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Allrounder Build Guide in POE 3.20: Explosive Arrow Ballista Elementalist for League Start

Dec 14, 2022 Author: POECurrency.com

The Explosive Arrow Ballista Elementalist is a great Allrounder Leaguestarter. It kills bosses with huge Ignites and clears whole screens of monsters with the Ignite Proliferation Support. For how strong the build is, it does have some intricate mechanics, which means attention to detail matters! This build doesn't require any Uniques or specific stats to start with but can upgrade to an absolute monster in the late game, making it perfect for a leaguestart scenario.


20Allrounder Build Guide in POE 3.20: Explosive Arrow Ballista Elementalist for League Startg


Important Skills

1) Explosive Arrow
Explosive Arrow supported with Ballista Totem Support is our main damage dealer.
It applies Fuses that explode after a short duration. The more Fuses the enemy had, the more damage they take.
Firing this skill with Ballistas enables us to apply more fuses in a shorter time period, resulting in bigger Ignites overal.

Ascendancy
1) The Elementalist is an easy choice for Explosive Arrow as it offers incredible boosts to Damage, Area of Effect and Defensive Capabilities.

2) Shaper of Flames allows ALL of your damage to Ignite, not just Fire Damage (this even includes Chaos Damage). Shaper of Flames also makes "Hits always Ignite", which means you don't need any Chance to Ignite at all.

3) Mastermind of Discord reduces Elemental Resistances of our enemies, making it a great tool against Bosses and highly resistant enemies.

4) Heart of Destruction gives you a huge Area of Effect Bonus while clearing hordes of monsters, converting the bonus to Damage instead whenever you face a Unique Enemy.

5) Bastion of Elements gives you a huge defensive layer against elemental damage, while also making it so your Ballistas' damage can't be reflected back to them.


20Allrounder Build Guide in POE 3.20: Explosive Arrow Ballista Elementalist for League Startng


Mistakes to Avoid
1) Getting Added Fire Damage on Gear
This disables your Exposure caused by Elemental Equilibrium (explained above).
Remember that with Shaper of Flames, all damage Ignites, not just Fire Damage. This means Cold and Lightning Damage do the same thing as added Fire Damage without disabling Exposure!
While "added Fire Damage" is bad, "increased Fire Damage" is completely fine and a great stat to have to increase your Ignite Damage!

2) Having a Source of Pierce/Chain or Fork
Explosive Arrow only puts a Fuse onto the last enemy it hits.
If you, for example, have "Projectiles Pierce 1 additional Target" and are up against a boss, it pierces through that enemy and applies no Fuses whatsoever. This completely invalidates your build, so be careful!

3) Using Barrage Support
Barrage Support might seem good because it helps you apply your Fuses faster. However, we hit the Maximum Fuse Count of 20 easily without it, so using it more than halves our damage, for no gain.
Stick to the recommended Support Gems in the Skill Gem Section!

4) Ignoring Accuracy
Explosive Arrow kinda looks like a spell, but it's an attack and therefore adheres to Accuracy scaling. If you don't have enough Accuracy (98-100% recommended) your fuses are going to miss, resulting in smaller explosions and Ignites!

5) Using Slow Bows
Your Attack Rate is as critical as the damage of your Ignites.
Slow attacking Bows look good on paper, but are actually really bad due to their low Attack Rate. This is also why Storm Cloud is such a good choice early on!

Key Leveling Notes
While this is a build guide for Explosive Arrow, we primarily use Holy Flame Totem and Flame Wall to level until 32. This is because 32 is the correct time to complete the Normal Labyrinth. Upon getting Shaper of Flames, switching over to using Explosive Arrow will be much easier.

This build will do Library in Act 3 to gain Explosive Arrow, Ballista Totem Support, Determination, Grace, and Purity of Elements. These gems won't be used for now, but are instead put in your gear to level up. Gems gain XP even in your off-hand!

The "Wand Craft" is the easiest way to make any caster leveling better. Selling a magic wand, an Orb of Alteration, and a normal Topaz Ring produces a wand like this: Snapping Driftwood Wand.

If you need a magic wand, purchase a 3-linked Wand from Nessa with favorable colors, those being Blue-Blue-Green, Blue-Blue-Blue, or Blue-Green-Red. Then use an Orb of Transmutation on it. If you need a Topaz Ring, you can sell an Iron Ring with any Skill Gem that is colored Green.

