Posts about Path of Exile
Path of Exile's appeal is its infinite creativity and depth of mechanics and interactions. Feel free to play the game how you enjoy it - whether that means trying things out blind, or following a guide. Feel free to experiment - but try not to spread yourself too thin. Pick a skill or two you like and try focusing on that. Your first character WILL likely fail, but failure also provides valuable knowledge.
That being said, for people who enjoy guides, check out the Official Forums or Path of Exile Builds Subreddit for build guides and ideas.
Prefer an in-depth video guide? Check out Zizaran's "POE University" series.
Feel free to ask questions in our Daily Questions Thread! It is always active with veterans looking to help out new and old players alike.
Always be smart when browsing content on third party websites - avoid websites or channels that attempt to sell items or information for money - these are against the Terms of Service and often have flat out incorrect information! Also - don't use ChatGPT or AI as a guide as the game is constantly updating and it's been proven to be unreliable.
The best defence is a good offence, but you can't fight if you're dead.
You can view your defences under [Character Stats] > [Defences] by pressing the C button.
Investment into defensive stats are mandatory to ensure a smooth gameplay experience. Life and Resistances are the most important stats for newer players. Try to ensure that all of your armour and jewellery have at least a life roll before any other stats. 300~400 Life per Act is a good benchmark; you want at the very least 3000 Life by the time you finish the campaign, and even more in Hardcore.
Try to keep your Fire, Cold, and Lightning Resistance at 75% or above in the character stats screen. There are two -30% Resistance penalties at the end of Act 5 and Act 10 that need to be accounted for later on.
Purity of Elements (purchasable in Act 3 or Act 6) is a near-mandatory aura for all new characters, which provides a large chunk of resistances and elemental ailment immunity for reserving 50% of your mana. This greatly reduces gearing stress as well as providing freeze immunity until you can upgrade the Brine King pantheon power.
Select the Brine King pantheon power after finishing Act 6 for some defence against stun. You can upgrade this power in maps with a Divine Vessel to also get freeze immunity. Stun and Freezes can easily get you killed from big attacks or getting swarmed by enemies.
You can also find recipes to craft modifiers directly onto an item using the crafting bench in your hideout (accessible from Act 2):
All Elemental Resistances: Normal Labyrinth
Double Resistances: Lower Prison Lab Trial (Act 6), Cruel Labyrinth, Merciless Labyrinth
Single Resistance: Default, Belly of the Beast Level 2 (Act 4 - after Piety), Doedre's Cesspool (Act 8 - next to waypoint)
Single Attribute: Default, The Western Forest (Act 6 - in Alira's Camp)
Maximum Life: Default, The Beacon (Act 6), The Feeding Trough (Act 10)
Movement Speed: The Caverns (Act 2), The Chamber of Innocence (Act 5), Karui Shores (Epilogue - beach area)
Chaos Resistance is a rarer luxury stat, but is very valuable in maps (level 70+). Try to keep this value above 0% if possible.
Trading for cheap resistance items may be more cost-effective than crafting your own early on. Save your currency for the endgame, except for crafting resistances using the crafting bench.
Try to get increased Movement Speed on your boots and liberally use your Quicksilver Flask from your first Quest. Mobility not only increases your clear speed, it also helps you dodge dangerous attacks from enemies.
You will get a Movement Skill after reaching The Submerged Passage and some better options after reaching Prisoner's Gate. Make sure you socket these skills to cross gaps or avoid telegraphed attacks!
Pro-tip: change your left mouse button action to "Move only" by clicking the button on your UI (bottom right). "Default Attack" may cause you to attack when you want to run away or dodge, which can get you killed.
Make sure you upgrade the number of links you have for your main skills as you progress through the campaign. You can get 3 links as early as Act 1, 4 links in Act 3+, and 5 links in the latter half of Act 4 and beyond. 6 socket items start dropping in Act 6/7.
Support Gems are the main source of More multipliers and utility for a character, but they only work if they're linked to the Skill Gem!
An "Orb of Binding" is an easy way to create a 4-link from scratch if you can't find one on the ground.
Skills do not have to be socketed into a specific piece of equipment. An attack skill can be socketed into a helmet, for example.
Spells tend to scale higher in damage with gem levels, while attacks will usually scale based on the strength of your weapon.
Skills granted by items are linked to every socket in that item - there is no need to link the actual sockets (e.g. Ngamahu's Flame).
