Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide

09 January, 2026

15 minutes
48779 views
Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide

Table of content

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide + Guide on 200d/hour

Hello Exile, the Temple wants to look like a puzzle, then it quietly turns into a delete lottery. In Path of Exile 2 Atziri guide, this one is split into two big equal parts, so the reader can keep the plan clear instead of guessing. Part one describes the system and the tools, so the Temple makes sense before any “perfect run” talk starts. Part two focuses on real building moves and the 200d/hour:

  • Rooms description;
  • Upgrades;
  • Crafting medallions.

And in Part 2, dude, the guide focuses on building tech and the full route to 200d/hour.

  • How does Russian tech keep the Spy Master alive while Garrisons get deleted
  • When does Russian corner need a second lock, and when does it need a third lock
  • What exact mistake creates a loop disaster during Roman road, and what timing fixes it
  • How does Cali lock skip protect the main snake when locks are still low
  • What makes feeder rooms “safe food” for destabilise in the early turns
  • Why does American sandwich lock Smithy plus Golem Works, and what gets sacrificed by design
  • When should the build start American sandwich, based on lock count in hand
  • How does Spy Master feeder stay usable across runs, with lock then enter then exit
  • What number of tier 3 Spy Masters makes lock sustain feel stable in the transcript
  • How does the build choose the next tile so the snake end stays far from the start area
  • What is the fast six medallion loop, and why does exit timing matter for profit
  • What is the simplest rule for corner handling, so the game deletes the right block

If you’re reading this, you might be interested in a discount just for you—my blog reader! Use code CRINGEBLOG to get an amazing discount on any offer in our shop.

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide + Guide on 200d/hour

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Overview

In Path of Exile 2 Atziri, the Temple is a buildable dungeon where rooms change loot, monsters, and crafting devices, and the build stays stable when the player controls destabilise with locks, uses upgrades to push room tiers, and keeps access to key targets like vault rooms and Atziri’s Chamber.

Key feature What it does in the Temple
Room grid build The player places room cards to shape the Temple layout
Room tiers Rooms have tiers up to 3 with stronger effects at higher tier
Diminishing returns rule Four or more of the same room type starts diminishing returns, starting from lower tier rooms first
Destabilise step Rooms get deleted after progress, based on the current layout
Locks Locks protect chosen rooms, steering deletes into other rooms
Feeder rooms Cheap rooms get placed to take deletes first
Upgrade links Room families upgrade into higher lines via support rooms or counts
Generators Generator rooms power nearby rooms and expand range by tier
Crafting devices in rooms Some rooms include devices for item corruption, gem changes, or limb modification
Room destabilise after device use Some device rooms destabilise after the device gets used
Vault rooms Vault rooms give focused rewards like currency, runes, uniques, lineage supports, or tablet corruption
Restricted rooms Some room cards are restricted and have special control tools
Medallions Medallions change rooms, protect rooms, reroll cards, or raise capacity limits
Medallion capacity Capacity can increase up to 6
Crystal capacity Crystal capacity can increase up to 60
Waystone modifiers A medallion can add a random Waystone modifier, with a Temple-based reduction rule, and a cap of 8 modifiers
Atziri access Royal Access Chamber opens the way to Atziri’s Chamber
Temple level scaling Temple level follows player level until 65, then grows in steps, then caps at 80 from player level 85 onward
Fast run pattern The transcript uses a short loop that targets six medallions, then exit
Tech patterns Russian tech, Cali lock skip, Roman road, American sandwich, Spy Master feeder
Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Overview

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Rooms description

Temple rooms in Path of Exile 2 act like small rule cards that change loot, monsters, or special devices, and a key rule now exists for stacking the same room type. once the Temple has four or more of one room type, the room modifier values start getting diminishing returns, it starts with lower tier versions first, and it mainly matters for extreme Temple setups that can hurt server performance.

