Path of Exile Modifier Tiers Explained
Every random modifier on a Path of Exile item belongs to a family of rolls that do the same thing at different strengths, and each step in that family is a tier. Tier 1 is the strongest version. A tier only becomes available once the item's item levelreaches that tier's requirement, so a low item level cannot roll top-tier modifiers at all. When the game picks a modifier it draws from every eligible tier at once, weighted by each tier's spawn weight — higher tiers are rarer because their weights are lower, not because they are rolled separately. Only one modifier from a family can appear on an item, and modifiers are split into prefixes and suffixes with a limited number of each.
How do item level and tier interact?
Item level is fixed when the item drops and never changes. Each tier lists a minimum item level, and the item can roll that tier only at or above it. This is why crafters hunt high item-level bases: an item level 86 base can access every tier, while a low-level base is permanently locked out of the best rolls no matter how much currency you spend on it.
What does spawn weight mean?
Spawn weight is the relative chance of a modifier being chosen against every other eligible modifier. A weight of 1,000 in a pool totalling 20,000 is roughly a 5% chance per roll. Weight is also why raising item level can make a specific roll less likely: new tiers entering the pool bring their own weight and dilute everything already in it.
A real tier ladder: Prime on Body Armours (Armour)
Straight from the same modifier catalog the crafting simulator rolls against.
| Tier | Modifier | Item level | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | +(175-189) to maximum Life | 86 | 1,000 |
| T2 | +(160-174) to maximum Life | 81 | 1,000 |
| T3 | +(145-159) to maximum Life | 73 | 1,000 |
| T4 | +(130-144) to maximum Life | 64 | 1,000 |
| T5 | +(115-129) to maximum Life | 54 | 1,000 |
| T6 | +(100-114) to maximum Life | 44 | 1,000 |
| T7 | +(85-99) to maximum Life | 36 | 1,000 |
| T8 | +(70-84) to maximum Life | 30 | 1,000 |
| T9 | +(55-69) to maximum Life | 24 | 1,000 |
| T10 | +(40-54) to maximum Life | 18 | 1,000 |
| T11 | +(25-39) to maximum Life | 11 | 1,000 |
| T12 | +(10-24) to maximum Life | 5 | 1,000 |
| T13 | +(3-9) to maximum Life | 1 | 1,000 |
Browse tiers for a specific base type
Every item class has its own modifier pool. Pick one to see its full tier tables, or open the crafting simulator to roll against them.