Unique items can create entirely new playstyles and often have stats that exceed normal ranges or don't exist at all otherwise. But be warned, a Unique is not necessarily an upgrade! Many Unique items come with downsides that can nerf or sometimes completely brick your build.
For example, a Ring might reduce your Cold Resistance by 40% and cause you to get stunned all the time, or a Dagger might make you become unable to deal any damage except Physical and Chaos Damage!
Make sure you read the item carefully. Unless you're specifically looking for that interaction, it's likely not an upgrade! If in doubt, keep it off.
In simple terms, "increased" is additive with other increased modifiers, while "more" is multiplicative with other more multipliers. Three sources of 20% increased Damage will give you a 1+(0.2*3) = 1.6x multiplier, while three sources of 20% more Damage will give you a 1.23 = 1.73x multiplier. Generally speaking, more multipliers are more valuable because it doesn't get diluted as you get increased sources of it.
"Increased Damage Taken" is a separate multiplier from "Increased Damage", but will also stack with similarly worded modifiers. Typically, these stats come from debuffs like Shock or Withered.
"Recently" will always refer to "within the last 4 seconds".
"Nearby" can be a confusing term that simply means "within a certain radius around a target". If you're interested, check out player-tested/datamined values here!
Local vs Global: If a modifier can affect a base stat on an item (e.g. % Physical Damage, flat Physical or Elemental Damage, Attack Speed, or Critical Strike Chance on a weapon, or Armour, Evasion, or Energy Shield on armour or shields), the modifier is typically local, meaning it applies only to that item. Local modifiers are essentially more multipliers as they directly modify the base stats and are not additive with similarly worded global modifiers.
Modifiers on jewellery are always global as jewellery do not have base stats.
Quality is important on physical weapons - 20% quality is the same as an additional local 20% increased Physical Damage modifier!
ARPG players enjoy the option to have different game modes/difficulties that best suit their preferred playstyles. POE has a variety of different options when creating a new character - which one should you pick?
Standard (Permanent League) vs Temporary League:
Standard (STD) may be better for extremely casual solo players who want to simply play on a single character over the duration of several months. Standard does not reset with the seasonal rotational every 3-4 months, so no player progress will be lost. However, Standard has also existed for 10 years, so the trade market is massively inflated, and you will find it difficult to find players to play with.
Temporary leagues are seasonal resets with a fresh economy and a more active community and market. Temp leagues also have the newest flavour mechanic that Standard might never get access to. Temp leagues are great for more active players or those wanting to play with friends. Your characters (and quest progression and stashes) will be migrated to Standard at the end of the league if you wish to continue playing on it, but it will be unable to join the next Temp league.
Hardcore vs Softcore:
Hardcore (HC) characters are sent to Softcore Standard league on death (soft "permadeath"). POE can be rather unforgiving at times and dying IS an inevitability even with careful play. Only select this option if you know what you're getting into - POE can be prone to lag or disconnects due to it being a live service game. That being said, it does have a much tighter-knit community if you prefer that kind of experience!
Softcore (SC) characters can resurrect in town on death (at the cost of some of your experience). Softcore communities are much larger in comparison to the Hardcore variants. Note that you are still capped at 6 lives per map - you can't corpse rush bosses in endgame!
Other optional settings:
Solo-Self Found (SSF) - Do you hate slogging through trades with other people? Do you prefer farming and grinding your own gear and setting goals for yourself? Do you love to collect unique items to show off to your friends? Solo-Self Found may be the setting for you. Trade and Party Play are completely disabled. There are no loot buffs. Only the warm satisfaction of your own accomplishments.
Ruthless Mode (-R) - Want to experience The Vision™ of the original developers of Path of Exile from 10 years ago? Ruthless Mode provides a completely fresh, unforgiving alternative to the base game that strips down most of the powercreep and loot found in the regular mode. Some players may find it completely brain-melting, but others might find that it's just right for them. Warning: be prepared for a grind - you might never find what you're looking for.
Adapted from this post. Always be vigilant and check what you're trading for. Watch out for the following scams when trying to buy or sell items through trade:
Trade Cancelled Scam - A player will attempt to trade as normal. They will then cancel the trade, likely mentioning they had the wrong amount of currency to lower your guard, then try to scam using similar numbers or looks, such as a stack of 2 chaos instead of 20 chaos, or a wrong level gem.
6-link Switcheroo - A player will list a 6-linked item, but in the trade tab they'll put in a non 6-linked item that looks like it's 6-linked possibly due to the item's artwork.
