Things that can or cannot drop maps, anything affecting map drops.

These can mainly add pack size or IIQ to the map you're running.

* base:
Depending on her level, Zana adds up to 8% IIQ to any map, if you do not run any other Zana mod. This affects map drops.

* Alternate of same tier/shaped/elder:
Modify the base type and/or the tier of the map. No direct effect on the amount of maps dropped, but can alter the maps eligible to drop. For example eldering any map allows it to drop T16 maps, while the base map will never drop a map higher than its own tier +2.

* Onslaught:
20% IIQ affecting map drops. Note, that this only improves IIQ by 12% compared to just using the base Zana8 without any mods.

* Bloodlines:
Converts a set amount (30% ?) of white monsters to blue monsters and gives all blue monsters a Bloodlines mod. Since blue monsters can drop maps 1 tier higher than white monsters, and also drop a lot more items in general, this does improve map drops.

* Ambush:
Adds 3 extra Strongboxes. Since strongboxes themselves and the monsters spawned by Strongboxes can all drop maps, this mod improves map drops as well.

* Beyond:
20% IIQ. Same as Onslaught, only 12% over base. Also, since Beyond mops cannot drop maps, only the IIQ part affects map drops.

* Essence:
Adds 2 rare monsters with a couple of whites. Probably the same map drop rules as regular rare/white monsters? <-[help]

* Nemesis:
Okay, so from what I've gathered, Nemesis is actually a lot worse than Bloodlines when it comes to map drops. Nemesis does have a higher conversion rate for rare mobs (50% I think?), but it does convert blue mobs to yellow mobs or something? And since yellows cannot drop higher maps than blues, and an entire blue pack doesn't drop much less compared to a yellow monster with some whites, Nemesis doesn't help all that much with map drops. <-[help]

* Harbingers:
Afaik, Harbinger mobs can drop maps, so these add quite a bit of pack size affecting map drops. <-[help]

usually add a bunch of mobs, most of which can drop maps.

good:


either:



bad:

Running the map with Shaper or Elder influence can be very beneficial, as it potentially adds a lot of monsters, which usually can drop maps.

Shaper:


Elder:

I will mention a couple, that affect the entire map.

* Tempests:
30% IIQ that affects map drops. Very good, obviously. Vaal Winds can be worth running depending on map and build, but it is quite bad in high tier maps, where it destroys most of your map returns.

* Plague of rats/frogs:
Add lots of mobs, which seem to drop quite a bit of currency most of the time. Not sure, if they actually drop maps. <-[help]

* Cursed Choir/Hungering Swarm/others adding more monsters:
No idea, if those drop maps. <-[help]

* Bountiful Traps:
Six strongboxes add a lot more monsters and can drop maps themselves. Good with 500% quant Sextant mod.

* Monstrous Treasure:
Amazing with 500% quant. Spawns tons and tons of monsters with a huge IIQ bonus affecting all their map drop rates. One of the best ways to get returns for high tier maps.

* You want your atlas set up in a way, that the map you are currently running is the only completed map of that tier, and usually no map is completed one tier above. This guarantees, that every single map drop of the same or 1 tier higher is the map you want to run.

* You want as much completion as possible. At least 120%+. Buy the unique maps you don't have. Or buy the completion, especially for maps your character might not be able to do (Shaper, Grandmaster, Vaal Temple).

* The higher the tier of the map you're running, the more you can/need to invest in it. T3 Burials drop like candy, no need to individually trigger prophecys on them or something like that. But if you run T16 UGS, it becomes almost a necessity.

* Always try to keep influence on your map. It is a hassle on occasion, but it is free and powerful. On low tier maps it is comparable to 1.5 to 2 free sextants. On high tiers, it even opens up another source of income in valuable high tier crafting bases.

* Group play is highly beneficial, of course. Aurabots make even T16 maps easy for most builds, group buffs affect map drops, you can run more mf. I mostly play solo, though, so this information mostly applies to solo play.

* Run a MF build. No reason not to, the difficulty of low tier maps is a joke for any half-decent build.

* Map returns are not your primary concern here. You can be a little more lenient on atlas completion. Try to get to 100% anyway.

* Chisels are not needed, feel free to skip them. The time you spend chiseling you can just run a couple more maps. Alch all maps.

* Sextants are more a preference than a necessity, you get pretty similar returns with or without them. I like my maps a little more dense, so I use them

* Shape/Elder the map(s) one tier higher adjacent to this map to eliminate it from the map drop pool. Or just complete all the tier+1 maps, you shouldn't even need the additional map drops.

