Several players have thoughts about how to shape your Atlas in Path of Exile 2.5.1

PlayerA: Considering low tier red maps are like 1c you can do that if you want. Personally what I found to be the best strategy was after shaping my Atlas I purchased 20 Shaped Ashen woods for 70c and was good ever since. If I progressed with my Atlas properly though like shown in this video I'd have no need to do that.

It may sound odd but Yeah I would avoid unlocking gorge because shaped strands are much better when you compare the returns you get from it. That being said if you manage to shape your atlas around Gorge it might work? You would have to do a bit of work to see if it works.

I don' think the others understood your question.  I think you are asking if you are playing in a party and are running somone else's map with them, if you complete the map will it complete on your atlas as well as theirs?  I am not 100% on this but I think the answer is yes. This means you will need to only party run maps that you want completed or exit the map before the boss is killed. Otherwise you will have to constantly be using cartographer's seals to uncomplete these maps.

PlayerB: So if u just shaped the tier 11,12,13 maps you want, how do you start? Just buying those maps u want to get going with? Coz you can't run maps you acutally don't want to run.

And another question i got is: Do i have to complete a map(kill the boss of the map) to unlock it to drop for me or if i jsut ran it but didnt even killed the boss? How does this mechanic work exactly, because this league i killed my atlas completly and dont want to spend so much poe currency on correcting it.

PlayerC: I Don't Know the extra map level from completing the atlas is pretty crazy, i can easily sustain pure tier 14+ maps with it completed, sure some of the maps aren't ideal but you can just sell anything you REALLY hate. This method is probably superior for XP but for Path of Exile currency I don't see how it could beat unlimited tier 14+ by completing the atlas, especially once you factor in the huge respec cost if you didnt start it like this from the beginning of the league.

it's ideal to run only favorite maps, but in terms of sustaining map pool, and i'm talking about high tier maps ...let's say 14+, how this method will affect that?, how good and important is the atlas bonus? the difference between 80% and 120% atlas bonus is minor or huge? is it worth to spend a bunch of exalted to reshape my atlas? ....this is my main concern...if someone who did both methods can clarify this.