Bulk Purchase Scam - A player will purchase or sell a large amount of bulk items, and quietly omit some stacks (if selling) or try to sell several inventories of currency but ask for the payment up front (only pay an inventory's worth at a time!)
Item for Item Scam - A player will attempt to trade an obscure or rare but not valuable item for your item while lying about its value, making it difficult to search on trade to verify.
Price Fixing - A player will immediately message you as soon as you list an item, or a player may try to buy the same item from you multiple times, then immediately relist it. Not necessarily a scam but still can be scummy.
Trade Message Editing Scam - A player will edit the generated trade whisper's price, hoping you won't check what you listed it for.
Crafting Service Scam - Never trade a valuable item to get a crafting service done unless you can verify their trustworthiness. Don't be afraid to request streaming the service on Twitch or Discord.
Newbie Scam - If you're receiving multiple whispers for an item you just listed all at once, chances are you mispriced the item. Items with good rolls or special variations may sell for a premium, or even just because it's the start of a new league.
Try not to hoard items! Path of Exile has a lot of items that are essentially worthless both in terms of usefulness and trade value. Learning what is and isn't valuable is a core part of the game's knowledge-based system. As a blanket rule, normal and magic items are usually not worth picking up after the first two acts.
Loot filters are a mandatory tool to decrease item clutter on screen, and to help prioritize valuable items to pick up. Loot filters can be downloaded manually or automatically linked to your account online through your profile.
Neversink's filters are great for new players. Click "follow" then select your desired filter strength under [Options] -> [Game] -> [Item Filter] in-game.
Filterblade is the best tool to start customizing your own filter when you feel more comfortable.
MTX and stash tabs are applied to your entire account, so it is accessible on all characters you create. It will also still apply to POE 2 characters!
Buying points based on budget:
All supporter packs will give their price as an equivalent number of points, so buying a supporter pack will always be better than buying a points pack unless you need a specific smaller amount of points.
First Blood Starter Pack - $20 USD - 200 points, 1 stash tab (20 point value), (+ 1 basic weapon effect)
First Blood + 200 points pack - $40 USD - 400 points + 1 stash tab
First Blood + Tier 1 Supporter Pack - $50 USD - 500 points, typically some special MTX or a full armour set MTX (note: it is possible to upgrade the previous 200 points pack to a Tier 1 Supporter Pack by paying 10$ additional).
Tier 2 Supporter Pack - $60 USD - 600 points, typically some special MTX or an improved full armour set MTX (note: it is possible to upgrade the Tier 1 Supporter Pack or 200 points pack to Tier 2 by paying additional points. The First Blood Starter Pack does not count for upgrading).
Spending points based on budget:
ALWAYS WAIT FOR A STASH TAB SALE! These happen every 3 weeks.
20$ (190 points, 10 leftover) - Basic QOL/efficient stash setup
Upgrade to Premium Stash Tab (10 points) - lets you sell items on trade
Currency Stash Tab (60 points) - stores 5000x all currency, convenient crafting slot, 14 flex slots (5000x stack) for league currency
Map Stash Tab (120 points) - stores 72x each map, best value for storage space and organization of maps
40$ (395 points, 5 leftover) - Mapping QOL setup
Premium Quad Stash Tab (120 points) - dump tab, selling on trade
Currency Stash Tab (60 points)
Map Stash Tab (120 points)
Fragment Stash Tab (55 points) - stores 5000x all fragments, good for mapping
Divination Stash Tab (40 points) - useful for divination card sorting + saves a lot of space for mapping
50$ (435 points, 65 flex) - Mapping/Crafting QOL setup with flex points for other tabs/MTX
Premium Quad Stash Tab (120 points)
Currency Stash Tab (60 points)
Map Stash Tab (120 points)
Fragment Stash Tab (55 points)
Divination Stash Tab (40 points)
Essence Stash Tab (30 points) - Essences are an easily accessible market for new players to sell, convenient upgrading
Upgrade to Premium Stash Tab (10 points) - Additional premium tab for more valuable sales
Gem, Flask, Metamorph, Blight, and Delirium tabs are luxury purchases. Use regular tabs with affinity instead.
Casual SSF players may opt to skip the Quad Stash Tab/Map Stash Tab (and Fragment Tab) to opt for a Unique Stash Tab instead.
If you have an SSD, make sure Path of Exile is installed on it instead of your hard drive - the difference in loading speed is noticeable.
If your game has visual bugs, crashes, or lag issues, try changing the renderer between DirectX12 and Vulkan.
Global illumination and shadows can be safely disabled for performance.