Skill Gems
1) Two-Handed Ranged: Explosive Arrow - Ballista Totem Support - Ignite Proliferation Support - Lifetap Support - Awakened Deadly Ailments Support - Awakened Burning Damage Support

2) Arcanist Brand - Flammability - Flame Surge

3) Determination - Grace - Defiance Banner - Precision

4) Lightning Spire Trap - Combustion Support

5) Frenzy - Faster Attacks Support

6) Vaal Molten Shell

7) Flame Dash

8) Summon Lightning Golem


Skill Tree


Allrounder Build Guide in POE 3.20: Explosive Arrow Ballista Elementalist for League Startng


Explosive Arrow Setup
Explosive Arrow supported by Ballista Totem Support is our main damage dealer. We add Faster Attacks Support to apply fuses faster and Ignite Proliferation Support to improve clearspeed.
Once you have a fifth link, add Deadly Ailments Support and as a 6th link add Elemental Damage with Attacks Support.
Once you are at endgame and you have Divine Orbs to buy better gear, replace Deadly Ailments Support with the better Awakened Deadly Ailments Support and Elemental Damage with Attacks Support with Awakened Burning Damage Support.

Arcanist Brand Setup
Arcanist Brand triggers supported skills on enemies it is attached to.
One of the skills you trigger is Flame Surge, which applies a Burning Ground that deals damage to enemies standing on it.
The other skill is your main curse: Flammability, which reduces enemy Fire Resistances, which is especially important against Bosses and tanky rares.

Aura Setup
Your 3 main Auras are used to increase your defensive capabilities.
First, Determination grants you a huge amount of Armour, which reduces incoming Physical Damage significantly. On top of that, you use Grace which grants a chance to evade enemy attacks outright.

These Auras are supplemented by Defiance Banner which increases both Armour and Evasion further. Don't think too much about putting your banner down, it's mostly there for the passive bonus it gives.

On top of the defensive Auras, you also have Precision, which increases your Accuracy substantially. This solves one of your weaknesses, since you are a Bow Build starting in the Witch area.

The amount of Reservation Precision takes depends on its level, so always check if you can support leveling it up before!

Combustion Trigger
Lightning Spire Traps only purpose is hitting enemies to apply the Combustion Support debuff. Because of Ancestral Bond, you don't deal damage yourself, therefore you are unable to Ignite an enemy and apply Combustion Support. To circumvent that, use a Trap because it still deals damage.

Movement Skill
Use Flame Dash as your main Movement Skill. No Support Gems are needed.

Frenzy
Whenever you hit an enemy with Frenzy, you gain a Frenzy Charge, which gives you more Damage and increased Attack Speed. To refresh them during boss fights you need to land an attack periodically. Faster Attacks Support is only there to make the skill feel smoother.

Vaal Molten Shell
Molten Shell gives you a defensive shield that can absorb enemy damage depending on how much Armour you have. Since Molten Shell has no cast-time, put it on your left-mouse button(move) to automatically activate it whenever the cooldown is up. Vaal Molten Shell is something you only press whenever you are in danger. It makes you almost invincible whenever it is active.

Lightning Golem
Summon Lightning Golem increases your Attack Speed slightly. It's not important for the build but it's better than nothing. If you are starved for sockets, this is the gem to cut first.

Summary
Explosive Arrow Ballista is an incredible Allrounder Build that can take you through everything Path of Exile has to offer.

You place Ballistas, which are small turrets that shoot and do damage for you, unleashing huge Ignites in the process.

This playstyle allows you to dodge enemy attacks and deal damage at the same time.

This build rewards players who care about small upgrades and attention to detail, since there are certain pitfalls you can succumb to. If you overcome those hurdles, you will have an incredibly strong build.

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Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 Top 10 Rarest Uniques | These Endgame Drops Worth Thousands of Divines
Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 Top 10 Rarest Uniques | These Endgame Drops Worth Thousands of Divines

In Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0, there are some exceptionally rare items that represent the ultimate goal for many builds and can be worth hundreds of Divine Orbs.

Let's take a look at the endgame Unique items in PoE 2 Patch 0.5.0 that require no complicated crafting and can drop directly, with values ranging from dozens to several thousand Divine Orbs. They are still a long way from a Mirror of Kalandra, but they remain highly desirable targets.