* set up an elder square, fix influence as necessary. The shaper strongholds can be very helpful here by limiting Elder progression, although they are a nuisance to set up properly.

* don't bother with prophecies, sacrifice fragments or Zana mods.

* I like corrupting low tier maps, bricking some doesn't matter, you have more than enough anyway.

* which map you run doesn't matter all that much. Pick one you like to run, or pick one with a good divination card. Burials is the obvious choice here. I personally prefer Arcade with the Saint's Treasure card. Doctors drop every couple hundred maps or something, if you are unlucky, you won't see any for a long time. Saint's Treasure drop every 20 or so maps. After thousands of maps, or if you are very lucky, Burials net you a little more profit. But the difference isn't all that much, and Arcades net you a much more steady stream of income.

* Map returns should still be fairly manageable. Same rules apply, get as much completion as possible, at least 120%

* You probably want to chisel and alch all maps.

* Sextants do get more important. If possible, buy Shaper and Uber Elder completion to get an additional sextant slot.

* Tier 10 maps disable 2 sextant slots, since you want other tier 10 and all tier 11s uncompleted. Unfortunate, probably want to avoid running these.

* set up an elder square, fix influence as necessary. The shaper strongholds can be very helpful here by limiting Elder progression, although they are a nuisance to set up properly.

* don't bother with prophecies, but feel free to use sacrifice fragments as you get them. No need to buy them.

* Use Zana bloodline, or corrupt all maps. I wouldn't do both.

* high tier maps require high investments. I recommend building up a couple T16 maps and some currency before running them full-time.

* for Elder UGS, you want all guardian maps uncompleted. It is possible to shape a single T10 map and leave all T15 maps uncompleted as well to build up a secondary pool of maps to run. Shaped Belfry, for example.

* You want maximum bonus otherwise, so 150 or 155 depending if you want a single shaped T15.

* You want max Sextant slots. Do or buy your uber elder. Run all maps with 4 good sextants.

* Chisel+alch all maps. Spend a couple chaos to get at least 20+ pack size on each map. You can corrupt, but I don't like that for high tier maps. eUGS bricks to elder UGRiver and elder Ramparts. You can run or sell those. Also buy sacrifice fragments, use 3 for every map.

* Run Zana Bloodlines on almost all maps, even corrupted ones. If the map has beyond, you can use double beyond, but since beyond mobs don't drop maps, it didn't really feel much better compared to just run the beyond map with bloodlines. Regardless, you should save a couple of beyond maps for certain sextant mods.

* Influence is more important than ever. Take the time to set up your elder and eventually shaper strongholds properly.

* Prophecys can get you a long way in map sustain. Buying and constantly re-sealing them is a pain, but it is worth it. I run 3 to 4 prophecys for every map, hoping that at least one of them triggers. Usually a Tempest, Rats and Sea Witches. If there is a way to guarantee a prophecy trigger, please let me know.

* Make use of good sextant mods. Main ones here are 500% quant strongbox monsters, nemesis monsters drop currency, unique monsters drop corrupted.

* nemesis drop currency (red sextant only): Run with a nemesis map and beyond. If possible nemesis + double beyond, but those maps are rare. If you roll a map with nemesis + beyond and you are using red sextants, always keep those maps for the occasion.

* unique drop corrupted: Run with double beyond. Great to get lots of jewellers and divines. Will mess up some map drops, sometimes better used in lower tier maps.

* 500% quant: Use Monstrous Treasure. This is a big one! Yes, Monstrous Treasure is expensive. But oh boy, is it worth it!

MT single-handlely allowed me to fully sustain eUGS solo. Without it, even when using all other means of sustaining maps, I am barely breaking even, sometimes losing maps over time. But every time MT triggers with the sextant in play, I can reliably get 3-5 eUGS out of it.

Use with Zana Beyond, I don't think Bloodlines spawns more magic monsters from strongboxes.

Can use Bountiful Traps as a backup, in case MT doesn't trigger. There used to be a way to force MT to trigger always, but that doesn't seem possible anymore.

* Don't be afraid to invest in the maps. All in all, you end up putting a lot of currency into every single map, even more if Monstrous Treasure is involved. But between high-tier maps, elder/shaper bases, currency drops you make all of that back and more.

* If you cannot fully sustain (if you don't want to bother using Prophecies for example), you should be building up a decent pool of T15 maps when you run out of T16s. You can run those, and get more T16s that way. Also, in Delve, try to look for Citys/Outposts at around depth 270. Monster level starts to become 83 around here, so map chests in Delves start to drop T16 maps.