Set bloom to 25% (minimum), especially if you plan to delve - particle effects can get flashbang-y.
Disable Dynamic Resolution if your screen gets too blocky/blurry during gameplay.
Use Lockstep networking if possible to prevent out-of-sync issues.
Hide Filtered Ground Items to reduce some screen clutter.
Set Map Landscape Transparency to low and Map Transparency to high in UI to maximize the readability of the minimap.
You can change the size and colour of your mouse cursor in UI.
Download PoE Overlay (Overwolf version or Community fork) to use easy macros for price checking and gameplay.
"/hideout" in chat will take you to your hideout while in town.
"/leave" in chat will make you leave your current party.
CTRL + Enter will @whisper the last person who messaged you.
CTRL + click will transfer items from your inventory to your stash or trade window.
SHIFT + click will allow you to split stacked items (you can use the scroll button instead of dragging the bar!).
SHIFT + click while holding a stack of items will place a single item.
Hold SHIFT after right-clicking any currency to use it repeatedly.
Right-click a stash tab to enable an Affinity - these allow you to CTRL + click specific types of items automatically into that stash from your inventory.
The Heist and Expedition Lockers also have Affinities once unlocked.
Right-click a player in chat to open a menu to be able to whisper, ignore, report, or invite a player to your party.
You may need to place certain Lockers or crafting benches in your hideout before you can use them (Horticrafting Station, Heist Locker, Expedition Locker). You can find them in your Decorations tab.
You can invite certain NPCs to your hideout to access their special mechanics or menus.
CTRL + click certain NPCs to open their relevant UI window. Lilly Roth and Tane Octavius will allow you to vendor items instead.
Type "/global #" to change global chat channels. Activity may vary throughout the league. Trading/WTB/WTS/WTT is not permitted in global chats - use /trade channels instead.
/global 2-10: Spammy social chat
/global 10: Questions/Help chat
/global 69: Generic social chat
/global 100: POE Discord social/help chat
/global 411: Questions/Help chat (less active)
/global 773: SSF social chat
/global 777: Generic social chat
/global 820: Boss carry/Challenge/XP sharing services chat (free)
/global 911: Righteous Fire social chat
/global 1801: Hideout sharing services/social chat
/global 4040: Alternative challenges sharing services chat
/global 5055: Subreddit social chat
/global 6666: Necromancer social chat/Spectre sharing
/trade 820: Challenge/XP sharing services chat (requires fee)
r/POE FAQ - explains common acronyms, general early-game tips and mechanics
r/POE Frequently Given Answers - answers to common questions from newer players
Daily Questions Thread - active help thread full of helpful veteran players! try using this before making new threads.
Path of Exile Community Discord - discuss and get live help here!
Path of Exile Builds Subreddit - sister subreddit focused on build help and build showcases
POEWiki - the official, most up-to-date wiki resource.
Use this handy extension to avoid accidentally going to the now-deprecated Fandom site: Chrome/Firefox
poedb - database and index for datamined information
Path of Building (community fork) - character planner and advanced stats/dps calculator
POBb.in - link shortener for Path of Building with preview support
Craft of Exile - crafting simulator and resource
POENinja - item pricing tracker and character ladder
Filterblade - Neversink's advanced item filter editor
Awakened POE Trade (program) - simple price checking macro and hotkey tool
POE Lab - Labyrinth layouts and cheatsheets
Additional resource and community links can be found on the subreddit's sidebar.
Zizaran: The basics of Path of Exile - PoE 101 for Beginners - PoE University
Zizaran: Play With Me - Full Walkthrough Explaining Everything! - PoE University
Empyrian: 40 Path of Exile Tips & Tricks - Things I wish I knew earlier
Maxroll and POE Vault - build guides by well-known content creators
Feel free to leave other suggestions or resources in the comments.
https://twitter.com/bexsayswords/status/1671623119642177536
With Chris saying PoE 2 will have about a year of marketing, and Bex now confirming that marketing begins in July, mid-late 2024 release seems likely.
Edit: just for more info, Chris said "i would expect a good year of clear hype marketing" but also said they were hoping for the end of 2023 in the same interview. That interview was about 1.5 years ago so I personally trust the year of marketing over the old proposed release date.
I am going to call August 11th for PoE 3.22, November 24 for PoE 3.23, January 26 for PoE 2 Beta, March 15 for PoE 3.24 (Ultimatum Returns), and June 29th for PoE 2. Beta keys will be given to players who reach 20 challenges in PoE 3.23 on January 26th. Beta keys will be given to everyone on March 15th.