In Path of Exile 2, the Pointed Maul is a coveted two-handed weapon prized for its high base physical damage and synergy with various melee-focused builds. Whether you're building a Juggernaut, Marauder, or POE2 Currency any strength-based class that thrives on slamming enemies with brutal force, the Pointed Maul is an excellent early-to-mid-game weapon and can even carry you into endgame content when properly crafted.
This guide will explore how to obtain the Pointed Maul, where it drops, how to craft and upgrade it, and how to make the most of its stats in your build.
What is the Pointed Maul?
The Pointed Maul is a two-handed mace that belongs to the Maul weapon archetype in Path of Exile 2. These weapons are known for:
High base physical damage
Crushing Blow mechanics
Implicit mods such as increased stun duration or armor penetration
Slow attack speed but excellent scaling with Strength, Physical, and Bleed effects
The Pointed Maul often rolls with an implicit modifier that increases critical strike chance or stun duration, making it ideal for builds focused on stunning enemies or dealing massive crits through Heavy Strike, Ground Slam, or the new Earthbreaker skill introduced in PoE2.
Where to Find the Pointed Maul
1. Natural Drops (Campaign Zones)
The Pointed Maul can begin dropping as early as Act 3 or Act 4, depending on your progression and the item level of the zone you're in. Mobs in strength-based zones, such as:
The Cragforge
The Blood Mire
Mount Vaal
have a higher chance of dropping Maul-type weapons. Elite enemies, mini-bosses, and rare monsters in these areas are your best bet when trying to obtain it organically.
2. Vendors
Once unlocked in the campaign, weapon vendors in towns may occasionally sell a white (normal rarity) Pointed Maul. This is particularly helpful if you want to use crafting or Essence upgrades to mold your ideal version.
Vendor restocks refresh every time you level up or return to town after completing quests, so check regularly.
3. Area-Specific Farming
In Path of Exile 2, enemy loot tables are more targeted compared to the original game. That means farming Brutes, Constructs, and Beasts in physical-heavy areas gives you a better chance at Mauls and Axes.
Recommended farm areas:
Act 3: Bone Wastes – High density of physical enemies
Act 4: Smoldering Depths – Good rare enemy spawn rate
Act 5: Iron Fortress (repeatable) – This late-campaign area is an ideal farming ground for base weapons with higher item levels.
Using the Pointed Maul in Builds
The Pointed Maul shines in builds that rely on:
Earthquake
Ground Slam
Heavy Strike
Bleed Slam variants
Stun-focused builds
Because of its slow attack speed, it's typically not used in attack speed scaling builds. Instead, it's favored for high-impact hits, often with high base crit and stun potential.
For example:
A Marauder Juggernaut stacking armor and using Ground Slam can use a high-damage Pointed Maul with Bleed and Physical modifiers to deal AoE burst damage while staying tanky.
How to Craft a Powerful Pointed Maul
If you find a white or magic rarity version of the Pointed Maul, you can customize and enhance it through crafting. Here are the steps:
1. Essence Crafting
Use Essences of Contempt, Wrath, or Rage for guaranteed physical damage mods. These are easily found in early maps or sold via NPCs in exchange for lesser currencies.
2. Alchemy + Chaos Spam
Use Orb of Alchemy to upgrade a white Pointed Maul to rare.
Use Orbs of Chaos to reroll its affixes until you get useful combinations:
+% to Physical Damage
Adds X to Y Physical Damage
Increased Critical Strike Multiplier
Chance to deal Double Damage
Increased Stun Duration on Enemies
3. Bench Crafting (via Hideout)
If you’ve unlocked your crafting bench, you can add:
“+% to Physical Damage”
“Adds Physical Damage to Attacks”
“Increased Accuracy” (to mitigate hit chance issues)
4. Tempering and Fusing (New PoE2 Mechanics)
Path of Exile 2 introduces Tempering Orbs and Fusing Gems:
Tempering Orbs can increase implicit mods (e.g., stun or crit chance on Mauls)
Fusing Gems can socket linked support gems directly into weapons
This allows you to turn a simple Pointed Maul into a fully socketed, linked weapon with support gems like Brutality, Melee Physical Damage, and Chance to Bleed.
Trading for a Pointed Maul
If you're struggling to get a good one to drop, you can trade with other players. Check:
Trade Boards in Towns
Guild Exchanges
Third-party trade tools like poe.trade or in-game whispers
Look for:
High physical DPS rolls
Open suffix/prefix for crafting
Good implicits (Increased Stun Duration or Crit Chance)
Final Tips for Optimizing the Pointed Maul
Prioritize Strength and Physical modifiers when choosing gear to support your Pointed Maul build.
Use Blood Rage, Herald of Purity, and Warcries like Intimidating Cry to boost single-target damage.
If running a Bleed or Stun build, stack increased duration, chance to inflict bleed, and enemies take increased physical damage.
Conclusion
The Pointed Maul is more than just an early game two-handed weapon — it’s a versatile and powerful base that synergizes with some of the most punishing melee builds in Path of Exile 2. Whether you're farming one to level with, or crafting an endgame powerhouse through orbs and modifiers, this weapon deserves a spot in your arsenal.
With the right approach—farming the right zones, utilizing crafting mechanics, an
POE 2 Chaos Orbs building around its strengths—the Pointed Maul can easily carry your character deep into endgame.