Overview: Why Oldtown Is a Perfect Triple-Dip

When a weekly trial lineup includes damage Arc enemies in Oldtown, damage Vaporizers, and damage Wasps, you can stack progress in a single match by forcing as many relevant targets as possible into the same small area. The core idea is simple: pick a defensible Oldtown building, keep the local spawner enemies “anchored” so they continue producing Vaporizers, and rotate safe peek angles to pump consistent damage into weakpoints.

This guide breaks down a reliable approach focused on repeatable positioning and spawn control rather than risky “all-in” damage. It also covers what to do when the run gets messy: low meds, multiple elites, or another player interfering with your rotation.

While this is a gameplay-first guide, it’s worth noting that trial weeks like this can be resource-hungry. If you’re pushing higher scores quickly, having a buffer of PoE 2 currency for upgrades and consumables can smooth out attempts—especially if you’re rerolling gear setups or burning through supplies.

Recommended Loadout and Prep

Core weapon plan: high uptime, accurate bursts

Your goal is sustained damage on a Vaporizer’s weakpoint, not flashy clears. A charged, accurate weapon that can repeatedly tag a core window is ideal. In the source strategy, a Jupiter-style weapon is used because it can reliably chunk the Vaporizer when you time peeks between attack cycles.

• Bring two primary weapons if possible: durability can become the limiting factor in long engagements.
• Prioritize ammo efficiency: missing weakpoints dramatically lowers damage-per-round and forces dangerous scavenging.
• Carry a backup for close threats: Wasps and other adds can overwhelm you if you only have a slow, charge-focused gun.

Utilities that make the strategy consistent

• Mobility tool (zipline or equivalent): used to pull targets from outside Oldtown into your scoring zone and to reposition without crossing open streets.
• Emergency stealth/escape (photocloak or similar): your “reset button” when you get pinched, lose shields, or need to break line of sight.
• Smoke/cover utility: helps create a safe moment to reload, heal, or re-anchor your position when the building gets flooded.

Consumables: the run usually ends because of meds, not ammo

It’s common to finish a high-score attempt with plenty of ammunition but no healing left. Plan for attrition.

• Bring more healing than you think: you’ll take chip damage while peeking and from incidental adds.
• Don’t rely on drops: Vaporizer kills won’t always refill the ammo type you need, and you can’t assume a safe loot window.

Step-by-Step Route: Set Up the Oldtown “Kill Box”

Your first decision determines how safe the entire run feels. You want a building that lets you shoot from two distinct angles without exposing yourself to the full duration of the Vaporizer’s beam. The simplest pattern is a two-window rotation where you alternate peeks so the enemy’s aim and timing never fully “locks” onto you.

• Look for two windows (or a window + doorway) that face the same street segment.
• Avoid single-peek dead ends: if you only have one angle, you’ll be forced to tank beam timing or sprint into open ground.
• Prefer buildings with a short internal loop: you should be able to swap angles in a few steps.

2) Start cycling Vaporizer spawns as early as possible

High scores come from uptime. The earlier you begin damaging Vaporizers, the more total damage you can accumulate before the match ends or your supplies run out.

In many Oldtown setups, certain nearby enemies act as “activity anchors” that keep the area hot. The key is to keep those anchors present and alert so they continue generating threats you can farm.

• Do not over-clear the entire area: removing the wrong enemies can reduce future spawns.
• Keep the spawner enemy in the zone: if it wanders away, you lose your Vaporizer pipeline.

3) Anchor the spawner: aggro, don’t kill

If the local spawner-type enemy (often seen rolling or patrolling) leaves the area, your farm collapses. The trick is to put it into an alert state so it stays put, without killing it and without forcing it to relocate.

• Tag it to draw attention (a light hit or proximity aggro is usually enough).
• Stop short of killing it: you want it alive and “engaged.”
• Re-aggro if it starts drifting: a brief reminder keeps it anchored.

How to Fight Vaporizers Safely (and Score Efficiently)

Understand the Vaporizer attack cycle

The Vaporizer’s most predictable threat is its beam: it lasts a consistent amount of time and creates a clear rhythm you can exploit. The safest pattern is to wait out the beam, then peek for a weakpoint shot during the downtime.

• Beam active: stay fully behind cover; do not “half-peek.”
• Beam ends: immediate peek, deliver one accurate shot, then break line of sight.
• Repeat from the second angle: alternating angles reduces the chance you get punished by timing mistakes.

Weakpoint priority: hit the core for critical damage

Your damage spikes when you hit the core/critical zone. If you’re not hearing/seeing the feedback that indicates a crit, assume you’re wasting ammo and time. A few missed weakpoint shots can be the difference between a clean farm and a desperate scavenging run.

• Only take shots you can place: “greedy” peeks often lead to eating a beam tick or getting clipped by adds.
• Pre-charge safely: if your weapon allows charging, start charging while the enemy is shielded or while you’re behind cover, then release immediately on peek.

Some weapons will trigger shield behavior or force awkward timing. Treat shield phases as a reposition moment rather than trying to brute-force through it.