Here are 10 items most worth chasing in the endgame:

  1. Bursting Decay Unset Ring
  2. Choir of the Storm (Level 20 Lightning Bolt)
  3. Right of Passage Series
  4. Headhunter
  5. Palm of the Dreamer
  6. Prism of Belief Diamond
  7. Mageblood
  8. Runeseeker's Call
  9. The Last Flame and Temporalis
  10. The Gnashing Sash

10. Bursting Decay Unset Ring

Bursting Decay is an entry-level endgame Unique item that can randomly drop during Atlas content when exploring Corrupted Nexus areas. However, it cannot be obtained by gambling with an Orb of Chance.

An Uncorrupted Bursting Decay, regardless of whether it is identified, is currently worth around 40 Divine Orbs.

It is useful for life-stacking physical damage builds, but this playstyle is not particularly mainstream in the current League, so overall demand remains relatively low.

9. Choir of the Storm (Level 20 Lightning Bolt)

Choir of the Storm can randomly drop by defeating Breach Bosses and the additional monsters around them. It also cannot be obtained by using an Orb of Chance on a normal Jade Amulet.

The most important special effect of Choir of the Storm is that Critical Damage can ignore enemy Lightning Resistance, while also allowing Lightning Bolt to trigger.

A standard Choir of the Storm has little value. The real target is a version with Level 20 Lightning Bolt. An Uncorrupted version that naturally has the level 20 Lightning Bolt modifier is worth around 50–60 Divine Orbs.

If the boss drops a corrupted version, or if Lightning Bolt is below Level 20, its value drops significantly.

8. Right of Passage Series

Right of Passage has a chance to drop when Rare Monsters or Unique Bosses possessed by the corresponding Animal Spirit are defeated.

It always provides 15% increased Rarity of Items found and automatically triggers when you kill a Rare or Unique enemy. Once triggered, you become possessed by an Azmeri Spirit for 10–20 seconds and gain the special effect associated with that Spirit.

Right of Passage drops with a fixed Spirit variant, and the actual combat effects vary significantly between versions. Spirit of the Stag is worth around 80 Divine Orbs, while Spirit of the Cat is worth around 255 Divine Orbs.

An Uncorrupted version can have its duration modified to 18–20 seconds with a Divine Orb, and versions with this duration are worth more.

7. Headhunter

Headhunter has a chance to drop directly from monsters in any map content, provided the monsters meet the required level.

The value of an Uncorrupted version has been gradually declining and is currently around 70–80 Divine Orbs.

It can also have a chance to appear when using Remnants during Expedition to craft Rare Belts or Unique items.

Another option is using an Orb of Chance on a Heavy Belt. However, the success rate is extremely low, at roughly 1/2,000 to 1/3,000, so this method is not recommended.

A more efficient approach is combining Ritual with Head of the King. Since Headhunter can appear directly in Ritual Favours shop, this provides a more targeted way to farm it than simply running maps.

6. Palm of the Dreamer

Palm of the Dreamer is an extremely powerful Scepter that causes slain enemies to explode, dealing Chaos Damage equal to 25% of their maximum Life. This can significantly improve clear efficiency while farming maps.

Palm of the Dreamer drops directly in an Uncorrupted state. You need to corrupt one of the following three base Scepters to obtain it:

  • Guiding Palm of the Heart
  • Guiding Palm of the Eye
  • Guiding Palm of the Mind

Corrupting any one of these has approximately a 3% chance of transforming it into Palm of the Dreamer. These three base Scepters are worth around 1.5 Divine Orbs, while Palm of the Dreamer is currently valued at 80–220 Divine Orbs.

5. Prism of Belief Diamond

Prism of Belief can only drop from The Arbiter of Ash. It randomly selects a skill and increases its skill level.

An Unidentified version is worth around 50 Divine Orbs. Once identified, however, its value can vary enormously depending on the resulting modifier.

A +1 modifier for an unpopular skill may bring its value down to less than 1 Divine Orb, while a +3 modifier for a meta skill can potentially push its value above 1,000 Divine Orbs.

4. Mageblood

Mageblood provides effects through Charms equipped on Utility Belt, allowing it to simultaneously provide substantial defensive mechanics, ailment protection, and resistances. Its value is around 280 Divine Orbs.

Like Headhunter, Mageblood can drop from monsters throughout the game, but Expedition and Ritual are the best ways to target it. It is also not recommended to use an Orb of Chance on a Utility Belt, since the odds are far too low.

3. Runeseeker's Call

Runeseeker's Call can enhance socketed Runes, and its value has risen from around 400–600 Divine Orbs early on to approximately 1,300 Divine Orbs.