Room name Type and tier Room effects
PathPath Tier 1Hidden chests in maps +40%
FoyerEntrance Tier 1Entrance room
GuardhouseGarrison Tier 1Monster packs +10%. May contain an equipment bench
BarracksGarrison Tier 2Monster packs +15%. Normal monster effectiveness +15%. May contain an equipment bench
Hall of WarGarrison Tier 3Monster packs +20%. Normal monster effectiveness +30%. May contain an equipment bench
Commander’s ChamberCommander Tier 1Rare monster effectiveness +15%. May contain an equipment bench. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Commander’s HallCommander Tier 2Rare monster effectiveness +30%. May contain an equipment bench. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Commander’s HeadquartersCommander Tier 3Rare monster effectiveness +60%. May contain an equipment bench. Low chance for advanced Medallions
DepotArmoury Tier 1Humanoid effectiveness +15%. Contains equipment
ArsenalArmoury Tier 2Humanoid effectiveness +30%. Contains equipment drops
GalleryArmoury Tier 3Humanoid effectiveness +60%. Contains rare equipment
BronzeworksSmithy Tier 1Needs 1 Generator. Chest rarity +15%. Bench for equipment quality. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Chamber of IronSmithy Tier 2Needs 1 Generator. Chest rarity +30%. Bench adds an augment socket. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Golden ForgeSmithy Tier 3Needs 1 Generator. Chest rarity +60%. Bench can push quality above 20%. High chance for advanced Medallions
DynamoGenerator Tier 1Construct effectiveness +15%. Powers nearby rooms with tier range. May contain an equipment bench
Shrine of EmpowermentGenerator Tier 2Construct effectiveness +30%. Powers nearby rooms with tier range. May contain an equipment bench
Solar NexusGenerator Tier 3Construct effectiveness +60%. Extra Corrupted Abomination. Powers nearby rooms with tier range. May contain an equipment bench
Spymaster’s StudySpymaster Tier 1Temple mod effect bonus +8%. Can assassinate Spymasters to level. Low chance for Juatalotli’s Medallion
Hall of ShadowsSpymaster Tier 2Temple mod effect bonus +15%. Can assassinate Spymasters to level. Low chance for Juatalotli’s Medallion
Omnipresent PanopticonSpymaster Tier 3Extra Royal Colossus. Temple mod effect bonus +30%. Can assassinate Spymasters. High chance for Juatalotli’s Medallion
Viper’s LoyalsLegion Barracks Tier 2Rare monsters +30%. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Elite LegionLegion Barracks Tier 3Rare monsters +60%. High chance for advanced Medallions
Prosthetic ResearchSynthflesh Lab Tier 1Needs 1 Generator. Monster experience +10%
Synthflesh SanctumSynthflesh Lab Tier 2Needs 1 Generator. Monster experience +20%
Crucible of TranscendenceSynthflesh Lab Tier 3Needs 1 Generator. Monster experience +40%
Surgeon’s WardFlesh Surgeon Tier 1Unique effectiveness +10%. Tier 3 enables Limb Modification. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Surgeon’s TheatreFlesh Surgeon Tier 2Unique effectiveness +20%. Tier 3 enables Limb Modification. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Surgeon’s SymphonyFlesh Surgeon Tier 3Unique effectiveness +40%. Device for Limb Modification. High chance for advanced Medallions
Steelflesh QuartersTranscendent Barracks Tier 2Needs 1 Generator. Magic monsters +30%
Collective LegionTranscendent Barracks Tier 3Needs 1 Generator. Magic monsters +60%
Chamber of SoulsAlchemy Lab Tier 1Monster drop rarity +15%. Tier 3 enables Soul Core Corruption. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Core MachinariumAlchemy Lab Tier 2Monster drop rarity +30%. Tier 3 enables Soul Core Corruption. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Grand PhylactoryAlchemy Lab Tier 3Gold found +50%. Monster drop rarity +60%. Device corrupts Soul Cores. Room destabilises after device use. High chance for advanced Medallions
Thaumaturge’s LaboratoryThaumaturge Tier 1Temple mod effect bonus +8%. Device sets a gem to 3 support sockets. Tier 3 enables further gem corruption. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Thaumaturge’s CutteryThaumaturge Tier 2Temple mod effect bonus +15%. Device improves skill gem quality. Tier 3 enables further gem corruption. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Thaumaturge’s CathedralThaumaturge Tier 3Extra Quadrilla Sergeant. Temple mod effect bonus +30%. Device further corrupts gems. Room destabilises after device use. High chance for advanced Medallions
WorkshopGolem Works Tier 1Needs 2 Generators. Temple mod effect bonus +8%. May contain an equipment bench. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Automaton LabGolem Works Tier 2Needs 2 Generators. Temple mod effect bonus +15%. May contain an equipment bench. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Stone LegionGolem Works Tier 3Needs 2 Generators. Temple mod effect bonus +30%. Extra High Priest. May contain an equipment bench. High chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Crimson HallCorruption Chamber Tier 1Rare monsters gain extra modifier 15% chance. Device corrupts items. Tier 3 enables further equipment corruption
Catalyst of CorruptionCorruption Chamber Tier 2Rare monsters gain extra modifier 30% chance. Device corrupts items. Tier 3 enables further equipment corruption
Locus of CorruptionCorruption Chamber Tier 3Extra Royal Sentinel. Rare monsters gain extra modifier 60% chance. Device further corrupts equipment. Room destabilises after device use
Sealed VaultTreasure Vault Tier 1Monster drop rarity +25%. Contains chests. Room destabilises after central vault opens
Altar of SacrificeSacrificial Chamber Tier 1Rare chests +15%. Contains a unique item. Tier 3 enables Vaal unique modification. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Hall of OfferingsSacrificial Chamber Tier 2Rare chests +30%. Contains a unique item. Tier 3 enables Vaal unique modification. Low chance for Quipolatl’s Medallion
Apex of OblationSacrificial Chamber Tier 3Rare chests +60%. Extra Unchained Beast. Contains a unique item. Device modifies Vaal uniques. Room destabilises after device use. High chance for advanced Medallions
Sacrifice RoomSpecialSacrifices a room to upgrade Sacrificial Chamber Tier 1
Architect’s ChamberArchitect’s Chamber Tier 1Defeat the Architect for a choice of rewarding vaults. Unlocks Medallions. High chance for Xopec’s and Azcapa’s Medallions
Kishara’s VaultCurrency Vault Tier 1Large currency stash. Room destabilises after completion
Vault of ReverenceLineage Gems Vault Tier 1Random Lineage Support. Room destabilises after completion
Jiquani’s VaultAugments Vault Tier 1Random high level rune. Room destabilises after completion
Tablet Research VaultTablets Vault Tier 1Device corrupts tablets. Room destabilises after completion
Ancient Reliquary VaultUniques Vault Tier 1Unique item reward. Room destabilises after completion
Extraction ChamberExtraction Chamber Tier 1Device salvages socketed augments. Room destabilises after completion
Royal Access ChamberRoyal Access Chamber Tier 1Opens access to Atziri’s Chamber. Room destabilises after completion
Atziri’s ChamberAtziri’s Chamber Tier 1Atziri boss chamber
Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Rooms description

