Just like in the last league with Blight, there’s a new crafting mechanic. This time, it’s Samples and Catalysts. The basics work like this: Samples are extracted from mobs and Bosses, then used to add modifiers to future bosses. These encounters can then drop Catalysts, which can buff the modifiers on an item. Catalysts in Path of Exile MetaMorph are rather powerful, as they do things POE has never done before. Quality on a Ring, Amulet or Belt will be a common thing in Path of Exile MetaMorph, Patch 3.9, and beyond. For example, an amulet with 20% resistance Quality has all of its resistance-granting modifiers multiplied by 1.2. Jewelry Quality also increases the likelihood that new mods added to the item will be of the same mod group as the Quality, similar to fossils. You can start to see why this will be a crafting-heavy League.
To help with the confusion that these new mechanics always cause, we’ve begun collecting all of the MetaMorph League details into helpful guides. This guide will teach new and returning players what each Catalyst does. We will expand the guide as the League goes on, and expect other guides as well. We’re just getting started with POE 3.9.
If you’re looking for some of our other guides to refresh on old content after a break, we have that too. We’ve also got a guide about the basics of Legion League and the five Legions since that content is now a Zana mod. If you’re leveling a character for the first time and need some help optimizing your item loadout, we got that covered as well. And if you need a refresher on Betrayal League content, we’ve got you.
Also, be sure to check out our other Path of Exile 3.9 Guides:
- POE MetaMorph Mechanics Guide
- POE Blight Mechanics Guide
- Vendor Recipes Guide
- POE 3.9 Atlas Strategies
- MetaMorph Loot Filter Guide
Let’s not waste any time and get right into the details of Catalysts and their effects. Each Catalyst can only be used on an item once, as they will overwrite each other. Catalysts themselves are basically like any other crafting currency, use them like you would any other Quality item.
| Catalyst | Affected Stat | Base Types | |
| Fertile | Life and Mana | Ring, Amulet, Belt | |
| Imbued | Caster Mods | Ring, Amulet, Belt | |
| Intrinsic | Base Attributes | Ring, Amulet, Belt | |
| Prismatic | Resistances | Ring, Amulet, Belt | |
| Turbulent | Elemental Damage | Ring, Amulet, Belt | |
| Abrasive | Defense | Ring, Amulet, Belt | |
| Tempering | Attack | Ring, Amulet, Belt |
The real meat of this patch and the league mechanic in Metamorph is the Samples though. These are the objects you collect, from bosses and random spawns within MetaMorph. Make sure to use a good loot filter that highlights them with unique coloring and background so you notice them when they drop. Modifiers, and thus Samples spawn on many forms of different mobs, based on the type of mob, and what level they are encountered at and so on.
ISKMogul will be trying to collect a list of modifiers that can spawn on Samples, although they appear to be randomized, so we will restrict it to a few different characteristics. Each sample has an Attack modifier, which governs one of the abilities that the MetaMorph boss can use. They also have a potential modifier for type, like Undead. The final modifier is random, and governs the chance for additional loot of different types, added attacks and other things.
Sample Tips:
- Most Samples MUST be used in the zone they are encountered to create a MetaMorph boss. Unused Samples disappear when zoning.
- Unique Organs will persist. You can take these to Tane’s lab to fight entirely Unique bosses.
- Samples should normally only be collected until you have one of each organ, the Tane button in the bottom right will light up at this point.
- You can hold off on the above tips if you’re hunting Uniques, usually map bosses, as their Unique organs have extra mods
- Sample mobs will not spawn in sub-zones, for example, the Flooded Depths contains no MetaMorph mechanics
- Magic and Rare mobs can drop Samples with additional modifiers.
- Unique monsters have their own unique Samples and modifier pools
- Samples from Unique monsters have a hidden increased rarity of items dropped modifier
Until we’ve finished collecting the data and can embed the sheet directly, view the full rundown of POE Samples over here.
If you’re looking for information on the map bosses, here’s a sheet for that, with all the map bosses and their organ modifiers.
Be on the lookout for markers on each of the organs you pick up, as some of them will have symbols that denote extra drops. Drops Additional Currency, Rare Armours and such are very common, and each have their own symbol. There’s even modifiers for 6-Link drops. A new tool has been released to allow POE players to search for the maps to unlock the Organs you need.
MetaMorph Bosses and Endgame
The endgame bosses of the MetaMorph League itself are pretty intriguing. Using the tips above, you should be able to take map bosses and build some pretty spicy metamorphs which give you plenty of challenge and rewards. But there’s a new layer to the whole thing that some players have yet to notice.
Have you seen that goo-filled bat on the right-hand side of the MetaMorph creation window? That bar fills up the more Rare or Unique components you put into your MetaMorphs. There are two reasons you want to do this. One bonus is that it grants more rewards for that MetaMorph, determined by how full the bar itself is. And if you manage to fill that bar all the way up, there’s a chance that the resulting MetaMorph will drop a special Unique organ. PICK THIS UP!
These Unique organs fully persist, and can be taken outside of a Map. Take a full set of five different Unique Organs to Tane’s lab. There’s a MetaMorph creation tool down the stairs that will allow you to create the truly terrifying boss of your nightmares. Rewards for fighting these bosses include showers of loot. And some of the unique organs have modifiers for dropping Unique 6-Links, among other powerful rewards.