You first need to obtain a Depleted Mana Rune, then charge it into an Infused Mana Rune. After reaching 10,000 Mana to complete the required objective and finishing the remaining Farrow objective, you can obtain Runeseeker's Call.

Completing the required objectives requires a substantial investment, and each character can only obtain it once. Farming it therefore requires creating multiple alt characters, which makes the item particularly valuable.

Instead of creating the alt and wasting a lot of time, you can directly buy PoE 2 Currency at PoEcurrency.com and trade with other players. Farming the boss and completing the quest yourself could take dozens of hours.

2. The Last Flame and Temporalis

The Last Flame is a Unique Incense Relic. Completing the challenge with it causes Zarokh, the Temporal to drop Temporalis.

Temporalis is dropped by Zarokh, the Temporal in Trial of the Sekhemas, and the chance is extremely low. Its direct value is around 3,500 Divine Orbs.

Obtaining Temporalis is also extremely difficult. In addition to using The Last Flame, you must defeat Zarokh, the Temporal without losing Honor, meaning you need to finish the fight with 1 Honor remaining. Otherwise, The Last Flame will be consumed.

Unless you have a highly specialized build and extensive practice, using The Last Flame yourself is not recommended.

1. The Gnashing Sash

When equipped, The Gnashing Sash allows Flask recovery to exceed your maximum Life, temporarily giving you more recovery than your Max Life and creating an additional Life buffer.

It also increases Flask Charges gained and Flask Life Recovery, making the mechanic easier to sustain.

The Gnashing Sash can only drop from Corrupted Boss in Corrupted Nexus. It is extremely rare, and very few players list it. Its value is around 3,500–4,500 Divine Orbs.

Obtaining these items either requires a substantial amount of currency, an extremely powerful build, or both. However, most of them do not drop consistently, so they are best viewed as additional rewards that can appear while farming.

Path of Exile 3.29 Optimizes Chromatic Orb to Boost Its Value: How to Farm and Utilize This Currency Given the Latest Changes?
Path of Exile 3.29 Optimizes Chromatic Orb to Boost Its Value: How to Farm and Utilize This Currency Given the Latest Changes?

The currency system in Path of Exile features a vast array of orbs, each with distinct types and functions; if you are a relatively new player, you will frequently encounter orbs you haven't seen before.

While you don't need to master the details of every single currency item, Chromatic Orb is particularly important during PoE 3.29 update. This is due not only to its inherent function but also to the significant changes introduced in this version.

In this guide, we will outline these changes and provide the best strategies for obtaining and using Chromatic Orbs during Curse of the Allflame league.

Functionality and recent changes

As a consumable currency, the primary function of PoE Chromatic Orb is to randomly reroll the colors of an item's gem sockets. The higher the item's quality, the greater the chance of rolling a non-white socket.

Historically, this effect was valuable because socket colors strictly dictated which gems could be slotted, for instance, a red socket could only accept a red gem.

However, in version 3.29, Path of Exile completely overhauled the interaction between sockets and gems: gems can now be slotted into any socket regardless of color, though matching the gem color to the socket color grants a +10% quality bonus to the gem.

This change means that rolling a matching color is no longer a hard requirement for using specific skills; instead, it has become an advanced strategy for maximizing damage or other bonus effects.

Consequently, the effect of Chromatic Orb has been adjusted: it now forces one socket on the item to be non-white, while the remaining sockets are randomized as usual. The influence of item quality on socket colors remains unchanged.

These changes have also made the currency rarer than before. As a result, the option to exchange Jeweller's Orbs for Chromatic Orbs has been removed, and the gold tax required to acquire them via Currency Exchange Market has been increased.

Therefore, if you want to acquire more Chromatic Orbs to enhance your build or expand your crafting options, the best choice is to buy PoE Chromatic Orbs at POECURRENCY.com. Place your order now and use code COA for an 8% discount!

How to maximize the value of Chromatic Orbs in 3.29?

The socket colors resulting from the use of a Chromatic Orb are not purely random; they are strongly correlated with the item's base attribute requirements. For instance, a dexterity-based item is more likely to roll green sockets.

However, if you roll a socket color that differs from the item's primary attribute (e.g., rolling red or blue on a dexterity gear), this is known as an off-color socket.

While off-color sockets have a lower probability of appearing, they are often crucial depending on the specific requirements of your build.