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Upgrades

Atziri Temple upgrades are simple links between room families, and the goal is to push a room into a higher line by building the right support around it. the same upgrade rule can show as a base upgrade, a combo upgrade using another room type, or a count upgrade that needs three rooms of a group.

Upgrade target What upgrades it Extra upgrade rule
Commander Garrison Needs Garrison x3 and Transcendent Barracks x3
Legion Barracks Garrison Works when Spymaster is present
Legion Barracks Commander Works when Spymaster is present
Smithy Armoury Direct upgrade path
Alchemy Lab Armoury Direct upgrade path
Transcendent Barracks Legion Barracks Needs Synthflesh Lab present
Transcendent Barracks Garrison Needs Synthflesh Lab present
Golem Works Smithy Direct upgrade path
Thaumaturge Generator Direct upgrade path
Sacrificial Chamber Generator Direct upgrade path
Legion Barracks Spymaster Direct upgrade path
Flesh Surgeon Synthflesh Lab Direct upgrade path
Synthflesh Lab Flesh Surgeon Reverse upgrade link shown in the text
Transcendent Barracks Synthflesh Lab Direct upgrade path
Thaumaturge Alchemy Lab Needs Thaumaturge x2 to reach Alchemy Lab tier upgrades
Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Upgrades

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Crafting

In the Atziri Temple crafting loop, medallions act like small control tools for rooms and cards, so a player can stop a destabilisation, push a room tier, or reroll a room card without changing the full Temple plan.

