three in the default Map Device, and four once you upgrade the Map Device. On top of that, each scarab type has its own Limit (1 to 4) capping how many identical copies you can stack in those slots.
What is a scarab's "Limit"? The Limit is the maximum number of identical copies of that scarab you can use together in one map. Bestiary Scarab is Limit 1 (it adds Einhar once); Anarchy Scarab is Limit 4 (each adds Rogue Exiles, so four of them add up to 16). It's separate from your Map Device's slot count.
Are scarab tiers (Rusted, Polished, Gilded, Winged) still a thing in 3.29? No. The 3.24 rework removed the strict tier ladder. Scarabs are now flat, named effects grouped by category, and you choose the specific effect you want rather than a bigger version of the same one. Those old tier names now only appear on some Atlas mods, not as scarab rarities.
What are the best scarabs to make currency in 3.29? Specialize into one mechanic your Atlas tree supports and stack it: Expedition (Runefinding + Archaeology) for deterministic raw currency, Legion (Treasures) for volume, or Harvest (Doubling) for crafting income. Fill leftover slots with cheap Cartography, Divination or Reliquary Scarab of Vision. Prices change weekly — check poe.ninja.
Do I need a specific Atlas tree to use scarabs? You can use any scarab with any tree, but scarabs multiply what your Atlas tree already boosts. Running mechanic scarabs (Expedition, Legion, Harvest) without matching Atlas points wastes most of their value, so build the tree around the scarabs you plan to farm.
Where do I buy or farm scarabs? They're a global drop while mapping, so you'll always have some. To target them, use Betrayal (Syndicate bargains, Safehouses, Catarina), buy from Kirac, or take Atlas passives that increase scarab drops. Buy the rest in bulk on the Currency Exchange.
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