Therefore, for standard socket colors that match the item's attributes, simply using a Chromatic Orb is sufficient. If you wish to increase your chances of obtaining one or two off-color sockets, you can utilize the special mechanics available at Crafting Bench.

If you need to modify the socket colors of a corrupted item, standard Chromatic Orbs will not work; you must use Tainted Chromatic Orbs instead.

The unique feature of this currency is that it ignores the item's attribute requirements, making it easier to roll off-color sockets.

Whether you are rerolling socket colors on standard or corrupted gear, we advise against doing so haphazardly, as Chromatic Orbs are quite valuable.

If you are in the early stages of the league and cannot immediately roll the desired colors, there is no need to worry. Simply socket your gems to keep your skills functional for now, and aim for matching socket colors, which offer quality bonuses, once your overall setup has stabilized.

Before attempting high-level socket recoloring in the mid-to-late game, evaluate whether the skill gems you intend to use will provide satisfactory benefits. If they do, apply the process to the core gear of your chosen build in Path of Exile 3.29.

How to obtain Chromatic Orbs?

Relying on random drops during combat is not the most efficient farming method, as this currency has no specific source and can drop anywhere.

Generally, we recommend using specific recipes to acquire them. Available recipes involve three specific divination cards: The Heroic Shot, Emperor's Luck, and The Void.

The Heroic Shot

Divination cards in Path of Exile are items that can be exchanged for other rewards; for example, The Heroic Shot can be directly exchanged for 17 Chromatic Orbs.

As for obtaining The Heroic Shot itself, you can acquire it by trading in the divination cards The Gambler, Stacked Deck, or The Void, or by finding it in Arcanist's Strongboxes.

Arcanist's Strongboxes are a variant of standard Strongboxes that have a low chance of appearing during mapping or other monster encounters. In addition to The Heroic Shot, they may also contain standard currency items.

Emperor's Luck

Collecting a full set of five of these divination cards allows you to exchange them for five random PoE currency items.

Emperor's Luck can be obtained through trades involving other cards or by farming directly; however, it only drops in four specific maps: Plaza, Residence, The High Gardens, and The Imperial Gardens.

The Void

This is a unique PoE divination card that acts as a special medium, allowing you to exchange it for other cards. In other words, if your primary goal is to farm Chromatic Orbs, it is best to prioritize exchanging The Void for The Heroic Shot.

The Void drops only in Tier 13 or higher maps: Abomination, Citadel, Fortress, Sanctuary, and Ziggurat.

Beyond these three specific divination card methods, you can also obtain Chromatic Orbs through player-to-player trading. However, be sure to research market rates beforehand to minimize your costs.

If you are currently in need of Chromatic Orbs, this guide should prove helpful. Best of luck with your PoE 3.29 journey!

Path of Exile 3.29 Gemcutter's Prism Value Explained | Is It Still Worth Farming?
Path of Exile 3.29 Gemcutter's Prism Value Explained | Is It Still Worth Farming?

Nearly a month after Path of Exile Curse of the Allflame League began, the in-game economy has undergone significant changes, with the value of some items and currencies that were highly sought after at the start of League declining over time.

The value of Gemcutter's Prism has fallen to almost half of what it was during the early days of the league. However, if you compare this with the situation in Mirage League, you will find that its value is now only around one-fifth of what it was then. Why has this change occurred? Is Gemcutter's Prism still worth farming in the current League?

Gemcutter's Prism in PoE Patch 3.23

Gemcutter's Prism can add 1% Quality to a Skill Gem until the gem reaches the maximum Quality of 20%.

This translates into higher damage, faster casting speed, or stronger utility, making it an essential part of character builds.

Its effect varies depending on the type of gem. For Attack or Spell Skill Gems, Quality typically increases damage, the chance to inflict ailments, or other important stats. For Aura Gems, Quality often increases the radius of the aura's effect.

In Patch 3.23, a major change was made to Gemcutter's Prism. Players could no longer use the vendor recipe of 1 Level 20 Skill Gem + 1 Gemcutter's Prism to obtain a Level 1 Skill Gem with 20% Quality. However, this recipe remained available for non-Awakened Support Gems.

Although this change appeared minor, it directly removed the traditional low-cost method of consistently obtaining 20% Quality on Skill Gems. As a result, the barrier to obtaining Gemcutter's Prisms and high-Quality Skill Gems increased significantly.