• Use shield time to reload and top off health.
• Swap angles so your next peek has a better line to the core.
• Don’t chase if it drifts: keep your building advantage and let it come to you.

Pulling Targets Into Oldtown: Zipline Baiting

If Vaporizers or other Arc enemies are spawning just outside the scoring area, you can often “invite” them into Oldtown by tagging them and retreating along a safe mobility line. This keeps your damage counted for the Oldtown-specific trial while maintaining your defensive structure.

Practical baiting loop

• Place a zipline between rooftops or across a street gap to avoid running through open lanes.
• Tag the Vaporizer once to secure aggro.
• Backtrack into your chosen building, continuing to tag it occasionally so it doesn’t reset.
• Resume the two-angle peek pattern once it enters your kill box.

Be careful not to take unfamiliar ziplines in a crowded lobby—misroutes can dump you into open sightlines or enemy clusters.

Managing Adds: Wasps, Rocketeers, and Overlaps

Wasps: farm them, but don’t let them break your rhythm

Wasps are excellent “free” progress while you’re already holding Oldtown, but they can become lethal when they stack with a Vaporizer beam cycle. The best approach is to clear them during natural downtime (reload windows, shield phases, or after a Vaporizer beam ends).

• Prioritize survival over perfect Wasp efficiency: a downed run scores nothing.
• Use a faster side option for close-range threats so you don’t waste charged shots.

Rocketeers (or similar ranged elites): remove them when they threaten your cover

A Vaporizer is dangerous, but predictable. A rocketeer-type enemy can invalidate your building by firing into windows and forcing you to abandon safe peeks. If rockets are entering your room, treat that enemy as a mandatory kill even if it slows your Vaporizer damage.

• Identify the angle: locate where rockets are coming from before you re-peek.
• Shift floors if needed: sometimes the floor below offers safer lines and fewer splash angles.
• Eliminate it quickly, then return to the Vaporizer loop.

Double Vaporizer pressure is where most attempts collapse. Don’t try to “out-DPS” it in the open. Instead:

• Commit to cover discipline: no peeking during beam.
• Focus one target to reduce incoming patterns.
• Use photocloak to reset if you get clipped and lose shields.

Handling Other Players in the Area

Oldtown farms attract other players, and not everyone will be cooperative. Sometimes you’ll get accidental crossfire; other times someone may actively interfere. Your goal is to keep your scoring engine running.

• Don’t abandon your building without a plan: open streets are where third-party pressure is most punishing.
• Use communication when possible: a quick “friendly” interaction can turn a threat into a helper who shares aggro.
• Prioritize your escape route: know which exit leads to cover, not into another sightline.

If the lobby is chaotic, consider shortening the attempt: bank your points and extract rather than gambling the entire run on a messy final fight.

Score Maximization Checklist

Use this quick list to keep the run structured even when it gets hectic.

• Stay in Oldtown whenever possible so Arc-enemy damage counts toward the location trial.
• Keep the spawner anchored by maintaining aggro without killing it.
• Alternate two peek angles to exploit beam timing and reduce damage taken.
• Only take weakpoint shots when you can reliably tag the core.
• Use baiting to bring targets into your scoring zone instead of chasing them.
• Budget your meds: if you’re low, stop taking greedy peeks.

Resource Planning: Keeping Attempts Consistent

Trial farming is often limited by consumables, durability, and incremental upgrades that make weakpoint shots more reliable. If you’re repeating attempts to chase a high score, consider planning your resource loop so you don’t stall out between runs.

Some players prefer to fund these repetitive pushes with a small stash of Arc Raiders currency so they can keep gear and consumables flowing rather than waiting on perfect drops. If you do that, aim to spend only on consistency improvements: survivability, ammo stability, and durability buffers—not flashy sidegrades.

For players who like to minimize downtime, having a plan for where to buy PoE 2 currency for new characters and league starters can also help when you’re rebuilding after a reroll or experimenting with different trial loadouts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the safest building type for Vaporizer farming in Oldtown?

A structure with two reliable peek angles (two windows, or window plus doorway) is ideal. The goal is to rotate angles between beam cycles so you never have to stand exposed.

Usually no. If it’s the source of repeat Vaporizer spawns, killing it can reduce your long-term score. Keep it aggroed so it stays in the area, then farm what it generates.

How do I avoid running out of healing before the match ends?

Stop taking “extra” peeks when you’re low, and treat shield/beam downtime as recovery time. Most failed high-score runs end due to attrition, not lack of damage.

Is it worth baiting Vaporizers into Oldtown instead of fighting them where they spawn?

Yes, if your trial requires Oldtown-specific damage. A zipline route plus occasional tags can pull targets into your scoring zone and keep your positioning advantage intact.

What’s a smart way to handle repeated attempts if I’m short on resources?

Focus on consistency upgrades first (durability buffers, survivability, stable ammo). Some players also keep a reserve of PoE 2 orbs so they can restock quickly without stalling between runs.