Profit mapping is a math problem: (loot per map × maps per hour) − (cost per map). Affixes and investments should raise the first two terms without letting the third run away. Start with sustained layouts you can clear flawlessly and repeat.

Roll for pack size and quantity, then layer deterministic spawners. Scarabs for Strongboxes, Harbinger, Legion or Expedition reliably add PoE 1 Currency events. Compasses that duplicate chests, add shrines or juice altars multiply outcomes on every run.

Chisel to 20%, alch and selectively vaal. Unidentified and 8-mod corruptions are great if your build handles volatility; otherwise, chase stable high-quantity rares. Skip heavy slowdowns—No Regen, Temporal Chains, -max on glass cannons—because time is your hidden expense.

Use fragments to edge quantity and pack size without breaking routes. Sacrifice or Shaper/Elder fragments add baseline value; avoid pieces that warp the layout or boss access when you’re farming open loops.

Target maps with valuable, scalable drops. Burial Chambers for The Doctor, Crimson Temple for The Apothecary, The Tower for The Nurse are classic examples; if your league economy favors other cards or bases, rotate accordingly. Profit mapping is flexible, not dogmatic.

Spec atlas for income engines: strongboxes with extra items, altars with currency bias, Legion rewards, shrine effect for speed, and Poe 1 Divine Orb generic pack size. Respec out of niches once marginal gains drop.

Track your session: cost of scarabs/compasses, average returns, deaths and time per map. If profit per hour slides, trim investments, change maps, or adjust loot filter thresholds.

The winning loop feels routine, not heroic. Consistent density, quick bosses, safe affixes and deterministic mechanics will out-earn miracle drops over any real session length.