After this change, the value of Gemcutter's Prism in the league rose to around 5 to 6 Chaos Orbs.

Gemcutter's Prism in PoE Patch 3.29

However, why has the value of Gemcutter's Prism fallen so sharply in Path of Exile 3.29? GCP itself has not undergone any major changes, but it has been heavily affected by changes to Path of Exile socket system.

In PoE 3.29 Curse of the Allflame league, equipment sockets default to White Sockets. Furthermore, skill gems can be inserted into sockets of any color, and if a skill gem or support gem's color matches the socket color, it gains a +10% Quality.

This effectively reduced players' reliance on traditional Gem Quality optimization. Before PoE 3.29, GCP was one of the primary ways to raise a Gem to 20% Quality.

Now, however, part of the demand for Quality is being handled by the new Socket system, which has reduced demand for Gemcutter's Prism.

Does Gemcutter's Prism Still Have Value?

Although demand for Gemcutter's Prism has declined, it still retains considerable value, as reaching 20% Quality remains extremely important for top-tier builds.

Chasing stronger Level 21 Gems, 20% Quality Gems, or Gems with Vaal versions is a core endgame goal for many players.

Creating these Gems requires large quantities of 20% Quality Gems as materials, which means you may need a substantial number of Gemcutter's Prisms.

Therefore, as many players begin to upgrade their builds, the value of Gemcutter's Prism may rise again, presenting a good investment opportunity. You can buy PoE Gemcutter's Prism at PoE currency.com to position yourself in advance.

How to Farm Gemcutter's Prism?

Once the value of GCP is understood, finding efficient ways to obtain it becomes the key. There are several main methods.

Monster Drops

This is the most basic method, as Gemcutter's Prisms can drop randomly from slain monsters. Increasing monster pack size and modifiers that improve Currency drops can effectively increase the number of GCPs you obtain.

You can combine this with Strongbox farming strategies, particularly Artisan's Strongboxes, which have a chance to drop GCPs. Remember to check your loot filter so that Gemcutter's Prisms are not hidden.

Another method is farming The Union Divination Card in Cemetery Maps. Collecting 7 cards allows you to exchange them for 10 GCPs.

When farming T16 Cemetery Maps, it is recommended to remove all Essence-related passive points. Essence monster modifiers are stronger and deal more damage, so the additional risk does not justify the efficiency. However, you can keep and strengthen passives related to Strongboxes.

Vendor Recipes

Selling 1 Gem with 20% Quality grants 1 GCP. This recipe remains worthwhile for Support Gems, but caution is advised with Skill Gems because a 20% Quality Skill Gem itself can be highly valuable.

Alternatively, you can sell multiple Gems with a combined Quality of 40% to receive 1 GCP. For example, you can sell four Gems with 10% Quality each.

For players looking to conserve Gemcutter's Prisms, you can use a Support Gem together with 1 Gemcutter's Prism in the vendor recipe. The gem's level will be reset to Level 1, while its Quality will be raised to 20%.

You can then level the gem again. Since Support Gems can level relatively quickly, especially in endgame content, this method can save a substantial number of Gemcutter's Prisms. Normally, raising a Gem to 20% Quality directly with GCP requires 20 Prisms, whereas this recipe requires only 1.

Gemcutter's Prism is still worth farming in the current League. You can combine a Stacked Deck farming strategy with Cemetery Maps to focus on this currency, which can provide solid returns. Any excess GCPs or finished Gems can be converted into worthwhile profits while still meeting your own needs.

PoE 2 New Class Rumors: Why Patch 0.5.5 May Not Be the Big Reveal?
PoE 2 New Class Rumors: Why Patch 0.5.5 May Not Be the Big Reveal?

Discussions about Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.5 have been heating up recently, with the most pressing question for players being: Will GGG add a new class to this patch?

Let's start with the conclusion: the probability of Patch 0.5.5 directly adding a class isn't as high as some might think. Rather than releasing a test class early, the official team is more likely to use Gamescom on August 25th at 11 AM as a major promotional event to showcase the direction of the official PoE 2 Patch 1.0 release.

However, don't despair! GGG has a history of skillfully building suspense at major events, and new classes, new gameplay, and demo content are all possible glimpses at Gamescom.

But considering the overall pacing, 0.5.5 seems more like a tweaking update paving the way for the official release; the real big content will likely be saved for 1.0.

New Content Predictions

For many PoE 2 players, Gamescom has become a crucial window into the future direction of PoE 2.

