A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners to Path of Exile
Path of Exile has established itself as one of the most feature-rich action RPGs on the market. However, its immense complexity can prove daunting for new players. This expanded guide will cover the core systems new Exiles need to understand to find success in Wraeclast. Below is a table of contents to help navigate this guide:
- Creating a Character and Choosing a League or Solo Self-Found;
- Researching Effective Builds for Your Playstyle;
- Surviving the Acts and Reaching Endgame;
- Mastering the Passive Tree and Ascendancy Classes;
- Obtaining, Socketting, and Linking Skill Gems;
- Upgrading Equipment and Understanding Crafting
- Commonly Referenced Community Resources.
Contents
Creating an Exile and Choosing a Game Mode
Path of Exile features various league types that restart the economy and introduce temporary mechanic tweaks. The current league is Crucible, which adds modifiers to weapons at Forge stations. Leagues last 3 months before merging to standard. Classes determine the starting area and potential Ascendancy subclasses. While skills are not class-locked, classes excel at archetypes like Marauder for melee or Templar for spells/auras. Understanding leagues is important, with new players typically advised to join the current challenge league for a fresh economy and timed mechanics. Considering Effective Build Guides Following an established build guide that clearly explains both leveling and endgame is recommended for new players to avoid dead-ends.
Guides dubbed “league starters” emphasize early-game viability with minimal gear, allowing new players to experience endgame before rerolling if desired. The ten-story Acts feature increasingly difficult bosses and enemies balanced around having capped elemental resistances of 75% from gear.
Waypoints and fast travel allow skipping areas, but completing side quests rewards valuable passive skill points for character progression. Ascendancy subclasses unlock after completing Labyrinth challenge areas accessible after six unique Trials found in each act. Transitioning from Acts to high-tier maps requires effective damage scaling, such as support gems, penetration, and Ascendancy notables.
Mastering the Complex Passive Tree Path of Exile’s massive passive tree enhances core build attributes with Life, Damage, or Utility clusters rather than locking skills. New Masteries introduce powerful notable effects accessible from any matching cluster. Selected Quests and character levels provide passive allocation points for growth. Ascendancy subclasses each offer a small additional tree for substantial bonuses. They are applying Skill and Support Gems Effectively.
Nearly all abilities come from socketed Skill Gems matching the socket color and requiring specific attributes. Support Gems in linked sockets amplify supported skills by sharing common tags like Projectile or Spell. Gem levels and quality provide flat damage increases, mainly for spells. Multiple damage supports stack multiplicatively for immense scaling potential.
Upgrading Equipment and Mastering Crafting Rare items with optimal life, resistances, and damage mods constitute the best gear and selectively used Unique items. Crafting benches, Harvest, Betrayal, Delve, and other systems offer powerful ways to tailor items beyond random drops. Trading marketplaces let buying and selling of crafted or found items supplement one’s own efforts.
Valuable Community Resources
Loot filters prioritize useful drops and POE currencies from the clutter to save time farming. Trading websites efficiently find items to purchase upgrades or sell excess items and crafts. Wikis and tools like Path of Building facilitate theory-crafting effective character optimizations. Community streamers regularly provide build guides and entertainment engaging with complex systems.