Medallion Use in the Temple Limits and notes
Juatalotli’s Medallion Prevent the next destabilisation of a room Works on the next destabilisation event
Hayoxi’s Medallion Reroll a Restricted Room in the Temple Targets a Restricted Room
Quipolatl’s Medallion Increase the tier of a room Max tier. 3
Uromoti’s Medallion Add Room. {0} Adds a specific room entry
Xopec’s Medallion Increase maximum Crystal capacity by 6 Max crystal cap. 60
Azcapa’s Medallion Increase maximum Medallion capacity by 1 Max medallion cap. 6
Estazunti’s Medallion Place an extra Restricted Room Card after defeating the Architect Trigger. after the Architect fight
Puhuarte’s Medallion Reroll the Room Cards available for placement Restricted Room Cards stay locked from this reroll
Zantipi’s Medallion Add +1 random Waystone Modifier to the Temple Drops by 1 per 10 Temples opened. up to 8 modifiers total
Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Crafting

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Temple level

Temple level follows the player level in a very direct way at first, then it starts to slow down, and then it stops at a hard cap. this means early characters push Temple level one for one, mid levels give smaller gains, and late levels stop changing the Temple level at all.

From player level 1 to 65, Temple level matches the player level, so level 40 gives Temple level 40, and level 65 gives Temple level 65. After that point, the scaling becomes slower, so a level increase does not always raise Temple level, and the Temple level lags behind by about one or two levels in places, then the gap grows. A clear example is level 66 still giving Temple level 65, and level 70 still giving Temple level 68, so the Temple climbs in steps instead of rising on every level. At player level 85, Temple level reaches 80, then it stays locked at Temple level 80 from level 85 all the way to level 100, so higher player level past 85 increases character power, yet the Temple level stays at the cap.

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Temple level

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | optimizing the Temple Building

Temple building gets optimized when the player protects the “value chain” with locks, then feeds destabilise into cheap rooms, and the transcript uses simple named techs to keep Spy Masters leveling fast while avoiding loops during Smithy–Golem and Corruption steps.

Tech name Core idea What gets locked What gets deleted
Russian tech (KGB temple) Armoury → Garrison → Garrison → Spy Master Lock the Spy Master Garrisons get removed later
Roman road Make a one turn loop, then break it Lock the main chain near Smithy The road later
Cali lock skip Use feeder rooms in the middle Lock the key chain Feeder rooms first
American sandwich Armoury → Alchemy → Armoury → Smithy → Golem Works Lock Smithy plus Golem Works Early links can drop
Spy Master feeder Spare Spy Master with zero links Lock it during the run Nothing important
Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | optimizing the Temple Building

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Russian tech (KGB temple)

Russian tech in the Atziri Temple is a simple Spy Master leveling trick that uses Garrisons as temporary links, so destabilise deletes the cheap parts while the Spy Master survives, and repeating this along an edge builds a long “snake” with fast lock sustain from higher tier Spy Masters.

