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In Path of Exile 3.26, crop rotation in Harvest has become a popular way to get large amounts of Lifeforce and steady currency, but there's always the question of whether it's worth the cost when Horned Scarabs of Awakening go for around 3.5 to 4 Divine Orbs each. These scarabs are key because they boost Harvest monster spawns, which directly affects how much yellow Lifeforce you can farm, but they aren't cheap PoE 1 Currency.

The basic idea of crop rotation is pretty simple: you harvest crop plots in an optimized order so that more plots upgrade to yellow, which gives the highest-tier Lifeforce. The scarabs make it possible to keep upgrading adjacent plots and prevent wilting, so you can get a lot more high-tier Lifeforce per map. Without them, the farming loop is less consistent, and the returns drop noticeably.

The upfront cost can be steep, though. A single map run usually requires multiple scarabs, including the Horned Scarab of Awakening, Scarabs of Doubling for extra Lifeforce, and sometimes additional support scarabs like Influenced or Monstrous Lineage. All together, the total cost per map can easily hit or exceed 5 Divine Orbs, which makes it important to know how much Lifeforce you're realistically going to get back.

Experienced players report that, on good maps like Tier 16 Jungle Valley, optimized with atlas passive nodes and efficient clearing patterns, raw Lifeforce yields of 1 to 2 Divine Orbs per map are achievable. Even with the higher scarab costs, crop rotation can still turn a profit if you're careful with map setup and harvesting order. The key is planning everything so that plots don't wilt, altar spawns are maximized, and monster packs are dense—basically squeezing every bit of value out of each map.

Whether it's worth it depends a lot on how much currency you have to start with and what kind of farming you want to do. Newer players or those with less capital might struggle to make a meaningful profit if Horned Scarabs cost 3.5 to 4 Divine Orbs each, making simpler methods like alch-and-go or Beast farming more practical at first. On the other hand, if you've got a good stack of currency or can sell Lifeforce in bulk, crop rotation with scarabs can be very lucrative. Selling yellow Lifeforce clusters in bulk is pretty stable compared to other farming methods, which makes returns more predictable.

Market timing also plays a big role. Scarab prices fluctuate during the league, and buying them at peak prices can cut into profits until they drop. Competition from other players farming Harvest can also push Lifeforce prices down, so it's smart to keep an eye on the market and plan your purchases.

Crop rotation with Horned Scarabs of Awakening priced at 3.5 to 4 Divine Orbs can definitely pay off for players who can invest upfront and execute the strategy well. The high Lifeforce yields and reliable bulk sales make it one of the strongest Harvest farming options. For players with limited currency, though, it might be better to wait for scarab prices to dip or try lower-investment methods until you're in a position to scale up PoE Currency.