The Simulacrum in Path of Exile is one of the most rewarding but also punishing endgame challenges. Pushing all the way to Wave 30 is no easy feat—it’s the point where enemies are at their strongest, damage and density skyrocket, and bosses spawn in brutal combinations. However, surviving and clearing Wave 30 means maximizing loot: cluster jewels, Delirium orbs, Simulacrum splinters, high-value uniques, and even exalt-tier drops. This guide walks you through the preparation, mechanics, and POE orbs strategies needed to reach and clear Wave 30 consistently.

1. Understanding the Simulacrum

The Simulacrum is an arena-based event created by combining 300 Simulacrum Splinters. Once started, players face wave after wave of enemies that grow stronger with each level. At certain breakpoints (Wave 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30), unique bosses spawn such as Kosis, Omniphobia, and random map bosses with delirious modifiers.

Key loot comes from:

Cluster Jewels (large, medium, and small) – core rewards from higher waves.

Simulacrum-exclusive Uniques – such as Voices or Split Personality.

Delirium Orbs & Splinters – scaling with wave difficulty.

Raw currency – exalted orbs, chaos, divine, stacked decks, and more.

Your goal isn’t just survival—it’s building a character and strategy that farms Wave 30 efficiently.

2. Preparation Before Entering

2.1 Character Requirements

Clearing Wave 30 demands a well-rounded endgame build. You’ll need:

High damage (10–20 million effective DPS or more).

Layered defenses (75%+ resistances, strong physical mitigation, and chaos res).

Recovery (life leech, regen, or flask uptime).

AoE or clear speed – dense packs must be wiped before you get overwhelmed.

Popular archetypes include:

Spellcasters: Occultist CI builds, Cold Dot (Vortex, Cold Snap), or Ignite Elementalist.

Melee: Boneshatter Juggernaut, Slayer Cyclone.

Bow builds: Tornado Shot Deadeye, Lightning Arrow.

Minion builds: Necromancer Spectres or Summon Raging Spirits.

2.2 Gear and Flask Setup

6-Link weapon or body armour is almost mandatory.

Cluster jewels significantly boost DPS and defenses.

Corrupted blood immunity (via jewel) is crucial against bosses like Kosis.

Flasks: Basalt, Granite, Quicksilver, Jade/Stibnite for defense, and a life flask with bleed removal. Keep them permanently up with flask sustain mechanics.

2.3 Map Modifiers

The Simulacrum ignores map mods, but your character should still be prepared for:

Chaos damage over time (Kosis’s degeneration pools).

Physical slams from Omniphobia.

Delirium ground effects that slow or weaken you.

3. Core Mechanics of Simulacrum Waves

Scaling: Each wave increases monster damage, health, and rewards. From Wave 20 onwards, scaling becomes extreme.

Boss waves: Appear every 5 waves, adding dangerous mechanics.

Arena constriction: As the event progresses, safe ground shrinks and forces you into combat with fewer kiting options.

Loot distribution: Rewards drop automatically after certain waves, not per kill, meaning you don’t lose loot if overwhelmed.

4. Strategies for Reaching Wave 30

4.1 Positioning and Kiting

Stay near the center of the arena to avoid being trapped by arena shrinkage.

Use movement skills (Dash, Flame Dash, Shield Charge, Leap Slam) to dodge Kosis slams and Omniphobia charges.

Clear trash mobs quickly before focusing on bosses; otherwise, you risk being swarmed.

4.2 Boss Management

Omniphobia, Fear Manifest: Extremely dangerous melee slam. Kite him, don’t facetank unless very tanky.

Kosis, The Revelation: Deals heavy chaos DoT pools. Keep moving and maintain chaos resistance.

If both spawn together, prioritize clearing Kosis first, as his ground effects can cover too much space.

4.3 Wave Control

Kill ranged monsters (e.g., projectile casters) early to reduce incoming damage.

AoE builds can wipe trash instantly, giving breathing room before bosses.

Don’t let packs accumulate—Simulacrum punishes slow clears.

5. Maximizing Loot from Wave 30

The true reason to push Wave 30 is the loot explosion at the end. Here’s what to look out for:

5.1 Cluster Jewels

The best source in the game for cluster jewels is Simulacrum Wave 30. High-value rolls include:

Voices (3 passive) – worth multiple Divine Orbs.

Large jewels with powerful notables like Renewal, Vicious Bite, or Fuel the Fight.

5.2 Unique Jewels

Split Personality: Extremely valuable depending on roll (e.g., Strength + Intelligence).

Calamitous Visions and Megalomaniac: Build-defining.

5.3 Delirium Orbs

Wave 30 guarantees high-tier delirium orb drops, often including:

Skittering Orbs (for currency farming).

Diviner’s Orbs (for stacked deck farming).

Cartographer’s Orbs (for mapping strategies).

5.4 Currency

Exalted, Divine, and Chaos Orbs drop often, especially with multiple bosses on Wave 30. Simulacrum farming is considered one of the best currency strategies for dedicated players.

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Underestimating chaos damage – Many builds crumble to Kosis if they lack chaos resistance.

Ignoring flask uptime – Simulacrum fights are long; invest in flask sustain nodes or gear.

Over-investing in single-target – Trash mobs can overwhelm you if AoE is weak.

Looting mid-wave – Rewards drop automatically after wave completion, so don’t risk death by stopping early.

7. Farming Tips for Consistency

Play with friends: Simulacrum scales with party size but can be easier if multiple players share DPS and aggro.

Profit calculation: Even failing at Wave 25 is profitable; the loot explosion from Wave 30 is just the cherry on top.

Stack multiple Simulacrums: Run several in a session for efficient farming instead of one at a time.

Final Thoughts

Clearing Simulacrum Wave 30 is the ultimate test of your build’s balance between damage, defense, and cheap POE orbs sustain. While only top-tier characters can handle the density and boss mechanics, the reward structure makes it one of Path of Exile’s most profitable endgame activities. With proper preparation—high DPS, strong flask management, chaos resistance, and smart positioning—you can not only survive but thrive in the Simulacrum and walk away with some of the game’s most coveted loot.

If your build can comfortably hit Wave 30, you’re sitting on a currency-printing machine that fuels both personal progression and trade profit. Push hard, loot big, and let the echoes of delirium fill your stash tabs.