Part What the player does Why it works Lock action
Core chain Place Armoury → Garrison → Garrison → Spy Master Garrisons act like disposable connectors, and the Spy Master becomes the real kept room Lock the Spy Master
Destabilise step Let destabilise happen and accept Garrison deletion The chain gets trimmed, yet the Spy Master stays and the build stays safe Keep Spy Master locked
Repeat pattern Repeat the same chain again on the next safe tile Spy Master count rises fast, and lock sustain grows Lock the new Spy Master
Corner moment Armoury → Garrison → Spy Master can form a square for one turn Squares can cause wrong deletes, so the corner needs tighter control Lock Spy Master plus the linked Garrison
Risky corner option Add a third lock when the middle gives a big delete choice Extra lock forces the game to delete the safer block Third lock on the other risky neighbor
Fodder option Use Sacrificial Chamber as a temporary safety tool Sacrifice can remove the risky link before the delete step Sacrifice first, then lock Spy Master
Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Russian tech (KGB temple)

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Roman road

Roman road is a quick path trick that creates a loop for one turn, then breaks that loop in the same turn with a sacrifice, so the player gets the connection needed for Smithy or the main snake, and destabilise later deletes the cheap road pieces instead of touching the valuable chain.

Part What the player does Why it works Timing rule
Build the road loop Place a short road piece that makes a temporary loop The loop exists only to give one turn of connection Do it only as a planned tech move
Place Smithy Place Smithy while the loop exists Smithy gets the link it needs for the chain Same turn as the loop
Break the loop Use the Sacrificial Chamber action to disconnect the loop The temple returns to a safe non loop shape Same turn as Smithy placement
Let road die later Accept that road can destabilise later Deletions hit the cheap road first After the tech turn
Keep the snake safe Keep locks on the valuable chain near the tech spot Destabilise deletes the wrong rooms less often Lock before the tech turn
Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Roman road

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Cali lock skip

Cali lock skip in Path of Exile 2 Atziri is an early survival plan where the player fills the middle with feeder rooms and leans the main snake toward the right side, so destabilise deletes cheap rooms first while the valuable chain keeps growing and locks stay available for later tech like Spy Masters or Smithy–Golem.

Part What the player does Why it helps
Middle feeder block Place feeder rooms in the middle area Destabilise hits feeders before key rooms
Right side lean Build the main snake aimed toward the right The valuable chain stays away from common delete targets
Keep feeders disconnected Keep feeder rooms away from the main chain The delete step finds easy targets outside the core
Lock priority Lock only the key chain rooms Locks protect value while feeders stay disposable
Transition point Switch to Spy Master or other tech after lock sustain grows The build gains safety and keeps momentum
Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Cali lock skip

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | American sandwich

American sandwich in Path of Exile 2 Atziri is a planned way to build the Smithy–Golem Works spine using a short chain that can survive destabilise, because the player locks the expensive end rooms and lets the early links get deleted, so the final shape stays ready for upgrades and later tech.

Step Placement order What it connects Main purpose Lock plan What destabilise deletes
1 Armoury Starts the sandwich line Gives a clean start point that can upgrade into Smithy No lock yet, locks stay saved Nothing important yet
2 Alchemy Lab Armoury → Alchemy Acts as a bridge room in the pattern No lock, keep it disposable Alchemy can be deleted later
3 Armoury Alchemy → Armoury Extends the bridge and keeps upgrade options open No lock, keep it disposable This Armoury can be deleted later
4 Smithy Armoury → Smithy Creates the real value point for the spine Lock Smithy as soon as it is placed Early bridge rooms take the hit
5 Golem Works Smithy → Golem Works Finishes the spine target used for long chains Lock Golem Works with Smithy Early bridge rooms get removed first
Safety check Before Step 4 Snake chain position Prevents a loop or an accidental square during the build Locks ready before Smithy placement Extra side links become the delete target
After the delete After a destabilise tick Smithy–Golem remains Confirms the tech worked and the spine survived Keep Smithy locked until stable The bridge rooms are gone, which is intended
Common failure During Step 5 Side connections open The game can delete the wrong block if the target is too connected Add one extra lock on the risky neighbor A larger connected block becomes the delete choice
Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | American sandwich

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Spy Master feeder

Spy Master feeder in Path of Exile 2 Atziri is a small setup where the player places one spare Spy Master with zero connections, then uses locks and short temple entries to keep it alive, so other Spy Masters can use assassinate level ups while the feeder stays available for later cycles.