Looking back at previous events, the official team does have a habit of releasing playable demos of classes at exhibitions. The most typical example is Druid class; before its official release, a playable build was offered at this exhibition, allowing players to experience the class early.

However, the showcase build underwent numerous adjustments between the demo and the final release. Early showcases were more about demonstrating the direction of development than the final product.

Therefore, the appearance of playable content at Gamescom is expected. However, what GGG will ultimately choose to show remains to be seen.

Currently, new chapter content is unlikely to be a focus. This is because the story experience of PoE 2 is a major selling point of the full release, especially later chapters. Revealing too much too early could easily diminish the sense of exploration for players on their first playthrough.

New Class?

Necromancer

Speaking of new classes, one of the most discussed topics in the community is Necromancer.

After all, in the eyes of ARPG players, summoner builds always hold a special place. Many players also hope that PoE 2 will add this classic class. However, judging from the current official design of PoE 2 class system, the possibility of Necromancer being added is not very high.

This is because PoE 2 and PoE 1 have different understandings of class roles. In PoE 1, a character's final style largely depended on their Ascendancy class. For example, a Witch could go through different Ascendancy paths to Summoning, Elemental, or other routes, with the class itself bearing a significant role in theme creation.

But PoE 2 aims to reduce this limitation. The developers hope that players will create their own playstyles through skill selection, gear combinations, and talent paths, rather than being fixed in a certain gameplay framework simply by choosing a class.

This direction seems to offer more freedom, but it has also sparked considerable discussion among players.

Passive Tree Limitations

Many veteran players loved PoE 1, largely because of its extremely high degree of freedom. You could see many strange builds, such as a character who seemed destined to charge with a shield, but ended up being played as a Summoner or Spellcaster.

PoE 1's Passive Tree allowed players to traverse vast areas to find the attributes and nodes they needed, which was one of the game's greatest charms.

However, things changed in PoE 2. Because of the adjusted Passive Tree structure, a character's starting point has a more significant impact on gameplay direction. If a character wants to switch to a completely unique system, they need to invest more resources.

For example, a melee class wanting to play a summoner build isn't theoretically impossible, but it might require a significant investment of resources, including substantial PoE 2 Currency, and even special equipment. This results in some playstyles existing but not as natural as in PoE 1.

This is why Necromancer class is controversial. If the developers insist on letting skills determine gameplay, they might not design a separate summoner specialization class, but continue to adjust the system, allowing players to create summoner builds through combinations.

Templar and Duelist

While the possibility of Necromancer is low, player speculation about the new class hasn't stopped. Currently, the two most discussed directions are Templar and Duelist.

Templar has always been a class many veteran players have been hoping for. This class itself possesses very distinct elements of strength, faith, and holiness; if added to PoE 2, it could greatly expand melee and support gameplay.

Especially with the addition of more new weapon systems in the second generation, many players are eager to see how the developers will design paladin-style characters.

However, based on recent demonstrations, a Duelist-oriented approach is also highly probable. Previous footage showed two-handed swords and daggers, leading many to speculate that the developers might prioritize a new, more agile, melee-focused class.

Compared to a traditional summoner class, sword and dagger classes are more likely to showcase combat differences in gameplay demonstrations and are better suited to a large-scale event like Gamescom.

Transitional Update

The answer to whether a new class will be added in 0.5.5 is likely to be no.

Of course, GGG could still choose this approach, as a new class would help boost testing activity and attract more players to get beta access. However, from a development and marketing perspective, a single class is unlikely to sustain a major update on its own.

To make it impactful enough, it needs to be bundled with more content, which could disrupt the developers' current schedule for Patch 1.0.

In contrast, releasing a class, new gameplay, and a large amount of new content in Patch 1.0 would have a stronger impact. The official launch of PoE 2 is a significant milestone. A larger initial launch attracts more streaming platforms, content creators, and new players.

For a long-running ARPG, the initial buzz is crucial. Once a community and content ecosystem are established, the game's influence will continue to grow.

Therefore, it seems likely that Patch 0.5.5 will focus more on balance adjustments and system optimizations, while Gamescom will showcase the future direction of Patch 1.0.

If GGG really wants to create a surprise, they might announce a new class at Gamescom.

However, more than a new class, players are probably more concerned with whether Patch 0.5.5 can demonstrate the overall plan for the official PoE 2 release and what direction the game will take in the future.

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