Step What the player does Lock state What it gives Main risk
1 Place a Spy Master on an empty tile with zero links Locked right after placement The feeder stays safe from destabilise A nearby new link can pull it into a delete group
2 Enter the temple, then exit fast Keep it locked during the run Assassinate level ups can trigger Staying too long can force extra destabilise events
3 After exit, remove the lock on the feeder Unlocked after the run The feeder remains usable for later turns Unlocking too early can lose it to the next delete
4 Repeat the same short entry pattern later Lock before entry, unlock after exit Stable Spy Master leveling over time A corner layout can create a risky square moment
5 Use locks on the main chain first Locks stay on value rooms The snake stays alive while feeder works Lock shortage can delay the next feeder cycle
Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide | Spy Master feeder

Conclusion

In the end, the Temple gives rewards to discipline, and it eats weak planning like a hobby. In Path of Exile 2 Atziri, locks and feeder rooms turn chaos into a script, and one lazy timing choice gets paid in deleted value. Russian tech and Roman road work when the player follows the turn order, and keeps sacrifices saved for the forced moments. The 200d/hour fantasy lives on clean exits after the target medallions, and the rest of the run exists to remind the player who owns the map.

You may also like
Related Posts
PoE 2 Druid guide | 0.4 Path of Exile Druid Guide
PoE 2 Druid guide | 0.4 Path of Exile Druid Guide

12 December, 2025

Path of Exile 2 tier list. PoE2 patch 0.4 class guide
Path of Exile 2 tier list. PoE2 patch 0.4 class guide

12 December, 2025

Path of Exile 2 Disciple of Varashta Guide | Sorceress Djinn Summoner
Path of Exile 2 Disciple of Varashta Guide | Sorceress Djinn Summoner

12 December, 2025

PoE2 The Ascend Tier List For 0.4
PoE2 The Ascend Tier List For 0.4

13 December, 2025

Path Of Exile 2 Abyss Guide 0.4.0
Path Of Exile 2 Abyss Guide 0.4.0

13 December, 2025

Path of Exile 2 Fate of the Vaal Guide | Overview | release date
Path of Exile 2 Fate of the Vaal Guide | Overview | release date

13 December, 2025

Path of Exile 2 Atlas progression guide for patch 0.4.0
Path of Exile 2 Atlas progression guide for patch 0.4.0

25 December, 2025

Path of Exile 2 Atziri Temple Guide FAQ

What Is The Main Goal In Path Of Exile 2 Atziri Temple

The player builds a long snake chain, protects key rooms with locks, uses upgrades and medallions for control, then runs for vault rewards or Atziri access with a stable layout.

When do diminishing returns start for room stacking

Diminishing returns start after four rooms of the same type exist, and the reduction starts on tier 1 rooms first, so extreme stacking gives reduced value for the same effort.

What does destabilise do in the Temple

Destabilise deletes rooms after progress, based on the current layout. Locks protect chosen rooms, and feeder rooms take the delete hit so the value chain stays alive.

What is Russian tech used for

Russian tech chains Spy Masters through Garrisons, then locks the Spy Master so destabilise removes the Garrisons, which helps Spy Master leveling and supports lock sustain over time.

What is Roman road used for

Roman road creates a loop for one turn to place a needed connection, then a same turn sacrifice breaks the loop, so the main chain stays safe for the next destabilise step.

What is Cali lock skip used for

Cali lock skip fills the middle with feeder rooms and leans the main chain to the right side, so deletions hit feeders while locks stay saved for later Smithy–Golem steps.

What is American sandwich used for

American sandwich places Armoury into Alchemy into Armoury, then links into Smithy and Golem Works, and the player locks Smithy plus Golem Works so the spine survives.

What is Spy Master feeder used for

Spy Master feeder uses a spare Spy Master with zero links, locked during a short entry and unlocked after exit, so assassinate level ups can happen while the feeder remains usable.

Why does the transcript exit after six medallions

The transcript treats six medallions as a clean checkpoint, since rewards appear late in the run, so short loops keep the route tight and keep time focused on payout.